Christmas Lunch
What to do when you have eighty guests coming over for Christmas lunch….
Well I hope you all had a nice Christmas Day and got everything you could possibly want other than a blog post by me 
My Christmas was on the 24th with the good Mr & Mrs Collins, and, alas the brother who we tried to tell that the meal was the following week but he didn’t fall for it.
Mrs C. was, as always the perfect hostess and my brother and I departed suitably full of fabulous food and great presents. Ones spirits were slightly dampened by having to be up at six am on Christmas Day because we had eighty booked for lunch at one of the hotels I have been working at for the last two weeks and there was much to do…
Turkeys were basted in goose fat, olive oil, butter and herbs, as were the roast potatoes, everyone’s favourite (?!) the brussels sprouts (all 20kg of them) were blanched, carrots were braised with four bottles of cider and a pile of fresh tarragon, 4kg of fresh pork stuffing flavoured with apricot, lemon zest and sage was rolled and roasted. Duck breasts were cooked pink with honey roasted parsnips and five spice apple puree. We made the sauce from a fresh duck stock reduced with half a bottle of red wine, a quater bottle of port, three cups of madeira, two litres of chicken stock, cinnamon, star anise, juniper, orange zest, sliced shallots, peppercorns and redcurrant jelly.
For starters we served a pressed terrine of poached game birds; eight guinea fowl, six pheasants, five partridges, six pigeons and a couple of corn fed chickens and pork knuckles to help everything stick together. These were set overnight, sliced and served with an antipasto of mushrooms, artichokes, thyme and bay leaf along with some braised chicory and a truffle vinaigrette. There was a leek and potato soup served with black chanterelle mushrooms and a spoon of creme fraiche flavoured with crushed wild fennel pods, chervil and lemon. An old fashioned lemon posett with blackcurrant sorbet was next as a refresher before the main course of turkey or duck and the whole lot was finished off with traditional Christmas pudding.
Once everyone was served I went home suitably knackered and stuck a pheasant in the oven. But that’s another story….
Miles
stuck a pheasant in the oven
You could get arrested for that
Doing a full roast dinner for one is enough for me let alone 80 - mind you I don’t have staff to help me
Enjoy your subsequent yule log
Rod
December 25, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
For a moment I misread, and thought you’d suck a PEASANT in the oven, Miles! I can well imagine what a tiring exercise it must’ve been, preparing and serving that feast to such a crowd. Well done, mate. I agree with Rod, and I doubt that I’d be able to pull off such a feat. The composition of the terrine is intriguing; it not only sounds delicious, but was also the reason for great merriment a few minutes ago
My daughter was reading your post aloud, and remarked with childlike innocence, “Everything’s in there except the pear tree for the partridges.”
Right, we’re off to the beach. I trust that you’ll all have a relaxing day
December 26, 2008 @ 6:18 am
Oh my word, I meant to say STUCK, not suck. I really should eat more carrots, my eyesight is appalling
December 26, 2008 @ 6:19 am
Rod,
No comment!
Happy ‘boxing up’-don’t throw any of my presents out!
Miles
December 26, 2008 @ 6:47 am
Xenny,
Wish I’d seen your daughter say that! She’s about right actually, I’ve you had seen the stock pan there was only the pear tree and the kitchen sink missing
Enjoy the beach-damm you!!
Miles
December 26, 2008 @ 6:49 am
Miles,
I’m on my last legs and still have 14 coming around shortly. S’pose it’d be wrong to turn the lights off and hide?
What we all really needed Miles was a teleporter so we could zap ourselves off to Xenny’s beach!
Cid
December 26, 2008 @ 11:37 am
Miles,
Your Christmas lunch sounds delicious. I trust that it was suitably appreciated by your guests.
The DJ on the radio on Christmas Day reminded listeners of kitchen staff in hotels who were having to work hard whilst they could open their presents and enjoy themselves. I thought it nice of him to say so.
Xenny, would you also please remember that it is just above freezing here whilst you are having fun on the beach
Elsie
December 26, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
Xenny,
Sorry for mistyping your name - too many carrots
Elsie
December 26, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
Elsie,
You’ve been edited!
Miles
December 26, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
Cid,
Good luck, sounds like agony to me
Miles
December 26, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
Miles,
“You’ve been edited”. I didn’t feel a thing
EE (Edited Elsie)
December 27, 2008 @ 1:13 pm