Topic · French Christmas Menu Masterclass

Hints & Tips: Mains & Sides

The main course is where a holiday dinner is won or lost — not because the dishes are difficult, but because everything has to be ready at the same time. Here are Chef Eric’s tips to bring the turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, gratin dauphinois, tian and endive salad to the table hot, on time and without stress.

Plan backwards from serving time

Write your timeline. Start from the time you want to sit down and work backwards: carving and gravy, resting, roasting, stuffing and trussing.
Thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 12-pound bird needs about 3 days.
Make the cranberry sauce one or two days ahead. It keeps covered in the refrigerator and frees the stove on the day.
Do your mise en place the day before: chop the mirepoix, make the persillade, toast and chop the walnuts, grate the Gruyère and wash the endive leaves.

The turkey

Low, then a little higher. Roast at 325°F with a damp cloth on the breast for the first hour, then remove the cloth and raise the oven to 350°F.
Baste every 30 minutes. Basting with the fat in the pan keeps the breast moist and gives the skin its colour.
Trust the thermometer, not the clock. The thigh must reach 180°F and the centre of the stuffing 165°F. If the stuffing is not there yet, keep roasting.
Protect the stuffing. A folded square of foil on the exposed stuffing stops it from burning.
Rest before carving. Cover the turkey with foil and let it rest at least 15 minutes. The juices settle back into the meat, and you have time to make the gravy.

Gravy and sauces

Keep half a cup of drippings for the gravy, cook the flour in them until lightly browned, then deglaze with the red wine and reduce by half before adding the stock.
Skim the fat from the drippings you add back, and strain the gravy for a smooth, glossy finish.

The sides

Gratin dauphinois: do not rinse the sliced potatoes — their starch thickens the cream. Bake the gratin on a tray in case the cream boils over. It holds well, so bake it first and keep it warm.
Zucchini and tomato tian: build the tians ahead and bake them for 10 minutes at 450°F while the turkey rests.
Belgian endive salad: make the vinaigrette ahead, but slice and dress the endive only at the last minute — cut endive darkens at the edges.

On the night

Warm the plates and the platter. Hot food on cold plates cools in seconds.
Carve in the kitchen if your table is small, and bring the turkey out on a decorated platter with the gravy and cranberry sauce.
Clean as you go so you can sit down and enjoy dessert with your guests.