Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: Gattopardo on 26 December, 2018, 02:05:45 pm

Title: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 26 December, 2018, 02:05:45 pm
Hello

So what should a british christmas dinner contain?
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Torslanda on 26 December, 2018, 02:07:56 pm
Std. response: Turkey/Goose/Veg alternative of choice, roast taters, stuffing, apple sauce, roast parsnips, carrots, bread sauce, gravy.

Anarchic response: Whatever the fuck you like...

Here endeth the lesson.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Kim on 26 December, 2018, 02:15:00 pm
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: fuaran on 26 December, 2018, 02:19:29 pm
Brussel sprouts.
And surely cranberry sauce, not apple sauce?
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Jaded on 26 December, 2018, 02:22:45 pm
Definitely not apple sauce  ;D
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: lou boutin on 26 December, 2018, 02:23:29 pm
Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Torslanda on 26 December, 2018, 02:34:17 pm
Brussel sprouts.
And surely cranberry sauce, not apple sauce?

He did say 'British'. Cranberry sauce is an Murkin ting.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: De Sisti on 26 December, 2018, 02:44:01 pm
It's a Sunday dinner really. ;)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: fuaran on 26 December, 2018, 02:53:54 pm
Brussel sprouts.
And surely cranberry sauce, not apple sauce?

He did say 'British'. Cranberry sauce is an Murkin ting.
Maybe originally, but cranberry sauce has been part of British Christmas dinners for decades. Or maybe something like redcurrant jelly or rowan jelly would be more 'traditional'.
Apple sauce is just weird.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: hellymedic on 26 December, 2018, 03:05:00 pm
Std. response: Turkey/Goose/Veg alternative of choice, roast taters, stuffing, apple sauce, roast parsnips, carrots, bread sauce, gravy.
Anarchic response: Whatever the fuck you like...
Here endeth the lesson.

We didn't have sprouts; David no like.
Our spuds were microwaved and we also had FOREIGN sweet potato.
Carrots and parsnips were half-price from Sainsbury's.
Yorkshire pud: David likes. Seem to feature increasingly but might displease purists. Tough!
Gravy.
Roast duck: right taste - turkey's DULL - and size for a couple.
Fruit mash/sauce - worked well with duck. Apparently Poles have duck with similar accompaniments.
Pigs in blankets and stuffing.

We waited several hours for our puddings...
Title: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2018, 03:11:36 pm
He did say 'British'. Cranberry sauce is an Murkin ting.

So is turkey. And cranberry sauce is about the only thing that makes turkey edible.

Roast goose with apple sauce sounds good to me.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: T42 on 26 December, 2018, 03:17:07 pm
We didn't have sprouts; David no like.

The Ulster Fry confides: sprouts admit they don't like humans either.

(https://theulsterfry.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/group_sprout_shot-web-696x359.jpg) (https://theulsterfry.com/world-news/we-hate-people-too-admit-sprouts/)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 December, 2018, 04:09:08 pm
I am a Friend of Sprouts. Also parsnips. Apple sauce is good, as is cheese sauce. But in order to faithfully recreate that exile in a Middle Eastern barn experience, you can't beat wholemeal flat bread with hummus, a garnish of hay and all sprinkled with frankincense and myrrh.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Kim on 26 December, 2018, 04:10:47 pm
The Ulster Fry confides: sprouts admit they don't like humans either.

They're not wrong.  Why would sprouts go to all that effort evolving a disgusting flavour if they wanted to be eaten?
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: hellymedic on 26 December, 2018, 04:17:21 pm
We had our 'lunch' at 7pm...
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: L CC on 26 December, 2018, 04:41:09 pm
Apple sauce is an accompaniment for pork, not birds, surely? Goose should be served with an alcoholic fruity sauce--port, cider, brandy?
Redcurrant and rowan are for lamb?

The archetypal UK Christmas Dinner in 2018 is a fully americanised turkey and cranberry. Where even the veg are prepared for you and all that's required is to put it in the oven and set a timer.

We had beef.

Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 December, 2018, 04:50:07 pm
Apple sauce is an accompaniment for pork, not birds, surely? Goose should be served with an alcoholic fruity sauce--port, cider, brandy?
Redcurrant and rowan are for lamb?
Rowan, as Archbish of Canterbury, was fully for lamb, needless to say.


I'll get my donkey.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2018, 05:41:50 pm
Apple sauce is an accompaniment for pork, not birds, surely? Goose should be served with an alcoholic fruity sauce--port, cider, brandy?

Tbh, I have no idea what would be the best sauce for goose. I reckon apple sauce would work but something fruity and alcoholic also sounds good to me. A quick bit of googling suggests port gravy. Mmmmm!

My wife generally insists on turkey, though I have often tried to suggest alternatives. I don't really mind - it's only one day a year, plus she has promised to make a turkey and ham pie with the leftovers, which I am already looking forward to.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 December, 2018, 06:22:06 pm
We had Salmon, beurre blanc, roast potatoes and roasted carrots and sprouts (roasting sprouts is the only acceptable way of preparing them)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: hellymedic on 26 December, 2018, 06:29:07 pm
A good variety of items most diners like, prepared to be ready simultaneously for each course, in tempting but not overwhelming quantities.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: ian on 26 December, 2018, 06:45:57 pm
Mine contained slow-cooked turkey (because we like it, especially the cats, and we hate goose-bores*), yorkshire pudding, sage and onion porky stuffing, roast potatoes, and roast sprouts and carrots, with a splatter of gravy and spoon of cranberry sauce. Very tasty, we kept the sizes down to avoid the usual gut buster. I did a very retro prawn cocktail for starters (with the smidge of gin in the marie rose sauce).

*no issues with the eating of goose or alternative turkeys, just the people that go on and on and on about how they're having goose or aardvark or whatever because turkey is so... blah de blah. Tell that to Bad Cat and she'd eat your fucking face right off.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Ben T on 26 December, 2018, 07:26:56 pm
Swan.  :D
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: FifeingEejit on 26 December, 2018, 07:28:28 pm
Lunch?

It's Christmas Dinner and in these parts dinner is eaten in the evening.


Also Christmas is a 1950s invention thanks to Mr Knox and co. So it was steak pie with sprouts, roasties and roast parsnips.

All other meals mostly consisted of chocolate...
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: ian on 26 December, 2018, 07:38:04 pm
Parsnips are the Devil's dildo. Avoid.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Wobbly John on 26 December, 2018, 08:58:18 pm
Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese.

Where's this cauliflower cheese suddenly appeared from? I hadn't heard of it being part of a Christmas dinner before, but this is the 3rd time I've seen mention of it this year.

Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 December, 2018, 09:16:45 pm
Toby Carvery
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: lou boutin on 26 December, 2018, 09:25:19 pm
Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese.

Where's this cauliflower cheese suddenly appeared from? I hadn't heard of it being part of a Christmas dinner before, but this is the 3rd time I've seen mention of it this year.

I'm vegetarian, and it's been a staple of my Christmas dinner for years. 
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 December, 2018, 10:52:28 pm
Parsnips are the Devil's dildo. Avoid.

This.  Professor Larrington was told in no uncertain terms that any attempt to include parsnips on today's menu would result in, at the very least, exile to the shed though more probably DETH.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: hellymedic on 26 December, 2018, 11:13:42 pm
I don't see the point of agonising over dislikes and feeling obliged to offer or consume them.
We all have likes and dislikes.
Christmas meals should be about enjoying plenty of nice with others.

If parsnips/sprouts/turkey/ displease, omit.

There'l be someone along soon who doesn't like carrots...

'Tradition' is actually rather malleable; what folk at for Christmas dinner in the 1950s is not really much like what we will have had this week or in Victorian times.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Ben T on 27 December, 2018, 12:07:14 am
Toby Carvery
With thin gravy and cement stuffing ftw
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 06:21:43 pm
The Ulster Fry confides: sprouts admit they don't like humans either.

They're not wrong.  Why would sprouts go to all that effort evolving a disgusting flavour if they wanted to be eaten?

Some people like that flavour thing.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 06:23:27 pm
It's a Sunday dinner really. ;)

The king/queen of the roasts!
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 06:24:56 pm
Apple sauce is an accompaniment for pork, not birds, surely? Goose should be served with an alcoholic fruity sauce--port, cider, brandy?
Redcurrant and rowan are for lamb?

The archetypal UK Christmas Dinner in 2018 is a fully americanised turkey and cranberry. Where even the veg are prepared for you and all that's required is to put it in the oven and set a timer.

We had beef.

Beef wellington?

Mine contained slow-cooked turkey (because we like it, especially the cats, and we hate goose-bores*), yorkshire pudding, sage and onion porky stuffing, roast potatoes, and roast sprouts and carrots, with a splatter of gravy and spoon of cranberry sauce. Very tasty, we kept the sizes down to avoid the usual gut buster. I did a very retro prawn cocktail for starters (with the smidge of gin in the marie rose sauce).

*no issues with the eating of goose or alternative turkeys, just the people that go on and on and on about how they're having goose or aardvark or whatever because turkey is so... blah de blah. Tell that to Bad Cat and she'd eat your fucking face right off.

Iceberg lettuce in the bottom of the glass, did you use posh ketchup and salad cream for the sauce?

Dry turkey is horrible.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 06:34:52 pm
Parsnips are the Devil's dildo. Avoid.

Now you are WRONG.  Modern parsnips are quite sweet, but a light honey or maple glaze makes them in to a sugar organza.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 06:44:19 pm
We had Salmon, beurre blanc, roast potatoes and roasted carrots and sprouts (roasting sprouts is the only acceptable way of preparing them)

But the euro in me says that fish should be for christmas eve and new years eve.  Those are no meat days....but rabbit and puffin are fine.
Swan.  :D

Polish tradition?  With (fresh) carp?

Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese.

Where's this cauliflower cheese suddenly appeared from? I hadn't heard of it being part of a Christmas dinner before, but this is the 3rd time I've seen mention of it this year.

I'm vegetarian, and it's been a staple of my Christmas dinner for years. 

Isn't there a certain way to cook cauliflour to make nut roast esque but betterer main?  Have heard on the radio and read in waitrose weekend mag about this being a thing and even meat eaters (omnivores?) think it tastes great.

But then cauliflower riced is great stir fried and low carb.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: lou boutin on 27 December, 2018, 06:54:59 pm
Yep, it's cauliflower steak.  It was a skills test on Masterchef professionals too.  Basically you take a thick slide and cook it in lots and lots of butter. IM not keen on th amount of butter used.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: jsabine on 27 December, 2018, 06:58:15 pm
Isn't there a certain way to cook cauliflour to make nut roast esque but betterer main?  Have heard on the radio and read in waitrose weekend mag about this being a thing and even meat eaters (omnivores?) think it tastes great.

There was a *really* good roast cauliflower recipe in the Guardian food mag a few months ago - think it might have been a Yottam Ottolenghi number (it was certainly complex enough). Quite high effort, but worth it.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 07:01:40 pm
Toby Carvery
With thin gravy and cement stuffing ftw

Ah carvery...is it an essex thing?  Seemed to be a thing for the essex people I know.

Toby cavery (or toby ayce breakfast) is great IMO all you can eat veg, yes I know they a frozen and then sit under a heat lamp hence the solid stuffing and runny gravy.  One is over heat lamped while the other is under heat lamped.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 27 December, 2018, 07:06:23 pm
Yep, it's cauliflower steak.  It was a skills test on Masterchef professionals too.  Basically you take a thick slide and cook it in lots and lots of butter. IM not keen on th amount of butter used.

I love butter, especially the french kind with big salt crystals in it.  Wonder if lard or dripping would make a difference?

Isn't there a certain way to cook cauliflour to make nut roast esque but betterer main?  Have heard on the radio and read in waitrose weekend mag about this being a thing and even meat eaters (omnivores?) think it tastes great.

There was a *really* good roast cauliflower recipe in the Guardian food mag a few months ago - think it might have been a Yottam Ottolenghi number (it was certainly complex enough). Quite high effort, but worth it.

Are we trying to out middle class each other ;)

Do like Yottam recipes, then I modify.....with MOAR garlic ;)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Kim on 27 December, 2018, 07:11:08 pm
The Ulster Fry confides: sprouts admit they don't like humans either.

They're not wrong.  Why would sprouts go to all that effort evolving a disgusting flavour if they wanted to be eaten?

Some people like that flavour thing.

Of course.  Animals fight back by evolving out the receptor for the bitter taste.  Still a work in progress with humans.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 27 December, 2018, 07:57:06 pm
The bitter taste goes with the mushiness. Cook them 5 mins max and they have neither.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: citoyen on 27 December, 2018, 08:18:39 pm
Yep, it's cauliflower steak.  It was a skills test on Masterchef professionals too.  Basically you take a thick slide and cook it in lots and lots of butter. IM not keen on th amount of butter used.

I love butter, especially the french kind with big salt crystals in it.  Wonder if lard or dripping would make a difference?

I had a go at making that cauliflower dish off Masterchef and it was bloody lovely. You cook the cauliflower in butter but it's just the cooking medium - you don't serve the butter on the plate. You could reduce the amount of butter or use olive oil if you like. I can't imagine lard or dripping would work so well. Cooking it in butter helps to give it some colour.

The main accompaniment is cashew nut butter, which has no actual butter in it (but does have a glug of olive oil). Then you garnish it with cauliflower vinaigrette.

Yes, of course I instagrammed it...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/46438967032_9a8ce33a85_z.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4873/44673449140_a05f4c7147_z.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/45577294245_da26b218b1_z.jpg)

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7868/45577292675_4489a235ea_z.jpg)

Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: lou boutin on 27 December, 2018, 09:29:00 pm
Looks lovely
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Ben T on 28 December, 2018, 12:04:00 am
Well anything's gonna be nice if you cook it in butter.   ;D ::-)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: citoyen on 28 December, 2018, 12:20:39 am
Well anything's gonna be nice if you cook it in butter.   ;D ::-)

Fair point.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: ElyDave on 28 December, 2018, 09:21:36 am
That cauliflower steak is good for a low carber.

This year we had beef seared on the Barbie for a smoky hit, turkey crown (mum doesn't like beef), oodles of veg including parsnips and sprouts, but oddly not carrots, and Yorkshires. People selected what they liked and all the veg got eaten, no fuss. No pudding.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: SteveC on 28 December, 2018, 09:28:45 am
'Tradition' is actually rather malleable; what folk at for Christmas dinner in the 1950s is not really much like what we will have had this week or in Victorian times.
True!
If there is one constant in British (or more probably English) Christmas dinners down the centuries is that the centre piece is a too-large piece of roasted meat. Beef has always had its followers, goose was very popular for many years (and is what MrsC and I have), turkey has been eaten in this country for centuries, but only became really popular in the second half of the twentieth century when selective breeding produced big birds with a lot of meat compared to bone, thus making them more affordable. I have vague memories of having chicken for Christmas as a very small child (early 60s) rather than turkey but I could be wrong there.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: lou boutin on 28 December, 2018, 09:53:28 am
'Tradition' is actually rather malleable; what folk at for Christmas dinner in the 1950s is not really much like what we will have had this week or in Victorian times.
True!
If there is one constant in British (or more probably English) Christmas dinners down the centuries is that the centre piece is a too-large piece of roasted meat. Beef has always had its followers, goose was very popular for many years (and is what MrsC and I have), turkey has been eaten in this country for centuries, but only became really popular in the second half of the twentieth century when selective breeding produced big birds with a lot of meat compared to bone, thus making them more affordable. I have vague memories of having chicken for Christmas as a very small child (early 60s) rather than turkey but I could be wrong there.

Chicken was a more expensive piece of meat in the 60s, it only became cheaper as mass farming techniques became more popular in the 70s.  Apparently in the Victorian era there was a hierarchy of the meat eaten at Christmas.  The general populous had goose (if they were lucky enough to eat), the middle classes had turkey and the very rich had beef. (I have been researching for our next year's University Christmas Lecture.)
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 December, 2018, 10:17:27 am
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education and if you disagree, take it up with Mark Twain.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: rafletcher on 28 December, 2018, 10:56:18 am
In the 60’s we would have capon (which was a castrated cockerel) for Christmas lunch. Modern “capons” are generally just big chickens and lack the flavour, although some (uncastrated) cockerels are sold as capon.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 28 December, 2018, 11:16:32 am
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education and if you disagree, take it up with Mark Twain.
The Russians agree, they call it "flowery cabbage" (IIRC).
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Torslanda on 28 December, 2018, 12:06:29 pm
In the 60’s we would have capon (which was a castrated cockerel) for Christmas lunch. Modern “capons” are generally just big chickens and lack the flavour, although some (uncastrated) cockerels are sold as capon.

So the difference is just bollocks...?
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: citoyen on 28 December, 2018, 01:00:15 pm
they call it "flowery cabbage" (IIRC).

So do we, etymologically speaking.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: hellymedic on 28 December, 2018, 02:37:15 pm
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education and if you disagree, take it up with Mark Twain.
The Russians agree, they call it "flowery cabbage" (IIRC).

The French call them 'choux-fleurs' don't they?
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 28 December, 2018, 03:04:56 pm
they call it "flowery cabbage" (IIRC).

So do we, etymologically speaking.
I should have thought of that.  :facepalm: :-[
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Chris S on 28 December, 2018, 09:29:39 pm
We had Salmon, beurre blanc, roast potatoes and roasted carrots and sprouts (roasting sprouts is the only acceptable way of preparing them)

You're posh though, innit.
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: bobb on 28 December, 2018, 09:52:24 pm
If Flatus ever came to my house for Christmas dinner, I'd season his poncey roasted sprouts with a little olive oil, a touch of black pepper and a splash of my own spunk. He'd love that...
Title: Re: What does a christmas lunch contain
Post by: Gattopardo on 30 December, 2018, 04:06:18 pm
If Flatus ever came to my house for Christmas dinner, I'd season his poncey roasted sprouts with a little olive oil, a touch of black pepper and a splash of my own spunk. He'd love that...

Yeah as some else would be wrong.