I got to work at breaking light the other day in order to write before the mayhem of the day began. As I walked along the leaves crunched beneath my feet and my breath hit the air in little visible white clouds. It was cold, dry and very festive; perfect Christmassy weather. Who wouldn’t like shopping and planning for Christmas on such a day? I’m convinced it’s the rain that stops us enjoying the chaos of the season. Rain always brings out the angry drivers, the frustrated parents and hungry children. It’s the permanent threat of a shower that has largely curtailed the growth of street food in this country. However as it is the run up to Christmas many places have put it up to the elements and Christmas markets and experiences have sprung up all over the place. We seem to have finally borrowed a little festive spirit from our mainland European neighbours.
I popped down to the Winterval Festival in Waterford a few days ago. While it’s not quite as festive as Munich or Bruges, the experience overall was lovely and particularly as it is the first year. We tried the street food and enjoyed standing in the cool air clutching our hot sausages served in crusty bread while soaking in the aromas of smoke and spices. The sauce dripped down faces and landed on scarves and gloves, but nothing that a proffered wet wipe couldn’t handle. We were less successful with the cupcakes. Trying to eat a tower of icing as you walk along is quite the challenge and shoveling that much sugar and butter into your system in one go is probably not to be advised. However the pleasure of buying it from a little wooden hut and eating on the street was not to be missed. We browsed the little shopping huts and then took a short trip on the Winterval Express train. We visited Santa in his underground super grotto and the Helter Skelter slide was a hit with everyone. We went on a relatively busy morning and the abundance of pink cheeks under bobble hats just added to the atmosphere. As we walked, shopped, ate and enjoyed it all for what it was I couldn’t help thinking that this is really what Christmas is all about – simple experiences of time shared with the family, punctuated with plenty of hot grub and warm drinks.
It got me really thinking about keeping things very simple at home this Christmas. The key is definitely in stocking up on ingredients. Have lots of bread, sausages, cold meats, chutneys, spices and cheeses in the fridge and plenty of lettuce, spring onions and tomatoes to hand and you can have a rustic feast in an instant. If you are the main cook in the house your Christmas should not be spent slaving in a hot kitchen but preparing lovely food quickly so you can sit and enjoy it too. It really is all about being organised ahead of time. I know we are cutting it fine this week, but there’s still time to make it the best Christmas ever. Here are my top tips.
1. Don’t overcook the Turkey! It is the number one problem with Christmas cooking every year. If you bought your turkey from James Whelan Butchers then we will have inserted a little disposable thermometer in the bird. When this ‘pops’ your turkey is perfectly cooked. If you don’t have this advantage, buy an inexpensive meat thermometer. You will use it all year round and it will become one of your best tools for cooking any kind of meat or poultry. By all means follow guidelines on how to cook a turkey but the turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees C. Test the temperature by plunging the meat thermometer into the thigh of the turkey. Remember cold turkey and recipes for using it will be your best friend in the days after Christmas.
2. If you are using recipes, and particularly ones that you aren’t overly familiar with. Gather them today, get them all in the same place and read them over twice. Make sure you have all the ingredients necessary and ready to go.
3. A friend of mine uses Post It notes when doing a lot of cooking. It’s a great idea. If you have different dishes at different times sticking little post it notes around you while you cook can be a really handy reference. My one rule is to remove all Post Its during clean up. Do not start another day’s cooking with old Post It notes still on the wall – it could lead to a mix up.
4. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure. People need well cooked and tasty food. They do not need your failed attempt at being Nigella Lawson. Also don’t be a perfectionist! While this is similar to being over ambitious; there are subtle differences. Perfectionists are usually quite capable individuals but they tend to set the bar very high……for themselves. Tell them they have prepared a wonderful meal and they’ll lament the fact that the carved tomato was a tad uneven! Stop it.
5. Use the internet. While I know everyone doesn’t have access, many people do. You can do plenty of research on line – there are literally thousands of tips, recipes, hints, how to lessons just waiting for you. Our own website is also great resource.
6. You can only eat the same amount on Christmas Day as you can any other day of the year!
7. Make time by planning. Twenty minutes spent making a plan for Christmas Day and any cooking on Christmas Eve will buy you hours – trust me. Whether you write a list or make a work of art with arrows and coloured pens or create a maze of Post It notes on the wall – a plan is a plan and it will help organize your mind as much as your time. It is very calming.
8. Today, sort out the fridge. Just do it. Know what’s in it; lurking at the back and in the drawer. An organized fridge will lead to an organized mind. Do the same with the main food cupboard. It’s really not as bad a job as you think.
9. Delegate. While you can get help from all the family I would also say let your butchers and local shops do as much work as they can to ease your burden. Value is not just about money. Often it is false economy to try and make everything from scratch. Do what you can and buy the rest! There are great deals to be had out there and don’t miss them.
10. ENJOY! Don’t get stressed and remember what it is all about – spending time with family and friends while sharing good grub and warm drinks of all kinds. Whatever you do, keep it simple.
Happy Christmas.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Tags: Christmas Cooking Tips, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Turkeys, foodie articles, James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan
