Traditional Christmas Recipes

A classic British Christmas dinner includes roast turkey with sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, honey-glazed parsnips, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, and gravy. Dessert is Christmas pudding with brandy butter or custard. American traditions add sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pecan or pumpkin pie.

Traditional Christmas pudding is made on Stir-up Sunday - the last Sunday before Advent, usually in late November. This gives it 4–5 weeks to mature. The pudding is steamed for 6–8 hours on making day, then stored in a cool, dark place. On Christmas Day, it is steamed again for 2 hours to reheat. Some families make their pudding a year in advance.

Britain: roast turkey and Christmas pudding. Germany: goose, stollen, and lebkuchen. Italy: Feast of the Seven Fishes and panettone. France: bûche de Noël and foie gras. Sweden: julbord (Christmas buffet) with ham and herring. Poland: twelve-dish wigilia supper. Mexico: tamales and ponche. Japan: KFC fried chicken (a modern tradition since the 1970s). Australia: seafood barbecue.

Use cold butter and plain flour for the pastry - rub together until breadcrumb-textured, add cold water, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll thin, cut rounds, press into tart tins, fill with mincemeat (homemade or good-quality jarred), and top with a smaller pastry lid or star. Brush with egg wash and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15–20 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar while warm.

Most traditional Christmas recipes are designed for advance preparation. Christmas pudding: 4–6 weeks ahead. Fruitcake: 4–8 weeks (feed weekly with brandy). Mincemeat: 2–4 weeks. Mince pies: freeze unbaked for 2 months. Cranberry sauce: 1–2 weeks refrigerated. Stuffing: assemble the day before. Only the roast and roast potatoes must be cooked on the day.