Christmas Present

The British Tradition: by Helen Gaffney

Christmas Day

Most households with children wake up early on Christmas morning. Many exchange presents after church, sitting round the tree listening to Carols from Kings College, Cambridge. Other members of the family may arrive at midday for a drink, perhaps sherry or champagne and what is known in Yorkshire as a 'biting on', a little smoked salmon on brown bread to keep you going.

This is a trying time for the cook, for whether turkey, goose or duck is being served, the lunch is a challenge to prepare. The meal will probably consist of the bird, together with small sausages, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots and roast potatoes, served with bread sauce, cranberry jelly and chestnut stuffing. Meanwhile, the Christmas pudding will have been steaming away for the past hour. When the time is right, brandy is poured over the pudding, set alight (to general glee) and a sprig of holly is put on top when the flames have gone out. It is eaten with a sweet white sauce or brandy butter.

Even now the meal is far from over, for the table is once again covered with seasonal food. Mince pies are served and a half stilton wrapped in damask may be served with celery. At this point a decanter of port may be put on the table, baskets of fresh walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and brazil nuts are passed around; boxes of dates and dried figs too. Only when the last cracker has been pulled and the Queen is about to make her Christmas Day broadcast to the nation and the Commonwealth do many of us leave the table.

The rest of Christmas Day is often spent playing games, often charades (acting out the titles of plays, books, films and songs) or card games. Then at tea-time the Christmas cake is served! This is a rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and crisp white icing and often decorated with the figures of Father Christmas or a snowman.

On Boxing Day (26 December) many people like to venture outside and go for a good walk, then settle in front of a log fire with a new book or even start to write thank you letters. Cold cuts of turkey and ham are often served. It is a day of relaxation and recovery!

The Traditional Lunch

Roast Chestnut Soup
Melba Toast
~

Roast Turkey with Parsley & Lemon Stuffing
or
Chestnut and Red Wine Roast
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
Roast Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Roast Parsnips with Honey
Oven-baked Carrots
Leeks in Cheese Sauce
Gravy
Bread Sauce
~

Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter or Custard
or
Christmas Trifle
or
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
~

Tea or Coffee
Mince Pies
Christmas Log
or
Christmas Cake

To Start

It is most common to eat on Christmas Day at lunchtime or mid-afternoon, although some people are switching over to an evening meal instead nowadays. Although it is not common to serve a starter before the main course on Christmas Day, the Roast Chestnut Soup recipe here is so delicious it should surely be worth fasting a little bit more before the event!

The Main Event

Roast Turkey is by far the most popular meat to serve on Christmas day, although other roasts are becoming more popular such as beef (rib of beef before it was outlawed by the British Government!), lamb or capon. Before turkey became the main offering on the British Christmas Day lunch table, other birds such as goose, duck or game birds like pheasant were popular. Indeed, goose is regaining some of its popularity today. Of course, there are many delicious vegetarian dishes served on Christmas Day by and for the country's several million vegetarians. Nut loaves are popular, a typical one being the chestnut loaf above, but other roasts could be made using hazelnuts, almonds or brazil nuts.

Accompaniments

Chestnuts have many associations with winter and Christmas, one often thinks of the famous line from the song White Christmas"chestnuts roasting by an open fire" as summing up the cosiness of Christmas. Serving them with brussels sprouts is an absolute must, unless you are starting with the chestnut soup or having the chestnut loaf, in which case it may be better to serve the sprouts plain! Another essential accompaniment is roast potatoes, the proper kind of course - with a crispy outside and soft inside. For a large gathering, more than one potato dish is a good idea and mashed potatoes are often served in addition to roast potatoes.The other vegetables on offer are largely a matter of personal preference, though usually fresh, seasonal vegetables are the best choice. Parsnips, particularly roasted parsnips, are very popular nowadays as are carrots, which can be roasted, steamed or boiled. Leeks are another popular winter vegetable and have been grown in Britain for centuries.

Two other traditional accompaniments to the turkey are gravy and bread sauce. Cranberry sauce has also become popular over recent years, although most people will buy it in jars rather than make it themselves. Bread sauce is an ancient recipe. It's delicate flavour goes well with most poultry but is best made at the very last minute because it doesn't keep long. Gravy is another must, preferably made from the juices of the roast.

Pudding

Once everyone has had the main course, and argued over who will have the last roast potato there follows the pudding. Christmas pudding was known as plum pudding or plum duff in the Victorian period, although it does not contain any plums! It is a rich dark steamed pudding packed with fruits and brandy and should be made several weeks in advance to allow it to mature. Brandy butter is the traditional accompaniment, although many people like to serve the pudding with cream or custard instead. An alternative dessert is a trifle - another ancient concoction. This christmassy version uses fruitcake and brandy instead of sponge cake and sherry.

To Finish

You may wish to serve coffee or tea accompanied with mince pies or slices of Christmas cake or Christmas log. But it may be wise to save these for later in the afternoon, once the lunch has gone down