Dec 16,2024
As the old saying goes: "work smarter, not harder". With this list, you are going to be the most well-equipped Christmas cook with key pieces of advice, suggestions, learnings, and even some warnings, from 20 food experts.
From chefs, butchers and fishmongers to sommeliers, veg growers and cookery tutors, we have gone coast to coast to find the best steer on all things Christmas, from turkey temperatures and make-ahead gravy to larder staples and seafood starter ideas.
Robbie McAuley, Chef-Owner Michelin-starred Homestead Cottage, Clare
"Get the vegetables ticked off ahead to save time and space"
"To take out as much stress on Christmas Day - freeing up not only your time but space - I always get all the vegetables out of the way: potatoes peeled and parboiled, so they have time to be totally cold, then they just need to go into the oven with goose fat and thyme for an hour on the day. Cauliflower cheese can be gotten ready on the 24th so just needs to be popped in the oven. Crushed carrots and parsnips can be made in advance then warmed through on the day. Even the sprouts can be parboiled already - no more than two minutes, though!
"For the turkey, once it's cooked it’s crucial it rests, covered with parchment and tin foil. Give it 45 minutes to an hour, during which time the oven will be free to roast your potatoes. If after the resting time you feel the turkey is slightly cold, you can pop it back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or else carve the turkey and you will find it is still hot inside. If you do want it warmer when carved, put in an oven proof dish with some of the juices, cover with the parchment and tin foil and place in the oven on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until ready to serve.
"My two top pieces of advice are always: (1) buy the best your budget can stretch to and (2) keep it simple –– it’s as much about enjoying those around the table as what's on it."
Alex Nahke, Executive Chef, The Europe Hotel & Resort, Kerry
"Choose the right-sized turkey, but more importantly check your oven size!"
"Christmas starts with choosing the right-sized turkey (if that’s what you’re serving) for the amount of people. Plus, once you know the weight (and write it down) you have a much more accurate idea of cooking times to prevent under or over-cooking. You can also ask your butcher to remove and bone the legs, which can be rolled and cooked separately. This makes for a quicker cook time and cleaner servings.
"Here’s a quick guide to turkey weights per person fed and the cooking time for each:
4-6 people: 2-2.5kg
6-7 people: 3kg
7-8 people: 3.5kg
8-10 people: 4-4.5kg
10-12 people: 5-5.5kg
12-15 people: 6-6.5kg
"Even more importantly, check your oven! Make sure the size of turkey actually fits comfortably in your oven before you buy. Plan a roasting tin large enough for the bird, with extra room for juices and fat to collect. It’s always best to roast on a 'trivet’ of root vegetables (parsnip, carrot, onions) which help to make a flavourful gravy."
Meeran Manzoor, Executive Chef Blue Haven Collection & Rare Kinsale
"Brine, then dry the crown for crispy skin, and make bone marrow breadcrumbs"
"My most important piece of advice is: Christmas is a time to cook the food you love! That being said, after brining the turkey allow the crown to dry out in the fridge once removed from the brine. This will help you achieve a great crispy skin. Also, a secret weapon is bone marrow bread crumbs: get bone marrow from your local butcher and sauté with bread crumbs and the spices of your liking until golden brown. I like to garnish my Brussels sprouts with the indulgent crumbs."
Niall McKenna, Chef-Proprietor, Waterman House restaurant & Cookery School and author of What’s It All About?
"Brine your turkey and give some Brussels sprouts some love"
"Brining the turkey is absolutely essential. What is a (wet) brine, you wonder? Basically a salt solution in water so, it's 5% salt quantity to whatever water quantity you’re using (for example 2L water: 100g salt). Then get those aromatics in - garlic, thyme, rosemary, you can even add orange slices - best to brine it overnight in a bucket in the fridge.
Then you take it out, rinse it off and leave it out to come up the room temperature, which might take an hour to 90 minutes pre-roasting. If it's cold in the centre, it's going to take longer for the heat to penetrate it, and that means the outside will be cooked before your inside’s cooked, and you have a really dry turkey. Keep basting it every half hour and ensure you let rest it for a good 35 to 40 minutes, covered in a couple of cloths to keep it warm, before carving.
Brussels sprouts are a Christmas classic but get such a bad rep, because so many of us grew up with them being boiled to oblivion. I personally think the tastiest (and simplest) way with them is a recipe in my cookbook, What’s It All About?, and a staple in my restaurants over the years during the festive season –– I have had so many people say they have been converted to sprouts having tried this dish in James St and Waterman.
"You essentially stir fry the super-fine shredded sprouts and add in your shredded ham hock and chopped chestnuts, which adds a lovely saltiness and additional texture. It's just so simple, so quick to do and effortless. To me, that's what it's all about, the simplicity of food and cooking."
Nicole Server-Pawlukojć, co-owner Arán Bakery & Bistro, Kilkenny
"My brine recipe, plus spiced butter all over the bird!"
"Brining your turkey adds moisture, locks in flavour, and also makes cooking it more forgiving. If you leave it cooking for too long - because Christmas is crazy! - then brining will keep the turkey moist. Our turkey brine goes like this: 900ml water, 100ml apple juice, 70g salt, 20g soft brown sugar, 4 cloves of garlic, then aromatics like allspice, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, orange peel, bay leaves, and pink peppercorns (but any Christmas spice mix will do!)
Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cool to room temperature then let the turkey sit in the brine for up to two days before you intend to roast it. Once removed from the brine, I pat it dry and rub with spiced, softened butter, both inside and out, before roasting on Christmas Day."
Jp McMahon, Chef-owner Michelin-starred Aniar, Galway
"Keep it simple, plan it out, don’t try something new"
"Keep everything simple. Don't try and make something for a Christmas celebration that you haven't made before. The best preparation is a good plan, so make a list in advance of all the things you have to cook. Start with the one that will take the longest - usually the turkey or ham - and then move on to the others. This will help you have a clear plan and manage the oven space efficiently. Another must-have tool at Christmas is a food thermometer — make sure you have one.
Also, you don't want to be finishing everything at exactly the same time, before you carve the turkey and ham, the vegetables need to be ready, etc. so why not avoid plating up individually and just serve family-style, leaving everything in the middle of the table or on a kitchen island so guests help themselves."
Tara Walker, TV Chef & Cookery Tutor, Louth/Dublin
"Make an excellent gravy way ahead of time"
"One of my biggest considerations for Christmas dinner is an excellent gravy. This also applies to Sunday roasts throughout the year but on Christmas Day, when there is so much else going on, having most of the steps to a good gravy done in advance is a massive help.
I sweat a diced onion in a mix of butter and rapeseed oil (or your preferred high point oil) with a pinch of salt. Don’t underestimate how long this takes - at least 30 minutes, if not longer. You want to be thinking more french onion soup than quick-sweat here. When the onions are golden brown, add a good squeeze of tomato puree and sweat it out with the sweetness of the onions. Deglaze with your alcohol of choice (for turkey, goose or duck, I like the light sweetness of sherry or marsala and for beef, a good rich red wine like a Barolo).
When the liquid has evaporated, add equal quantities of butter and flour, stir through and cook out for a few minutes then add 1 litre of a chicken or beef stock in –– a cube of good quality, shop-bought is fine here. Simmer for at least two hours. Allow to cool and refrigerate (or freeze) until Christmas Day. On the day, reheat the gravy, simmering with all of the additional meat juices in (I like to a have a trivet of vegetables under my roasting joint for extra flavour) then strain and serve."
Wayne Kenny, Executive Chef, F.X Buckley Group, Dublin
"Ireland loves beef, cook it medium, allow to rest and carve against the grain"
"In Ireland we have long had an affinity with beef, it even goes deep into our language where the word bóthar (road), relates to a pathway large enough to turn a cow or let two pass as opposed to a cosán, a footpath. This love affair with beef has filtered into our celebration food as well and, with the season of indulgence upon us, a glistening roast standing rib of beef or a beef Wellington will proudly take centre stage on any table.
For me that best way to serve beef is medium, you will get the muscle starting to break down and the fats letting out all their flavour. On a large joint that you would be roasting for Christmas dinner I feel the best way to achieve this is to roast to a core temperature of 50ºC, remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for one quarter the cooking time, this will allow the core temperature to come up to 60+ºC. When carving it is best to cut across the grain of the meat which gives it a better eating quality, the best way to recognise this is when you look along the longest side of the meat cut at a right angle to this, down the circular surface of the joint."
Tadhg & Damien O’Meara, Kish Fish, Howth
"Consider trout or halibut, and five ideas for a seafood starter"
"At this time of year, you will find gigas oysters and white fish like cod and haddock in peak season. While most people go for Irish Organic Salmon, sea bass, or Dublin Bay Prawns, why not give beautiful Irish Trout or Halibut a go - both cracking options and so often overlooked. In terms of ordering and collecting, order a week prior to Christmas and collect on the 23rd or 24th. We have four outlets so customers can easily collect from their nearest store.
Then when you bring home your bounty you need to consider how you store before using. If buying oysters, store them cupped side-up, evenly spaced apart, and cover with a damp paper towel or cloth. Avoid airtight containers and freshwater. Anything that comes in a vacuum pack keep it in that, in the fridge, until you plan to use it."
5 Seafood Starter ideas:
Clair Dowling, owner Tiller + Grain, Dublin
"For something different, try venison, celeriac purée and an Irish beetroot side dish"
"For those (like myself) who don't love the turkey and ham option, I love doing a large fillet of Venison for Christmas. Also, this is truly my favourite time of year for vegetables because I believe everything has worked so hard to get out of the ground its natural taste is amazing.
I do an alternative to bread sauce that uses celeriac, which I peel and chop into roughly 1.5" pieces and then toss in oil, thyme, rosemary and salt. I roast these for 40 minutes or so until soft then, while still warm, put in any blender and add milk slowly to blend the mix to the consistency you like (smooth or textured). Add a dash of cream or a few healthy knobs of butter, salt, and lemon juice to taste.
I also highly recommend our wonderful Irish beets at this time of year. I would boil them a few days in advance and then when it comes to serving, toss them in a lightly oiled pan to warm through. Add a generous knob of butter, a pinch of salt, sprigs of thyme, and a generous dash of Highbank Orchard Treacle for some sweetness. A few drops of lemon will round it all together for balance."
Caomhán de Bri, Chef-owner The Salt Project, Kildare
"Prep ahead and get creative with vegetables for non-meat eaters"
"I love everything about Christmas, even the hustle and bustle of the shops, but when it comes to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s day I just want to do as little as possible other than go for some nice walks. Taking the stress out of cooking and concentrating on some 'cracker' sauces, or cocktails, is what it's all about for me.
I also love taking time at Christmas to create something a little different for those who do not want to gorge on meat. This year I will be creating an organic root vegetable roulade, which not only looks spectacular, but also has depth of flavour and texture to compliment, ensuring that no one is feeling left out."
Orla McAndrew, Cork-based zero waste caterer & author of Larder (Blasta Books, 2025)
"Four staples to have in stock for Christmas, and some advice on table scaping"
Also, a word on table scaping, which I feel is a lovely thing to do and helps elevate a special meal time into one of magical memories for all the family. Keep things simple and uncluttered. Bring out your best wares (note: porcelain, glass, or metal retain heat the best), leave room for your service dishes and create height with tall candles. In terms of colours, I love greens and golds but have fun with the colour palette!"
David O’Halloran & Martin Buckley, co-owners The Lifeboat Inn, Courtmacsherry, West Cork
"Skip starters altogether, less is more"
"We normally head to Dave’s home in Tipperary for Christmas, he’s the youngest of 14 so there’s always a lot for dinner. A few years ago, we went for a ‘less is more’ approach and decided to get rid of the starter, it was a game-changer and can’t recommend it enough. It made everything much more enjoyable, more relaxed, with less fuss over plates and cutlery, put the focus on the main event and definitely cut down on prep, waste and stress — a win all around!
Here is also a great simple festive snack: cut chorizo into small rectangular bites and wrap in spring roll roll pastry, deep fry & serve with some garlic aioli. Perfect to make ahead of time and hold well in the fridge, it’s such a perfect snack to pull out when unexpected guests arrive. We also do them in the pub for functions and they are always a big hit!"
Kenneth Keavey, Owner Green Earth Organics, Galway
"The best tasting dinner is made with fresh, local ingredients"
"The traditional Christmas dinner is as seasonal as it comes and the one meal of the year where choosing local, Irish produce - organic if possible - couldn’t be easier. If you want your dinner to taste better than ever the best thing you can possibly do is choose fresh local ingredients and all the key vegetables are in prime season right now, from sprouts and spuds to parsnips and celeriac.
Something special I like to make is local, organic fresh Brussel Sprouts roasted with a dash of maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and walnuts, which happens to be vegan too. If you want to go for something a little different mix a bit of fresh Celeriac through your mashed potatoes to give a totally different slant on this traditional dish."
Eva Pau, Asia Market Dublin (and soon to be seen on Eva Pau’s Asian Kitchen on RTÉ One)
"A simple dip, a stunning glaze and try mulled Japanese plum wine"
"If entertaining last minute or just need a dip in a hurry, I have you covered: 1 tsp of Thai red curry paste mixed with 5 tbsp of cream cheese and 1 tbsp of coconut milk. Perfect with any cracker or crisp. I also love to jazz up cooked cocktail sausages with an Asian glaze made from equal amounts of hoisin sauce, runny honey and wholegrain mustard.
If you want something different to the usual mulled wine or cider I really suggest mulled Japanese plum wine. Grab a bottle, heat gently - just to dissolve the sugar - and add in whole cinnamon, cloves, lemon and oranges. Warming, delicious and different!"
Erica Drum, TV chef, content creator and recipe developer, Dublin
"Serve buffet-style and store leftovers quickly"
"In terms of being conscious of waste at Christmas, I suggest serving the dinner buffet-style, which is far easier for the cook and people tend to only take what they like and will finish and if they want more they can go back again. Be mindful of popping leftovers in airtight containers as soon as you are finished and keep them in the fridge to ensure they stay fresh. There are endless recipes online to make leftovers next level, I have been sharing loads of festive recipes and inventive ways to use leftovers in my Christmas video series on Instagram (@EricaDrumIE) and TikTok (@erica.drum) which should deliver some delicious inspiration."
Laura Bradley, co-owner Indie Fude, Belfast & Comber
"Pick the brains of your independent cheesemonger, and always allow cheese to come up to room temperature"
"Top tip for selecting cheese is to come in to one of your independent cheesemongers, like Indie Fude, and chat to the staff. Come Christmas week it is prime time to call in and pick the brains of the people who know their stuff. Use all your regular describers, tell us what you would like, nothing sounds silly (honestly) and we can put together something a bit more special and tailor-made that everyone is going to really enjoy.
For serving cheese, please take it out of the fridge a good few hours before serving. Honestly, even if you have the cheese out of the fridge Christmas morning as you are preparing in the kitchen. Unless your house is like a sauna it will happily sit out and be all the more delicious for it.
I always suggest having a bit of fun with pairing flavours and maybe something unexpected. For example, we have a gorgeous Dunville’s Fig Marmalade and a Copeland Berry Jam, both of which are incredible with cheese, which you might not ordinarily think. Honeys, jams, even like your chocolate biscuit with Young Buck (Mike Thomson’s stilton-like raw milk blue cheese from Northern Ireland) as a classic pairing which everyone is always shocked about but is super delicious."
Brigid O’Hora, The Home Sommelier author & wine educator, Mayo
"Be mindful of wine serving temperatures, and pair small glasses appropriately"
"First, let’s talk about temperature. For sparkling wine, the colder the wine the better the bubble count so I always suggest chilling sparkling right down to 4-5ºC. A great way to blast chill is dampen some kitchen paper, wrap it around the bottle and pop into the freezer for ten minutes.
For serving quality white wine try avoid fridge chill, take it out of the fridge for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Serving slightly less chilled allows you to experience the flavours a little more. If you’re spending a little extra on a special bottle of white wine for Christmas dinner you want to be able to taste it.
Then in terms of pairings - even a small glass for each different course will do - always remember to start with the lightest in weight and work your way up to the richest and sweetest. So for a rich starter consider bubbles like Cava or Crémant (both way kinder on the pocket than Champagne) which are wonderful palate cleansers. For a hearty soup, a full-bodied, fruity white pairs really well, maybe a Mâcon-Villages or a Spanish Godello. For your main, like turkey and ham, a fresh, fruit-driven red wine works well. Look for a German Pinot Noir, a sleek Beaujolais or a Northern Rhône Syrah.
Finally, for dessert if it’s the chocolate route you’re going down try a dark Spanish Pedro Ximénez Sherry or for a fruit dessert head to Bordeaux for a classic Sauternes."
*Always drink responsibly
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