I am interested in some great recipes for xmas dinner. I am even willing to try some international dishes. If any of you have a time honored dish you serve or enjoy at xmas I would love to hear about it. Thanks. It doesn't have to be exotic either btw.

What's your thoughts on a main course meat? Or are you going vegetarian?

Alton Brown's recipe for brined turkey is excellent! He's also got some great ham recipes.

here's one leif found this morning, i just told g/f i want to try it year,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=502605&in_page_id=1770

lol to you Splodge! serves 125! takes how many cooks? your poor poor girlfriend unless she's got a restaurant at her fingertips But it does sound good.

"Since our Christmas Dinners are usually eaten in 30-40C hot weather we tend to go for cold dishes & seafood.

Here's one that we love as a starter:-

SMOKED SALMON SALAD:

Ingredients.

4 thin slices of white bread
oil, for frying
paprika, for dusting
mixed lettuce leaves
25g/1 oz Parmesan Cheese
225g/8 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
vinaigrette dressing.

SERVES 8

1. With a small star shaped cutter, stamp out shapes from the bread. Heat 2.5cm/1in oil in a shallow pan until the oil is almost smoking. Fry the croutons in batches until golden brown. Remove the croutons and drain on kitchen paper. Dust with paprika and leave to cool.

2. Wash the lettuce, dry the leaves and tear them into small bite size pieces. Wrap the leaves in a clean damp tea towel and keep the lettuce in the fridge until ready to serve.

4. Slice the parmesan cheese into wafer thin flakes with a vegetable peeler. Put the flakes into a dish and cover with clear film.

5. Cut the salmon into 1cm/half inch strips of no more than 5cm/2in long

6. Arrange the lettuce on individual side plates, scatter over the parmesan flakes and arrange the salmon strips on top. Shake the dressing vigorously and spoon over the salad. Scatter over the croutons and place a lemon wedge on the side of each plate.

BTW: If you add a few chilled oysters and some prawns to this, it makes a good party brunch snack.
Swill the lot down with a very cold DRY White Wine (Chardonnay would be perfect)

ENJOY Wiz

sounds very interesting wiz! I still can't wrap my head around your time zones, xmas being in the summer! But I'd give a lot to be on your island. I may try a seafood dish, flip out the relatives for a change!

Oh and Tofu, I saw some episode that Alton had where he was carving up a ham in diamond slices and it did look good. Of course these professional cooks make it look easy. I usually set the kitchen on fire each and every holiday. Try a rum glaze and see how fast your cabinets go up in smoke. We are not vegitarians here, married a meat and pototoe guy but I am more big on veggies than anybody in my family.



I betcha Janetdog has some fancy smancy thing he's having and I need a vacation to Las Vegas!

We're having a 34 lb turkey, with candied sweet potatoes (easy, just peel, chop into chunks and throw a few pats of butter on them, then drizzle with real maple syrup and a little sprinkle of brown sugar and bake for 45 minutes or so at 375)

I make a few different breads using my bread machine (for Thanksgiving, it was three new sour dough breads) and we'll have veggies and the like as well.

End it all up with pumpkin, apple and cherry pies.

Pretty traditional meal I guess.

wow I am impressed. Delia! You seem super talented in many areas. I am serious. This thread is making me hungry. Ya'll keep in mind I am a medium cook, not wonderful but not horrible, so any recipe/dish has to be something a monkey could whip up! lol

French salad, I just love it! I'm waiting for Christmas just to kill myself in that

Ingredients:
5potatos , 4 pickles (vinegared), 1 cup of green beans, 4 carrots, 1 apple, 5 eggs, 1-2 spoons of lemon juice, sat, pepper...boil all this and then chop it ( ) to a little slices...add mayonnaise (as much as you want) and then put it all together in a fridge for one hour (or not if you can't hold on to taste it )

I hope I didn't give you a recipe for something you eat almost every day

Here's where we normally have Christmas Lunch/Dinner... No washing up... Taxi there... Taxi home, and usually quite legless



BTW: You have to book almost a year in advance for The Christmas Day Special (Lunch/Dinner) Surf & Turf right there on the beach.

Quick my friend, or you'll miss that Qantas Flight out of LA

Regards Wiz