MARC BEREEN: CHRISTMAS BIRD BOX AT CHARLOTTE QUAY
Dinner on the big day is looking like a very different prospect for many people this year, particularly those city apartment dwellers unable to travel to be with family and friends. Mindful of this, Marc Bereen and the team at popular waterside restaurant Charlotte Quay have come up with a solution to help people make their Christmas dinner at home in the city a bit special.
As Marc puts it, “We are aware that Christmas will be very different for lots of people this year, so we thought we’d help make staying at home in the city really memorable, with an elaborate dish made simple.”
Carefully prepared by chefs in the Charlotte Quay kitchen, the generous three course Christmas Bird
Box includes a succulent three-bird roast made from delicious locally sourced turkey, duck and chicken, and comes complete with everything needed to create the perfect Christmas celebration at home.
To start there’s a choice of two tantalizing starters with crab and crayfish with Guinness and treacle bread or organic chicken & fois gras terrine.
Then it’s on to the main event which sees each meaty centre-piece prepared ‘tur-duck-en’ style, rolled in smoked Alsace, and packed with fragrant rosemary, lardo, apricots and sourdough stuffing. The tasty roast is also accompanied by an incredible selection of trimmings bursting with festive flavour.
Delicious duck fat roast potatoes nestle alongside maple and thyme glazed carrots, sprouts with bacon and chestnuts and spiced red cabbage infused in cinnamon and cloves, with side sauces of chicken jus and homemade cranberry.
For afters, there’s a choice of a delicious dessert of Christmas pudding with brandy and nutmeg custard or an Irish cheese board with quince and homemade crackers.
The enticing meal comes pre-cooked, vacuum packed and ready to go, with a set of easy to follow instructions. “All the hard work has been already done in our kitchen”, says Marc, “so just pop it in the oven for 45 minutes and you’re all set for a spectacular Christmas dinner to remember.”