Your favourite Christmas dinner

26th November 2015pierre Share:FacebookTwitterShare


Still the nation's undisputed favourite!
Image: Magdanatka 

Prawn cocktail, turkey, and Christmas pudding is by far your favourite Christmas dinner, according to our Spirit of Christmas survey.

What is the nation’s ultimate Christmas dinner? When we asked you for your ideal festive menu, nearly two thirds of you plumped for traditional turkey with all the trimmings. But what about the starter and the pudding?

Who would have thought the humble prawn cocktail would be your favourite Yuletide starter? Finishing head and shoulders above your second choice which was soup, almost a third of you opted for the classic 1970s seafood entrée. 

For afters, you’re a traditional bunch - 38% of you prefer tucking into Christmas pudding compared to the 21% who’d rather opt for the more continental Yule log. When it comes to Christmas dinner, your opinion is crystal clear: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Alternative starter options


A modern classic: Steph's 'enhanced' prawn cocktail
Image: I Am A Food Blog

If prawn cocktail is too retro for you, why not try blogger Steph’s jazzed up version of the original? By adding salmon roe and finely diced avocado she creates a modern-classic!

Or sticking with seafood, there’s always smoked salmon. Hertfordshire blogger Heidi Roberts likes Irish smoked salmon the best. She serves it: “With lots of freshly ground black pepper and lemon squeezed over it.”

For the vegetarians among you, Linda Williams’s festive cheese terrine looks delish. She gives this Delia Smith Christmas recipe a fresh twist using a combination of Lancashire cheeses… or “what’s left of a cheese board”!

And don’t forget soup, after all 20% of you like it the most. Laura from the Knead Whine blog serves up a Brussels sprout, chestnut and sage soup, which is both “seasonal and healthy”. It’s certainly suitably festive!

Alternative main course options


Mellissa's sage butter turkey is "neither complicated nor difficult"
Image: I Breathe I'm Hungry

“Roasting a turkey inspires fear in the hearts of many,” blogger Mellissa writes. It’s notoriously difficult to roast such a big bird and keep the meat moist, succulent and tender, but Mellissa’s scrumptious sage butter roasted turkey will do just that. Borrowed from a Thanksgiving recipe, she says her version is “neither complicated nor difficult”. 

For an alternative take on your favourite seasonal roast, Galina Varese flavours her turkey with vodka and saffron - yum!

Cooking for smaller numbers? Try award-winning blogger The Skint Foodie’s roast pheasant with watercress, bread sauce and redcurrant jelly. Tony serves it with roast potatoes but, if you fancy some festive veg with a mouthwatering twist, do check out his recipe for Brussels sprouts in hazelnut butter.

Vegetarian? You’ll find yourself on the receiving end of jealous stares thanks to this stunning mushroom, spinach & stilton Wellington. “There is absolutely no possibility that any meat eaters on your table will not be looking over enviously,” says chef Nancy Anne Harbord. We think you’ll agree it looks awesome.

Alternative dessert options


Debora's flourless Christmas pudding taking shape
Image: Love and a Licked Spoon

If you find traditional Christmas pudding too rich, blogger Debora Robertson has just what you need. Her take on Arabella Boxer’s traditional plum pudding contains no flour. Instead, it’s “simply bound together with breadcrumbs and eggs, which makes it lighter”.

You could also look to the other side of the Channel for inspiration. The Glutton’s Kitchen’s festive Crème Brûlée has the advantage that its custard base can be made up to two days in advance. And we’re sure no one will be able to resist Fran Villani’s Christmas tiramisu with its seasonal flavours of mixed spice, ginger and orange zest perfectly complementing the classic Italian dessert.

Quirky - and frankly ridiculous - ideas

KFC for Christmas? Surely YouTube sensations Chris & Mat are joking.

And how about the Curry Guy’s festive curry suggestion? It’s nothing if not inventive.

A quick internet search reveals some odd festive food choices, but it was some of your survey answers that really took us by surprise.

One person suggested a main course of ‘Wiener sausage with potato salad’. Hmm, we’re not sure that’s really festive enough. As a starter, another will be crunching through a packet of crisps this Christmas day - a minimalist choice but not one we’d favour.

And we can only assume that the person whose favourite pudding is ‘Gaviscon’ is panicking about the amount of food awaiting her!

Finally, we wish an extra ‘merry’ Christmas to the person who suggested ‘more gin’ as a dessert! Whatever your perfect Christmas dinner spread, we hope you enjoy it. Happy Christmas!

Share:FacebookTwitterShare