Festive Feasting

The festive season can be a stressful time if you are the one cooking so I made a list, checked it twice and headed off to various shops around Phuket to stock up on all the goodies. With enough food and drink purchased to fill 2 fridges, I spent the run up to Christmas busily prepping all the side dishes, canapés, dips and juices for cocktails.

For Christmas Eve supper I kept things simple with a platter of canapés, olives and baked treats, served with spiced vodka cocktails, before we headed to our local pub.

I wrote out a cooking time line for the big day dinner and pinned it to the 'fridge, so all that was needed on Christmas morning was to prepare the hot chocolate and churros then send Thomas on his way to work, whilst I hopped back in bed to watch movies. 

  

All went swimmingly well! I managed to stay off the vino until 2pm and indulged instead on cold sausage rolls, chocolate truffles and fruity mocktails, before the phone calls to family in the UK. Thomas came home around 5pm to be greeted with a few canapés and a glass of bubbles and the smell of roasting chicken and potatoes in duck fat. Most of the dishes I'd chosen simply needed to be reheated in the oven once the chicken had come out to rest so the timing was very easy. Dinner was served at 7.30 and we were chozzed out by 8pm, dessert was scoffed later on the couch watching the Empire Strikes Back...all in all a superbly relaxed day with great food and plenty to drink.

  

Most of my inspiration was taken from BBC Good Food and Delicious. magazines picked up in the UK before flying home to Phuket in November. 

Christmas Eve Menu:-
Pear slices with goats cheese and rocket wrapped in black forest ham
Watermelon, feta and mint stacks
Olive tapenade crostini
Oven dried tomato and goats cheese crostini
Marinated olives (with lemon and garlic)
Melty Mushroom Wellingtons
Tarragon and mustard sausage rolls
Spiced vodka cocktails

Christmas breakfast:-
Churros (Spanish doughnuts) with Proper hot chocolate

Christmas Dinner:-
Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken & gravy
Golden Crunch Roast Potatoes
Herby root vegetable gratin (i used sweet potato instead of regular)
Braised red cabbage
Fruity stuffing (my own mix of onion, apple, dried figs, prunes & hazelnuts)
Green beans with mustard cream
Lime semi-freddo cheesecake with raspberry sauce
NZ Sauvignon Blanc & French Pinot Noir