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This Christmas we’d like to share a
fabulous Christmas menu complete with the game plan to make
it a stress-less success.
Last year we wrote an article, Thanksgiving
Dinner Game Plan, that covered the basic ‘how to’
to graciously pulling off a large dinner without pulling your
hair out. I’d like to reprint the basics of that article
to get you ready for ‘pulling off’ a spectacular
Christmas feast.
For many, the preparation and production
of holiday dinners can be a stressful and frenzied operation.
The meal is complicated by a menu that usually includes many
side dishes, salads, gravy, condiments and servings of large
portions that are a little more cumbersome to prepare than
usual. Add to the equation, the dynamics of visiting relatives,
a house full of people that require a bull horn to get them
to sit at the table and the stress of trying to get the food
to the table still at least warm….and, well, you get
the picture.
And how about the gluten-free issue? At
our house there is no gluten-free issue because we, and everyone
who dines with us, always eat gluten-free.
This year we would like to share a holiday
dinner game plan that will enable you to keep stress to a
minimum, get everything to the table hot, and on time and
even allow you a little time to freshen up before the feast
begins, You may still need a bull horn to get your guests
to the table, but at least the dinner will be on the table
when they get there.
The key to an efficient game plan is to
prep everything ahead of time and prioritize the order in
which you prep and prepare the dishes. In this way, your kitchen
will remain organized and you are less apt to forget garnishes,
toppings and the special touches that will make your dinner
extra special. As most of us know, the real test is the final
hour before serving. This is when a lot of the actual cooking
occurs and much of it needs to happen simultaneously. If you
are well prepped, even the final countdown will be far less
work and far less stressful.
Don’t feel obligated to do everything
yourself. (This is advice I should really think about taking
myself) Some of your guests would rather help in the kitchen
than wander around looking at your family photos and talking
to the other relatives. Give out jobs that won’t affect
the outcome of a dish, such as peeling or mashing potatoes
or ladling the soup into bowls. These jobs can be done by
anyone and will free you for more complicated tasks.
 Prepare
Your Menu
When selecting your menu items, remember
to think about ‘make ahead’ recipes. These are recipes
that will store well in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
It is always nice to have a few things that can be done even
the day before and set aside. The more you can do ahead, the
better. Choose an appetizer that is simple to prepare and
is a light compliment to the coming meal instead of several
appetizers. Serve two or three bite-size appetizers per person.
Appetizers should be an appetite stimulant, not something
that will fill your guests up before dinner.
Once your menu has been selected, read through
every recipe very carefully,. Make notes regarding the time
it will take to prep and cook each dish. Make a shopping list
from each recipe and shop for groceries a couple of days before
the meal to make sure you have time to look for harder to
find ingredients and to assure the freshness of the produce.
Prepare Your Game Plan
Go over your notes and put your plan together
beginning with the entree. The method of preparation and cooking
time will dictate the game plan for the entire meal. Your
game plan should be as specific as possible. And don’t
forget to allow resting time for roasts or turkey after they
come out of the oven!
Good cooks have a good mise en place
Mise en place refers to a cook's set up.
In a restaurant this would be your station where everything
that you will need to prepare your meal is at your fingertips.
Your mise en place should be the same. Before I begin to cook
any meal, I always have everything I will need prepped and
ready to go. This not only makes the cooking process easy,
but assures that you will not forget to add ingredients. It
is also very helpful when you are in a situation where people
will be in and out of the kitchen and engaging you in conversation
as you cook.
Game Plan
The day before:
- Make the marinade for the shrimp
- Shell and devein the shrimp and marinate
in refrigerator
- Stuff the prunes with almonds and refrigerate
- Bake the butternut squash, remove from
rind and refrigerate
- Make the Buche de Noel and refrigerate
- Set the table.
The day of: (This Game Plan serves dinner
at 7 pm)
- Bake baguettes
- 3pm: Remove roast from refrigerator
and rub with thyme, salt and pepper
- 4pm: Roast in oven
- Make the soup
- Prep potatoes
- Prep cauliflower recipe
- 5pm: Wrap shrimp with bacon and broil
- Wrap prunes with bacon and broil
- 5:15pm: Serve appetizers
- 5:30pm: Toast gorgonzola toasts
- Warm soup
- 6pm: Serve soup and toasts
- 6:30pm: Roast out of oven
- Potatoes in oven
- Cook cauliflower
- Make Madeira sauce
- 6:50pm: Carve roast
- 7:pm: Serve dinner
- 7:30pm: Serve dessert
Happy Holidays
-Glutenfreeda
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