Even though we’re cooking the big Christmas dinner, we DO get excited about eating it! It’s a busy time in the Dinner Ladies kitchen, but we found a moment to whip around the building and find out exactly what everyone’s looking forward to tucking into from the DL Chrissy menu.
Iona, Content creator
The mushroom, tarragon and French lentil pie. It’s brilliant for vegetarians around the Christmas dinner table – who often get overlooked and have to forage for green salad – or for Christmas Eve or Boxing Day, when you might just want a rest from ham and turkey.
You can really taste the unami flavour in the mix of button mushrooms, porcini, fresh tarragon and puy lentils. Plus, it’s topped with spectacularly buttery and flaky Careme pastry – a real Christmas treat!
Michael, Prep chef
Beetroot-cured salmon gravlax with dill crème fraiche. This is a classic salt-and-sugar-cured gravlax, with the addition of beetroot making it really impressive and vibrant. It’s a great, exciting entree to the Christmas meal and I know the time and effort (and kitchen mess!) that goes into making it!
Sophie, Founder
Traditional gravy! Because, in days gone by, I would always be standing there at the cooktop, frantically making gravy on Christmas Day, sweaty and dishevelled and spattering turkey juice on my clothes, waiting for it to thicken, while everyone else was outside having much more fun!
With the DL Christmas gravy, you just reheat gently, stirring with one hand while holding a glass of something chilled in the other! It’s rich, delicious, made entirely from scratch and a perfect complement to all our meats, particularly the porchetta.
Katherine, Founder
Christmas pudding, partly because I’m a traditionalist and Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a proper pudding, but mainly because I love setting things on fire!
This pudding is made from Sophie’s mum’s classic recipe – it’s fabulous. It’s a slightly lighter than usual pud, packed full of dried fruit (that’s been soaked in Aussie muscat), cinnamon and cloves, bound with breadcrumbs, brown sugar and butter.
Lucy, Photography assistant
Chicken, cranberry and pistachio ballotine – mostly because I could never make that incredible, festive pistachio, leek, herbs and cranberry stuffing myself!
It’s so quick and easy to prepare at home – ready to bake in its foil trays – and the salty prosciutto wrapping makes the chicken very tender and juicy.
Ian, Customer experience manager
Duck sausage rolls – ‘because they are ducking delicious’!
These mini free-range duck and water chestnut sausage rolls arrive ready to pop in the oven and bake until golden and flaky. The plum sauce has a festive twist with cherries and spices. It’s a perfect, and very more-ish, festive canape.
Evelyn, Recipe developer
Citrus-brined turkey, because I know what it takes to prepare turkey days in advance! Dinner Ladies does all the work for you – all that’s left is for you to defrost and pop the turkey in the oven.
The brining guarantees a tender, flavourful, juicy bird that’s easy to roast without drying out. Add some duck fat potatoes and gravy and that’s Christmas dinner sorted!
Basanta, Quality assurance manager
Every year I look forward to making the Gingerbread kit because of its cultural significance. My son loves it – both the making and the eating! It’s a great family activity that we enjoy every year. I definitely think the gingerbread kit will be a big part of his childhood Christmas memories when he looks back!
Carol, Customer experience
I always order the fennel and herb-crusted salmon with horseradish-dill cream. I absolutely love this dish. The side of Tassie salmon – coated with crunchy panko breadcrumbs with lemon zest, crushed fennel seeds and loads of chopped herbs – is super easy to bake and makes the whole house smell divine. Just like Christmas, in fact! It’s easy to share with my 20+ family members on Christmas Day – the entire family look forward to it every year! The gravy and the peas are also a must have for us!