WHO better to ask advice from on the art of dishing up the best Christmas dinner, than celebrity chefs John Torode, Michel Roux Jr, Lorraine Pascale, James Martin, Richard Burr and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall?
The foodie experts serve up their top Christmas kitchen shortcuts and share their favourite bits of the big day.
AH, STUFF IT
"Christmas for me is about a big leg of ham, because as a kid, we always had a leg of ham in the fridge, and it's cold ham kept in a pillow case, so it stays lovely and moist. The other thing is stuffing. I love stuffing. I think it's very underrated. Sausage meat and sage stuffing is a very, very good thing. Besides that, some cauliflower cheese, the presents, some red wine, a sleep in the afternoon, the kids doing the washing up... I wish!"
He also maintains that preparation is key: "I think big parties and occasions like Christmas are stressful enough, without having to worry about food. My tip for everybody is to do quite a bit over the days before.
"My Nana, always on Christmas Eve, had all the vegetables peeled and in bowls in the fridge. The chicken was already seasoned and ready to go in the oven.
"And the other thing she used to do, which I think is a great thing, is she used to ask people to bring things, so if your Aunty Mary is brilliant at making the stuffing, get her to bring the stuffing.
"If everyone brings one thing, suddenly you've got some cauliflower cheese by Geoff, you've got some custard, some stuffing, some pudding, and then all you've got to do is put the rest of it together.
"And don't stress about it – let it go. If something goes wrong, fine. Your family love you.
He adds: "The other advice I've got is, pay the kids to do the washing up. That was how I first learned to cook. Christmas Day and I remember, I was seven years old and I was paid one dollar to do the washing up for 16 people who came to Christmas lunch, and in those days, there weren't dishwashers, it was a sink and that's it."
TAKE IT EASY
Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin is looking forward to a rare Christmas at home: "I normally go away for Christmas – last year I was in the Maldives – but this year I'm spending it at home and have my mother and family coming down. It'll be nice, but I might not be saying that come 12.30pm and it's carnage! I'll be cooking, and my mother provides the potatoes because they come from her friend's farm. I'm not allowed to cook the roast potatoes, as she does them better than me."
STEP AWAY FROM THE BOOZE
"Get as much as you can prepared the day before, don't leave it all to the day, and also, don't drink! I know you'll be tempted to have a little drink while you're prepping – DON'T!"
He does recommend going overboard on pudding and garnishes though: "I love Christmas pudding. We make our own and it's a really special one, very sweet with loads and loads of fruit, and of course, it's the event; getting as much family round you as possible, that's what makes it.
"But food-wise, I do like my Christmas pudding. Mmm. And the garnish for the turkey – we always do this – is little chipolatas wrapped in bacon. That is just, oh God, fantastic, heaven! Food heaven. Really salty, and probably not very healthy, but ah gosh – so good!"
SOMETHING SWEET
Lorraine Pascale is all about scoffing chocolate come the festive season: "I love Christmas – especially the food side. I'm more into sweet than savoury though: Matchmakers, Toblerone – you name it!"
Her advice for making sure the big day run smoothly is to make a plan: "Start with the time you want to serve the Christmas dinner and then work your way backwards, so you know exactly how long it's going to take. Make sure you ask family members to contribute, so you're not doing it all yourself too!"
CHAMPIONING CHRISTMAS PUD
"Lots of people don't like Christmas pudding. I do, I've always liked it and we don't really have it at any other time," says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. "Sometimes I make one but my mum still likes to make a Christmas pudding – or two or three, with some soaking in booze for a whole year!"
However, the River Cottage chef is less traditional with his Christmas meat choices: "I've never been a massive turkey fan. I've had the odd good free-range bird, but I've never had a turkey that was as good as a really good chicken. We rear our own chickens at home, and a really good free-range chicken does it for me. So, for us at Christmas, it's about putting a special piece of meat that we can raise at home on the table, and that's usually beef. And I do like coming up with canapes."
His top tip is to delegate on the cooking front: "Be successful in the delegation: 'You do the stuffing, you make the mince pies'. I know my sister will always make fantastic mince pies because she makes very good pastry. So whoever's hosting, we manage to spread the load; people come with key contributions."
And he adds: "Don't be a control freak – and that's a difficult thing for me to say."
TEAM EFFORT
Last year's Great British Bake Off runner-up, Richard Burr, says December 25 is about getting the whole family involved in the kitchen: "Christmas is coming and I've got it covered. Want to know why? It's because I get everyone else to do the work with me!
"Being a dad to two young daughters, and with baby number three on the way, Christmas is a magical time of year – rather than one long week of constant hangovers, as it was in my teens and 20s.
"These days, the anticipation starts just after Halloween as we make the Christmas cake mix and I start doing the sloe gin.
"In the lead-up to the big day, our kitchen is full of bustle, with my wife Sarah, my sisters, and the kids all having jobs to do.
"The best Christmas is when you've got hacked up carrots that your daughter has meticulously butchered, when your brother-in-law has done his trademark goose fat roasties and your mum has managed to sit down for more than five minutes at a time.
"A meal is all the more enjoyable if everyone's had a part in putting it together. It's family that makes Christmas Day special, and maybe a little splash of morning Bailey's..."
