CHRISTMAS DAY COUNTDOWN: to serve Christmas dinner at 2pm or 6pm

8.30AM/12.30PM Take the poultry or meat joint out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.

8.50AM/12.50PM Preheat the oven to the required temperature.

9.20AM/1.20PM Put your joint in the oven.

9.30AM/1.30PM Peel potatoes and vegetables and cover with cold water. Prepare the bread sauce by peeling an onion, studding it with cloves and leaving to infuse in a saucepan of milk.

10AM/2PM Remember to reduce the oven temperature now if your joint requires this and set the oven timer to cook it for the required time. Don’t forget to baste regularly - set a timer for reminders (use your mobile phone if you don’t have a second timer).

11AM/3PM Dress the table with linen, cutlery and crackers, write place cards and organise your centrepiece – festive candles, a glass bowl filled with twinkling lights, or a few sprigs of holly wrapped in red ribbon in a vase are all quick and easy ideas.

12 NOON/4PM If you’re serving a traditional Christmas pudding for dessert, put it in the steamer for 1-2 hours and top up the water as necessary.

12.15PM/4.15PM Open the red wine and allow it to breathe – unless it’s over eight years old, in which case don’t open it until half an hour before you serve dinner. 12.30PM/4.30PM Remove the foil from your poultry or meat and turn the heat up for the last half hour to crisp the skin. Put serving dishes and dinner plates into the oven to heat.

12.45PM/4.45PM Time for the roasties! Par-boil potatoes for 5 minutes, drain and toss in saucepan to roughen edges. Heat goose fat in a roasting tin and when it’s sizzling, add the potatoes.

12.50PM/4.50PM If you are catering for vegetarians, a nut roast made with festive ingredients such as chestnuts and cranberries can be made up to two days in advance. Re-heat it in the oven now on a baking tray covered with foil.

1PM/5PM Remove the joint from the oven and check to make sure it’s done – the juices should run clear when pierced with a skewer or sharp knife. Place it in a warmed serving dish, covered loosely in foil, and leave it to rest. This allows the juices to be re-absorbed and makes the meat more moist and flavoursome.

1.05PM/5.05PM Glaze the precooked ham with orange zest, sugar, mustard and honey (add a sprinkle of coriander seeds for added zing), stud with cloves and place in the oven.

1.10PM/5.10PM If you’re starting them from scratch, put vegetables in the oven to roast, seasoned with salt and pepper and herbs and drizzled in olive oil. 1.15PM/5.15PM Prepare your starters. Opt for something light so you don’t fill your guests up before the main event – try beetroot pesto and cheese on crackers, scallops with morcilla and wild mushrooms, or courgette and salmon skewers - all the recipes are in our Christmas Food magazine.

1.30PM/5.30PM If you’ve prepared your potatoes in advance, put the half-roasted potatoes into the oven for up to 20 minutes.

1.35PM/5.35PM Add the half-roasted carrots and parsnips to the oven with the potatoes. If you’re boiling or steaming them, put them on the hob now for up to 15 minutes. Make or reheat the gravy, adding roasting juices from the cooked meat or poultry.

1.40PM/5.40PM Put the Brussels sprouts on to cook for up to eight minutes, depending on how much of a bite you like. Make the bread sauce by removing the onion from the milk, heating and adding breadcrumbs. If you’ve made the sauce in advance, add a splash of milk and reheat. Stir in a knob of butter before serving.

1.50PM/5.50PM Remove the vegetarian roast from the oven. Place all of the vegetables and trimmings in warmed side dishes and add a knob of butter.

2PM/6PM Carve the meat or poultry and serve dinner. Enjoy!

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