A Handy Time-Planner for todays
Christmas lunch. (Why not print and stick on the fridge)
Christmas Lunch Time-Plan
For a 2pm dinner and for a 5kg/11lb turkey
(adjust to suit)
8:15am
Take the turkey out of the fridge
to help bring it to room temperature.
10am
Preheat the oven to HIGH.
Place your turkey on a roasting tin with the vegetables.
Give it a big squeeze of lemon,
and add the squeezed out halves inside the turkey.
Cover completely with foil.
10.15am
In goes the turkey and you need to reduce the
temperature to 180C/gas 4.
If you are doing Brussels – then rope someone in
to peel and trim them.
Someone needs to set the table now.
You get let the children do it (and then sort it out a bit later)
10.30am
Make yourself all clean and gorgeous.
Midday:
Start to steam your Xmas Pudding
and take the foil off the turkey so it can start getting
brown and crispy.
12.30pm
A nice time to give your bird a big splash of white wine.
Will make the kitchen smell heavenly and your
gravy will be gorgeous.
While we’re on the subject,
appoint someone drink topper-upper,
and other people table tidy-away-ers.
Including the dishwasher…
12.35pm
Parboil the potatoes you peeled yesterday
(you did do that, right?).
Keep an eye.
If they go too soft, you won’t get a good roastie.
1pm
Out comes the turkey.
Oven whacked up to 200C / gas 6.
Finish your gravy using a little cornflour dissolved in water.
Stick your turkey platter in the oven to warm
(on in hot water in the sink)
1.15pm
Put the potatoes in to roast on a high shelf.
Arrange your starter on platters.
1.30pm
Turn your potatoes over.
Put the stuffing and any mash/similar goodies
on the bottom shelf to warm through.
1.35pm
Set the sprouts cooking.
Set a timer.
Overcooked sprouts are disgusting.
Get someone to lay out the starter on the table.
Go and rearrange the table decorations and
check the starter looks good.
Get someone to pour everyone a drink
Have a wee.
1.45pm
Sit down at the table and pull some crackers!
(Quickly checking the potatoes, and putting the
sprouts to keep warm before you sit down).
2pm
Stir some butter into your warmed through mash, add all your little
goodies (pine nuts, herbs, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, brandy butter)
All the gubbins.
Bring the whole lot to the table and let everyone
serve themselves.
3:30pm-ish
Move on to the pudding, and pour yourself a large drink.
Make sure you don’t have to lift a finger from 3pm onwards