From turkey to trifle, these easy and tasty Mary Berry Christmas recipes make a favourite no-fuss feast that anyone can cook.
To start: Marigold soup
This is a beautiful bright orange colour – like the flower – and is so warming and cheering in the winter months when root vegetables are at their best. Some of the cooked vegetables are puréed and some are not, which brings an interesting texture to the soup.
Pre-lunch nibbles: Smoked salmon canapés
Rye bread, usually from Denmark or Germany, is available already sliced in packets, sometimes with sunflower seeds added. Of course you could use ordinary brown bread or blinis for your smoked salmon canapés, but rye bread is more unusual and much more practical. The texture of the bread means that it holds up well, not going soggy once the topping is added, and so these are ideal to be made ahead.
The main course: Roast turkey crown
A great alternative to roasting a large bird, the crown is the turkey breasts and wing joints with the legs removed.
The trimmings: Sausages wrapped in bacon
Cocktail sausages from the supermarket rather than from the butcher tend to come in packs of 18. Double up the recipe if you want more – they’re always a hit with children! Try to buy a good-quality smoked or unsmoked streaky bacon rather than one which is thin and full of water – it makes all the difference.
Roast potatoes
A roast potato should be ultra-crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling the potatoes ahead and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crispy outside, with the semolina adding extra crunch. If you don’t have any goose fat, use extra sunflower oil.
Stir-fried hispi cabbage
A lovely green vegetable side, pointed cabbage, known also as Hispi cabbage or sweetheart cabbage, is softer than white cabbage but not as floppy as Savoy cabbage, so it’s perfect for a stir-fry.
Cauliflower, leek and broccoli mornay
This is a truly comforting dish that can be made up to 12 hours in advance.
To finish: Celebration trifle
This is the trifle I make year after year and all the family love it. Be sure to whisk the egg mixture quickly when pouring in the cream and milk: this cools the mixture and makes a smooth custard base. It’s also important to let the custard thicken gently over a simmering heat.
Have yourself a Mary little Christmas
Our recipes are from Mary Berry’s Christmas Collection (Headline Home, £25) and Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts (BBC Books, £26). To order at discounted prices, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Offer available until 31 December. Free UK delivery on orders over £15.
