My British Christmas Dinner On Brazilian News Program - Jornal Hoje

Last week I was asked to prepare a British Christmas dinner for the Brazilian News channel Jornal Hoje – the biggest news channel in Latin America. I later found out that this clip was seen by over 2 million viewers!

The presenter Cecilia had never heard of parsnips nor had she ever tried a mince pie . . .

You can watch the video here.

Here’s what they said:

As Christmas approaches, London is full of decoration. It’s one of the most celebrated dates in the city. This report discovers what’s different on the English table.

Our cook for the day is food journalist Georgia Bateman. With a list of important ingredients, we visit the shops. The objective today is to prepare a traditional English Christmas dinner for Jornal Hoje.

The first stop is the shop of Sally, one lady who sells fruits and vegetables; without taking off the hat!

Sally sells potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts and parsnips, that, if you don’t know, is a root vegetable cousin of the carrot.

The next destination is the butcher. Harry takes the wrapping off a Christmas turkey that’s almost 6kg and gives tips on how to prepare the bird. With the money left, we spend on decorations.

Later we have many bags; finally it’s everything we need for supper. The final price of this feast: a little over $ 300 (£120).

In the kitchen, the main dish deserves attention before entering the oven. Then it's endless cut, peel, cut, peel. Georgia puts the reporter to work, preparing the bruseel sprouts....

The guests arrive and the kitchen is too small for everyone, but it's Christmas and there is always room for one more.

Dinner begins with Christmas crackers; a weird tradition for the Brazilian friends of the hostess. From inside the packaging out comes paper crowns, small gifts and messages of good luck.

One by one, the dishes come to the table. The meal is plentiful and fills our eyes. The dinner is highly aproved by all. Finally, the cook can enjoy the very best of Christmas, no matter the country, loved ones around a table.

Here’s what I made and the recipes:

Turkey

Gravy

Chestnut, Apple and Pork Belly Stuffing

Golden Carrots

Chili and Garlic Brussel Sprouts

Winter Red Cabbage

Honey Roasted Parsnips

Rosemary Roast Potatoes

Mulled Wine

Turkey

Turkey

Turkeys were first imported from Mexico in the 1500s by Spice Merchants, known to the English as Turkey Merchants, and that’s how the bird got its name The large bird was swiftly recognised as ideal for a feast for special occasions.

Order your Christmas turkey in advance from an organic butcher; they sell out very quickly. This year I got mine from The Pure Meat Co in Kentish Town.

6kg free range organic turkey

2x juice of lemon

200 g butter

4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Sea salt

Heat oven to 180 C.

Mix together the lemon juice, butter, garlic, parsley and salt. Rub all over the turkey and under the skin. Place the turkey on a baking tray, breast side down, and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Turn the turkey over and cook for another hour to crisp up the breast.

Gravy

Turkey giblets

A few sprigs of rosemary

A few sprigs of thyme

1 onion, peeled

1 carrot, peeled

1 bay leaf

Dash of red wine

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

Salt and black pepper

Place the giblets, onion, carrot, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf in a pan. Cover with water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

In a separate pan melt the butter over a low heat and stir in the flour until it turns into a paste.

Gently add the liquid from the giblets, stirring quickly to avoid any lumps. Add the juices from the turkey and a dash of red wine.

Bring to the boil and season to taste.

If the gravy becomes too thick, add a little water.