Going live effective immediately – and open right through to Christmas Eve, JB and I are on duty to answer your Christmas cooking questions. ✨Welcome to our Christmas Cooking Hotline!!✨
JB and I are on call!
I’m so excited to be doing this! I’ve had the idea of a Christmas cooking hotline bubbling away in my mind for years, but I always hesitated because I worried it would be too much to handle on my own.
But now that JB is part of the face of RecipeTin and it’s not just me, there’s two of us here to answer your questions. So for the first time ever, we’re opening up a hotline for Christmas cooking questions, bringing together home-cook practicality and actual proper chef experience (JB!), which means more ideas and better problem-solving for you!
So drop your question in the comments section below and we will answer as many as we can (we need to sleep, and we have some other work things to finish!). Ask anything you want, like:
Can I make this ahead, freeze it, or reheat it?
What can I substitute if I can’t find an ingredient?
How do I scale recipes up or down?
Help, something’s going wrong – how do I fix it?
Menu planning, timing, or oven logistics chaos 😅
Even though our last day of work is this Friday, JB has generously agreed to continue helping me with questions right through to Christmas Eve. Thank you JB, you’re the best.
And now…. the Christmas Cooking Hotline is now officially open. So drop your questions below and we’ll jump in to help wherever we can, because Christmas cooking is much more fun with backup! 🎄 – Nagi x
PS Few out-takes from today’s little Christmas shooting session. We know how to cook better than taking selfies. Promise. 😅
PPS Who nailed The Wink? 😉
Life of Dozer
My favourite Dozer Christmas outfit.
Though to be honest, Santa spends most of his time like this:
Which I’m sure is Santa after a few too many Christmas wines. This has absolutely nothing to do with his ride – or the stable hand who saddled up his ride. 😂
What is your absolute must-have menu item every Christmas?
Hi with the Christmas chicken glaze what can I substitute for mustard? Really appreciate this hotline. Merry Christmas and thank you
Hi Nagi, I just wanted to say thank you for your recipe ‘homemade gourmet crackers’.
So easy, no rolling required! Taste terrific but subtle enough as a carriage for cheese, dips etc.
no reply needed. Just wanted to say thanks. 😋
Try them adding pistachio and diced dried apricots.
Spices the same as usual.
So good with soft cheeses.
Having made the Chinese lemon chicken,having said that it tasted amazing but it really lacked the colour we are used to,it was quite white,how do I get the yellow colour we are used to
Making barramundi with Chinese five spice wrapped in rice paper rolls and fried in oil – from one of your books. When I fry them because the rice paper rolls are quite sticky they stick to the frying pan. Am I using the right fry pan, am I using enough oil or maybe not hot enough. Can you cook these in the oven? The flavour was incredible but just having trouble with this part of the recipe.
Also tips for ensuring crapes don’t stick? Would love to make these for Christmas breakfast as well but last time the flipping was a disaster!
Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Hi Nagi,
Merry Christmas!! Long time lover of your recipes, my husband and I refer to you as “consult the queen of food”.
I am making your never ending pavlova for two Christmas gatherings this year. Last night I tried to make it with pasteurised egg whites from a carton in the fridge section at Woolies. The meringue deflated when I slowly added the sugar and never whipped up. Are there any secrets to making meringue with the pre-separated egg whites or is it not possible? I was trying to save having to deal with so many spare egg yolks.
I am making your Prawn Mango Avocado Summer Salad. I have some gluten free relatives so the rissoni is out (can’t find GF anywhere). I tried black rice as a substitute, wasn’t quite right. Do you have any suggestions? Any other small gf pasta? I thought maybe wild rice.
Merry Chrissie to all of you. You all do an amazing job.
Hi Nagi and JB, I am going to try the 12 hr lamb shoulder roast… eek! What should the oven temp be for the 45min browning at the beginning? I understand that for the 12 hours it’s 100 C, but would the browning be a little higher? Many thanks and Merry Christmas. Cath
Slow cooked Turkey Breast ??Last year I made this and it was amazing. But this year I can’t get a 2kg breast, all sold out, at least on the Goldcoast!! Thinking of doing 2x 1kg breasts separately would I still need to cook them for 5-6 hrs each?? Or just cook until inside temp reaches the right temp…
Which easy said will go with a cheese souffle? I was thinking about your Pomegranate Salad (without the blue cheese) but worried it won’t be good without the blue cheese and with the souffle for cheesy flavour instead??
Hello everyone, it’s Nagi here! Just wanted to say thanks for your patience – JB and I will continue to spend more time working through comment responses until Christmas Eve. Yesterday was our last day in the office and our whole team was at RTM doing a deep clean then we had a team lunch to say Merry Christmas to each other! So we didn’t get much time on the questions yesterday. I will be back on it late morning today then each day through to Christmas Eve! – N xx
Hi, I am intending to cook a turkey this year, but take the leg and thigh off and stuff them.
If i do this, do I calaculate the cooking time of the turkey based on the weight of the raw turkey legless and thighless-?
if i was to stuff the turkey do i reweigh and base cooking time on that?
thanks,
any feedback or comments gratefully accepted.
Love you recipes and your generosity.
Rebecca
I’m in Italy and wish to create a glaze for a Christmas ham. Can’t get mustard powder for my old recipe. Do you have suggestions for a simple glaze? Thankyou so much,
Glenice
Hi Nagi and JB. I love this hotline! I’m reading all the wonderful questions that have been raised so far!
My question is, what Christmas desserts would you suggest that are egg free? Or are there any substitutes for the eggs that will be as good as using eggs?
What is a nice chicken thigh/breast marinade. Suitable flavour to pair when serving alongside most salads.
Hi there
I am cooking a slightly larger turkey (14lb) and you helpfully advised the increased times overall, but how does this break down? Do I increase the time at each stage proportionately or is there just one part of the process when I extend the time? Would love your thoughts! V excited to try dry brining for first time! Christmas greetings from Ireland.
I am making your fast soaked fruit Christmas cake with 855 gm fruit – the recipe calls for a 21-2 cm round cake pan – I am making them in cardboard gift boxes (done it before) with several layers of baking paper that is removed before presentation.
my question is how should I adjust the cooking time for the mixture?
Thank you both for all the information through the years – I have followed you since 2012 and rarely ever look anywhere else for a recipe. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I’ve just made the Chicken Fricaisse and the butter burnt. Is it best to discard the burnt butter before adding the mushrooms and onions or keep going?
I love a glazed ham but have never seen instructions how to best store it.
Do you still store in ham bag?
What is the best way to cook two beef tenderloins cut into two pieces and tied for 20 people