Hairy Bakers' Christmas dinner Q&A

Our Food Editor Anna Penniceard asked Hairy Baker Dave Myers all about his Christmas dinner plans including his delicious recipe for tasty veg and roasties.

Get ready for the first question...

1. Whose turn is it to cook this Christmas?
I will cook the Christmas dinner. I’m lucky as my partner’s Rumanian and she tends to celebrate on Christmas Eve - so I do Christmas Dinner and she'll do the Christmas Eve dinner.

2. Plan, plan, plan food in advance or last-minute mission?
Get it organised on Christmas Eve then enjoy the day - after all, it’s just a Sunday roast with a few more bits bolted on.

3. Cut corners on xxx to save cash, but always splash out on xxx?
Cut corners on crap Christmas restaurant dinners and instead, always spend money on good ingredients.

4. What are your three best tips for making Christmas dinner?
1) Dust roast potatoes in semoline prior to roasting in goose fat - it makes them super-crispy.
2) Make your own mincemeat. It’s easy and tastes wonderful.
3) Buy good free-range turkey - forget battery. Remember that turkey is a wild game bird.

5. Get stuffed! What do you put in your stuffing? And in the bird or outside?
Cumberland sausage meat , chestnuts and dried apricots. On the inside - that’s what it is there for. Just weigh the stuffing and calculate the cooking times along with the cooking times for the bird.

6. Lazy or labour of love - should you make your own gravy?
Definitely make your own. That’s what the giblets are for.