Nadia's delicious Christmas! NADIA SAWALHA'S FABULOUS FESTIVE FEAST.

Byline: nadia sawalha

So here we are again, it's Christmas - yippee!

I love it, love it, love it. Not only because Santa visits and it's my eldest daughter Maddy's birthday but because I love turkey.

Now lots of people start to panic about the grand roasting of the turkey... but never fear, Nads is here to make the whole Christmas lunch run smoothly.

Just follow my guide for the best festive feast ever Terrific turkey 4.5-5.4kg (10-12lb) fresh turkey 200g butter Salt and pepper 3 onions 4 sticks celery 2 glasses wine 1 Put the veg and wine into a baking tray. Slather the bird in butter, season really well and stuff with the stuffing (just the neck). If you get your turkey from a butcher ask him to remove the wishbone and that way you can get more stuffing in.

2 Then lay the bird on top of the veg and cover with foil. Follow the instructions and timings in the panel top right.

Cranberry sauce 450g fresh cranberries 290ml water 340g sugar 3tbsp port 1 Put the sugar in a heavybased saucepan. Add the water and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.

2 Add the cranberries and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and strain in the port, if used, then return to the heat.

3 Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and are tender. Leave to cool.

Make this Christmas Eve Gravy Make the giblet gravy the day before and keep covered in the fridge turkey. giblets 1 litre water 1tsp salt 1 medium onion 1 large carrot 2 sticks celery Large handful roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley Bay leaf 10 black peppercorns 1 Put the turkey giblets (not the liver - it can turn the gravy bitter) into a saucepan with a litre of cold water and 1tsp salt.

2 Bring to the boil, skim the scum from the top, then add the peeled and roughly chopped onion and carrot, the roughly chopped celery, parsley, the bay leaf and the peppercorns.

3 Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Strain the stock and once it has cooled put it, covered, into the fridge to wait be finished on Christmas Day.

To finish the gravy | 11/2tbs flour Giblet stock 1 Once the turkey is out of the tin, pour all the juices into a jug and spoon off the fat.

2 Put the flour into the roasting tin with a couple of spoonfuls of the turkey juices. Using a wooden spoon, stir and scrape the bits and pieces from the bottom of the tin, cooking for about a minute.

3 Then add the giblet stock and 150ml red wine or port. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins.

Apricot, celery and walnut stuffing Make this on Christmas Eve 4 sticks celery, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 30g fresh breadcrumbs 8 dried apricots, soaked for an hour in 25ml boiling water, then drained and chopped into small pieces 50g walnuts, roughly chopped | 1dsp Marigold vegetable bouillon (or salt to taste) Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Parsley, finely chopped Butter for frying 1 Gently fry the onions and celery in butter until they are beginning to soften. Stir in the breadcrumbs, apricots and nuts and fry gently for a couple of minutes. Finally, season well with the bouillon or salt and black pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.

Stuffed aubergines 10 baby aubergines 200g feta cheese 6tbsp tomato passata (you can buy this ready made) 1 clove of garlic, chopped Handful pine nuts 1 tbs tahini Good squeeze of lemon Good sprinkle of smoked paprika 1-2tsp cumin seeds Chopped parsley 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas6.

Drizzle the baby aubergines with oil and roast in hot oven until soft. This should take 15-20 minutes.

2 Take them out and slice in half then scrape out the cooked flesh without tearing the skin. Chop up the flesh and place in a bowl. Add pine Pigs in blankets It will cost you far less if you make your own pigs in blankets.

When you buy them prepared the mark-up is ridiculous!

20 sausages 15 slices streaky bacon 1 Cut rashers in half and wrap round sausages. Place on lightly greased baking tray and cook for 20 mins at 220C/Gas7 Sausage meat & Paxo stuffing | 400g sausage meat 200g dried sage and onion stuffing Make this on Christmas Eve 1 Mix together the sausage meat and Paxo (made up according to packet instructions) and stuff the neck end of the bird with it.

FOR THE VEGGIES!

nuts, chopped garlic, tahini, lemon juice and smoked paprika.

3 Spoon the passata on to the base of a dish. Spoon mix back into scraped-out skins and place into the tomatoes. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and toasted cumin seeds and place in oven to bake for about 10mins.

4 Scatter with chopped parsley before serving - and maybe a squeeze more of lemon juice.

Bread sauce 1 day-old loaf unsliced bread 1 litre full-fat milk 1 onion, peeled and quartered 4 cloves 2 fresh bay leaves | tsp ground mace 2tsp salt 30g butter 1 nutmeg (fresh) for grating 1 Remove the crust from the bread and tear the stripped loaf into chunks.

2 Pour the milk into a saucepan then press a clove into each quarter of the onion.

3 Add the onion quarters and bay leaves. Sprinkle the ground mace into the pan along with the salt and bring the mixture almost to boiling point.

4 Remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and let the ingredients infuse for at least half an hour, though you can leave it for a few hours if that helps with your cooking schedule.

5 After the mixture has infused, place the pan back on a very low heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves.

6 Add the bread to the saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, by which time the sauce should have become thick and warm.

7 Just before serving the bread sauce, add the butter and stir in. Add salt, to taste. Grate nutmeg generously on top.

Traditional roasties | Allow 3-4 medium Desiree, King Edward, Lady Balfour or Romano potatoes per person Vegetable oil Salt 1 Peel the potatoes and then cut them into whatever size you like your roasties. Boil in salted water for about five minutes.

2 Drain and, holding the lid over the pan, give them a good shake to roughen them up.

3 Pour about 2cms vegetable oil into a roasting tin and put into a hot oven.

4 When the oil is really hot add the potatoes and turn them in the oil to coat them, then sprinkle with salt. Roast for 45 mins or until golden brown.

Brussels sprouts with bacon 800g Brussels sprouts 1dsp vegetable oil | 150g pancetta or other smoky bacon cubes (more if you really love your bacon) 4-6tbsp double cream | Freshly ground black pepper and optional salt (depending on saltiness of bacon) 1 Steam the Brussels until tender. Put into a heated bowl. Fry the bacon cubes in the oil until crispy then add them to the steamed Brussels. Pour in the cream, season with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt (not too much in case the bacon is very salty). Give a good stir to mix it all in.

Yummy braised Make this on Christmas Eve celery 2 large bunches celery 600ml vegetable stock 100g butter 2tbsp flour 1-2tsp beef extract - yes, that's Bovril. Veggies can use Marmite Good slosh of brandy. If the cupboard is bare of brandy, use whisky. I usually pour it into a wooden spoon and let it splosh over the sides Plenty of freshly ground black pepper 1 Wash the celery and cut into equal-size pieces - about 5cm/2ins long.

2 Bring to the boil in the stock and simmer until just beginning to soften - don't overcook at this stage. If you have a pressure cooker you can bring it up to pressure then cool immediately, with no further cooking. Drain, reserving the stock.

3 Melt the butter and brown the flour in it, stirring all the time until you smell a nice nutty aroma. Don't rush this or the flour will not cook properly and taste raw.

4 Stir in the stock, beef extract, brandy, salt and pepper and then add the celery.

5 Let it simmer, with the pan covered, for about 15 minutes. Or put in the coolest part of the oven. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't dry out.

Lovely petits pois 4 Little Gem hearts 8 spring onions 1 large clove garlic, grated or very finely chopped (optional) 800g frozen petits pois 1tbsp salted butter for cooking 1 Cook the peas according to instructions.

Shred the Little Gem lettuce.

2 Cut the spring onions into 5cm/2in pieces and saute with the lettuce gently in a little butter and garlic till they begin to soften.

3 Drain the peas and then stir in the lettuce and spring onions.

Roasted maple syrup parsnips 1kg parsnips 125ml veg oil 80ml maple syrup 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Peel the parsnips and then halve them crosswise.

2 Put the parsnips into a roasting tin. Pour the oil and maple syrup over them and mix well. Roast the parsnips for 35 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

Zesty carrots Carrots to be peeled and cut the day before and kept covered in the fridge 1kg carrots, peeled and cut into thick julienne-style sticks Pinch of salt 3tbsp good olive oil | 1tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger | -1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 Put all the ingredients except the parsley into a heavy, wide-based saucepan. Start with half a cup of orange juice and add more if the carrots begin to stick.

2 Cover and simmer over a very low heat until the carrots are cooked through.

3 Stir in the chopped parsley and place in a heated serving dish.

My step-by-step plan for making Christmas lunch to eat at 3.30pm. Serves 6-8 Before starting, read through all the instructions so you know what's coming.

If you don't have enough room in your oven you may need to adjust your timings by cooking dishes in advance and keeping them warm.

8am Take the turkey out the fridge and bring it up to room temperature.

11am Turn the oven on at 200C/Gas 6 and prepare the turkey and stuffing, putting the sausage meat stuffing in the end.

Prepare the parsnips.

11.30am Put the turkey in the oven.

Noon Baste the turkey and completely cover it in foil and turn down the heat to 180C/Gas 4.

1pm Baste the turkey again.

1.30pm Baste the bird again but this time leave off the foil.

2.15pm Prepare the carrots ready for cooking. Chop the parsley or dill and keep in a plastic bag in the fridge.

2.30pm Take out the turkey (you can tell it's done if you give the leg a pull and it gives) and keep it covered.

Now turn up the oven to 220C/Gas 7 and put the roasting tray with the oil in for the potatoes.

Put the pigs in blankets on a tray and roast.

2.40pm Carefully add the potatoes to the hot oil and roast.

If you are steaming your Christmas pud (follow instructions on the packet) rather than microwaving it, then you will need to put it on now.

2.55pm Put the parsnips in the oven.

3pm Put the kettle on for the veg.

3.10pm Take out the sausages and keep warm. Put the Brussels sprouts and carrots on to steam (in different baskets). Turn the potatoes over. Fry the bacon pieces. Then set aside to add to the sprouts.

3.20pm While the sprouts are steaming, put the celery on to reheat. Finish the gravy according to the recipe and keep it warm.

Warm the plates. If, like me, you never have room in the oven, just put them in the sink with boiling water then dry them just before you need them.

3.28pm(ish) Take the sprouts out of the steamer and add the reserved fried pancetta or bacon pieces, cream, a little salt and black pepper.

Stir the parsley or dill into the carrots and put in a hot serving dish.

Keep all the veg warm while you take out the potatoes and carve up the turkey.

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Title Annotation:	Features
Publication:	Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland)
Article Type:	Recipe
Date:	Dec 13, 2013
Words:	2110
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