How to cook your festive feast in 30 minutes flat
HOW long do you spend cooking your Christmas dinner? For years I’ve opted for the three-hour traditional version — just as my mother did before me.
But I’ve also perfected a 30minute option for those who are hard-pressed, eating alone or unlucky enough to be working on the day itself…
QUICK CHRISTMAS DINNER Serves 4
All the elements of a classic Christmas dinner, but without the cooking marathon, this meal is made entirely on the hob in just 30 minutes.
Lay out all the ingredients beforehand and pre-warm the plates. You will need a wok and two frying pans.
Have ready one dinner plate containing 1cm-depth of plain flour, another with two beaten eggs and a third with 2cm-depth breadcrumbs.
On the menu
Turkey fillet ‘pockets’ with parsley butter;
Shredded sprout stir-fry with chestnuts, bacon and baby sausages;
Pan-fried small potatoes; Christmas cookie ice cream.
30 minutes before serving . . .
Mash up four mince pies with a fork and stir into 300g vanilla ice cream, along with a splash of rum or brandy. Return to the freezer and leave until ready to serve. (This can be done in advance if easier.)
Boil a kettle, then use the water to par-boil 800g potatoes for 10 minutes.
Combine 100g chopped parsley with 2tbsp breadcrumbs and 125g softened butter. Add sea salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
Take two 500g plump turkey breast fillets. With a sharp, narrowblade knife cut an egg-sized cavity in each, while keeping the opening small. Be careful not to puncture the fillet so that the butter/breadcrumb stuffing will stay in during cooking.
20 minutes before . . .
Drain the potatoes, then sauté in a large frying pan with 2tbsp goose fat.
Place half of the stuffing inside each fillet and close the openings. Coat the fillets with flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs.
15 minutes before . . .
Put 1cm oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil sizzles if you throw in breadcrumbs, place both turkey pockets in the pan and cook for five minutes, before turning.
Use a mandolin to shred 300g sprouts.
In another pan, stir-fry 16 cocktail sausages and four chopped rashers of bacon, until browned.
5 minutes before . . .
To ensure the turkey is cooked, put each pocket in the microwave for 2-3 minutes – a clear juice will run out, along with some of the stuffing.
Add the sprouts to the sausage and bacon stir-fry and cook for two minutes, stirring. Season and serve along with the potatoes and sliced turkey.