Bread sauce is made by simmering milk with onion, black peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves (I leave out the cloves). After adequate infusion (I simmer for 15 mins then leave aside to stand for an hour or so until dinner is nearly ready), strain the milk and thicken with stale breadcrumbs, add a knob of butter then season to taste and lightly grate some nutmeg on top.
Tl;dr it’s a flavoured milk sauce thickened with breadcrumbs.
A very traditional (medieval) English sauce served with chicken or turkey.
Not sure. Thanksgiving is the big one for us. Christmas dinner is not that special. Right now, I’m leaning toward the Champion Chili Burger at The Firehouse.
It has to be country ham glazed with sorghum - my family won’t hear of anything else. For the rest, maybe butternut squash soup, macaroni salad, pickled peach mold, corn souffle puddings, possibly sauteed broccoflower with mushrooms - my sister and nephews have an aversion to green things but I like them, and a cake made in my new yule log pan. There’ll be punch too, and assorted nibbles, whatever else everyone brings. Usually there’s enough to feed a small army. Oh, and definitely crackers. I got a do-it-yourself kit online and stuffed them full of interesting things.
Oh, I hope you come back and read this. I was nervous the first time I roasted a duck, too and followed this blog. It turned out great, and I used some of the duck fat I collected in the mashed potatoes. Divine!
Myself, I roast a leg of lamb. I thought I would see someone else serving lamb, but maybe it’s not much of a Christmas thing? As far as planning ahead, I’m late to this thread, but yes, I have to plan the protein well in advance, especially if it’s not something my farmer normally has on her truck on days she’s in the city. In winter, she’s only in a spot convenient for me twice a month, so I have to plan and budget for what I want to pick up. A leg of lamb is a special order so she knew in November I wanted to pick it up on the 19th.
As for the rest of the meal, nothing fancy. My “smooshed” red potatoes with butter and cream cheese, roasted acorn squash, bourboned ginger carrots, cornbread and spinach salad. Maybe my rum cranberry sauce, too. Haven’t decided yet.
Yes, we have decided on The Firehouse, and I at least – and possibly the wife, she loves it too – will be indulging in the humongous Champion Chili Burger for our Christmas meal. We always add bacon and mushrooms. Mmmmm.
Friends are coming over in the evening for cocktails, heavy appetizers and movies. There will definitely be sausage balls, pigs in blankets (American), some savory turnovers, wings done a couple of ways, a crudite platter, mini salad boats, a fruit tray and dark chocolate peppermint brownies.
I’m by myself this year and traveling Christmas Day, but I’ll do up a little Xmas eve dinner: (turkey) stuffed squash from Trader Joes, a white corn and green bean veg dish that I came up with and a couple of fruity mince pies for dessert, all washed down with a splash of Cava.
Christmas dinner, more or less, will be whatever looks most appetizing while laying over at DFW airport.
My mom finally finalized the menu for Christmas Dinner; prime rib, asparagus with hollandaise, cabbage au gratin, twice-baked potatoes, and probably a custard for desert. I’m contributing a bottle of Argentine red wine that should go well with the prime rib. Christmas Eve is when the extended family get’s together, and that’s a potluck. My contribution is also wine, this time a box from Australia.
I’ve just come to the horrible realisation that we’ve over-catered again this year.
2 x lobsters and fresh king prawns
Whole baked ham with orange/star anise glaze
Barbequed chicken breasts, in a ginger and cider marinade.
Potato salad (with bacon, egg and spring onions)
French bean salad
Mississippi mudcake with chocolate ganache icing AND every last sq. cm covered in Maltesers, served w/raspberry coulis and fresh cream.
Baked cheesecake.
Variety of cheeses w/crackers
Lots of booze.
Thanks I will try that…eventually. I ended up chickening out(ducking the issue?) of making the duck. I kept putting off the decision if I would or not until it was too late to thaw it.
But no worries, I got a little couple rib roast, which is about an hour from going in the oven, along with some roasting taters that were going to be used with the duck fat. But I can always get more potatoes when I do go for the duck.
We had a whole beef tenderloin, a whole boneless leg of lamb, home made rolls, baked potatoes, buttered peas, glazed carrots, my sisters famous baked manicotti (we’re Italian, God forbid there shouldn’t be pasta) and a few bottled of very nice pinot.
Dessert was a staggering array of pies and fine chocolates.
I would have loved to stay longer but I needed to get on the road before I went into a food coma.
Dishwasher busted on Christmas Eve, but the Christmas prime rib came out delish, and the guests were kind enough to help hand wash everything after. Great day.
We had the neighbors over and my Mom came up from Denver. It was very simple diner, but got rave reviews. Over and over again.
Salad
Meatloaf / Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed asparagus with garlic.
Green beans (because I MUST have green beans with meatloaf)
Homemade sourdough bread
Key Lime pie
I passed on the Yorkshire pudding. So we had prime rib seasoned, baked potatoes, and asparagus; with escargots for starters. The roast was seasoned (top, sides, and between the bones and the meat) with minced garlic, rosemary from the plant outside, kosher salt, and olive oil.
I’ve always liked Costco’s beef. This was the best roast yet. Yay for USDA Prime!
The leg of lamb came out fantastic. I’m the laziest cook ever, so didn’t even defrost it first. Just put the whole frozen thing on a baking sheet, rubbed a layer of olive oil onto it, coarse sea salt and pepper. Stick it in a 225F oven for an hour per pound (I might have done this before and have it down pat, pork roasts, beef roasts, even turkey quarters), uncovered, and 7.5 hours later it’s not quite falling off the bone, juicy and tender.
