Tips For The Perfect Christmas Dinner Trimmings

OK, so you've decided on your favourite Christmas turkey recipe – but what about those all-important side dishes? Here's some simple and easy to follow tips that will make sure your Christmas meal is one to remember.

Perfect turkey gravy

For most people this is the highlight of any Christmas dinner, so anything watery or full of unappetising lumps is sure to be a disappointment. Don't worry though; this method turns out a gravy that's rich, smooth and full of flavour every time.

Once you've taken your turkey out of the oven to rest, skim the fat from the surface of the roasting tray, and add 400ml of turkey giblet stock. Leave out the liver as it can become bitter when cooked too long (it's a great snack quickly fried on a piece of toast rubbed with garlic though).

Put the tray on the hob on a medium heat, and deglaze by mixing all the caramelised juices and pieces of meat into the liquid. Sprinkle in two tablespoons of flour and stir thoroughly as the gravy thickens. After a few minutes, check the consistency, season and strain into a gravy boat.

Creamy bread sauce

This couldn't be easier, but it tastes fantastic and always seems to be the first trimming to disappear. Peel one small onion, cut it in half and stud with around a dozen cloves. Put in a pan with 500ml whole milk, a couple of bay leaves and perhaps a pinch of nutmeg. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and add 150g of good quality fresh white bread.

Leave off the heat for an hour and half, before removing the onion and bay leaves, and heat gently. Add a good size piece of butter, stir, season and serve.

Crispy roast potatoes

The trick here is to use plenty of oil, and get it it really hot before it even touches the potatoes. First, peel your spuds – aim for around 250g per person to make sure there's more than enough to go around – and drop them in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Once they're drained, give them a good shake in the colander to fluff up the edges – these will turn into the delicious crispy skins that you're aiming for. Heat your oven to 200°C, and add a generous amount of vegetable or groundnut oil (olive oil tends to burn at high temperatures) to your tray - around 2-3 centimetres deep should be enough. Now, heat the tray on the hob or in the oven until it sizzles, before carefully adding the potatoes and coating them in the hot oil. Season with plenty of salt and roast for an hour, turning once or twice.