Classic family Christmas dinner

The menu

• Starters & nibbles

  Prawn cocktail

• Main course

  Roast turkey with bread sauce

• Side dishes

  Brussels sprouts gratin with bacon, cream and almonds

• Desserts

  Christmas pudding

Menu ingredients

Serves 8

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 2 small garlic cloves, crushed

  • 6 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander

  • 2 tbsp lime juice

  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped

  • 2 firm pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented

  • ½ small white cabbage, cored and shredded

  • 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered and thinly sliced

  • 2 Little Gem lettuces, thinly sliced

  • ½ lime, thinly sliced

  • small handful fresh coriander leaves

  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin strips

  • 1 small onion

  • 900g/2lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed

  • 2½ tsp lemon juice

  • 1 orange, zest and juice

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • 1 eating apple, cored and grated

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 275g/10oz mayonnaise

  • 2 tsp apricot jam

• Cooking ingredients

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 cloves

  • 75-100g (2½ to 3½ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

  • freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

  • cayenne pepper, for sprinkling

  • 4 tsp sunflower oil

  • 20g/¾oz flaked almonds

  • 5½ tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 275g/10oz soft brown or white breadcrumbs

  • 100g/4oz dried apricots, chopped (to about the same size as the raisins)

  • 100g/4oz dried figs, chopped (to about the same size as the raisins)

  • 225g/8oz currants

  • 225g/8oz seedless raisins

  • 225g/8oz sultanas

  • 75g/3oz high quality candied peel, finely chopped

  • 50g/2oz almonds, finely chopped

  • 225g/8oz light or dark muscovado sugar

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• Drinks

  • 4 tbsp brandy

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 175g/6oz unsalted or lightly salted butter

  • 450ml/15fl oz full-cream milk

  • 40g/1½oz butter or 2 tbsp double cream

  • 20g/¾oz butter

  • 400ml/14fl oz double cream

  • 4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • 225g/8oz shredded suet

  • 3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

  • 150ml/5fl oz milk

  • butter, for greasing pudding bowls

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 900g/2lb mixed cooked unpeeled prawns, shells removed

  • 1 free-range turkey weighing 4kg/8lb 11oz

  • 150g/5oz bacon lardons (or rindless back bacon, cut into short fat strips)

• Other

  • 150ml/5fl oz stout or similar dark beer

By Sophie Grigson