Christmas dinner preparations can be long and exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be that way according to celebrity chef and TV personality, Rick Stein
A Christmas dinner is somewhat the pinnacle of a successful Christmas Day – but it doesn’t come without the frantic kitchen escapades for many. Cooking a roast on any normal day requires timing skills to make sure everything comes out piping hot at the same time.
But celebrity chef Rick Stein CBE, a TV presenter, author and restauranteur has urged anyone responsible for feeding their families this Christmas to simply divide their time up a bit better. And that means doing some of the prep and cooking on Christmas Eve and making sure you have the right tools for the job in advance.
He said on his festive blog: “Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you’re having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.” Those with extra large fridges could even pre-cook parsnips and potatoes. Before even kickstarting the cooking, people need to ensure they have the correct amount of baking trays, pans and serving dishes to hand. Two key tips he added was to pre-buy extra-long kitchen foil and ensure knives are sharp – this will make prep and serving far quicker, he said.
Another key tip from the chef is to make a list of all the key timings and set a schedule for the day. This will enable cooks to keep on top of their game while also leaving the kitchen to join in the family fun. And lastly, he said, to avoid any chaos – make sure pots, pans, baking trays and utensils are washed on the go. This can simply mean loading the dishwasher with items that are dirty.
He said: “If like us, when you cook a roast dinner you use every pot, pan and utensil in sight, clean up as you go (where possible). Even if this just means packing the dishwasher before carving the turkey, it’ll insure you get to relax and enjoy the after-dinner festivities with your family – rather than being chained to a washing-up bowl for an hour after you’ve eaten.”
For anyone dreading the thought of sorting out a dessert as well as the festive feast with all the trimmings – Rick simply said to use a microwave and pop in a pre-bought Christmas pud to shave down an hour extra in the kitchen to just a few minutes.
