CHRISTMAS DINNER

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 804, 17 December 1954, Page 32

CHRISTMAS DINNER

ASTES vary, of course. Those who "raise poultry" might prefer the roast beef of Old England for a Christmas dinner change from eating their own produce so often. Other people may insist on a leg of lamb, or pork. But the Christmas turkey is probably most popular unless your family is so small that you’d rather have "a couple o’ ducks"-one cold for Boxing Day. Roast Turkey Stuff with veal stuffing, sausage stuffing, or (most distinguished of all), chestnut stuffing. Turkey may either be put breast-side down till half done, then turned, or wholly cooked breast-side up, like fowls. It's better to put it on a rack in the pan than let it sit in the fat. Cook slowly (about 300 deg. or regulo 2) until tender — probably about 342 hours for bird weighing 8-10 lb. Use good fat in pan, and rub bird over with fat also. Baste several times. Cover with greased paper if getting too brown. Serve with plenty of bread-sauce, brown gravy, cranberry sauce (may be bought), crisp bacon-rolls and smal] sausages. Chestnut Stuffing (for Turkey or Fowl) Chestnuts (11% Ib.), 1 oz. butter, 2 tablespoons water, 2 slices soft bread, 4% small onion, 2 oz. lean raw ham, some milk, an egg, a little lemon rind. Boil chestnuts about 30 minutes, drain. Remove outer and inner skins, mash with fine fork. Pour a little hot milk over bread. When well soaked, press out milk. Mix bread with chestnuts. Chop onion and ham finely and fry few minutes in butter. Add to chestnut mixture. Season with pepper, salt and grated lémon rind, and mix with beaten egg. Apple and Raisin Stuffing For Duck: If bird small, or you have too much stuffing (you must not stuff too tightly, because it expands and will spoil appearance if it works out), bake some in greased ring-mould, turn out and fill centre with vegetables. A smallish onion, minced, 142 cups diced, peeled, cored apples, 3 cups lightly-packed dayold breadcrumbs, 12 cup seeded raisins, 3/4, teaspoon salt, dash pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar, just over 4% cup melted butter, good margarine or fat. Mix all well, and stuff duck, not too tightly. Stuffing for Fowl Enough for 4 Ib. fowl: 2 cups stale breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon minced onion (optional), 34 teaspoon salt, % teaspoon pepper, 2-3 oz. butter. Melt butter, add other ingredients. Stuff fowl (body and neck). Sew up, skewer. Potato Stuffing For Pork or Duck: Two cups mashed potatoes, 1 cup stale breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 finely-minced onion, % , cup melted fat, 1 teaspoon salt, 4% teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sago. Mix well together. é Potato and Celery Stuffing For Chicken or Duck: Boil and mash 8 medium-sized potatoes with 1 cup hot milk, salt, pepper. Add 2 beaten eggs. Beat all until light and creamy. In saucepan melt 4 tablespoons butter or substitute, add large onion, minced, and

cook until tender. Add 2 cups fine breadcrumbs, 2 cups minced celery, 4 tablespoons chopped parsley. Blend all

well, and finely mix with mashed potatoes. A substantial stuffing. Veal Stuffing For Stuffing Veal, Turkey or Fowl: 1% Ib. lean veal, 1 teaspoon parsley, herbs, nutmeg, mace, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 2 oz. fat bacon. Chop or mince meat and bacon, then mix all ingredients. Another Veal Forcemeat This meatless stuffing is popular for fowl as well as veal: 8 oz. breadcrumbs, 2 oz. chopped suet or butter, 1 tablespoon. parsley, 1 teaspoon dried herbs,

little grated lemon rind, egg or milk to mix, salt, pepper. Mix all dry ingredients, moistening with beaten egg or milk. This forcemeat may also be formed into small balls, rolled in flour and fried. For use as a garnish for stews. Ham for Christmas A whole ham, served hot, is now as popular here for a festive dinner as in America. It is extra useful at Christmas, because it makes turkey or chicken go further, especially if more people arrive than you expect. Baked or boiled, it’s no trouble to cook, and is especially liked with pineapple, or peach juice basting. Ham seems to have a special flavour when baked. Wrap it in two thicknesses grease-proof. This keeps in juices and flavour. Put into baking tin with a little hot water to keep from burning. Bake very slowly, allowing 2025 min. each pound. Leave in oven till cool, after turning off heat. Remove paper, skin ham, and score fat into small diamond shapes, sticking a clove in each. Pour thick syrup (spiced vinegar and brown sugar) over it. Put back for 20 min. at 400 deg. Instead of spiced syrup you may spread ham with 1 cup brown sugar mixed with 1% cup fine soft breadcrumbs, or 1 cup brown sugar ‘mixed with 1 cup juice from spiced or pickled peaches; or pour over it canned pineapple juice and keep ham basted with this for 20 minutes. Some people baste with cooking sherry. : Apple Sauce For Duck, Roast Pork, etc.: Put sliced apples (hardly any water) into saucepan. Cook slowly until soft, then mash and beat with fork. A little sugar may be added.