Plan, prepare and then party

As the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars, the team at Andrew Fairlie, within Gleneagles Hotel, turn out perfect dishes with military precision.

And it’s preparation and planning that head chef

Stephen

McLaughlin says every Christmas cook needs to remember.

He said:

“People tend to bite off more than they can chew when they cook for a large group, and often make things too elaborate. Getting everything hot and on-time is far more important. Get your prep done the night before, and ask for help. Assign sprouts to one person, carrots to another – make it a fun, family event. Don’t try to cook 10 different vegetables either. You don’t need to do mashed, boiled and roast potatoes, just do one version really well.

“And ask people to bring some dishes with them – if one person brings the pudding and another brings something else, all you have to worry about is the main course. Keep it simple and get organised.”

If you are hoping to impress, Stephen’s top tip is to add an extra special ingredient to an everyday dish.

“I love Brussels sprouts and we always have them on Christmas day in my house. But an alternative is steamed broccoli, grilled and served with a cheese sauce flavoured with Roquefort. It’s a little bit of decadence – you might make a cheese sauce with cheddar every week, but the blue version is a little different.”