London chefs share their Christmas dinner secrets

You might have your holiday meal plan down pat, but I will confess that I haven’t even started putting together a menu. That is not only because there will be just two of us, I am a champion procrastinator. I have begun the process of deciding what to make, but could use a little help. That is why I was happy to see an article from Evening Standard where several London-area chefs provide wisdom gleaned from years of cooking Christmas dinners.

From turkey to lamb, mains to sides, chefs share tips that will elevate your meal. There are tips on how to prepare the turkey to avoid dry meat, flavorful rubs you can use on meats and vegetables, and novel dishes to try such as Marwa Alkhalaf’s Shekam Por stuffing, described as “a traditional northern Iranian dish of onion, garlic, barberries, chopped walnut, prunes, dried golden plums or apricots, pomegranate molasses and clementine juice.”

I will also be heeding Asma Khan’s advice to set the stage for a great meal by setting the table. She believes that tableware is often overlooked, “but it is the base against which you present your food. A festive occasion is an opportunity to cook beautiful, meaningful food and present it in a special way with tableware that stands out, like a frame to a picture.” Even though it is just the two of us, I plan to go all out with tablecloth, fine china, and freshly-polished silver.

Photo of Turkey with herb and butter stuffing from Observer Food Monthly by Elizabeth David