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 30- minute 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 ten minutes.
■ COMBINE 100g chopped parsley with 2 tbsp breadcrumbs and 125g softened butter. Add sea salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
■ TAKE two 500g plump turkey breast fillets. with a sharp, narrow-blade 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 2 tbsp 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 5 minutes, before turning.
■ USE a mandolin to shred 300g sprouts.
■ IN ANOTHER pan, stirfry 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 2 minutes, stirring. season and serve along with the potatoes and sliced turkey.