A small Christmas dinner becomes simpler when you choose a few compatible dishes. The eight recipes below are menu options, not a promise to prepare all of them within an hour. Some take around 30\u201360 minutes, but the dessert needs chilling and cooked ingredients must be prepared ahead.<\/p>\n
For four people, choose one main course, one or two sides and a dessert made the day before. An organised worktop helps, but washing, chopping and preheating the oven also take time. Never shorten meat cooking merely to meet a schedule.<\/p>\n
Heat the oven to 200\u00b0C conventional or 180\u00b0C fan. Do not wash raw chicken. Mix the seasoning ingredients and coat all pieces. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting tin and bake for approximately 25\u201335 minutes, depending on thickness. Probe the thickest pieces: 75\u00b0C for 30 seconds. Continue cooking if needed and rest for 5 minutes before serving. This timing does not apply to a whole chicken or bone-in pieces.<\/p>\n
Use 600g pork tenderloin cut into medallions approximately 2cm thick, 15ml oil, 30g Dijon mustard, 30g honey, 15ml cider vinegar, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 60ml water, salt and pepper. Mix mustard, honey, vinegar, garlic and water in a clean bowl.<\/p>\n
Season the meat. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the medallions for about 2 minutes per side, in batches if necessary. Return all to the pan, add the sauce and cook over moderate heat for another 4\u20138 minutes, turning, until the thickest pieces reach 75\u00b0C for 30 seconds at the centre. Add small amounts of water if the sauce dries out. Rest for 3 minutes before serving. This uses sliced pork tenderloin, not a whole 1kg loin joint.<\/p>\n
Soften the onion in oil for 3\u20134 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until their liquid reduces, about 5\u20137 minutes. Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add hot stock, stirring frequently and letting each addition absorb. Cook for about 18\u201322 minutes until tender with a slight bite. Use extra water only if the stock runs out before the rice is ready. Remove from the heat and stir in all the butter, cheese and parsley. Adjust salt and serve immediately. Do not use wild mushrooms without expert identification.<\/p>\n
Set out 300g fully cooked cold shredded chicken, 100g grated carrot, 1 cored diced apple, 150g drained sweetcorn, 80g cooked cooled peas, 120g commercial mayonnaise, 15ml lemon juice, 10g parsley and 40g shoestring potato crisps. Mix chicken, carrot, apple, sweetcorn and peas. Fold in mayonnaise, lemon and parsley; adjust salt and pepper. Chill for 20 minutes and add potato crisps only when serving.<\/p>\n
The timing assumes chicken already cooked and refrigerated. Do not add hot chicken to mayonnaise and then attempt to cool the whole salad. Keep at 0\u20135\u00b0C and follow the oldest ingredient\u2019s storage limit, no later than 48 hours after the chicken was cooked.<\/p>\n
Use 200g toasted cassava flour, 100g chopped onion, 40g butter, 60g chopped walnuts, 40g raisins and 10g parsley. Melt all 40g butter and soften the onion for 5\u20137 minutes. Add walnuts and raisins for 1 minute, then the flour. Stir over a low heat for 3\u20135 minutes until evenly heated. Adjust salt and finish with parsley. This formula has no bacon; it contains milk and walnuts. In the UK, look for toasted cassava flour in Brazilian shops, not tapioca starch.<\/p>\n
Use 800g potatoes cut into wedges approximately 2cm thick, 30ml olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 220\u00b0C conventional or 200\u00b0C fan. Simmer wedges in water for 6\u20138 minutes after it returns to the boil; drain and let steam escape for 2 minutes.<\/p>\n
Toss potatoes with oil and rosemary and spread without overlapping. Roast for about 25\u201335 minutes, turning halfway, until tender inside and golden. Add garlic for the last 10 minutes to avoid burning. This temperature differs from the chicken\u2019s: if sharing an oven, plan extra time for the potatoes rather than promising both will finish together.<\/p>\n
Ingredients: 200g washed dried salad leaves, 1 cored sliced apple, 40g chopped walnuts, 50g pasteurised goat\u2019s cheese, 30ml olive oil and 15ml balsamic vinegar. Arrange leaves, apple and cheese in a salad bowl. Mix oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and dress only when serving; finish with walnuts. If preparing ahead, keep ingredients separately in the fridge.<\/p>\n
Use 200g plain sweet biscuits, 200g chopped dark chocolate, 200ml single cream, 80ml milk for moistening and 5g cocoa for finishing. Heat all the cream until steaming, without boiling vigorously. Pour over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes and stir until smooth. Let it cool slightly.<\/p>\n
In a dish approximately 18 \u00d7 18cm, make three layers of biscuits briefly moistened with the 80ml milk, alternating with ganache. Finish with ganache and dust with cocoa. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours. Serve with a spoon; 30 minutes is not enough to promise firm slices. Eat within 48 hours, keeping at 0\u20135\u00b0C. Cocoa and butter do not replace the chocolate bar in these proportions.<\/p>\n