Countdown to Christmas 1

So here we go then - let the madness and the nonsense begin!

Today you need to buy chestnuts - no I don't mean this weekend I mean today, on your way home and make sure you buy two packs. If you leave it too late they will be sold out and all it needs is a Nigella or a Rick to suggest a stuffing full of chestnuts and there will be none left in Europe. (Remember Delia and "The Great Christmas Cranberry crisis").

Your first pack is for your stuffing. This can be made any time this week, then frozen. All you have to do is then move it from the freezer to the fridge on Christmas Eve then into the oven for the last 40 minutes of cooking the roast.

Stuffing

Everyone has a recipe for "The best ever stuffing" but for goodness sake people - KEEP IT SIMPLE! All the volumes are general here as there is so much personal preference involved in this.

Your favourite Butchers sausages (taken out of their skins)
One pack of Chestnuts
A handful of breadcrumbs (three slices of bread in a low oven for 40 minutes then blitzed)
A large egg
Herbs (especially sage)
One large onion
Salt and Pepper

Finely chop the onion and very gently fry in a little oil. When the onion is just about to take some colour take it off the heat and pop it in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly (hands really are your best tool for this). Smooth the mix into a shallow oven proof dish cover and freeze.
Allow to thoroughly defrost before cooking in the oven at a medium heat for 40 minutes.
There is so much scope for putting your own touches in this dish - dried fruit, garlic, chili, and any spices you fancy.

"So" I hear you ask " why use sausages and not just buy sausage meat? Well if you have found a sausage you like (In my case Newitt's Oxfordshire) then why take the risk of some random sausage meat going into your stuffing? You need to be aware that, for a lot of people, Christmas Lunch is all about the stuffing!

This brings us to the other pack of chestnuts. These are for your Brussels Sprouts.
Early on "the day" cook your sprouts in boiling water till they still have a bit of resistance to biting. (Incidentally don't ever, EVER, EVER cut silly little crosses in the base of each sprout - it will simply turn your sprouts into watery fart bombs). When the sprouts are cooked, refresh them under cold water until quite chilled. 5 minutes before serving pop a couple of rashers of chopped streaky bacon into a frying pan and allow to cook. When the bacon is almost to your liking add a big lump of butter (50gms) your sprouts and your chestnuts. Warm them all through and serve as normal.

Packs of Chestnuts are available vacuum packed in every large supermarket or Deli. Some Supermarkets are now selling them from the freezer counter too.
Stop laughing I'm really serious about doing this today - Don't come crying to me if you're foraging around on Christmas eve with no ingredients.