It’s the most important meal of the year and one that everyone has an opinion on, which makes cooking Christmas dinner all the more stressful for the designated chef. If you often find yourself putting in a Herculean effort only to be rewarded with dry turkey meat, soggy roast potatoes and waterlogged Brussels sprouts, you're not alone. We look at some of the most common mistakes people make when preparing a festive feast – and reveal the best, and easiest, ways to get every element spot on.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the mistakes most people make when cooking the Christmas meal (and how you can avoid them).
Prawn cocktail might seem like an easy starter, but there are plenty of potential pitfalls along the way. Shop-bought Marie Rose sauce tends to be gloopy and overly sweet, so be sure to taste yours before serving and adjust the flavours as necessary – think a squeeze of lemon or dash of paprika. Overcooked prawns will ruin the dish from the get-go. And if your greens are limp, that might just set the mood for the entire meal, so avoid delicate leaves like watercress and rocket.
Show this retro classic a bit of TLC and you’ll be rewarded with a light, tasty starter that’s the perfect precursor to the main event. Pick the freshest, plumpest prawns you can find and cook them briefly in a dry frying pan until pink all over. To make your own Marie Rose sauce (which will take the dish to the next level), mix 7oz (200g) mayonnaise with ½ tsp each of Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, add 2 tbsp ketchup and a good pinch of cayenne pepper, then season with salt. When it comes to lettuce, robust iceberg or baby gem is the way to go.
There are several reasons why seemingly simply salmon pâté often misses the mark. If you start with poor quality smoked salmon, the end result will likely be both oily and overly salty. When it comes to combining the mix, blitzing it for too long in the food processor or blender will leave you with a sticky, unappetising paste.
Don’t let that put you off pâté, though; done right, it's the ideal make-ahead starter or canapé for Christmas Day. For a failsafe version that will keep for up to three days in the fridge, whizz together 7oz (200g) cream cheese, 5oz (150g) good quality smoked salmon, the zest and juice of a lemon and a generous handful of roughly chopped chives or dill in a food processor. Use the pulse button so that the mix comes together but still has texture – you want it quite chunky. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper and more lemon if required. Serve spread on rye bread or little toasts.
How hard can it be to boil eggs for this classic canapé? Well, there are few things to be aware of before scoffing at the simplicity of it all. First up, if you want aesthetically pleasing eggs, don’t opt for super-fresh ones – you want them to be about five days old, so they’re easier to peel. Pay careful attention to the cooking time, too; a runny yolk isn’t what you're aiming for here, and boiling the eggs for too long will result in each of them having an unappealing grey ring around the centre.
For devilled eggs worthy of a place at the Christmas table, the eggs should go into a pan of cold water (just enough to cover them) and then be simmered for seven minutes. Once cooked, cool them down under cold running water and leave to cool before peeling. Cut them carefully in half, scoop out the yolk and mix with mayonnaise, paprika, Tabasco and lemon juice and season generously with salt and black pepper. Then pipe or spoon the mix back into the empty cavity.
It’s very difficult to end up with a beautifully moist, full-flavoured cooked turkey if you begin with an intensively reared bird. Our advice would always be to buy the best-quality turkey you can afford, ideally a free-range, organic one. When it comes to roasting the bird, if you don’t calculate your cooking times carefully, you’ll likely end up with under or overcooked meat. And remember, roast turkey needs to be left to rest for at least an hour, so that the juices can seep back into the meat.
For a beautifully bronzed, perfectly cooked bird, you'll need a deep roasting tin large enough to fit the turkey with space around it. Take the turkey out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you want to start cooking and heat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Weigh it and calculate the cooking time – an 11lb (5kg) bird will take around two-and-a-half hours. Cover with a tent of foil, but remove it for the last hour so that the skin can crisp up. It's cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 70ºC (160ºF).
If your Christmas ham has a tendency to go a little dry, chances are you’ve been overcooking it – check the cooking times in your recipe (or on the packet) carefully and stick to them. Or perhaps a lack of flavour is the problem? Make sure you add vegetables, herbs and aromatics (carrots, onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary) to the cooking water. Finally, don’t make the mistake of adding all your glaze at once, as most of it will end up at the bottom of the tin.
Just like turkey, try to buy a lovely free-range piece of gammon with a good layer of fat, which will keep the meat moist. Work on the basis of 20 minutes cooking time per 1lb (450g), plus an extra 20 minutes. When you think the ham is ready, check that the internal temperature reads 75ºC (165ºF). Remove the skin while it's still hot, then leave it to cool. Whichever sticky glaze you use, brush it on gradually, so the glaze builds up in layers, rather than slipping off. Allow the cooked ham to rest for 45 minutes before carving.
If you don’t generously season your beef with salt and pepper before it goes in the oven, you’re missing out on an easy way to add plenty of additional flavour. With beef, it always pays to pay extra attention to cooking times and temperatures; if your oven is too low to begin with, the heat won’t reach the centre of the meat quickly enough. We recommend roasting your joint of beef at 240ºC (465ºF) for 15 minutes, before reducing the temperature to 190ºC (375ºF).
First off, you need to choose the right cut. Fillet is fabulous but very expensive, and topside and silverside are best served rare, or they have a tendency to be tough. We reckon the best bet for a splendid centrepiece, without spending a small fortune, is boned and rolled sirloin. Season the joint generously with salt and pepper an hour or so before it goes in the oven (you could also rub a little flour and mustard powder over the fat, which will help it to crisp up beautifully). For medium-rare beef, the internal temperature should read 55ºC (130ºF).
At its best, a nut roast is a marvellous vegetarian or vegan centrepiece for Christmas Day. At its worst, it can be dense, tasteless and decidedly beige in appearance. With that in mind, don’t be shy when seasoning your nut roast, and be sure to add plenty of different flavours and textures. If your roast has a tendency to dry out and crumble upon slicing, chances are either the initial mix didn't contain enough moisture, you’ve cooked it for too long – or both.
The most memorable (in the right way) nut roasts are packed with flavour and texture. Add cooked mushrooms, cheese (if it's not a vegan dish) and a dab of Marmite or soy sauce for extra depth of flavour. The choice of nuts is up to you, but they should be lightly toasted first to bring more flavour and crunch. For vegetarians, a beaten egg will add moisture and lightness, as well binding everything together. Cover tightly with foil to bake, then remove the foil for the last 15 minutes, so the surface can brown nicely. Leaving the roast to sit in the tin for a few minutes will make it easier to slice.
A key component of the Christmas lunch, gravy might seem simple – but the road to perfection is a bumpy (and often lumpy) one. Should your gravy be too thick, it’s likely that you’ve either added too much liquid or not enough thickening agent. Oily gravy is a result of an excess of fat, while lumpy gravy is the result when the flour hasn’t been fully incorporated. Gravy lacking depth of flavour? A thin, lacklustre stock is the most common culprit.
Any good savoury sauce (gravy included) needs a great stock as a base, so if you're making your own, do so ahead of time and freeze it. You can also buy good-quality fresh stock. Reduce it down by simmering over a medium heat, to intensify the flavour, and always taste for seasoning. When your turkey comes out of the oven to rest, add your stock to the cooking juices, along with a good glug of wine or dry sherry. Let it bubble to burn off the alcohol, then thicken with a little cornflour mixed with cold water. Transfer to a pan to heat through, so the gravy is piping hot to serve.
Dried stuffing mixes are usually very salty and it's so easy to make your own, they really aren't worth buying. If you’re still sticking to tradition and stuffing the cavity of the bird, be warned that by the time the stuffing is ready, the turkey breast meat will likely be overdone. Dry, crumbly stuffing is, meanwhile, down to an incorrect balance of the main ingredients, namely sausage meat, egg and breadcrumbs.
We’re fans of forming our flavour-packed stuffing mix into little balls which, once cooked, have a lovely crisp, golden exterior and a juicy centre. Our failsafe recipe (which serves up to eight people) combines 2lb (900g) good-quality sausage meat, a chopped onion, an egg and 4 tbsp of breadcrumbs. Add herbs and spices of your choice, as well as dried fruit, diced bacon, chopped apple, garlic and even a glug of sherry. Brown the balls in a frying pan, then transfer to a baking tray and cook at 180ºC (350ºF) for 25 minutes.
Cranberries are very sour, so not adding enough sugar is a common mistake, as is cooking the fruit for too long, which makes the sauce overly thick, gelatinous and jam-like (that said, if you don’t simmer it for long enough, the sauce will be too thin). Neglecting to add extra ingredients, such as orange zest and juice or a stick of cinnamon, can mean the end results lacks flavour. And perhaps the biggest error? Cooking your cranberry sauce on the big day itself. With so much else going on, this is a recipe for disaster – and completely unnecessary.
Instead of leaving it to the last minute, make the sauce up to a week in advance and store in the fridge. Simmer your cranberry sauce over a gentle heat until the cranberries begin to pop and soften, becoming sticky and tender. For 10oz (300g) cranberries (fresh or frozen), add 3.5fl oz (100ml) port, 3.5oz (100g) caster sugar, the zest of an orange and a cinnamon stick. Star anise works well, too. If it's too sweet for your taste, add a splash of red wine vinegar or orange juice to bring a dash of bitterness.
For perfect roast potatoes, begin with a floury, rather than waxy, potato variety. And let's dispel the myth that boiling them is best – the potatoes should be as dry as possible, so steam them until just tender when pierced with a knife. Once cooked, cover with a cloth and leave to stand for a few minutes to ensure any excess moisture evaporates. After that, you can start the roasting process.
The perfect roast potato has a crisp exterior with a soft, fluffy centre. Once steamed and left to stand, give the potatoes a shake in a colander to roughen up the edges, then season well with sea salt. The golden rule is to put a hot potato into hot fat and then into a hot oven, so ensure your cooking oil or fat is piping hot, then baste the potatoes well before quickly transferring to the oven. You can cook your roasties a few hours ahead – use a slotted spoon to move them to a clean baking tray, then reheat in a very hot oven before serving.
Tradition (or your granny) might dictate that you cut a cross into the base of your Brussels sprouts, but doing so is not only time consuming, it will make them soggy. For the same reason, don’t boil your Brussels – all that water will seep into the leaves and make them mushy. Instead, sprouts should be steamed or roasted to bring out their flavour and retain a just-crisp texture.
Look for small, bright green, firm sprouts. If you can find them on the stalk, that's even better. Remove any tired outer leaves, then steam for around six minutes, depending on size, until just tender when pierced with a skewer. Serve with lots of butter and black pepper and perhaps some lemon zest and bacon, or toss them in butter in a frying pan until slightly charred at the edges.
Parsnips are a wonderful winter vegetable, but if they're on the bendy side, take it as a sign that they’re past their best. Look for firm, blemish-free, medium-sized parsnips; large ones can be woody, while tiny parsnips tend to burn easily. Don’t overcrowd your roasting tin. Instead, arrange the parsnips in a single layer, otherwise they won’t turn crisp and golden.
You can roast your parsnips while the turkey is resting; just do a little advance prep work by peeling and steaming them ahead of time. When you’re ready to cook, heat equal quantities of butter and oil in a roasting tin in a 180ºC (350ºF) oven. Coat the parsnips well, add sea salt and roast for a total of 40 minutes. Around 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in some fresh thyme and a tablespoon each of grainy mustard and honey. Stir again just before serving.
There are few more festive aromas than the heady scent of spices and sticky, boozy fruit all wrapped up in a Christmas pudding. If you don’t buy top-quality dried fruit and give it a good wash to get rid of any grit or dust (and plump the fruit up), though, yours will never live up to expectations though. The soaked fruit mix also needs to sit overnight and should have a sloppy consistency, otherwise the cooked pudding will be dry.
A great Christmas pudding should be fruity, spicy, nutty and sticky. Delicious as it is, it's unlikely to appeal to the younger members of the family, so do have an alternative option – we find a chocolate yule log never fails to please. Although you can reheat the pudding in a microwave, the initial steaming needs to be done on the stove and will take around eight hours. Christmas pudding is traditionally served with brandy or rum butter, but opt for cream or custard if you prefer.
Many shop-bought mince pies are clumsily spiced, with thick, cloying pastry. If you want to make your own pies but can’t be faffed with homemade pastry, track down all-butter shortcrust and roll it really thin. Prepared mincemeat varies, too – taste it first, then you may want to spruce it up with a little extra spice or brandy. If you are making your own pastry, avoid adding too much water, otherwise you’ll end up having to add extra flour to the mix, which will make the pastry tough and dry. Resting your pastry in the fridge before rolling is crucial.
For the best mince pies, fine, buttery pastry is essential and homemade mincemeat is preferable – commercial varieties tend to contain too much apple and sugar. It’s fine to make your mince pies in advance; freeze them raw, then bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Whether homemade or shop-bought, mince pies should always be served warm. We like ours accompanied by a dollop of crème fraîche – the slight acidity it provides is the perfect foil to the sweetness of the mincemeat.
If you end up with an under-risen, chewy sponge, chances are you've been too heavy-handed with the folding in of the whisked eggs whites and have knocked all the air out. If the mixture is lumpy, it could be because you've used eggs straight from the fridge, meaning the ingredients are at different temperatures. Split ganache? The chocolate has been overheated, which causes the fat to separate and become grainy.
To make the sponge base, the egg yolks and sugar should be whisked together until the beater leaves a trail in the mixture and it's very pale and thick, so allow a good 10 minutes. Use a balloon whisk to add a spoonful of whisked egg white to the mix to loosen, then gently fold in the rest. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature, and use dark chocolate with around 70% cocoa solids, so it's not overly sweet. The sponge is best made the day before serving, ready to be assembled on the big day.
Cake, ice cream and meringue – what could possibly go wrong? Quite a bit, actually. If your freezer is jam-packed, the ice cream will never freeze hard enough and will melt while you're trying to spread the meringue over it. Add your sugar to the whisked egg mix too quickly, and the meringue is likely to collapse. And if the ice cream starts to melt before the meringue has had a chance to brown, your grill simply isn’t hot enough.
When whisking the meringue, add the sugar a spoonful at a time, counting to 10 between each addition. Allow the ice cream to soften, then put the top layer into a bowl lined with clingfilm, freeze until solid, then add the next layer, and so on. Run the blow torch over the meringue on medium power. Try different cake bases instead of classic Madeira – we love a baked Alaska with a chocolate brownie base, topped with chocolate and coffee ice cream.
Now discover these brilliant Christmas baking ideas that everyone will love