Christmas Dinner

I need your help. For 34 years we have had a tradition that each family member in turn decides on the main course. This year it is my turn and I have decided that we will have proper lamb from an animal that never saw concentrate feed and was butchered at 14 months of age. Can any reader recommend a supplier? I have one from Windermere that I have used before. Secondly, we normally go for leg but we love rack of lamb or should we go for saddle? What would you serve with this- Yorkshire pud is a must? What wine would you serve if budget was not an issue - for starters I have one bottle of Palmes d 'Or champagne.

I am, however, considering surprising our guests (4) by serving Kobe beef.

My God, Christmas without turkey or ham sounds positively barbarian.

You are going to cause a baby lamb to be slaughtered?!!!!

Yorkshire pud with lamb?

Rose champagne works surprisingly well with lamb, though not if you are having a lot of heavy accompaniments, and this hogget you're having may be too much for it. Rioja also is good.

I had an excellent butcher, Soles in Alresford in Hampshire, who could get you pretty much anything you wanted in the meat line. However, you're up in Yorkshire! BTW I don't think you can beat aubergines with lamb.

oooh also pinot noir. Burgundy or new world.

We will be having mint sauce with the lamb - made with vinegar. Therefore the quality drink will be pre and post main course.

It's boring to have turkey for Christmas every year. I think the lamb and kobe beef idea is perfect.

If you do saddle of lamb, try getting your butcher to debone it. You can then stuff it with a breadcrumb and herb mix, make into a roll (tied up) and roast on a rack like a big sausage with crispy skin all around. Then just slice to serve. This is the best way to eat lamb in my opinion. Keep the bone from the saddle and roast it then use for your gravy.

Have a google for "heather reared Bowland lamb". The best I have ever eaten.

Well Grecian, I just googled it and all I found of any interest was an old TT post by Cogito - and a good one at that. Reconecting with the land was the title. No photo of me though?

'Funny' how you mention him in your googleathon there...

I think you'll find that you are the one on the right...Here!....

Mention who?

I haven't complained about the weather for days... maybe even weeks. You really need to keep up, Geeky.

I was going to suggest a crown roast but that would be a lot for four people.

Mash garlic, fresh mint, salt, and pepper into a paste and rub it on the roast.

Aubergine is indeed good with lamb but that just sounds very non-Chritmassy to me. I think you want potatoes, onions, carrots, and parsnips parboiled and then roasted in the pan with the lamb. And something green I guess.

I like Beaujolais with lamb. See if you can find a Chiroubles. But I think of lamb as Easter and this may be not so suitable for winter.

Lamb doesn't seem Christmassy to me, at all; it's definitely Easter-ish. I've never had such old lamb either so I am assuming it will be muttony. All i can think of with lamb is aubergines, green beans or broad beans, young spinach, new potatoes etc. I suppose to make it christmassy I'd rather have swede than parsnips, and maybe some dark greens of some sort; or a butter bean puree might be good.

VinnyD

That reads verrrry tempting. We will not be worried about too much meat. Also it is something that we would only cook for a very special celebration.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>We will be having mint sauce with the lamb<hr></blockquote>

= very english.
And it doesn't go with a good wine, as you have noticed yourself.

Seriously, for such an occasion I would try to match meet, sauce and wine to make an harmoniuous appearance - all three of them together.

I think this is the rule number one for a perfect dinner. Rule number two is that the different courses are matching with each other (see the post of hedonist the other day with 2 cheese courses in a 6course menu - the flaw is in the basic design).

For us the important issues are;
The company
Nobody is to spend all morning preping or cooking nor washing up - fortunately we have two dishwashers.
The quality of the ingrediants.
The wine - we will be drinking loads on Christmas Day - so having lots with the main course is not essential. I take 'matching' point, but for us that is not an important issue. We will probably provide what each guest really likes - so thinking aloud as I write - fine dry sherry, Saphire gin, Old Speckled Hen, Champagne (but this may be consumed at breakfast), a dry white, two reds, Golden Trokiem for aperitif and pudding and a fine Port for the cheese.

We are going for lamb for Christmas as well this year.

It is our alternate year that we should be celebrating in Spain, where we always have lamb for the main course. As we will be here and we will only be cooking for the 2 of us (I usually cook for 15-20 in the years that we are here so its just great only cooking for 2!!) and as neither of us will cry over not having turkey we decided on lamb.

We will have the usual Christmas trimmings with it as I couldn't bear not having stuffing or pigs in blankets or sprouts. OK, its sacriledge but pretty much everything except for the lamb and the roast potatoes will come out of pre-prepared packets from M&S. Ha if I don't even have to take out of the foil container to cook, all the better. The most important thing this year is the Company and no time will be wasted chopping carrots or mixing sprouts and bacon if someone else can do it for us :)

I wish you hadn't mentioned this Ian as it is early November and I am already so excited. Sad, but true.

I would hope that it goes well and that you will prepare the same meal on March 8th 2008?

(You sure#15?)

321 -- Pigs in blankets are traditional for Christmas? Don't remember that on the Cratchits' table.

Bob Scratchit had them in reserve - he let out a massive sigh when no one requested them....

I think the greedy sod had eaten them all before they got to the table.

Seriously, at least somewhat seriously, are they traditional for Xmas in the UK?

sausages wrapped in streaky bacon are traditional, Vinny, along with forcemeat balls.

Good God. Worse than I thought. In the US, "pigs in blankets" are frankfurters wrapped in a biscuit dough (US biscuit = baking powder bread, not sweet). When Homer Simpson tells Bart to "Bacon up that sausage, boy!" (wrap it in streaky bacon, in the Simpson family manner), it's meant as a joke. (To clarify: Homer doesn't mean it as a joke; the writers, who are trying to come up with the least healthy food they can think of, do.) Even weirder as an accompaniment to a roast. And with meatballs to wash it all down.

Although given the bread content of English sausages, increasing the meat-to-bread ratio may make more sense than it would here.

To accompany your 'pigs in blankets' try prunes wrapped in streaky bacon.

One of our guests - best friend for 40 years has just emailed "I will buy the meat" - mmmumph, perhaps she should buy the liquer? Only one cook in this kitchen.

Lamb is an excellent choice for Christmas, although of course in France we serve it with flageolets and lots and lots (and lots) or garlic and parsley.

The surprise would probably be on you if you served Kobe beef -- spending all that money on it and just having your guests say "this tastes weird."

I was served prawns in (bacon) blankets once in Florida. God what a horrible experience that was, not being able to tear the bacon off the shrimp because the hostess was observing my 'enjoyment'.

Ian, small suggestion. Instead of traditional mint sauce, try this. Lots of mint chopped, sugar and lemon juice. Not a sauce but a relish. It gives the mint taste and the slight acidity you want with lamb - but it doesn't ruin your wine. Lamb goes with lots of red wines. A good red Bordeaux is a classic.

Kerouac, skewers of scallops with smoked bacon are wonderful. (Not French bacon).

Ewwww... you Brits need help!

Actually, if the sausages are quality, they're good with the roast. There's not much about Christmas dinner I dislike, except the paper hats and the family rows.

vinnyd pigs in a blanket are the name of stuffed cabbage leaves with meat and rice in the usa besides the frank in a crust

#36 -- I've always just called that stuffed cabbage, gengis. Or maybe golubki.

#35 -- We don't do the paper hats and crackers either. (And neither did the Cratchits.)

How would you cook the Kobe beef? When I've had it as a steak or other 'Western' cut, it didn't work that well. Cubed and cooked on a hot stone it is wonderful although possibly a little impractical at home.

"This year it is my turn and I have decided that we will have proper lamb from an animal that never saw concentrate feed and was butchered at 14 months of age. Can any reader recommend a supplier?"

This one.

Recs. include:

"We get lambs in from all over the place and yours really are the best." Carl, Head Chef, St John Bread and Wine."