Jamie Oliver - Jamie Olivers Christmas Cookbook: For the Best Christmas Ever

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

Dedicated to

my Nan

BETTY MARJORIE PALMER

AKA TIGER

26 JANUARY 192027 SEPTEMBER 2013

What a perfect book to remember my dear old Nanny, who was such a kind, gentle soul. This time of year is all about bringing your loved ones together and, of course, remembering those who cant be with us, and Nan was always on great form at Christmas. One year, she was so excited to get her mitts on the stuffing that her paper crown caught fire on a candle, in turn setting fire to her heavily hair-sprayed blue rinse. I clearly remember recoiling in horror at what Dad had to do to put her out, but we were all relieved when the fire was extinguished, and the meal soon carried on with gusto. And thats Christmas for youit never goes according to plan. But as long as you keep laughing, it will all be alright.

Love you, Nanmerry Christmas xxx

And thank you so much, dear reader, for picking up this book. My single ambition here is to give you as much inspiration as possible to ensure you have the best Christmas ever, and Ive put this book together with a great deal of love, thought, care, and consideration.

In the two decades since The Naked Chef, Ive learnt a lot from all of you about what it is that can make Christmas stressful when it comes to food, so let me fix that for you. Im only ever going to do this book once, so Ive made sure that its the absolute best it can be. Have faith that youre in safe hands with these recipes, every one of which has been rigorously tried and tested to ensure itll work for you at home, every single time.

I want to be there for you not only this year, but for every year going forward. Christmas doesnt have to be stressful if you delegate to friends and family (see ). Timing, organization, and lists, while perhaps a little boring, are really important. Theres no such thing as luck when it comes to a really well done Christmas meal. Planning ahead will give you not only wonderful, tasty food, but also the ability to surprise and wow people, delivering the unexpected to mind-blowing levels and getting them almost fighting over the best roast potatoes, the perfect stuffing, or the most succulent, juicy bird youve ever slapped bang in the middle of your tableturn the page for more of my top advice.

So down to business. This book contains 17 years of my ultimate, beautifully indulgent, festive recipesits got all my old favorites from over the years, plus loads of new ideas to really tickle your taste buds and ramp things up on the flavor front. This is the food that makes me and my family about as happy as can be, and it provides the perfect excuse to bring all your loved ones together. Ive got all the bases covered, with everything you need for the big day and any feasting meals over the festive period, as well as party fare, edible gifts, teatime treats, cocktails, and, of course, exciting ways to celebrate those lovely leftovers. Wherever possible, Ive designed the recipes to be cooked at the same oven temperature, so you can be efficient with your time and oven space, and itll be super-easy for you to mix and match the different elements and build your own perfect Christmas meal.

I havent held back. This book is the greatest hits, all wrapped up in one Christmas parcel. Look through, pick your recipes, build your plan, and above all, have a good one, my friends.

Now hopefully youve landed on this page having just read the main intro, so youre already starting to think about the important process of preparation. What Im saying, guys, is if you can get yourself into the mindset of doing a little pre-Christmas homework, its only going to serve you well over the festive period, making your life much easier.

Throughout this book, youll pick up lots of tips and hints on how to get organized, putting yourself in the best possible position for a stress-free Christmas. When there are recipes or elements of recipes you can easily get ahead with, Ive flagged it on the recipe pages, so youll be armed with the knowledge to be super-organized, should you wish to be.

When it comes to shopping, look out for seasonal offers on pantry staples, dry goods, and heavy items like booze in the weeks and months leading up to Christmas, so you can stock up and spread the cost. Buying online can be helpful, too, as it saves you carting around heavy items. Things like condiments and sauces, spices, olive oil, grains and pulses, nuts, baking ingredients, jams, pickles and preserves, organic bouillon cubes, tins, jars, and bottles, as well as all those things youre bound to run low on, such as bin bags, paper towel, aluminum foil, and dish soap, as well as containers for your leftovers.

Meal planning is always a brilliant idea, and Im not just talking about the big day. Think about where youll be and who youll be entertaining on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day, and on those days between Boxing Day and New Year when shops are a bit scarce or, lets be honest, you dont want to leave the comfort of your cozy house! Have you got what you need? Can you make stuff ahead and freeze it? If youve got family and friends staying, are you covered for all those other bits we tend to forget about, like breakfast? Stock up and plan ahead and youll be super-thankful for it come the craziness of the festive period.

Of course, you should always have room for a bit of flexibility, and thats where your freezer is your best friend. Be prepared for unexpected guests dropping by for a holiday tipple and a bite to eat. Freeze trays of Mince pies (see ), will always come in handy and I can guarantee theyll be gratefully received, too. Good luck!

One of the best bits of advice I can give you to avoid big-day stress is to check your equipment a few weeks in advance and make sure you have all the kit you need. I cant tell you how many stories I hear about people going to cook their turkey and realizing that they dont have a pan big enough for it, or that theyve gone the other way and bought a pan that doesnt fit in their oven! Good, basic kitchen equipment is widely available, so its easy to get kitted out. Give yourself enough time to shop around and find the best prices, choosing better-quality items wherever you cantheyll last much longer, maybe even a lifetime.

To the right youll find a list of everything I think is helpful to ensure all your bases are covered. By no means am I suggesting its essential for you to buy everything listed here, but I hope it will help you do a recce of your own cupboards and have a think about the kit that will help you out over the festive period. Happy cooking!