How to cook the perfect Christmas dinner

Don’t panic! Entertaining can be stressful at the best of times, especially at Christmas when you have a million and one things to think about on top of cooking. Here are some tips and reminders to help you achieve and host the perfect Christmas dinner.

Prepare stock the night before. Make stock for the gravy by placing turkey neck and giblets in a pot alongside coarsely chopped carrot, onion and a celery stick. Add two bay leaves, a sprig of thyme and three cups of cold water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on. Strain, cool and place in the fridge overnight.

Make your stuffing interesting. Try different stuffing combinations like sage and onion, chestnut and prune, or apricot and ginger. Vary your nuts, dried fruits and herbs to mix and match a winning filling for your turkey.

Prep, peel and prime. Peel your onions, potatoes and carrots, and cut any roasting veggies well in advance to save you more time on Christmas day. Marinate or season any meat and seafood and prepare any sauces like cranberry sauce, dips or aioli for seafood the night before.

Clear some fridge space. It’s likely that you won’t have very much room in your fridge after all the food is prepared, so make sure you clear your fridge beforehand, throwing out any old food and making way for all those leftovers.

Make a trip to the service station early in the morning (preferably the day before) to buy some ice to put in the esky for your drinks. Also check whether you have enough gas in the barbecue before you go, to save any unnecessary trips on the day.

Set out your snacks. The mouth-watering smell of Christmas dinner cooking may be delightful, but waiting patiently for the meal for hungry guests may be excruciating. Have a platter of snacks ready for when people arrive, which will also help prevent people getting tipsy too early in the day.

The key to a successful Christmas dinner is not just how the food tastes, but also how everything is presented. Make sure that cutlery and glasses are polished, plates are evenly spaced, crackers and napkins are set out on the table. Thinking of everything to make your guests comfortable in advance will guarantee a memorable Christmas dinner experience for everyone.

Create a beautiful centrepiece. Decorative features on the table are also sure to impress your guests, as well as help fill up that white tablecloth space before the food comes out. Use nature as your inspiration to create beautiful centrepieces from pine cones, holly, fruits and berries to fill vases and baskets.