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Christmas is now over. We had a fabulous day with friends and family and a lunch I was really proud of. Now I feel tired and lazy, and really just in the mood for looking at pretty pictures, rather than reading pages of badly drafted prose. If you're feeling the same way, sit back, scroll down and check out my Christmas Day. From the 5.30am start, to the teaching myself to bone a goose (with the help of a Mark Hix instructional video on my lap top), a relaxed brunch with presents, a late and long lunch, board games, pudding and trifle several hours later, some dance floor action and the demolition of Y's gingerbread record player.
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Enjoy
Christmas Eve morning Y & I went around the corner to Farm Direct to collect our goose (organic, from Gill Wing Farm, East Sussex), ham (from Dowland Produce, Wiltshire) and veggies. (Not a Christmas Day activity, but the guys at Farm Direct are so lovely and I think their new business of providing meat, poultry, dairy, fruit & veg from farms direct to Islington residents from a tiny brick hole in the wall is brilliant, so couldn't not mention them)
Christmas morning, 6am: the boning of the goose.
(note the pile of bones in the background! - going in today's stock!)
A stuffing for the goose of pork mince, chicken livers, smoked bacon, breadcrumbs and herbs.
Christmas Day, 10am: everyone else finally wakes up! Time for a lovely brunch of smoked salmon blinis, fruit & yoghurt cups and cheese - provided by Y's cousin & sister.
The aftermath of brunch and presents!
The day's supply of bubbles, very generously provided by friends and family Erenie & Jacque.
The table had been set since about Tuesday, with home made crackers for all.
Christmas Day, 1pm: sage, pork & apple sausage rolls.
The goose, rolled and ready for some oven action.
Brussels sprouts cooked in roasted chestnuts, lardons, butter, olive oil and white wine. Basically anything to mask the actual taste of the sprouts.
Carving the goose.
Ham and sweet potato & white potato dauphinoise.
Christmas Day, 3pm: lunch is ready!
Goose, ham, bread sauce, roasted tomatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, roasted honey carrot & parsnip, Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and lardons.
Happy customers!
Christmas Day, 6pm: chocolate & boozy cherry trifle, and Christmas Pudding (made lovlingly by me in early November and complete with thrippences) with custard and brandy butter.
Christmas Day, some time after 7pm: dance floor action! (we could have almost worked off one sausage roll - between us)
Christmas Day, later: time to demolish the gingerbread record player!
Christmas Day, 1pm: sage, pork & apple sausage rolls.
The goose, rolled and ready for some oven action.
Brussels sprouts cooked in roasted chestnuts, lardons, butter, olive oil and white wine. Basically anything to mask the actual taste of the sprouts.
Carving the goose.
Ham and sweet potato & white potato dauphinoise.
Christmas Day, 3pm: lunch is ready!
Goose, ham, bread sauce, roasted tomatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, roasted honey carrot & parsnip, Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and lardons.
Happy customers!
Christmas Day, 6pm: chocolate & boozy cherry trifle, and Christmas Pudding (made lovlingly by me in early November and complete with thrippences) with custard and brandy butter.
Christmas Day, some time after 7pm: dance floor action! (we could have almost worked off one sausage roll - between us)
Christmas Day, later: time to demolish the gingerbread record player!
I LOVE Christmas. I hope you had a great day too.
19 comments:
What a fantastic effort! Looks amazing. I've wanted to do that to a duck, Julia Child style. Enjoy the rest of your Xmas.
Ditto, Niamh - I'm stunned... And what a beautiful blog to have come across.
Wow - you boned a goose?! Great effort - it looks like you had a fantastic day.
So very impressive, everything looks amazing.
Happy New Year!
Uh....that goose is too close to that laptop for comfort... :)
But seriously, that boned goose looks AMAZING! And that glorious trifle too!
Wow! I am not worthy! :)
Happy Christmas - it looks great (we had goose as well - although bones in I must admit!)
Turkey.. Yummmy. Dishes that can't miss in Christmas.
Oppss! its goose not turkey.
Thanks for all your comments!
Niamh - I was thinking of that duck whilst doing the goose! You should definitely give it a go - it's time consuming but very satisfying.
Douglas - aw bless, you're too kind!
Thanks Lizzie - your Christmas efforts were nothing to be sneezed at!
Hi Margaret - happy new year to you too!
Su-Lin I won't even tell you about having to touch the mouse mid-butchery to pause the video!
Hi Gourmet Chick - now I've had goose, I'm never going back to Turkey!
Horlic - yes, goose - I was interested to see how totally different the flavour was from Turkey. thanks for the comment
Looks like a fantastic meal...well done
well done on the lunch - the trifle in particular looks a triumph! outstanding!!! hope you saved a bit for me!
Thanks undergroundrestaurant - your Christmas didn't look too shabby either!
Thanks Soph - maybe if you hadn't gone to Prague you could have enjoyed it! There is a little pudding left - just for you!
Some lovely photos, I love nosing at other people's houses - especially their crockery!
Top effort on the goose boning, I feel completely ashamed of throwing a chicken in the oven now!
Happy new year :)
Hahah Kerri - I think I do recall you commenting on my babushka plate before! I'm the same!
Happy New Year to you too!
What a wonderful looking meal and fantastic day.
Thanks Ample Cook! Working which bird I shall butcher next!
Wow, you really do Christmas in style! :D I love all of that bubbly and kudos for boning the goose! I wanted to do a roast goose (I don't think I could bone one though) but sadly because it's Summer here it's not goose season!
Hi Lorraine - I have to say, Christmas (the lights, the ice skating, mulled wine, roast lunch) all makes much more sense over here in a cold climate! Although I did feel homesick hearing about the lobster and prawns my family had in Sydney!
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