Christmas is a very busy time of year and for this reason it is essential to make the necessary preparations well in advance. There are few things worse than trying to prepare a particular dish and discovering that you don’t have all the necessary ingredients. Even if you get to the store on time, there is no guarantee that all the ingredients you need will be available! That’s why when planning your Christmas menu, it’s important to lay out all your recipes and make a list of all the ingredients in advance.

 

Select the right recipes

Another important tip to remember is to choose recipes that you can confidently handle. You don’t want to feed your guests meals that didn’t turn out as they should. If you are thinking of preparing a particular dish for the first time, it is advisable to practice at least once before. Prepare it, try it and, if you are satisfied with the result, don’t hesitate to add it to the Christmas menu. Recipes are not an exact science, so if you want to make some changes you can try them before deciding whether or not to include this meal. When making changes to the recipe, make a few notes so that all quantities are correct.

 

Prepare your ingredients and utensils

Any chef will agree that the key to the success of any dish is having the right ingredients and equipment. So, since the first one has already been addressed, it’s time to take stock of your kitchen equipment. Every kitchen should have extra-wide aluminium foil (for cooking large portions of meat in the oven without having to fold the foil), butcher’s twine, baking sheets, cling film, toothpicks and disposable aluminium baking trays. You’ll also need a meat thermometer (to check if the roast is cooked to perfection), an electric knife and a sauce separator. Other useful additions to any kitchen include a chafing dish and plate warmer. The heating plates ensure that the food does not cool down once it is plated.

 

We always tend to cook too much food for Christmas, so once all is said and done, you should send the leftovers home with your guests or pack them in labelled freezer bags to use at a later stage. If you plan to freeze leftovers, be sure to divide the different foods into appropriate portions. You should also make sure the food included in your Christmas menu is suitable for freezing. Some foods don’t do well in the freezer and, when thawed, have an inedible texture.