Traditional Christmas Recipes to Make Your Festive Dinner Magical
The Christmas table is where the whole family gathers to celebrate the magical holiday. December 25 starts with drinking heart-warming hot chocolate from Christmas mugs and opening presents and continues with a luscious festive dinner.
Everyone celebrates Christmas differently, but nothing compares to marking the holiday the traditional way. We’ve looked at the most searched and popular Christmas dinner recipes to help you recreate the cheerful spirit.
Put your apron on and get cooking, because these mouth-watering recipes are about to make your Christmas more magical than ever!
The Yorkshire Pudding dilemma
To have a Yorkshire Pudding or not to. That’s one of the biggest Christmas dinner debates in the country, and every family has its stance on it.
But it seems that the Brits are leaning more towards including the Sunday dinner staple in their festive menus this year, as searches for “yorkshire pudding recipe” have increased by 172% within the last three months as of November 2022, reaching a whopping total of 165,000 average monthly searches.
The Yorkshire Pudding is believed to have originated centuries ago and was made by frugal innkeepers and cooks who used the dripping fat from roasting meat to make a batter pudding to pad dinners, hence its original name — Dripping Pudding.
The first recipe was documented in the 1737 guide The Whole Duty of Woman. If you want to bring the tradition of Yorkshire Pudding to the table, then consider replicating the original recipe. For it, “you must have a good piece of meat at the fire, take a stew-pan and put some dripping in, set it on the fire”. Once it starts boiling, add it to your pudding batter, consisting of “a quart of milk, four eggs, and a little salt”, along with the flour. Bake it and top it off with the remaining dripping fat from the meat that’s been dried and mixed with melted butter. “It is an excellent good pudding; the gravy of the meat eats well with it.”
A classic Christmas stuffing recipe
The stuffing is a staple dish for the festive dinner and one that compliments every other dish on the table. That’s why having the best stuffing is a must for every family.
People are already starting to plan their festive menus, as searches for “stuffing recipe” have increased by 238% within the last three months, reaching a 9,900 average.
From a classic turkey stuffing to a mushroom one, there are numerous stuffing recipes that will satisfy the Christmas appetite. If you wish to have a traditional festive dinner, let’s get inspired by the Royals.
The Royal family is one to follow traditions, and their Christmas spread is an example of British lore. When it comes to their favourite homemade stuffing, a blend of sage and onion flavours is a must, according to former royal chef Darren McGrady.
This recipe by Good Housekeeping combines all the traditional ingredients but with a little twist to give the stuffing a moreish texture — crumbled and chunky sourdough bread. Meat-free and perfect for vegetarians, this stuffing recipe is a go-to for any Christmas-loving family!
Christmas pudding a la Royals
What’s a Christmas dinner without a Christmas pudding? That’s what the Royals are standing behind too. Their favourite dessert recipe has been revealed by chefs in the Royal Kitchens on the Royal Family Instagram account.
The recipe features 40ml of brandy to add extra spice to the heart-warming dessert, but you can substitute it with orange juice or cold tea if you don’t want to use alcohol.
In the Royal Kitchens, the Christmas pudding mixture is stirred up on the Sunday before the Advent season, hence it’s called stir-up Sunday. Some families also like to follow this tradition, so consider adding it to your festive repertoire. The search for “Christmas pudding recipe” increased by 1,038% within the last three months.
The perfect roast potatoes
Another favourite trimming is roast potatoes; the recipe has significantly increased in searches by 174% (“roast potatoes recipe”) within the last three months, reaching 12,100 average monthly searches.
For the perfect roast potatoes, BBC Good Food advises using Desirée potatoes, as they hold their shape, but you can also substitute them for King Edward and Maris Piper. To serve eight people, cut 16 potatoes in half and boil them. When they’re done, toss them in the colander to make them fluffy and sprinkle them with two tablespoons of flour. After that, place them in a roasting tray, and then tip in goose or duck fat or dripping, as well as three tablespoons of sunflower or vegetable oil.
Following the traditions will help you recreate an authentic Christmas and feel the jolly spirit!
Sources
https://www.yorkshire.com/yorkshire-menu/recipes/a-proper-yorkshire-pudding/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/royal_christmas
