Sue McMahon's Christmas dinner Q&A
We know how much you love Sue McMahon's recipes, so we've teamed up with Woman's Weekly's Cookery Editor to bring you some great tips for Christmas dinner and a quick baking video for Sue's fuss-free mincemeat croissants - they're delicious!
1. Whose turn is it to cook this Christmas?
I'll be cooking Christmas dinner.
2. Plan, plan, plan food in advance, or last-minute mission?
I'll plan ahead when it comes to ordering a Free-range Bronze Turkey, but will leave it until the last minute to go out and buy fresh vegetables.
3. Cut corners on xxx to save cash, but always splash out on xxx?
I'd splash out on good quality Bronze Turkey and good wines to go with the meal.
I'd rather have a smaller, but good quality turkey than one that's huge because it's been pumped full of water - and who wants lots of leftovers anyway?
4. What are your three best tips for making Christmas dinner?
1) When you buy your turkey, make sure you have a roasting tin that is large enough for it - and consider using a disposable tray if you want to cut down on washing up on Christmas Day (although this isn't being environmentally friendly).
2) I know that vegetables start to lose Vitamin C once they've been peeled, but just for Christmas dinner, I usually prepare them the evening before and keep them in plastic bags in the fridge or in a cool place such as the garage.
3) Don't get stressed about cooking Christmas dinner - it's only a roast dinner!
5. Get stuffed! What do you put in your stuffing? And in the bird or outside?
I like traditional parlsey and thyme stuffing best, with a hint of lemon rind, and both inside and out!
Stuffing tastes different when it's cooked inside the bird, so I always fill it with stuffing, but I find that's never enough (particularly if I want some to serve on Boxing day) so I always cook some extra stuffing balls too. But if there isn't space in the oven, then I put them in when the turkey has come out, and then I keep them for eating cold.
By Jennifer Shepherd














