Oink

Is anyone planning to have a Christmas dinner/lunch, whether private or work related, in the lead up to Christmas? I can’t find anywhere to have a nice traditional cozy pub lunch. Some of the hotels (Vancouver) do a buffet but they’re bloody expensive and focus on weird stuff rather than a nice three-course Christmas menu. I always liked a good Christmas lunch where you start about 12:30 and by 3:30 you've enough to drink to say bugger work, lets make day of it.

Flogger

Not thought of it before this excellent thread put it into my mind.

Worry is, can't think of a single place that wouldn't destroy the whole experience.
WTF is a buffet about. How hard is it to knock out a nice prawn cocktail, roast turkey, and a bit of christmas pud with brandy butter. Probably wouldn't even get any naffing sprouts, or the chance of a glass or 2 of sherry.

When we were in the Uk we used to try to organise Christmas work do's at the posher places where they take the foil wrapper off the mince pie and serve cos lettuce with the prawn cocktail rather than iceberg. Makes all the difference

Lorna at Vicenza

Do you normally have to work on Christmas Day?

By 3.30pm most of us fortunate souls have had enough to eat and drink to say "bugger the telly, I might have 40 winks". And then we nod off and wake up at tea time.

Oink

Or a nice pate on toast. They could also take note that a chipolata and bacon roll goes nicely with a Christmas lunch.

I stated "in the lead up to Christmas". I'm talking about work dos or just a group of mates or even if you have to bring the HIDs along in a pub.

Lorna at Vicenza

Ahh ok, I forgot about work parties and the lead up and Mad Friday because there is **** all in Italy.

Lorna at Vicenza

Please excuse my fruity language ..... I'm only a Mod by title and not by heart.

Oink

I wonder what would constitute the perfect pub Christmas lunch menu?

The one thing they fail to do over here is bread sauce and roast potatoes. Which is weird why they don't have them because any of the Canadians I've cooked for loved both.

bats

they don't have them because Americans don't have them

MillieF

Oink, we could be joined at the hip...why would anyone wish to eat a piece of roasted poultry without bread sauce!!! I have now, thank goodness, sorted out the best sort of potatoes for roasties...so life is good. Over the last couple of decades I have successfully trained the home made family and they know this is now the acceptable and edible 'norm'. Are we together on the need for 'proper' and sausage and onion and herb based stuffing?

Oink

Care to divulge?

geedee

Yes, please, do tell! The odd thing is, we have found that we can buy the same strain of potatoes for mash and get very different results each time.... no idea what's going on there. Same with roast, but we put it down to the quality of the roasting fat (we can't always get lard when needed!).

MillieF

I buy Goose Fat from France as it makes for better roast potatoes!

dbd33

Americans have roast potatoes. They even have a tradition of roasting them in goose fat. At least, the Americans with whom I've eaten roast potatoes ate roast potatoes.

Oink

Still you have to get the right potatoes.

geedee

I'll try that. Delia Smith swears by Lard as it gets hotter (apparently!). I follow her recipe for crunchy roast spuds and they really are delish!