It may not be the main event but once Christmas eve arrives, the stockings are hung and there’s not a thing left to do but eat, drink and be merry. We took to the kitchen to bake up a traditional festive spread you’ll love – including a new take on a classic plum pudding and wine pairing for each course – hic!
Begin with an elevated version of a wholesome starter: a tomato basil soup. Aside from tomatoes – you’ll need tinned as well as fresh ones from FairPrice Finest, all you really need are some carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Basil adds earthiness to the dish, and for some zesty depth, the combination of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar lend a restaurant quality to the dish.
Roast turkey
Moving on to the star of the show – the roast turkey. This basic recipe doesn’t call for many ingredients, so the tricky bits are really the prep work and cooking time. Keep an eye on the bird when it’s sitting in the oven; you don’t want it to scorch or dry out.
Balance all that meaty goodness with sides of mixed roasted garden vegetables with garlic and rosemary, and green beans with balsamic burnt butter.
Plum pudding
We tried a new spin on a good ol’ plum pudding. It’s got carrot and potato in it – but don’t let that put you off, it’s nana’s great trick to keeping any kind of cake or pudding moist. This is really easy as you can throw all the ingredients in together and forget about it while it steams for a few hours. Make sure you dish it up with lashings of cream or ice cream!
This article is sponsored and all ingredients purchased at FairPrice Finest.
Flowers by the talented Flower Girl. Photography by the talented Claire Dalgliesh.