5 WAYS YOU CAN PREPARE A CHRISTMAS FEAST LIKE A PRO Cooking Christmas dinner can be a total nightmare, we know. But if you know what you are doing it can be one of the best moments. Every family has different traditions around Christmas time. But one central theme is a feast, be it for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day itself or even a Boxing Day braai. Chef Tarryn Coetzee shares with us tips on how to prepare a Christmas feast like a pro under no pressure.
CONSIDER YOUR FULL MENU
You may have already decided on what roast you will be cooking, but what will you be serving with it? Are you making a starter? And surely it isn’t Christmas without dessert? For Coetzee, it would be something like a duck terrine with cranberries and pomegranate to start. For the main course, she would serve up turkey (glazed with cinnamon and orange) and roast potatoes (always roast potatoes!) and other roasted or sauteed vegetables on the side. Dessert would be her mother’s famous trifle because “it just isn’t Christmas without it”. With turkey, Coetzee says don’t forget the gravy! Use your onions, carrots and all the juices from the base of your roasting tray. Pop it all into a pot with white wine, then heat through, blend and strain.
GO NON-TRADITIONAL
There is no rule forcing you to stick to the classics. You can serve anything you want at your Christmas table. Coetzee suggests a sharing sirloin with gravy, a Cape Malay curry, or even cold meat and cheese platters (especially great if you’re planning a lunch on a hot Christmas day). Serve any of these with a classic green salad,
