Christmas Special Food & Drink

I love Christmas. The food, the drink, family, friends...

..but we all know it's a time

when even the most organised people are tested.

Pulling it all off so everyone has a great time, including me,

involves using every trick in the book.

So, we're here to make sure your Christmas is the best ever.

Who better to share her secrets for a stress-free Christmas

than the lady with the most festive of names, Mary Berry?

-Everybody likes chocolate at Christmas time.

-I love chocolate.

She reveals her recipes for the quickest and easiest Christmas

canapes and an indulgent chocolate cake that you can make in minutes.

Award winning drinks expert Kate Goodman has the ultimate

Christmas drinks guide.

They offer really good value for money,

they're nice alternatives to champagne.

We're looking at Christmas food and drink from every angle,

celebrating the most amazing dishes from Christmas past...

Oh, yes, look at that!

..Christmas present at the Ritz Hotel...

..and a glimpse into the future.

It's almost transcendental, you know.

And we've some great Christmas advice from the people

in the business who really know their onions.

Buy what you need, cook what you need,

and then you don't stress about it too much.

-Make everything the day before.

-Completely prepped.

-Just have fun.

Welcome to a very festive Food & Drink.

At Christmas, so much rides on what we eat and drink.

We're going to show you not only how to celebrate tradition

but also try something new.

With a bit of inspiration and kitchen confidence,

I reckon we can all create a feast to delight our friends and family.

Lending me a hand in the kitchen is the wonderful Mary Berry.

She's cooked dozens of Christmas dinners in her time

and knows how to create a magical Christmas with the minimum of fuss.

So, what's Christmas to you, Mary? Is it with all the little ones?

It's about having a family Christmas, yes.

So, how many people do you have around the house, then?

Well, we're usually about 12.

We tend to be around 12 to 16 sometimes,

it depends if my daughter's around.

But then, if my daughter's around, she's a chef so she helps as well, which is good.

I'm all for that.

And if people come into the kitchen and they say they want to do things,

I get them to do things that I don't like doing.

-You know, peeling quails' eggs.

-Ah, yes.

But I try to do as much as I can ahead of time

because I like to be with them.

With so much prep to do in the kitchen, many hands make

light work, so Mary's making canapes while I get on with the main course.

Mary's canapes are quick, easy and delicious - herby cream cheese

and spicy mango chutney dough balls.

I am going to go a little bit off the beaten track,

-and prepare some goose.

-How exciting.

I haven't had goose for years.

I think people are a little bit scared because they think maybe

it's a bit too strong flavour, they don't know how to cook it.

'Goose is a great alternative to turkey.

'Its rich, succulent meat is packed with flavour

'and the crispy skin is to die for.'

What are you going to do with it?

I'm going to stuff the goose, and stuff it in the old-fashioned,

traditional way, and that's completely stuff the cavity -

as opposed to making a stuffing on the side,

I'm going to stuff the cavity.

First, I'm making the stuffing for the goose,

this will easily feed ten people.

I'm using duck livers and hearts, they're my top tip to add

rich and delicious gamey flavour to your stuffing.

They look very tiny to me.

I would imagine a duck would have a much bigger heart than that.

They are very small but they are very delicious,

and, you know what, the butcher actually gave them to me,

he didn't charge because most people don't eat them,

and it's such a shame because they're so meaty and delicious.

Well, it's new to me and so I shall be very interested.

'Add the offal to a pan of sweating onion and butter.'

Mmm. I'm going to be adding some dried mushrooms to this, as well.

-Are they porcini ones?

-Porcini, yes.

If you haven't got porcini, you can use other sorts of dried mushrooms.

They're all delicious.

'Meanwhile, for Mary's canapes,

'season a bowl of full fat cream cheese

'and add fresh chopped chives and parsley.

'These couldn't be easier to make.

'Having sliced the top off the shop-bought dough balls,

'you just load each half with unctuous cream cheese.'

-Very, very simple.

-Very, very simple.

Again, you can do these ahead of time and just pop them

in the oven when you want to serve them.

Now, I'm going to flambe this,

just to get a little bit more flavour in there.

So, a generous splash of brandy.

-That was generous.

-It's Christmas! You've got to be generous.

I'm going to use some of your brandy later on in something chocolate I'm going to make.

Every stuffing needs a substantial ingredient at its heart.

'Breadcrumbs are popular

'but my secret ingredient is great at soaking up flavour - rice.'

The thing about this rice stuffing inside the goose is that it's

going to absorb a lot of the fat, as well.

Because it is quite a fatty...and you've trimmed off a bit of fat,

-as well.

-Yes.

'Add to the rice one of my favourite Christmas ingredients -

'chestnuts.

'They give a wonderful texture and flavour.'

I always use frozen chestnuts and I always buy them

early at Christmas time because they run out. Now, those are cooked.

Have you cooked them or did they come in a vacuum pack?

Vacuum-packed. Like you say,

you can get them frozen, you can get them vacuum-packed, you can get them in tins.

'Add some dried cherries.'

And that's going to swell up inside the goose,

so it's going to give us a lovely sweetness.

'And warming winter seasonings - allspice,

'nutmeg and a good pinch of salt of pepper.

'Mary, who's on canape duty, tops her festive creations with

'a dollop of sweet and spicy mango chutney.'

'My festive stuffing

'is also quick to prepare - just add the offal to the rice mix

'and use an egg to bind it all together.'

It does seem like a heck of a lot,

but the cavity of a goose is actually enormous.

Because the meat in our stuffing is already cooked,

it's OK to finish it off in the cavity.

But if you're using raw meat stuffing,

it's best to cook it separately.

-So, neck end first?

-Yeah, just a little bit down the front bit.

I believe that goose is the traditional bird of Christmas.

We were roasting geese before we were roasting turkeys.

Turkey at Christmas is a relatively new thing.

Yes, when you think of all the Victorian pictures

-of the geese being driven down the street.

-Yes, absolutely.

I mean, I very often have game, as well, for Christmas.

Do you? What sort of game?

I'll have a haunch of venison, sometimes have wild boar.

In France, the festivities start on Christmas Eve.

We normally feast on Christmas Eve, then we feast on Christmas Day,

and then it's my wife's birthday on the 26th, on Boxing Day,

so we feast again.

I should think you have a lie down on the day after that!

There's one thing I don't do when I'm stuffing birds,

-is get out a needle and string.

-Ah!

Because, I don't darn socks, so why should I suddenly...

I do it with a whole load of skewers and then I can pull them all out.

-That's a shame because I was going to ask you...

-You weren't, were you?

'As if I'd ask Mary to do my sewing!

'Salt the goose generously to absorb any moisture before roasting.

'You'll need a large needle

'and some butcher's string to close up the bird.'

That's blanket stitch.

You've made a very good job of that.

I'll bring my socks along.

This five-kilo goose needs to cook at 160 degrees

for one hour, 45 minutes,

then another 15 minutes at 200.

Mary's canapes will be ready in ten minutes, and I can't wait!

Canapes are traditionally served with fizz.

But with so much choice, and the shops full of special deals,

choosing the right bubbly can be a bit daunting.

So, drinks expert Kate Goodman

is here with a guide to buying the best bubbles.

Nowadays you don't have to be mega rich to enjoy a glass of fizz,

because bubbles aren't just about champagne.

Here are my top tips for a bit of sparkle.

It's suffered from a poor image in the past.

But you can find some really high quality cavas now.

It's a full bodied sparkler and just a little softer than champagne, and

won't break the bank, with a good bottle starting at under a tenner.

Most cava comes from Catalonia in Spain

and it makes a great aperitif with a salty canape.

Cremants are a great value alternative

to champagne, but still with bags of French style.

They're made in the same way as champagne, just not in Champagne.

And they don't command champagne prices.

You can get a great bottle for under £15.

Try a Cremant de Bourgogne or, equally good, a Cremant d'Alsace.

For a true British Christmas,

you can't do better than English sparkling wine.

They are made with the traditional champagne grapes,

and some are top notch,

even beating champagne in international competitions.

Prices can compare to champers, at around £25 per bottle,

but that hasn't stopped sales booming,

and the acreage of vineyards in the UK has doubled in the last decade.

Maybe that's because the British like taking on the French at their own game.

-How do they look?

-They look great, Mary.

'Whatever your chosen type of bubbles,

'an exquisite canape is the perfect accompaniment.

'And they don't have to be difficult to be delicious.'

And they want to be served straight out of the oven,

just a few moments to cool so people don't get burnt.

Mary's next canape uses just four ingredients.

Salty Parma ham contrasts perfectly with rich goat's cheese.

A few sprigs of rocket adds a touch of pepper and a slice of

pickled cucumber in the centre gives Mary's rolls a surprising crunch.

And you have sort of like little soldiers.

Take each one and stand them up, and I think they look pretty smart.

These are wonderful, what a great idea.

This is something even the kids can get involved in,

it's very, very easy, simple and fun.

CORK POPS

Christmas is a great celebration.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Start of the festivities.

Aperitif is from the Latin word aperit, so it means to open,

so it's all about opening your palate.

That's exactly what it's doing, it's refreshing your palate,

you don't want anything too sweet,

anything too overwhelming.

It's just getting your palate ready for your meal.

-I love that anticipation.

-We've got that!

-We've definitely got that.

They look brilliant, I love them!

They're beautiful, and as for these, I can't wait to dive in.

Here's the sparkles.

It's exciting now,

you've got such a huge diversity of sparkling wine, really broad

spectrum of price ranges and really broad spectrum of styles as well.

-So, have a go with this.

-Christmas is here.

-Smells good, doesn't it?

-Merry Christmas.

-Merry Christmas.

-This is only the start.

-Mmm!

So, what you're drinking here is

Allini Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene.

I couldn't do that one.

-There's absolutely no chance of me saying that.

-Prosecco.

-Prosecco, exactly!

Easier to say.

This is from a very clearly defined region in northern Italy,

so just north of Venice. This is made from Glere, that's the grape.

And with Prosecco you get these lovely, light, fruit forward,

easy drinking style, that's the key sort of factor here.

I get pears when I smell it. They're just a really easy-going drink.

-Yes, very light.

-Very light, exactly.

-But a very good start indeed.

After you, Mary, go on - dive in.

-Mmm.

-Mmm.

-Mmm.

-What's your thought?

-Mmm.

You get a hit of salt and meatiness from the dried ham.

Yeah, we're liking it.

The price on the Prosecco is around the £7 mark.

Now we're going up to something a little bit more expensive,

and this is around £15.

So, the second wine is a New World sparkling.

This is Jansz sparkling wine from Tasmania.

Tasmania's got a lovely, cool climate that you

need for producing really good sparkling wines.

This is made in the same way as champagne and using

two of the same grape varieties that are used in champagne.

There's lots of Chardonnay in this, and Pinot Noir.

You'll really notice next to the Prosecco,

it's a fuller bodied style.

When you taste it, you'll notice quite a big difference.

It's knocking me back on the nose. That's not very technical, is it?!

I know exactly what you mean, sort of going...ooh!

I think this is wonderful. You can taste the Chardonnay, the Pinot.

It's in there.

I think they offer really good value for money,

they're nice alternatives to champagne, the New World sparkling.

It's a good one to think about if you don't want to break

the bank, which the next one does - but, hey, it's Christmas Day!

-It's Christmas, come on!

-So, this IS champagne.

Champagne can only come from Champagne, the region in France.

This is lots of Chardonnay in this,

so it's a really elegant, beautiful champagne, lots of finesse.

I love it.

So, this is Billecart-Salmon Fruit Reserve,

so it's a family-owned champagne house.

And that... It's just so lovely on the nose.

Something's just so special about champagne, it's kind of magical.

We'd better go easy, this is only Christmas morning.

-We've got the rest of the day to go.

-True.

-I think that is stunning, but then you're going to be paying...

-You are paying a lot more.

So, the Jansz is 15, this is a big step up, it's 35,

so it's a real treat.

The bubbles are quite smooth and they're not aggressive.

It's absolute, it's honeysuckle, it's wonderful.

So, how about having a try of these?

CRUNCHING

-Hmm, hmm!

-Hmm!

Never seen so many silent people!

Sweet from the chutney, a little bit of spice,

and then salty savouriness from the cheese.

That is the perfect canape, and then this, just lovely

and refreshing because it has that salty spiciness.

Glass of bubbles, perfect. What more could you want?

Mary's made Christmas cooking look easy.

At this time of year, things can get a bit pressured in the kitchen.

Some good advice from the best in the business might just save the day.

Remember with Christmas, if you're hosting,

people are coming to your house because they love you.

Make everything the day before.

Completely prepped. Just ready to cook.

And in the morning, get up, enjoy your time with the kids.

Be with the family and friends talking about rubbish.

Ignore everyone that says you have to cook a turkey for five hours. You do not.

Make a recipe that you know works.

Offer your services for probably one thing,

and do it well.

One little tip for the cranberry sauce,

is grate some fresh horseradish into it.

Make sure you have plenty of wine.

Start drinking early.

Buy what you need, cook what you need,

and then you don't stress about it too much.

And just have fun.

There is no other time of the year you can open

a bottle of champagne at 9am.

It's Christmas Day and you want to maximise the potential.

Christmas for me is all about teamwork

and everybody helping out in the kitchen.

What about Brussels sprouts, then, Mary?

Have you got a particular way to prepare them?

Slightly under-do them. You can do all sorts of things.

You can have some nice, crispy pieces of bacon fried in a pan.

You can put fried chestnuts with them, and also, if you have

-some left that you haven't cooked, you can make coleslaw of them.

-Yes.

Another perfect, delicious accompaniment is roasted vegetables.

Parsnips, and carrots, as well.

And then what I do is get them in the roasting tray, and I get some pears.

Not peeled, just beautiful pears, bit firm,

quarter them and roast them with those vegetables, and that adds

a lovely tang, and it's quite a surprise when you're into there...

wow, pear!

For me, drink is equally as important as the food,

so I spend a lot of time thinking about it, and also how to serve it.

I really savour it on the day.

If you've got a decanter, it's great to decant it,

if not, put it in a jug, just let it breathe.

It's the whole process that is equally as rewarding

-as the food for me.

-Do you think of what you're

going to eat and then choose the wine, or do you choose the wine

and think, OK, what's going to go with the wine?

I do always find out what the menu is, but if there's a wine

that's really taken my fancy I'll work it in somehow.

And that's what Christmas is all about - creating the perfect day.

These days we have everything we need to achieve perfection

with minimum effort - but Christmas past wasn't like this.

Historian Lucy Worsley has been taking a trip back in time

and thinks we have it easy today.

Christmas cards, and the Christmas tree, and the turkey,

and even Christmas crackers, were all made popular by the Victorians.

They lived in an age of buying and selling, so they were very

keen on gift giving, which brought a bit of commercialism into Christmas.

But they also made it a cosy occasion,

a time to spend time with your family and your friends.

That image was created in part by Charles Dickens

and his book A Christmas Carol.

At the heart of the story is the family meal.

Everybody gathering around the turkey,

which must have been very nice a posh house like this one,

at least for the people above stairs, who didn't have to do the cooking -

that was the responsibility of the Victorian cook.

Most middle income families would have had one, usually a woman,

who worked 12-14 hours a day to prepare the Christmas banquet

for the people upstairs.

Your typical middle to upper class Victorian Christmas dinner

may have consisted of ten dishes, or even 20.

It kicks off with stewed eels, and cod's head. Mmm.

The second course is where the meat is.

Here we've got roast turkey with sausages, and roast ribs of beef.

The next contains pheasants, still savoury,

but we've got some sweet food coming in, too.

Mince pies, I know what they are.

But here's a mystery. Nesselrode.

'Nesselrode was an iced cream pudding that was a popular

'Christmas treat in the 19th century.

'And the food historian Annie Gray knows first-hand how much

'hard work it was to make.

'The main ingredients are sugar, thickened cream,

'candied fruit and sieved chestnuts,

'which back then would have been meticulously prepared by hand.'

Well, I like chestnuts.

I don't like peeling them for the stuffing, though.

I did that once and it killed me, my thumb nearly fell off.

You'd hate being down here, then, when we were preparing this.

The first task, normally,

-the scullery maid has got to do...

-Is get those tough skins off!

Yes. Then you've got your nut inside, which is

covered with quite a thick skin itself.

Then you have to re-boil them to get the second skin off,

-and only at that point...

-Do we end up with these.

I've done that, and as you noted with the chestnuts,

you get the bits up your nails, your hands start bleeding,

you're peeling and peeling and peeling.

'The chestnuts alone took several labour-intensive hours and,

'once mixed up with the cream and the fruit,

'the Nesselrode was set in an elaborate mould

'for another eight hours.'

-That?

-Yeah.

Plate down on the table.

Oh! Yes! Look at that!

It worked!

Why is it called Nesselrode, then?

It's named after a Russian count.

A lot of it is about showing off your wealth.

If you've got a pudding or a cream like this on the table,

people know, "This is a man who can afford a cook."

It's the same with lots and lots of Victorian dishes.

Oh, look at that!

The flavours in it are very rich.

They are not dissimilar to the flavours of Christmas pudding.

-It tastes delicious, though.

-Mm.

It tastes way better than it looks.

What was Christmas like for Victorian cooks?

Up at seven in the morning,

going to bed at 10.30, 11.30, cooking for that entire period.

A lot of cooks died of respiratory failure from leaning over

carbon monoxide stoves all the time.

It sounds really horrible and dangerous.

It's all right, you get to swan around upstairs

with a glass of champagne!

'And, of course, if it wasn't for the Victorians

'and their lust for invention,

'we wouldn't have many of the tools we use in our kitchens today.'

Isn't there a bit of a contradiction, here,

between the Victorians are very inventive, they're coming up

with labour-saving devices, and yet they are abusing their kitchen maids?

There is, towards the end of the period,

a vogue for inventing mechanical devices.

They're not always very good. And it devalues the skill of the cook.

So, for example, if I were to use a mechanical whisk,

if I, as a cook, can raise a cake just by whisking eggs,

that's a skill that I've got that I can sell.

Then, actually, it helps just

to keep you in that professional sphere.

So, if the domestic drudgery is getting you down this Christmas,

spare a thought for the Victorian cook,

spending all of those hours sieving chestnuts by hand.

I'd rather order chestnut puree online

and heat it up in the microwave.

How things have changed over the years and evolved.

Thankfully, for the better.

Take mince pies, for example.

It's not that long ago that, actually, meat was in a mince pie.

-Oh!

-And these have been made with meat inside.

'These mince pies are made from a 19th century recipe

'by Victorian cook Mrs Beeton.

'They look like the modern mince pies,

'but, they have steak and beef suet for a filling!'

And it's crammed jam full of meat.

Spicy.

It's a mixture of currants and meat.

It's not quite as sweet as a normal mince pie, but it's delicious!

There's not that much sugar in it at all.

Sugar would have been very, very expensive

and a real treat, a real luxury.

-And the spices, as well. This is really nice.

-Really delicious.

It's good, isn't it?

I think Mrs Beeton might have got it right.

'The history of mince pies goes back as far as medieval times,

'as does this yuletide punch wassail.'

The smell is good,

but it certainly leaves something to be desired on the aesthetic front.

I see what you mean.

Wassail is from the Anglo-Saxon phrase

"waes hael", which means "good health".

And, traditionally, it was drunk at New Year,

when groups of people would go from house to house

and they'd sing wassailing songs.

It's made with either cider, ale or mead.

They spice it, and then they warm it. So, obviously, it's warm.

They often put bits of toast in it.

And that just soaks up the liquid,

-and that's where the phrase to toast...

-A toast, then.

Let's raise a toast.

I'll let you taste first.

LAUGHTER

-The smell is delicious.

-It does smell gorgeous.

But the cloudiness doesn't look too tempting.

It's a bit off-putting, isn't it?

They would call it lamb's wool,

because it looks like wool on the top of the drink.

Shut your eyes, and it's delicious.

I really like the flavour of this.

It's got the sharpness of the apple, the cooking apple,

a hint of cinnamon and almost like

a meady kind of ale taste to it.

Just the right amount of sugar.

The taste and smell, it smells great, doesn't it?

Smells really Christmassy.

'Whilst we may not drink wassail today,

'warm spiced cider is back in fashion and can be drunk

'at Christmas markets and in pubs around the country today.'

Food does evolve over the years.

Isn't it wonderful that, actually, some of these recipes stay

almost true to their origins, like the mince pie, and like this drink?

-Mm!

-I'm not keen on the toast on top.

I think I could do without that.

Christmas is all about excess

and indulgence for everyone, experts included.

I don't know what you wouldn't eat at Christmas.

I love turkey, I love bread sauce, I love sausages, I love roast potatoes.

I like to eat and drink at Christmas anything that somebody else

has made, so I'm not in the kitchen. I like to relax.

My favourite thing to eat at Christmas is probably really, really good smoked salmon.

I can't think of anything I hate to eat at any time of the year.

Everything is good.

I would love some delicious white truffles.

Feed me something I've never tried, give me a drink I've never tried before.

I like to be slightly cut.

Drinking? Pretty much anything.

Nobody likes to drink eggnog.

It's disgusting.

Dry, grainy, grey turkey.

Forget about the turkey.

I say, "Cook the goose."

'Which is exactly what we're doing.

'And our Christmas goose needs 20 minutes per kilo in the oven,

'with the basting every half hour.'

Whatever we eat Christmas, it should feel like a treat.

With so much going on, it's great to have a delicious dish

up your sleeve that can be made in advance and served up at any point.

'And that's why Michelin starred chef Glynn Purnell is here.

'He's got a brilliant Christmas twist on a party classic

'that can be served hot or cold at any time of day.'

Right, Glynn, what are we cooking?

Something you could eat on Christmas Eve, or even Boxing Day -

not too heavy, because, obviously, you've got the main event.

So, I decided to go for a pork en croute,

but for those people out there from Birmingham, a posh sausage roll!

HE LAUGHS

Glynn's adding heaps of Christmassy flavour

to his pork en croute -

served with a winter cabbage salad, it's a perfect meal to share.

This is no ordinary sausage roll.

Are sausage rolls normally served at the Glynn household for Christmas?

We do something similar to this, but with mincemeat, as a mince pie -

we call it a tear-and-share, we just do one great big long one.

The kids all get mucked in -

literally, they do get mucked in, it's all over the sides.

Obviously, that's why I do it -

I like them to get their hands dirty, to get stuck in.

Sweat down one onion, garlic and smoked streaky bacon.

And we've got ourselves a little bit of Calvados.

Oh, I love Calvados - the apple brandy.

Exactly, and for me...

I mean, smell that - it just says, for me,

it just says Christmas, the fire's on...you know?

So a little splash of that.

And if you can, never Christmas without a bit of fire.

-Wahey!

-There we go.

Good job I've got no hair.

MICHEL LAUGHS

Bring that down - we're just basically burning off the alcohol.

Yeah, very important to burn it off, otherwise it'll be bitter.

In a bowl of minced pork and sausage meat,

add some fresh herbs - four sage leaves

and a handful of parsley.

Just going to dust the ginger.

Add a generous pinch of ground ginger

and grate in some nutmeg.

For a bit of sparkle, throw in some toasted pistachio nuts

and a few handfuls of diced apricots.

The sweetness of the apricot is just that lovely mix, lovely blend.

Once the onion mix has cooled, add it to the meat,

and now the best bit -

get those hands dirty!

We'll drop a couple of eggs in there, which you've cracked for me,

and then some breadcrumbs,

just so that soaks up the fat of the pork.

-So the eggs are there to bind it all together.

-Definitely.

When we cut it, it doesn't fall apart.

What's Christmas Eve like in your house, then?

With three children? Carnage.

Also, we've got two cats and Jack Russells,

so it can be pretty wild.

-Cats AND Jack Russells?

-You should never do that.

-No.

For everyone out there, don't do that.

The three kids are fine.

To be honest, I love Christmas Eve,

cos for me, they're all excited - the kids are all excited.

I'm more excited - I'm probably the biggest kid in the house.

Shop-bought puff pastry is a great time saver.

I've rolled a whole block to 3mm thick.

Shape your meat in a long, thick sausage

and place it on one side of the pastry.

Then brush a strip with egg wash.

So if you just pick up the meat itself,

let it fall, and then just...

It lands on that...strip of egg wash.

And the egg wash is going to glue it all together.

That's our adhesive,

to any builders out there that want to knock one up.

Then we're just going to do a real basic, simple sort of crimp.

Just very simple.

That's a very efficient and pretty crimp.

That's nice and sealed -

you'd probably do something outrageous

-like carve holly on the side of it.

-Yeah.

Fortunately, I'm going to put a couple of lines through it.

You don't mind having a soggy bottom,

-because obviously, it's full of the fat.

-Yes.

But the top has to be crispy.

This is one soggy bottom Mary won't object to.

Brush the top with egg to give the pastry a nice shine

and finish with a grind of black pepper.

You're a fantastic commis.

Would you like to pop that in the oven for me?

Yes, Chef.

The sausage roll cooks for 25 minutes in total -

10 minutes at 200 degrees and then...

Drop the heat down to about 160-170,

give it another 15-20 minutes, depending.

This pork pastry treat is great served straight from the oven

with a glass of red wine.

Whatever you're eating at Christmas,

choosing the right wine for your main course

is often the last thing on your mind.

So here's our easy guide to making the best matches.

The most special meals of the year

deserve amazing wines to go with them,

so here's which wines go best with your Christmas joint.

If you're opting for turkey,

bear in mind that it's low in fat and mild-flavoured,

so you'll need a medium-bodied wine that's low in tannins.

For something different, try a spicy red,

like a southern Rhone Grenache.

It'll hit the spot and go with the cranberry sauce, too.

Or, if you fancy a more classic French match,

then try a good quality Beaujolais.

If you prefer white, a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay

or a French Viognier will go brilliantly.

And you can find a great-value Viognier from the Languedoc

for under £10.

Classic reds like claret are great with a rib of beef,

which has enough fat to mellow the tannins.

Or you could go for a Cabernet-Merlot blend

from elsewhere.

Try the Margaret River region in Australia.

It's worth spending a bit extra on these wines.

You can find good quality Bordeaux starting at £8-£10.

Boxing Day ham with a lovely, treacly glaze - my favourite!

You could go for a full-bodied beer with a hint of sweetness,

like a porter.

For a red option,

look for one with sweet red fruits to echo the sweet red glaze.

Try an Aussie Shiraz or a Chilean Merlot.

Both countries offer affordable options between £6-£15.

My top tip - have a full-bodied white

and a medium-bodied red on the table.

And splash out a bit on a good sweet wine to go with dessert.

That's sure to keep everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Glynn's versatile sausage roll is cooked and the pastry has risen.

The perfect side dish is a tangy winter salad.

Got some pears with a little bit of butter.

Here, we've got some cabbage which we've blanched whole on the leaf.

We've taken the stalk out and shredded it,

so we'll drop that in.

Would you like to get the sausage roll out?

Sausage roll, yeah.

That looks great. Shall I cut it up into equal portions, or...?

You can give me a bigger one, being as I've done all the work!

Once the pear and cabbage have sweated down,

add half a pomegranate and some of its juice.

A squeeze of lime adds a sour edge

that will complement the richness of this sausage roll.

Slices of pears bring a touch of sweetness

and a dollop of chutney completes this perfectly balanced dish.

-Right - look at that.

-It looks amazing.

It looks most exciting - pistachio nuts in it.

And it's really filled, that pastry there are no gaps.

It's all about the sausage.

Mm! Mmm...

-It is my sort of food.

-Yes, I like that.

Just a little hint of ginger, the sweetness from the apricot,

that lovely crunch from the pistachios.

There's so much interest in there.

It's a sausage roll-er coaster!

-Oh!

-Ha-ha, nice! You've been waiting to get that in, haven't you?

I found it in a cracker.

I mean, you could possibly go white with this dish,

but it's quite hearty, it's quite rich,

and I just want a red.

Kate's chosen three light red wines to complement the sausage roll

without overpowering it.

They're all French, you'll be delighted to hear.

Big smile there.

One tick.

-The first one is a Beaujolais.

-Lovely.

Now, Beaujolais has that sort of image

of confected cherry fruit wine, whereas this is a bit more serious.

Chateau Grange Cochard Morgon,

and this is one of the Beaujolais crus -

the Beaujolais crus are the highest quality level in Beaujolais.

Other Beaujolais crus are things like Fleuries,

they're a more of a pretty wine,

whereas Morgon, it's serious, it's got some punch,

it's sort of...dark fruits on the nose.

-It's got a bit of spice.

-A little bit,

a little bit of white pepper.

-It's more akin to pinot noir, really.

-Yeah.

-Gamay grape?

-Yeah, it's the Gamay grape.

Traditionally in France, you would pair up the Beaujolais

with charcuterie or salted meats, so I think that...works well.

Works well for me.

This one retails around the £12-£15 mark.

-It goes beautifully with this.

-Good, OK.

Wine number two...

Rhone is my passion.

I love Rhone, and it's split very clearly

between northern Rhone and southern Rhone,

so this is northern Rhone.

This is Cave de Tain Crozes Hermitage,

and it's all about Syrah, here - so that's the grape.

Shiraz, Syrah, it's the same grape, just different names.

And again, you get a lovely freshness, but again...

-A spicy fruit.

-Yeah.

It's not too heavy, I don't want anything too heavy for this.

-I like that.

-This one's around £10.

OK? And then the last one, which is a southern Rhone -

there's lots of red grape varieties,

so you find a lot more blends in the south.

Grenache is one of the key grapes, Syrah, Morvedre -

this is a blend of all three, this is La Vieille Ferme,

which means "old farm".

Have a taste of this - this is really juicy.

It's grown on the slopes of Mount Ventoux, hence its name.

You get a really...not simple wine, you just get that fruit forward,

that really juicy character, lots of red fruits.

Quite light as well, isn't it? Very light.

It is light, it's refreshing,

it's filling the mouth with lots of different flavours.

I could blast that down, to be honest,

without the sausage roll.

That one's around the £7 mark, so that's a little bit cheaper.

It's good value. Really good value.

Nice, easy drinking wine.

I think my family would do quite a lot of drinking this!

LAUGHTER

And I think this was really good for that £7.

For more information on these wines

and all the recipes on today's show, visit our website.

Present-day Christmas can be such a whirlwind of busyness.

It's easy to forget

that presentation and finishing touches

can really add some sparkle to your day.

Writer and performer Arabella Weir is going to a national institution

where Christmas celebrations are taken to another level.

I absolutely love Christmas

and this year, I want to make it a perfect occasion

for my family and friends.

Masses of delicious food, fantastic drink

and decorations that look like I've spent a million quid,

so I've come here to see how to put on the Ritz.

The Ritz Hotel has symbolised extravagant style

and luxury for over 100 years,

and at Christmas, it's no different.

Formal and traditional, no expense is spared when hosting their guests.

And, boy, do they go to town with their seasonal celebrations!

In the private dining room, manager Simon Girling knows

just how to make the mood around the dinner table sparkle.

For me, there are two or three key areas to creating

that real magical experience in the hotel.

The decorations are absolutely key,

and you only have to look around to see the splendour.

Then, of course, we have something very personal to me, the service.

And are staff allowed to be a little bit more jolly with customers?

Yes, I mean it's obviously a festive period.

As long as the service is still slick, it's still tight,

and the attention to detail is still there, I'm very happy with that.

-And they don't sit on anyone's lap?

-Absolutely not.

'Gold and crystal is all very well,

'but you can still create a sense of seasonal theatre

'without being a millionaire.'

Well, this table is absolutely stunning, just brilliant.

How could I do this at home, bearing in mind I don't have a candelabra!

Well, you don't need to have a candelabra.

This fruit works very well and of course it doesn't have to be

in crystal, as long as you've got a raised bowl,

a nice selection with tangerines and nuts and cranberries,

and, for me, every Christmas lunch table should have tea lights,

especially as most Christmas lunches run through into the evening.

That's really lovely.

Then there's the meal itself.

Christmas Day lunch at the Ritz is a six-course gastronomic feast,

cooked lovingly by a team headed by executive chef John Williams.

At up to £305 a head, the menu is as opulent as the decor.

There are dishes like turbot with morels and baby leeks,

bergamot sorbet, and, of course,

turkey with chestnut stuffing,

topped off with flaming Christmas pud.

How important is the look of the food?

Well, after taste, it's the most important,

because it stimulates the palate,

and that will actually get your gastric juices going straightaway.

So, for me, it is very, very important.

OK, how does a non-professional like me

make my Christmas lunch look as close to yours as possible?

My motto is cooking is a lot of simple tasks done well.

If you keep that in mind, it suddenly becomes that little bit easier.

That's when you get the freshness...

Not doing what my granny in Scotland did which is to cook

all the vegetables the night before and then leave the lids on

-so they were all ready for the next day.

-Exactly.

-That's the perfect thing not to do.

-That's labour-saving!

'There's a trick to giving your Christmas dinner

'some five-star glamour, as John's keen to show me.

'For his lobster starter, he carefully places ingredients

'to create contrast. Colours are key,

'like putting bright red beetroot next to fresh green cucumber.'

You're doing a specific pattern.

Do you have a Polaroid of how to replicate this?

Yes, we do for the young chefs that are training,

but obviously, myself, I just play with the things.

'He also places ingredients with different height, shape and textures

'next to each other to make it interesting to look at and eat.'

Then we have our lobster claw centre stage.

-So it looks like a shark is swimming on your plate.

-Yes.

'Perhaps most important of all, the plate isn't overcrowded,

'and white space between the different elements shows through.'

Naturally this is a little bit red, has a hint of green.

Where would you think you'd place it?

Um, I'm going to say on that yellow...

That's perfect.

I'm getting the hang of this.

OK, and that is a bit of ivy?

-Nasturtium.

-Oh, OK.

I'm going to put that one...just like that?

Yes, wonderful.

See what I done there?

You have done absolutely...

-Can I eat it now?

-You certainly can.

-Really?

-Yes.

You might not have the budget of The Ritz,

or its fancy decorations, but with imagination and attention to detail,

there is nothing to stop you giving your Christmas just as much class.

Mary, you've got chocolate in front of you there.

And everybody likes chocolate at Christmas time.

I love chocolate.

You see, I don't always associate Christmas with chocolate.

For me, Christmas is Christmas pudding.

So what are you making?

This is a chocolate velvet torte.

It's something to have at any time over Christmas.

You make it for Christmas, put in the freezer, and it's there.

And that nice feeling you're organised.

Mary's rich chocolate torte is incredibly simple

and doesn't even need baking.

It's versatile and keeps in the freezer.

Great to have on hand at a busy time of year.

I'm starting off by having a sugar syrup,

and I've got here eight table spoonfuls of water and 100g of sugar.

And I'm just going to boil it for a few moments.

I've got plain chocolate. I'm going to put that into the processor.

So in goes the chocolate,

and I have remembered to put the blade in the bottom.

And chop it until it's a powder.

Then I'm going to pour this syrup through the hole here.

I'm going to turn it on.

Remembering to pop that in the top so it doesn't come out.

-Yes.

-And turn it on.

This is now the most creamy sort of mixture.

-It's silk.

-That's like silk.

But it's hot, and at this stage, I'm going to add the egg yolks.

Two tablespoons of your favourite Christmas spirit

will give this torte a wonderful festive zing.

And that's nearly done.

Are you a fan of Christmas pudding?

I like Christmas pudding a lot.

I always serve it with brandied cream rather than brandied butter.

-I like custard.

-Oh, do you?

One thing I do, I don't know about in your house,

we don't eat all the Christmas pudding on Christmas day.

So what I do is line a bowl...

smaller than the original pudding basin with clingfilm.

And then I push the Christmas pudding into that, back into it,

and it reshapes into a Christmas pudding,

and you can have it maybe the next weekend.

And you turn it out, and it looks just like...

-And nobody knows.

-Nobody knows.

Fold the melted chocolate mix into double cream

that's been well whisked.

It's quite easy to know how well it's mixed in,

because you won't get any streaks in it.

That's it, isn't it? That's when to stop.

Grease and line a 20cm loose- bottomed cake tin with clingfilm.

Or you can use a shallow dish that's safe to freeze.

And then it's just a matter of levelling it off.

The great thing about this torte is that

it doesn't take up valuable space in the fridge.

Just leave it to set in the freezer for at least four hours

while you concentrate on the star of the show.

The goose is cooked.

It has had its allotted time.

-Look at that.

-What a shine on it!

Lovely. Oh, look at all that fat!

All that lovely fat we're going to use for our roast potatoes.

-It's clear as clear, isn't it?

-Look at that, isn't that beautiful?

And I suppose you can drain all that off

-and keep it in a jar in the fridge...

-Absolutely.

..for every time you have roast potatoes.

Heat the goose fat in a roasting pan until it's smoking hot.

I think that's the secret to a good roast potato, isn't it?

High heat.

Have you pre-boiled your potatoes?

Pre-boiled and just slightly underdone,

then in the colander, let the steam escape,

and give them a good shake.

'Add the potatoes, and my tip to get the crunch we crave

'is don't shake the pan!'

Just leave them in there for a minute or so,

-so as they start to colour.

-And also they'll get a skin on the bottom

-and then you free them.

-Exactly.

While the potatoes are colouring,

cover the goose in foil so it can rest.

And it's amazing how long a bird stays hot.

And this will keep very hot because of the stuffing inside.

Then blast the potatoes on a high heat

so they get wonderful crunchy edges

roasting in the goose fat.

For me, Christmas is all about the food and drink.

But what's on everyone else's wish list?

For Christmas this year,

I would like someone else to organise the whole thing.

Give me a nice panettone and alleluia!

What would I like for my Christmas present this year?

A long summer holiday.

Contributions to my favourite charities.

I always ask for the same thing every year, an Aston Martin DB5.

I might as well give my wife the wish list.

I don't even like cars, I just love Aston Martins.

A nice small, sailing boat.

Kind Hearts And Coronets. After lunch,

you should all sit on the sofa and watch a black-and-white film.

So if you win the lottery, darling, you know what I'd like.

This year, all I want for Christmas is to get home to New Zealand

with my friends and family.

The absolute only thing I want for Christmas

is kisses and cuddles from my wife and my two little girls.

Can you make that come true?

Let's hope our experts have been well-behaved

and get what's on the wish list.

There are some fantastically weird and wonderful

food and drink gifts out there for the gourmet who has everything.

-Any guesses, Glynn, any idea?

-A sleeping bag for my Jack Russell.

It could do, it could work. You're not far off.

This is called an insulator bag.

So this is like an eco-friendly slow-cooker.

So you start cooking your food on the hob, get it really hot,

nice and boiling, then open this up, in it goes, top on, lid on.

Tie it up nice and tightly, and it will keep cooking for six hours.

-What's this one anyway? This looks like a breath freshener or something.

-Oh, no, no.

I suppose it could double up as that.

I've actually got one of these at home.

It's something to do with getting juice out of citrus fruit.

Yes, indeed.

-In it goes.

-There we are.

-And then you've got your...

-That's cunning.

-That is cool, that is.

-That is good, actually.

So you just spray your lemon.

-This one I think is a bit sort of...

-That looks scary!

We use one in my kitchen, and I supposed you use one in yours.

Do you use it with the white radish, doesn't do a spiral?

-A whirly wheel, and you get lovely spaghetti.

-Oh, it's spaghetti.

-I thought it was slices.

-No.

-You can do slices as well.

-I'd like that for salad, wouldn't you?

-Any ideas about this red thing?

-It's odd.

-I really haven't got a clue.

There's an egg sitting over there, is it anything to do with the egg?

I think that gives it away, really.

-Does it take the white out of the egg?

-Or to pick up the yolk?

-No, the yolk would break.

-Would it?

ALL TALK AT ONCE

I'm not taking the responsibility. The senior chef should take it on.

You squeeze and you get the vacuum and...

-you let go...

-Oh!

LAUGHTER

I don't like being defeated - I'll have another go.

Actually, we're not going to have another go. YOU are going to have a go.

-The pressure is on, but let's give it a chance.

-Have a go.

-The tension is mounting.

-Nice technique.

-Oh, Chef!

The cat that got the cream.

Gift giving is always a highlight.

But for me, it's Christmas dinner

that's the magical moment of the day.

We are roasting goose, and many of you will be roasting turkey.

But what's the roast of Christmas future?

Stefan Gates has been gazing into his crystal ball

and suspects that there are some surprises in store.

For many of us, Christmas Day is the most traditional time of the year.

The hats, the crackers, the turkey so dry it squeaks on your teeth.

If that's your bag, absolutely fine, have a blast.

But for me, food has to be an adventure,

and I reckon that the traditional turkey dinner is

ripe for reinvention to take it into the future.

Chef Ross Clarke has worked for Heston Blumenthal

and shares his obsession for recipe reinvention and future food.

What do you think will be the Christmas dinner of the future?

I think we'll still have turkey as it's so traditional.

-So we'll stick with the basic ingredient.

-Yes.

Millions of people sigh, "He's not going to take the turkey away."

It's sustainable, it's cheap, it's still a great cut of meat.

But to take the turkey dinner into the future,

Ross uses a combination of amazing high-tech kit

and traditional processes to create turkey two ways.

So what are you going to do to it to make it more interesting?

We're going to take modern techniques that we use

in fine-dining kitchens, things like brining and then the way we cook it.

We're not going to put it in an oven and just nail it.

To get the best out of the turkey, Ross treats the dark meat

and white meat differently.

He's confited the breast in butter, to stop it drying out,

and it's cooked for seven hours in a precisely controlled water bath.

You see there, all the juices that have come out still sitting

around the breast itself, so it's cooking in those juices.

It looks slightly obscene, but that's good news, isn't it?

It's all flavour.

But his brined the dark meat in saltwater with coffee and caraway.

Gosh, that's like the primordial soup in there.

Brining hydrates the meat before cooking,

helping it stay as most as possible.

Once the turkey is steeped for three hours,

it goes into a bag to be vacuum-sealed.

This is the first part of the sous-vide cooking method.

What it's doing now is sucking all the air out.

Sous vide means under pressure,

so we're really squeezing it tight so the moisture can't go anywhere.

This process will make dried-out turkey a thing of the past.

You see there, the turkey is... No air inside there at all.

The something quite beautiful about that, isn't there?

The sous-vide method involves

a slow and low temperature cook in a water bath.

More than just boil-in-the-bag, this technique promises tender,

juicy meat every time.

-It's not getting really hot, but...

-It's ticking away in its own juices.

The coffee and caraway flavours

are reintroduced to the leg in a melted butter.

And Ross uses a home smoke gun to fire in the aroma of apple chips.

It's a unique piece of kit

that can smoke anything from prawns to potatoes.

High-tech clingfilm still required.

This kit started life in high-end kitchens.

But like most technology,

it's finding its way to the domestic market.

You never know, it could be as popular as the microwave

in years to come.

Ross has one final trick -

blowtorching the breast to get the crispy skin everyone loves.

Smoked turkey leg.

That is quite mind-blowing.

Very complex, a whole range of different flavours there.

-But the moistness of this fellow is absolutely extraordinary.

-Brilliant.

The breast is the thing that, if this works, then I am a buyer.

-I can't hear any squeaking.

-It's almost transcendental.

It's a food that you know and love as being something

that is so important to have on Christmas Day.

But this time, it's genuinely fantastic. Thank you very much.

So now my futuristic turkey just needs

a suitably cutting-edge cocktail to bring this feast bang up-to-date.

Wow!

Thomas Aske is at the forefront of the cocktail scene

and he's reinvented a 19th-century drink, the Sazerac,

for Christmas in the 21st century.

He blends mince pie, cognac and cream, and distils them

with a rotary evaporator to get a clear, mince pie-infused cognac.

He adds sweet sherry and Peychaud's bitters

and serves it with atomised absinthe

and a tobacco fog to ignite the senses.

Wow!

It's absolutely amazing, because all these tastes and flavours

inside here are very familiar, they are very traditional,

and yet it's a drink that is wildly adventurous.

And if this is the future of Christmas dinner, bring it on.

Our festive feast is nearly ready.

Mary's frozen torte has been decorated with grated chocolate,

strawberries and dusted with icing sugar.

Once it's thawed for 20 minutes,

this cake will be the ultimate finale to a fabulous feast.

Look at that. That gravy smells all right. Bit of Madeira in there.

Beautiful splash of Madeira, all the juices going in there.

-In it goes.

-Let's do it.

-Look at that.

-Oh, wow!

-Fantastic.

-That's amazing.

-It smells wonderful, doesn't it?

-Smells absolutely amazing.

-The aroma is just unbelievable.

Heavenly roast goose cooked to perfection.

The crispy skin surrounds succulent, juicy meat

that will fall off the bone.

And no Christmas dinner is complete without all the trimmings.

Crunchy roast potatoes and roasted veg with pear.

Brussels sprouts with crumbled chestnuts and redcurrants.

And, of course, pigs in blankets.

-Whoa, here we go.

-Look at that. Doesn't that look beautiful?

You've got the stuffing there and that lovely meat.

It's important to get some nice crispy skin on every slice,

because that is just lovely.

-It's taken on a lovely colour.

-Look at that.

All the juices have soaked into the rice.

It's gone much darker, it looks wonderful.

That's seriously tasty.

Our perfect Christmas meal is a modern take on the traditional.

With our tips, this first-class Christmas dinner can break the mould

without breaking your Christmas spirit.

This is a proper Christmas dinner.

You know when you see no white, but just the rim, this is what this is all about.

The only thing we are missing is a drink that can match

the complexity of this mouthwatering meal.

-Are you going to do the honours?

-No, I've done the cooking,

-you do the wine.

-OK, fair enough.

-Wait a minute, who did the pigs in blankets?

-Oh, all right.

Thank you, Mary, for recognising my skill.

So we have a white wine as you can see. Donnhoff Riesling Kabinett.

So nice full-flavoured German Riesling.

This meat is rich, it's gamey,

it's quite fatty, so I've chosen something

with great acidity, refreshing, cut through that richness.

It's got a bit of body, it's lovely and refreshing.

-It's going down awfully well, I can tell you.

-That skin.

I'm going to get some skin on, yes.

You've kept it beautifully moist.

I can't say anything, it's probably a relief for you guys!

The wine is a bit of a revelation for me,

because I'm a traditionalist, a purist,

and I'd have served red wine with that.

It does work because of the fruit in the stuffing and because of

the cranberry and the spice and the fruit in the roasted vegetables.

-It definitely works.

-I was ready for that.

Oh, look at that!

Look at that!

ALL CHEER

Look at the boys.

And no matter how much you've eaten, there's always room for a dessert.

Mary's torte, served with a sharp raspberry coulis.

So soft and smooth.

But it is the chocolate dessert over Christmas.

Whether your Christmas is steeped in tradition,

entirely of your creation or cutting edge,

what really matters is that it's indulgent, exciting and fun.

-Happy Christmas.

-ALL: Happy Christmas.

We are back in the New Year for a new series of Food And Drink.

Oh, yes.

I'm joined by some of the country's best-loved cooks...

-You are a genius.

-It's a bit more original too.

..chefs...

This whole meal probably cost around £2 a head in total.

..and foodies...

I love you, Michel, you know that.

..who share their favourite recipes and top tips.

Everybody in this country are all so nervous about cooking rice,

and this is a foolproof method.

This is the place to talk about food.

People don't become shopkeepers because they want to do a social service -

they become shopkeepers because they want to make money.

And find out what we should be drinking.

It's what we call a face changer.

Oh!

This is Food And Drink.