For many of us, Christmas is all about the food. It’s the perfect moment to be decadent, to overeat, and to generally indulge all those festive cravings that can only be satisfied once a year.
The downside is that someone has to prepare this mountain of food, which can often go hand in hand with decidedly un-festive stress. No one wants to spend Christmas sweating and panicking in the kitchen while everyone else is relaxing. Here are some ways to avoid that, and maximise Christmas cheer this year.
1. Do as chefs do: Prep ahead
The biggest lesson home cooks can learn from chefs is to prep, prep, prep. Chefs plan and prepare almost everything in advance, leaving as little as possible to chance when service comes around.
The more you do the day (or even week) before, the less you have to think about when things get busy.
It may seem extreme, but writing up a timetable is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Set dates and times by which tasks need to be completed. Wash salad leaves, pre-make sauces, and pre-boil potatoes. Slow-cooking meat the day before is a great option. That way you have plenty of time to make sure it’s perfect, and all you need to do is gently reheat.
2. Shop early
An important aspect of prepping ahead is shopping ahead. This year, the 25th falls on a Monday. The best strategy would be to shop for the essentials before Friday the 22nd and the chaos of the Christmas weekend.
Early mornings are always quieter in the supermarkets, and shelves have usually just been restocked. Then all that’s needed when the shops are frantic is a quick top-up of fresh produce.
3. Organise the kitchen
To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain, a messy workspace means a messy brain. Clear the countertops of everything but the essentials, organise the fridge, and give everything a good clean.
A messy workspace means a messy brain.
Maximise space in every part of the kitchen for the influx of food that’s about to arrive. Being able to see all of your carefully prepared items will make you feel secure, and will save time later. This applies to the day itself too – keep the dishes under control, and try to complete one task and tidy up before starting the next.
4. Teamwork makes the dream work
Do you already know you’re a messy cook, and that the above advice just won’t work for you? Assign family and friends to be your damage control team, making sure you can focus.
Generally, people are happy to take on supporting roles in the kitchen rather than being responsible for the final product. Alternatively, make Christmas a potluck affair, and get each guest to contribute to the meal.
5. Take shortcuts, unashamedly
Be nice to yourself and remove some non-essential items from your to-do list by taking any shortcut you can.
Buy the mince pies, or spruce up a store-bought sauce. No one needs to know!
6. Go big on snacks to keep the crowds happy
Even if you’ve shopped ahead, cleaned out the fridge and followed your timetable to the minute, things can still go wrong. Make sure you have plenty of snacks (see point 5 above) to keep guests distracted if things take longer than planned.
Do yourself a favour and avoid plated starters, which only add another pile of dirty dishes to deal with later. Sticking to easy canapes will allow you more time and freedom to focus on the main event.
7. Ditch tradition, and go local instead
Many of us blindly follow European Christmas traditions, and simply can’t go without a gammon or turkey at Christmas lunch. While the comfort of hearty winter fare is undeniable, I still find it a little strange on a blazing South African summer day. Half of the required ingredients aren’t in season in December, and is a tired, overcooked turkey that tasty anyway?
My family has, for many years, been championing a Christmas picnic. Summery tomato and basil salads, perfectly ripe fruit, freshly baked sourdough and the best local cheeses take very little effort to tweak into show-stopping dishes. You’d be surprised at how quickly a new tradition can be created.
8. Don’t cook at all
There’s so much hype around the Christmas meal that it may feel impossible to live up to everyone’s nostalgia-driven expectations. Sometimes it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
Restaurants all over the country offer amazing Christmas specials and festive spreads. Maybe this is the year to celebrate the season by throwing away the to-do list, sitting down to an expertly cooked meal, and fully enjoying the day.
We've got Christmas feasting covered
We’ve gathered a list of SA restaurants offering deliciously festive menus. No cooking, no cleaning – is there a better way to spend Christmas?
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