The secret to a successful, stress-free Christmas lunch is preparation, so get as much done the day before as possible. Here is chef Gavin McDonagh’s prep guide:
Christmas Eve
Peel the potatoes
Peel and trim the Brussels sprouts
Make the creamed corn base
Make the stuffing for the legs and stuff the turkey legs
Chop the bacon for the Brussels sprouts
Make the herb butter
Stuff under the skin of the turkey crown with the herb butter
Christmas day (serving time 4pm)
11am: Pre-heat the oven
11.30am: Place turkey crown in oven
Noon: Place stuffed turkey legs in the oven (remember to baste the turkey every 30 minutes )
Relax and pour yourself a drink
3pm: Start the roast potatoes
3.30pm: Remove the turkey from the oven and leave it to rest, and begin the pan gravy. At this stage you can also start to warm the creamed corn and place a pot of water on to boil for the sprouts.
3.40pm: Cook the Brussels sprouts
Now here’s where the panic normally starts. Everything should be ready to start assembling, so my tip is to lower the oven temperature down to 70 degrees and use it as a holding oven or hot press, and that way you can serve all the food hot, at the same time.
4pm: Serve and enjoy.
