When preparing for your festive celebrations, one of the most important things you should do is consider the food. Making food for the whole family is one of the great joys of the festive season and sharing it with the ones you love is a special part of Christmas Day.
However before you start cooking this Christmas it is important for you to clean and prepare your kitchen as well as learn how to make the most of it. There are a few things you will want to do in the kitchen this Christmas to up your cooking game and we want to take you through them.
Have a clear out
Before you even think about making the most of the kitchen at Christmas you want to consider the space itself. If you have an old looking kitchen that has seen better days, you may want to consider a contemporary look for your kitchen and revamp it before the big day.
Another important thing to do is have a clear out of mess and clutter in your kitchen to make room for all of the cooking you’ll be doing during the festive period.
Utilise the freezer
The freezer is your best ally during the festive period and it can save a lot of work as well as waste. It is a common mistake for people to make to think they have to cook everything on Christmas Day because this is not at all the case.
You can prepare vegetables beforehand, mash and freeze potatoes and swede, make pigs in blankets and freeze them, and even cook the meat itself and portion it up. There is no reason to put yourself through stress at Christmas for the meal so try and do a few things ahead of time to take pressure off you on the day.
You will also want to use the freezer after Christmas to freeze your leftovers!
Prepare vegetables before the day
As we mentioned above – you can prepare a lot of your Christmas feast before the day and make your life a little easier. If you are making a tray of roasting vegetables to go with your feast for example, you can easily peel and chop all of the vegetables and leave them in a bowl of cold water to soak overnight before you cook them.
This will save some time and make your life a whole lot less stressful.
Make your own gravy
If you use gravy out of a box for your Christmas feast; we are here right now to tell you no. Gravy is an artform and you should never have to pay to have gravy on your roast dinner! When roasting your Turkey or beef joint, be sure to place some aromatic vegetables such onion, garlic, and carrot underneath the meat as it cooks. The juices will drip onto the vegetables and they will cook through and go soft. Now you can mash all of this up, strain it into a pan, and simmer with some cornflour to make the most amazing gravy.
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post