[rich d]

[/quote]

I won't be doing any cooking this Christmas, but I do like the sound of Champagne jelly not being used as a dessert. Do you have any other savoury jelly recipes? ( I have a me vs. the wife cook off in January)
[/quote]

done mint jelly, also red wine jelly, but the best i've done was a lobster jelly which was fantastic.  Basically any thin sauce - pop some gelatine sheets in and there you go

[fatdoc]

OK, slow roast leg of Lamb is what I have to cook for the Extended family TT. A leg has been sourced from a very good butcher.. I just need to not screw up its cooking. I had hoped to pot roast (casserole?) it very slowly, but it looks like there wont be a pot large enough.. so its going to have to be a roasting tin and some foil.. any tips on temps/timing? I have hours to cook it and tender as possible would be winning...

Flavour wise I'm planning to keep it simple with a load of rosemary and red wine....

now... thats got the making of a classic meal

[fried]

Thanks forall the Jelly/ jam ideas. I'll investigate in the new year.

[Will Hunt]

I am stuffed full of pheasant, spuds, parsnips, sprouts (yum), and all the trimmings. And homemade sticky toffee pudding.
2 Xmas dinners down, only the real deal to go now.

Pheasant with a glug of Laphroig along with the butter and seasoning. F-ing delish.

[JamesR]

Roast potatoes are all about cutting them unevenly, so that you get some small ones that go crispy and a few big ones that stay soft and fluffy. Parboil yes (in salty water), but not too much, most of the cooking is best done  in a hot oven. After taking them out of the water, let them steam dry for a while, this will increase their fat absorbtion making them dead nice. A quick roll around in a colander before putting into a hot tray on the stove is good too. Roasting fat should be high quality, a good goose fat, lard or dripping. Sprouts..... boiled for a bit, then throw into a pan with some sliced bacon, garlic and loads of butter, YES.

[underground]

Well, just reading through the recent posts and something really struck me - and only now I have noticed and become really disappointed - there were no parsnips! I also never really got into Bread Sauce which was a new on on me from my wife, but this year I made it and (although I do say it mysen) it was really, really nice.

Personally, when it comes to sprouts, they need about 8 mins of full on steam and then getting on the plate - nice and firm - I don't fuck about with putting a cross in the bottom either. All the bacon / pancetta / chestnuts / cream gets in the way of a good sprout IMHO 

[rich d]

So it's that time of year again. Any genius ideas for inspiration? We're cooking this year, got the parents bringing one of those birds within a bird within a bird - so it'll be the usual trimmings with it, and the only deviation is wrapping the stuffing in bacon (almost like a hot crispy terrine).
Starter so far is venison rolled in pepper and rosemary - quickly charred on the outside - with roasted beetroots, watercress, horseradish cream and parmesan. - going to be tried out this Saturday to make sure it's up to standard and I also fancy serving it cold like a carpaccio.

Dessert is Christmas pudding, but also doing a baileys cheesecake.

Bit stuck for breakfast at the moment, as this year we've got people staying over Christmas eve - so bit of inspiration would be good. we eat around 3 - so breakfast doesn't have to be all dainty. 

[SA Chris]

I know it's nothing exotic, but we traditionally have smoked salmon with cream cheese and scramble egg for Xmas brekkie. Well we have both, the kids have scrambled egg and turn their nose up at the "pink stuff".

You could try this?

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/waitrose-unveils-23-bird-roast-2013121782121

[Will Hunt]

Did anybody else see that three fish roast thing from Morridogs?
 

[rich d]

Did anybody else see that three fish roast thing from Morridogs?
 

doesn't look the best does it.

[shurt]

OK, slow roast leg of Lamb is what I have to cook for the Extended family TT. A leg has been sourced from a very good butcher.. I just need to not screw up its cooking. I had hoped to pot roast (casserole?) it very slowly, but it looks like there wont be a pot large enough.. so its going to have to be a roasting tin and some foil.. any tips on temps/timing? I have hours to cook it and tender as possible would be winning...

Flavour wise I'm planning to keep it simple with a load of rosemary and red wine....

I got a meat thermometer a few years back and it is really useful. I've never overcooked a joint since. I spoke to a chef mate of mine ages ago and asked him what the secret was to cooking a perfect joint of meat and he just replied 'a good thermometer'. The one I got has all the different types of meat and rare to well done on it.
Cooking wise all the other suggestions sound great. Lamb beats the shit out of turkey any day.

[lagerstarfish]

I've found a digital cooking thermometer to be more useful than the mechanical kind - quicker to react and more accurate

plus, you can use it to check the temp of your DIY sous vide setup

got mine from Maplins - not too late to ask Santa...

[rich d]

this should probably go under the bread pr0n, but it's Christmas Eve. My pain d'epi wreath for Xmas Eve lunch.

[SA Chris]

encroyable.

[andy popp]

Impressive!

Sage and onion stuffing, chestnut stuffing, nut roast, stewed red cabbage, cranberry sauce and bread sauce all made,. Just some veg to peel in the morning.

[tomtom]

That's brilliant Rich. Hung up like a loop for the cat to dive through as part of some bizarre festive feline agility course

(I am probably quite unhinged today!)

[lagerstarfish]

So, what are people cooking this year?

after last year's barbecued rib of beef, it has been decided that I should do it again

ordered 3 big ribs worth from Mr Pickles Yorkshire Food Emporium  - happy cows from Firs Farm on Ringinglow Road - 2.5 miles from our house, but no doubt it'll rack up some miles getting killed an taken to the shop. If I'd been more organised, I'd have liked to have met the cow. Maybe next year?

I've eyed up their rib before - bigger than most places and always a nice layout of fat. 1.5 to 2 kilos per rib instead of around 1 kilo for other places I've been. I was surprised by the price - only £14.99 per kilo. Good price for happy, local meat.

I'd previously assumed that it was a trendy, hipster type shop, but have come to appreciate Mr Pickles

[fried]

I've been promised and hopefully will get my hands on my first great big chunk of sanglier. I've been dreaming of this moment...and some venison too..oh and free apparently 'cos everyone loves les Anglais in the country.

[lagerstarfish]

I've been promised and hopefully will get my hands on my first great big chunk of sanglier.

ooooh, fucking hell, what a great idea 

I know nothing about cooking such a chunk, but like the idea of being Obelix for a day

I assume a low and slow roast? plenty of time for preparing other dishes and testing the wines

[fried]

My bro-in-laws mate,who's a chef is also giving me his secret family recipe for cooking it, I don't remember all the details, but it's cooked in gewurztraminer.

[lagerstarfish]

but how do you decide what to drink with that?

[rich d]

but how do you decide what to drink with that?

looks like a northern french red to me..

[fried]

[SA Chris]

it's cooked in gewurztraminer.

Of course it is. I keep mine handy especially for occasions like this.

[Will Hunt]

I'm trying to find a good, simple recipe for roast pheasant but struggling to find what I'm after. I have a rough idea about what I want to do so perhaps someone can correct/pass comment on a recipe that I've cobbled together from various different methods below?

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (too hot?)

Season liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with rosemary and thyme and maybe some excess bacon.

Heat some good quality oil over a medium heat in a frying pan and colour the bird. About 5 mins on each leg and on the breast (maybe a little longer on the legs).

Coat the bird liberally in finely sliced streaky bacon. Pour over a glug of whisky.

Into the oven for 20 minutes, basting every 10 mins or so. After 20 mins, remove bacon and leave to crisp up in the pan for a final 10 mins of cooking (30 mins total).

Leave to rest upside down for 20 mins.