Christmas Lunch Trade Secrets?

[WeeWorld]

Xmas pudding is not for Xmas day. You really can't do it justice.

Blasphemer!

[big mervyn]

Xmas pudding is not for Xmas day. You really can't do it justice.

Blasphemer!

Quite the contrary.

I hold it in such reverence, that it deserves to be enjoyed on it's own. Culinary highlight of the season.

[BaggyTrousers]

I'm in a minority of one, I know, but I like my roasties simply roasted, adding all the fat and god-forbid semolina, is unnecessary. A good spud is tastey enough in its own right.

Have you a spud of choice BR? I was once a fan of the King Ted, have a more than passing familiarity with the Rooster, Maris Pipers and of course Dublin Queens, occasionally the Comber Blue. My current favourite & top all round spud I get from Sainsburys, Vivaldi.

Nothing wrong with a simply roasted spud but I urge you to consider this advice from Essex wide boy Oliver, about half to two thirds through the cooking time, take your masher and gentle squeeze down on each spud to slightly flatten them, adds immensely to the crispness.

I seldom use anything more than olive or rapeseed oil with an unhealthy knob of butter, but I do usually go for the duck or goose fat on occasions, such as the one ahead of us. Agreed on semolina much as I understand the principle, between you and me, I think it's for goons who don't know how to crisp a roastie naturally.

[BR]

You see, it's the crispness that I would prefer to avoid. At least the sort of crispness that everyone else seems to revel in. Hard skin on the outside, an almost soapy texture on the inside. I don't dislike the parboiled, fluffed up, fryed on the outside ones, I just like the others from time to time. Those times tend to be when I'm cooking for myself as everyone else thinks, "Christ, he made a right mess of those spuds!"

[BaggyTrousers]

I like roast potatoes but on christmas day it's strictly mashed potatoes only.

I'll hazard a guess Small that it straight out of a Smash packet.

[Dave]

Mashed spuds are rank.

[WeeWorld]

Xmas pudding is not for Xmas day. You really can't do it justice.

Blasphemer!

Quite the contrary.

I hold it in such reverence, that it deserves to be enjoyed on it's own. Culinary highlight of the season.

So no dessert on christmas day then?

[WeeWorld]

I like roast potatoes but on christmas day it's strictly mashed potatoes only.

I'll hazard a guess Small that it straight out of a Smash packet.

Well if your idea of mashed potatoes is smash...

[WeeWorld]

Mashed spuds are rank.

see above

[Tender]

I agree it's desirable to cook way more roasties than necessary for the main event, as a sneaky cold roastie, eaten later in the day is all part of a proper Crimbo.

My Dad actually deep fried the roasties in the old chip pan (ask your parents), which back then always had beef dripping in it. It works well, but you wouldn't wanna make it a regular thing, he died young... hardly surprising for a man who also deep fried eggs to top of his chips.

[big mervyn]

Xmas pudding is not for Xmas day. You really can't do it justice.

Blasphemer!

Quite the contrary.

I hold it in such reverence, that it deserves to be enjoyed on it's own. Culinary highlight of the season.

So no dessert on christmas day then?

At least two, but no Xmas pud. If somebody really wants some, it's there.

[BaggyTrousers]

I agree it's desirable to cook way more roasties than necessary for the main event, as a sneaky cold roastie, eaten later in the day is all part of a proper Crimbo.

My Dad actually deep fried the roasties in the old chip pan (ask your parents), which back then always had beef dripping in it. It works well, but you wouldn't wanna make it a regular thing, he died young... hardly surprising for a man who also deep fried eggs to top of his chips.

God damn it Tender how insensitive can you be, I'm a fūcking orphan and have been for many years, you might as well ask a bastrado how he's enjoying Father's Day.

Now to correct BR's impression of a hard shelled roastie. No no no BR, I don't mean cremated spuds. Here is the method:

Par boil and drain your spuds, then gently shake pan up and down a few times to fluff up the skin, this and not excessive cooking produces golden crisp roasties, not cook their living Jesus clean out of them. Any fool can produce blackened spuds.

Invest in a good quality sea salt, Maldon is my recommendation, available from all good and several modest grocers. Spread a pinch of this on your spuds for flavour before roasting.

NB I did invest in a packet of smoked Maldon sea salt, but haven't been thrilled.

[BR]

Mashed spuds are rank.

I was of that opinion for many years, perhaps a legacy of my mother's mash, but undoubtedly influenced by years of school dinners. In later life, I was prepared to go with the flow of family preference, and it was not until then that I honed my own skill at making mash.

I find people tend to over boil their spuds. They should come out of the water the same as whole boiled potatoes; boiling them a bit longer, 'because you're going to mash them' makes the mashing process easier, but detracts from the taste and consistency imho.
I use a masher and then finish with a balloon whisk. 2 cwt of butter and just a dash of milk or cream if the spuds require it.

Note: spuds are not my department for Xmas lunch, but I would be disappointed were there not two varieties of roasty, mash and hopefully whole boiled spuds to choose from.

[WeeWorld]

As you say BR, it's not just a matter of peeling, boiling and mashing or in the case of whoever minds B.T., adding water.

Roasties for me, go better with a joint of beef or a leg of lamb where the juices from the meat are used to baste them.
With turkey or chicken a melt in the mouth mash made from good floury potatoes, butter and cream is the business, nowhere near the 2 cwt you use though!

[Snipe Watson]

Par boil your roasties before dowsing in spitting hot goose fat the night before.
My local butcher does roast in the bag turkey breasts with streaky bacon, herbs and butter with one of those wee indicator tags to tell you when it's cooked. I'm a leg man but the fact that even a liability like me can't get it wrong trumps that.