Traditional Christmas Dinner Dishes

It’s time again for that lovely time of the year - Christmas! We're pretty sure you’re excited and scampering around for ideas in preparation for your Christmas Eve Dinner. For this year, what are you going to serve on your table? Whatever you decide, make sure you don’t forget these five traditional dishes: MAIN DISHES

ROAST TURKEY

Roast turkey is definitely the most recognised main dish during a Christmas dinner, pretty much all around the world. This tradition started long ago in the 17th century in England, where the turkey was a native species from North America brought over to Great Britain by a Scottish trader. Early on, roast goose as a main dish was still the more popular choice among the middle class families. Eventually the turkey spread throughout the country to become more common. Nowadays, turkeys are brined first to be moist after cooking, and then put into a large oven for several hours of roasting. This gives the cook enough time to prepare the rest of the feast, as the roast turkey is traditionally served with winter vegetables such as roast potatoes, turnips or Brussels sprouts. Occasionally the turkey is served stuffed with fillings like sausage meat, cornbread or even oatmeal. Cranberry sauce is the traditional sauce in the United Kingdom but worldwide brown sauce tends to be more common.

CHRISTMAS HAM

Christmas ham is considered a main dish as well but it is commonly paired together with the roast turkey on the same table. The consumption of ham at the table was originally a pagan tradition in Germany for the new year but this was hijacked by the Roman Catholic Church and turned into a test for Judaism converts, who would go ahead and eat the ham. Ham is basically a cut of meat from the thigh of the pig, sometimes cured but now usually just cooked through boiling. The most common ham used for Christmas would be the gammon ham steaks, which is a thick and circular cut of ham that is the thickest amount of meat from the bone in. It can now be cured or just cooked straightaway and also it is commonly smoked as well. And when served for Christmas dinner, the gammon ham is usually honey glazed and boiled with cloves, thyme and other aromatics like bay leaf.

PRIME RIB

Prime rib is a must have for some, at Christmas dinners, alongside other meat main dishes such as the above mentioned two. The beef rib primal cut is usually roasted with the bone in and served with its natural juices. Traditionally, it is served medium rare, often on carts in steakhouses and carved on the spot for your sliced orders. Some classic side pairings include Yorkshire pudding and mashed potatoes. To cook the perfect prime rib roast, the two important factors include its flavour and to retain the moistness of the meat. That's why it is important to leave a cap of fat on to ensure these two elements are met. Other ways include using butter to sear the beef. Also, swearing off salt as it aids in drying the meat out. Photos courtesy of Plaza Brasserie

SIDE DISHES

MASHED POTATOES

Mashed Potatoes go perfect with almost any main dish at Christmas and its versatility rides well since you're bound to have more than one kind of meat on the table. What's better than sides of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce alongside your servings of turkey, or roast beef as mentioned before? While they are simple to make, reaching the right amount of fluffiness and consistency requires skill and a whole load of patience. Some variations include Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes while others prefer a mash of sweet potatoes for extra flavour. Photo courtesy of Sweetpeaskitchen.com

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Green bean casserole is a classic vegetable side dish for Christmas dinners and a traditional must have at most holiday tables. Did you know - It was first created by Campbell Soup Company in 1955, during the era of canned convenience foods. Then, Campbell was inspired to create a quick and easy recipe around two things Americans surrounded themselves with in the 1950s: green beans and Campbell's Cream of mushroom soup. Besides those two ingredients, the dish is usually topped up with French fried onions. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Cindy

Head here for your Christmas Day Dinners Pamper yourself with these fine dining options