Christmas Dinner - Trimmings

Roast potatoes
Place a baking dish/pan in the oven with some fat.  (Duck or goose fat is best)  Peel potatoes and cut in half.  Put into a pan and just cover with cold water and a pinch of salt.  Place the lid on the pan and bring to the boil.  Once potatoes come to the boil, turn off the heat and strain.  Sprinkle on a pinch of salt and flour.  Give a good shake in the strainer then tip into the preheated dish.  Coat in the fat and replace into the oven for about an hour or so until they are cooked.

Roast parsnips
Peel parsnips and cut into pieces.  Put into a pan and just cover with cold water and a pinch of salt.  Place the lid on the pan and bring to the boil.  Once parsnips come to the boil, turn off the heat and strain.  Sprinkle on a pinch of salt, flour and mustard powder.  Give a good shake in the strainer then tip into the preheated dish with the potatoes.  Coat in the fat and replace into the oven for about an hour or so until they are cooked.

Cranberry stuffing roll
I made this earlier in the month so after defrosting this in the fridge for 24-48 hours I just popped it into the oven for half an hour.  After half an hour remove the foil and put back into the oven for about another half an hour until the bacon begins to crisp. When ready just slice up.

Pigs in blankets
Take some cocktail sausages and wrap them in bacon.  Pop them in with the stuffing roll for the second part of the cooking.
NOTE: I used some delicious Lincolnshire and Cumberland cocktail sausages purchased from Morrison’s.

Honey & thyme carrots
Peel and slice carrots into batons.  Boil until just cooked.  Strain and tip back into the pan.  Add a knob of butter a teaspoon of honey and a few sprigs of thyme.  Stir to melt and absorb the flavors.

Sprouts with bacon
Put the sprouts in a plastic container and cover with a little ware and loosely put a lid on.  Cook for between 1 and 2 minutes at a time until just cooked.  Chop 2 rashers of bacon and fry in a pan.  Drain the sprouts and add to the frying pan with a knob of butter and fry a little.

Cranberry sauce
Put 200mls red wine, 50g caster sugar, half a cinnamon stick, a star anise and 2 cloves in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until liquid reduced by half to let the flavors mingle.  Strain the liquid to remove the spices.  Add 250g cranberries.  Simmer over a low heat until the cranberries start to burst and sauce starts to look jammy.  Leave to cool.