Christmas Prep with Meliz Berg.

Ok, what are you doing to prep ahead for the festive period?

I always write out a list, working backwards from the time we want to sit down and eat on Christmas Day,

 

and make as much in advance to freeze or store in the fridge overnight on Christmas Eve. 
 
Here I’ve shared a few of my top tips for getting ahead on Christmas Day, things that I do each and every year. 

1.  Make your Yorkshire Puddings in advance, allow to cool and freeze in freezer bags. Reheat, from frozen, at 200c / 180c fan for 8-10 minutes or until piping hot and crispy. 

2. Use trivet vegetables and bones from roast dinners in the weeks leading up to the festive period to make your Christmas Day gravy in advance to freeze. You can find my tips for making delicious homemade gravy here. 

3. Prepare the Braised Red Cabbage (see here) in advance, allow to cool and freeze. Defrost in the fridge overnight (on Christmas Eve) and heat up on the hob on Christmas Day until piping hot. Alternatively, serve cold / at room temperature if serving with cold meats / buffet.

4. Prepare your Cauliflower Cheese (find out more here) on Christmas Eve without baking it. Allow to cool then cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring it up to room temperature before baking on Christmas Day. 

5. Peel and prepare carrots and parsnips on Christmas Eve; squeeze over freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest and fresh thyme leaves, cover the tray and refrigerate ready to roast on Christmas Day. Before roasting, drizzle with olive oil and honey, season with coarse black pepper and sea salt and roast in a preheated oven at 200c / 180c fan for 40-50 minutes, or until jammy and caramelised, turning half way through.

6. Peel, cut and cover potatoes in cold water on Christmas Eve. Cover the pan and leave in a cold dark place overnight. Use my Roast Potato recipe here (see here) to cook them on Christmas Day.

7. Wash, peel, halve and parboil brussels sprouts for 2 minutes on Christmas Eve. Allow to cool, refrigerate, then pan fry in olive oil on Christmas Day, drizzle over honey and pomegranate molasses until deliciously caramelised, seasoning well with sea salt flakes, coarse black pepper and a pinch of dried mint.

8. Prepare your turkey on Christmas Eve; stuffing, butter, herbs and seasoning as you normally would, then cover and refrigerate. Take the turkey out of the fridge on Christmas Day an hour before roasting, then roast for the required time and allow to rest for an hour before carving and serving.

Hungry For More?

Check out the link below to visit Meliz's Hub for more recipe content and to discover what appliances Meliz uses.