Christmas dinners with a difference
With Covid hitting hospitality hard, many restaurants are offering to bring your meal to you.. in a box. Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting the most out of it, plus some of the best box deals on the market and a few mouth-watering supermarket dishes that have caught our eye at the same time is complicated challenge without the gingham cloth. enough without dealing with two Read the instructions carefully, at become a familiar ritual. But for different main courses. Larger least twice. Arrange all the elements
Dinner in a box main run in here. anyone who has not given it a go, dishes to share, such as pies, of each dish together. There might a giant package of mysterious tubs wellingtons, loaves of bread, are be three bits that need to be plated and bags might come as a rude easier to deal with than individual up together. Some deliveries will
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As the Daily Record’s food critic, the packaging. Others don’t. I have been road testing meals in Beware things that look similar – I
numbers if you fancy boxes since the summer. I’ve made Nibbles, starters, cheese boards have confused artichoke puree and all the mistakes and seen all the and desserts that don’t need to be creme patissiere, which are both pitfalls, so learn from my bitter heated are your friends. The fewer beige creamy stuff. Get all the pans, experiences to get the most out of bits that need your attention, the baking trays and serving plates your dinner delivery. less stressful the experience. that you need out before you start. 1 3 4 MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS EATING THE SAME THING Think of assembling the meal Getting everything hot and ready as your very own Bake Off technical If it’s a multi-course meal, get
2 WELCOME COLD COURSES PLANNING IS KEY IT’S THE COOK’S DINNER TOO
everything ready at the same time, put it all out on the table together then sit down and enjoy. Otherwise you will be jumping up and down throughout the meal. 5
Why not try a delivery from the restaurant of your choice before committing to a Christmas dinner? That will give you the chance to see if they have clear instructions and thoughtful packaging that can go straight into the oven or microwave. If you struggle with a non-festive spread, then don’t sign up for December 25.
HAVE A TRIAL RUN