Cheesy salt-crust potatoes, onion gravy, and turkey stuffing with cranberry sauce side dishes that outshine the main event
You can have the turkey. Just give me the gravy. And Ill have the chipolatas and bacon rolls too, the cranberry sauce and the stuffing. At Christmas dinner, it is the accompaniments that interest me as much as, or even more than, the big bird. The chewy, scrunchy savoury bits that are traditionally part of the feast can be sublime either on the side or served as dish in their own right.
The Christmas accompaniments can be served in the classic manner or can be touched by a little imagination either way, they are my favourite bits. This year, instead of chipolatas, I am going for something that could just as easily be a meal in itself a ring of Cumberland sausage wrapped in pancetta and sweet date molasses.
Likewise the sprouts, which this year I am roasting, with thyme and garlic. But I am concentrating most of my energies on the gravy itself, the essential ingredient that brings the entire carnival of a meal together. As well as utilising the turkey giblets, I am using a handful of chicken wings to give this crucial part of the dinner a silky, glossy finish. And Im taking my time too. Side dishes these may be, but for me, they are what really turns Christmas dinner into a feast.
Onion gravy for the turkey
Nothing improves Christmas dinner more than a thoughtfully made gravy. It brings the meal together. A good one, deeply favoured, sweet and mellow, takes time, so I suggest you make it in advance. It improves overnight.
Enough for a medium-sized turkey
onion 1 large
olive oil 5 tbsp
banana shallots 6
whole chicken wings 14
turkey giblets
carrots 4 small
celery 2 ribs
garlic a small head
bay leaves 4
black peppercorns 12
dried mushrooms 20g
thyme 8 sprigs
water 1 litre
redcurrant jelly 2 heaped tbsp
dry marsala or madeira 3 tbsp
Peel the onion, halve it, then slice each half into thin segments. Warm three tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep pan, add the onion, then leave to cook over a low heat, stirring regularly. Let the onion cook till it is sweet, golden brown and very, very soft. A good 20 minutes.
Peel and halve the shallots. Warm the remaining oil in a shallow pan and fry them for five minutes or so till nicely browned. Remove the shallots then add the chicken wings to the pan and let them brown, introducing the giblets towards the end.
Scrub the carrots and slice them in half. Roughly chop the celery then add to the onions together with the shallots, the wings and giblets, the bay, peppercorns, dried mushrooms, thyme and water. Bring to the boil then lower the heat so the liquid simmers gently, then leave for 2 hours. Check regularly to make sure the gravy isnt boiling.
Strain the gravy through a sieve or colander then bring to the boil in a saucepan, stirring in the redcurrant jelly and marsala or madeira. Check the seasoning, adding salt as necessary, then serve, piping hot, with your Christmas dinner.
Parsnip mash and roast brussels with honey
Read more: www.theguardian.com