Seeing this quote from Markus in his layout thread it led me to wonder what folks around the world have for their Christmas meal so, if possible, could those in foreign countries let us know what is different from, shall we say, 'traditional Uk cuisine'

Quote from: McRuss on December 16, 2019, 06:02:10 PM
Hello Joe,

that depends on when they celebrate christmas. Usually in Germany we start christmas celebrations on december 24th (Holy Night), In many families on these evening only a small meal is served. e.g. Wiener Sausages with potato salad, Fondue. In my family we eat traditionally scalded sausages (Bratwurst), but the stock in which the saussages are scalded is tipped whith whitewine and vinegar, then you put in chopped oniens bayleave, juniper berries. It is called "blaue Zipfel" (blue lappet) a franconian dish. On December 25th and on some families the evening before roaste goose or duck is served. Served with depending on the region with potatoes or potatoe dumplings and red cabbage.

Markus

Usually for us there's no starter then it's roast turkey, streaky bacon, pigs in blankets, stuffing (either thyme & parsley or sage & onion), bread sauce, roast potatoes and a selection of veg from parsnips, sprouts, peas, carrot and green beans plus, of course, boatloads of gravy.
I'm not keen on Christmas pudding so tend to have a couple of heated mince pies with brandy custard. Oh lawks, I'm slobbering just at the thought

By the way, brussel sprouts should have been put on to cook a couple of months ago.

When I was a kid back there it was baked beans on toast with a sprig of holly on it.

However in the last few years (being summer here), it's a selection of cold meats (especially ham, which I have a habit of winning in raffles at the club), cheeses, dips and the like.

All consumed outdoors on the new decking.

Oh yeah, heaps of prawns, which I can't stand, but Mrs Bealman gets through a wheelbarrow load 

Last year:

Do your Christmas cards have snow on them?

Only the ones from the UK 

Except when dinning out at the MRC, Sailing Club , Art Club , Weaving Group, Factory, Dinners We don't have starters.

But at home it's normally Turkey and all the usual trimmings. However we've had a lot of turkey this year. So this year it's going to be Roast beef, yorky puds, then the normal Christmas trimmings, brussels with chestnuts and bacon, parsnip, carrots, SWMBO's home made sage and stuffing. and Gravy..
I'll have chrismas pud and cream SWMBO will have mince pies and Cream..

After that it will be roll on Burns night..

We often cook during the christmas time (24th to 2nd) an italian specialty called "Bollito misto" (acccording to wikipedia "mixed boiled meat").
The version that's always inspiring us is the one loved by Italian king Vittorio Emmanuele II. He escaped his own court at least once a year with only some very trusted friends to eat something like this: (only the flesh part shown  )

(Each piece of meat is 2 pounds, and there are about 14 different types of meat  ) plus the salsas and vegetables and...

Searching for the different meats can be difficult, but is part of the preparation game.

Advantage: you cook only one day. The next few days you are living from left overs 
The broth goes into a heavenly risotto. And boild meet can be eaten cold or reheated...

Living alone, Christmas tends to be "just another day" the freezer ain't big enough for saving much in the way of left overs so if turkey appears it's likely to be just  breast slice, not even one of those frozen stuffed breast crowns, (that stuffing is usually dire) I do like me Christmas pud though, but instead of brandy sauce or fortified custard I open a bottle of advocaat, goes nice with mince pies too.

Hi Mick,

I know the OP is for our overseas friends and their culinary delights but here in the UK, as it's only the two of us, we have gone slightly different twice in the last five years.

Basically, we couldn't be bothered with all the faffing about so scrambled eggs on toast washed down with Cava for brekkie. Then present opening, then dog walking and then in the afternoon M&S Lasagne for four with garlic bread and lots of red wine, pudding (I only really like ice cream) and then watching Von Ryan's Express, or the like, usually nodding off before Frank S. gets shot.

Very little washing up, great stuff although I do miss the cold cuts with a jacket spud and pickles on boxing Day watching the footie.

Cheers weave 

Oh how I wish I could get away with that as it sounds wunnerful, but duty is duty and Mum would be very peed off if I stayed at home. I can't drink much as it makes my heart race (a bit like Liz Hurley ). I'd be happy with your main meal or perhaps even a Christmas Pizza but would substitute tiramisu for pud and Where Eagles Dare for the film

If wishes were fishes we'd all cast nets

A quiet  christmas . Plate of chicken breast roast potatoes  veg.gravy. no brussels. Pudding later. Leftovers boxing day  soup  bread  cake  and  just aunt, 3 othets and myself
And retreat to my n gauge layout and make some buildings, signals,see friends and chill.

We don't do Christmas meals at all.
Neither of us are at all partial to turkey or mince pies or christmas pud and growing most of our own veg we have parsnips, sprouts, carrots etc for much of the year anyway.
So...on Christmas day I'll cook indian or chinese or japanese style. This year it's Moroccan lamb shank tagine.

In your mind's eye, if you can picture the absolute leg before wicket traditional British Christmas dinner including :-

Roast turkey
Roast spuds (done in goose fat)
Yorkshire puds
Brussels, peas, carrots etc.
Paxo sage and onion stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Bisto gravy

followed by

Mrs. Peakes Christmas pudding
with the fantastic Ambrosia custard

all finished in time to watch Her Majesty on the telly then..........

you'll know what I intend to have piled up on my plate next week. 

Alec.

I'm hoping for pheasant, cooked with onions, carrots, juniper berries and powdered coriander.

However, we may be as many as 12 at table so the logistics might be complicated as we would need 3-4 pheasants.

Dessert will be the French version of a Yule log, which is delicious as it is 90% ice cream.

As the only Brit present I will be entitled to a second dessert - Marks & Spencer individual Christmas pudding.

Quote from: joe cassidy on December 18, 2019, 04:36:09 PM
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As the only Brit present I will be entitled to a second dessert - Marks & Spencer individual Christmas pudding.

I didn't know we Brits were entitled to two puddings! Can I back-date this?

We do the full Monty with a turkey crown. Leaves enough to go into the freezer for 2 curries later on.