A FEW WEEKS TO GO...

  • Never underestimate the importance of good planning. This is the time to gather your preferred recipes, work out how many people will be eating, make the necessary multiplication and write your ingredients list. It’s amazing how many people leave it to the last minute to work out how much food they need for each person – it should be something you do well in advance.
  • When writing a shopping list, split it into separate headings for each category, such as meat products, fish and beverages. This will save you a huge amount of time when shopping.
  • Place your orders in good time. This could mean phoning local suppliers like a butcher or, if you’re a super-planner, placing your order online with a retailer such as Ocado. The great thing about online ordering is that you can book your delivery slot and change the order around before the day. But slots go quickly at Christmas so you have to act quickly.
  • Take a leaf out of a professional chef’s book and make a list of any equipment you’ll need on the big day that’s specific to your recipes. You don’t want to get to the day and suddenly find you don’t have the right size tin foil or oven dish.
  • When choosing recipes, keep it simple and cook within your knowledge. If you do want to try something new, practise the recipe in advance so it goes smoothly on the day. Picking a cold starter, such as game terrine or gravadlax, is a good option as you can plate it up, put it on the table and get back to cooking. Christmas is about people getting together so the standard of cooking shouldn’t be that of a three-star Michelin restaurant.

A WEEK TO GO...

  • People often get tripped up by the size of their fridge at Christmas time, so clear some space for all your festive fare. Alcohol can be kept out of the fridge and cooled nearer the time.
  • With your orders already placed, the actual buying or delivery of ingredients can usually be completed by two days before the big day. Unless you choose something really fragile for your starter, all the main things like turkey, sprouts and chipolatas can be stored for two or three days.
  • Don’t be afraid to buy ready-made elements of the meal. After all, a proper homemade Christmas pudding needs to be made weeks in advance. The centrepiece of your meal is the bird with all the trimmings, so if you focus on that you can do something super simple or even pre-made for the first and last course.

ONE DAY TO GO...

  • You can get the meal oven-ready on Christmas Eve so that Christmas Day is as stress-free as possible. Make sure your turkey is trussed and stuffed and, to save time, you can peel your garlic and veg too, but make sure you store peeled potatoes in water.
  • Salad can be picked and washed in advance and the dressing prepared. Prepare cold starters and desserts, too.
  • Accompaniments, such as cranberry sauce or jellies, can be made on Christmas Eve as well. Bread sauce should be made on the day you’re using it, but you can get the breadcrumbs weighed up and have the ingredients ready the day before.
  • If you're using an Aga, you can begin cooking your bird in the top left-hand oven on the night of Christmas Eve so it just needs to be finished off on Christmas day.

ON THE DAY...

  • Whether you’re having goose or turkey, prioritise your bird and work out when it needs to go in the oven. Cooking times vary according to size but, as a rough guide, allow 20 minutes per pound, plus an extra 20 minutes overall. Once cooked, cover and allow to rest before you serve it. Start on a hot temperature of around 200oC. Cook it initially for about half an hour, by which point the bird will be brown but uncooked. Then turn the oven down and cook through for the relevant time. Make sure you’ve done the calculation in advance.
  • Roast potatoes are next on the list of priorities as they often take longer than expected. If you are using just one oven, it can get very moist and you may find you can’t do the bird and roasties at the same time. The great thing about roast potatoes is you can cook them off on the day, and then heat them back through before serving.
  • While the bird is resting, it’s a good time to make a sauce in the pan, and get your veggies on the go last. Be careful not to overcrowd your oven or it won’t work as well. Be realistic, and if you can’t do roast parsnips, for example, make a parsnip puree.
  • You can make the meal as complex as you like, throwing in nibbles and canapes, but less is usually more. Once your guests get stuck into the booze and you know you’ve got a huge meal ahead, it’s best to make it nice and light so people will really enjoy what they eat at the table.