[HPforGrownups] A very British Christmas (OT)

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 6524


----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott " <harry_potter00 at yahoo.com>
To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2000 2:27 AM
Subject: [HPforGrownups] A very British Christmas (OT)


> Hi everyone,
>
> I know this is sort of OT, but I thought some of the Brits on the
> list could help this Yank by giving him some ideas.
>
> I want to do a dinner party for 5-7 people sometime near Christmas,
> and I want it to have a real British flair. So I was wondering if
> anyone could give me advice, and maybe some good recipes.  I was
> thinking  of serving lamb, probably Yorkshire pudding, Christmas
> pudding and...erm, what else would be good?

Um, lamb isn't a Christmas thing.  Also, Yorkshire Pudding is always served
with beef and any variance from that rule is punishable by death.  You
should serve mint sauce with lamb.

A traditional British Christmas meal - modern version - is a massive roast
turkey with stuffing, bread sauce, potatoes (roast and mashed), roasted
parsnips, brussels sprouts, carrots (perhaps peas) and maybe chipolatas
(thin sausages), topped off with lashings of gravy made with the turkey
giblets.  This is usually followed by Christmas Pudding with brandy butter
and/or cream and/or custard.  If you want to be really authentic you could
hide a small coin in the pudding (it used to be a sixpence...maybe use a
quarter) and the person who breaks their tooth on that is allowed to make a
wish.  I'm not sure about a starter - my mother never served one - but
perhaps some nice parsnip soup?

Crackers are essential - the cheaper the better.

In the afternoon you might try mulled wine (red wine, spiced with cloves and
other things) and mice pies.  It's also advisable to pig out on things like
nuts, satsumas, dates, turkish delight and chocolates by the sackload whilst
viewing Christmas 'specials' on the telly.  Later on, it's traditional to
have a blazing row with a relative about something trivial and get
completely rat-arsed.

You could serve cold roast beef for tea as you will be picking from the
turkey carcas for at least a week and it's nice to have some variety in your
flesh-eating (ahem, I'm a vegetarian).

If you want a more 'Victorian' Christmas, then dress in a stiff collar and
go with Amanda's idea of goose.   I'd have to say, though, that the average
British person would never have eaten goose and it would be hard to find one
for the table unless you were a member of the aristocracy or a farmer.

Neil