Rachel Allen's Christmas dinner Q&A

TV chef and author Rachel Allen lives in Cork with her husband and two kids and is popular for her Irish charm and effortless skills in the kitchen and most of all, for her simple and hearty family food.

In our exclusive Q&A, Rachel explains that Christmas dinner is very much a family affair and gives us her three top tips for making Christmas dinner easier. Plus find out her secret ingredient for mince pies!

Get ready for the first question...

1. Whose turn is it to cook this Christmas?
Isaac, my husband, and I cook Christmas dinner together

2. Plan, plan, plan food in advance or last-minute mission?
A bit of planning really helps. I like to make the Christmas pudding and toffee sauce to accompany it, in advance, as well as have soup ready in the fridge.

3. Cut corners on xxx to save cash, but always splash out on xxx?
I always buy the raw ingredients and make everything from scratch rather than buy ready-made dishes. My advice would be to choose a simpler starter to save money, for example make a vegetarian soup (leek and potato with spinach) rather than have smoked salmon. Splash out on the best bird you can afford!

4. What are your three best tips for making Christmas dinner?
1) Make a list: Work out what needs to be done in advance, and also what needs to be done on the day. If you're planning to sit down at 4pm - work backwards from then.
2) Give enough time to the preparation, and more than you think you'll need. If you are short of time, delegate parts of the dinner. People love to be involved whether it is setting the table or being in charge of the pudding.
3) Enjoy it!

5. Get stuffed! What do you put in your stuffing? And in the bird or outside?
I definitely put my stuffing in the bird. For turkey, I simply combine onion, breadcrumbs, herbs and some lemon zest with butter. For duck, orange zest works well, and apple with goose. The fruity flavours really complement and cut through the richness of the meat.

6. Lazy or labour of love - should you make your own gravy?
Definitely make your own gravy.