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. 😂
Hi Nagi, how far in advance can I prepare the ham, ie remove skin, score, before cooking?
Hi Jeanette, as long as you keep it covered in the fridge, up 48 hours before is not an issue. Merry Christmas!
Hi Nagi & JB. Am cooking your standing rib roast recipe on Xmas day. Can I put in a tray of roast veges to cook at same time? if so is bottom shelf ok? How long should i allow for them? Thx for this service.
Hi Abby, you could totally do it. Seasoned vegetables in a tray at the bottom part of your oven. Place an oven rack with ribs above the vegetable (level just above in your oven). The meat juices will drip onto the veggies and make them extra delicious. Can start at the beginning, toss the veggies while cooking, you might have to remove them before the meat is finishes so they don’t dry. Merry Christmas!
Hi guys, am looking to make the slow roasted crispy pork belly using a 4kg pork belly. What would the cook time be please? Thank you ☺️
Hi Misty, if your oven is big enough, it should take the same amount of time.
Hi Nagi and JB!
I’m wanting to make your foccacia for Christmas morning, I made a test one this week (not the quick one) and it turned out great. Just wondering if I could make the dough Christmas Eve with only 1 proof in the bowl then do a slow proof in the tin in the fridge overnight. What do you think? Thanks so much!
Hi Bek, you still need to do 3 rises. But the third one can happen overnight in the fridge as you mentioned.
Hi, I’m cooking a turkey crown approximately 3k in weight, how long should I cook it for ? It is wrapped in rashers of bacon . Many thanks Terry.
Hi Terry, about 1.5 hours at 180°C fan (350°F). And rest for 15 minutes before carving. Merry Christmas!
I’m making the Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cranberries for family Christmas Eve. How early could everything be prepped and assembled? We have to travel several hours. Thanks 🙂
Hi Chelsea, except slicing the apple and crumbling the feta, everything else can be made in advance.
I’d like to make the pommes Anna but only have an *enamelled* cast iron pan in the correct size. I’m worried about thermal shock if I put it straight into a preheated oven. Should I assemble the dish and warm it gradually with the oven I until it gets to temperature? Or would that ruin the dish? Hmm. Help, please! 🙂 And thanks again 😊
Hi Katie, yes you could start at a lower heat and slowly bring it to the right temperature and then start your timer. 🙂
Many thanks JB! This is very helpful. If I may ask another question, I have an excess of chocolate crème patissière from making chocolate babka. Do you think I could bake it as a sort of tart in a pâte sucrée… or is there something else I could use it in? Many thanks again for your help ☺️
Hi
I have vegetarians coming for lunch. I thought of making Nagi’s green falafels. How do I make 60 falafels that will keep warm and fresh?
I am also cooking the ham, potatoes, beans from the Xmas menus.
Hi Clare, the best way to reheat cooked falafel is to microwave until warm then spray with plenty of oil and bake at 200C/390F for 5 minutes until the surface is crispy again.
Me again re roast spuds…so could I perhaps half cook them then place in very hot duck fat at my daughters next day for half an hour? Thanks for your time x
Hi Jan, boiling them the day before is fine (make sure to cool them down fully before placing them in the fridge). Then finish them in the oven the next day using the same method. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Nagi, happy Christmas to you all…licks for Dozer from my Havanese Goldie 💕
Hi guys, I’m hoping to make your crispy duck fat potatoes but need to travel to my sins befire lunch at my daughters . So can I parboil night before, then roast at my daughters x? Thanks…sorry if this duplicates. iPad playing up
If i cook my Christmas chicken & Turkey early on Christmas day (to take with us out) what is the best way to warm it up without getting that yucky ‘warmed up meat’ taste?
Hi Kaye, covered lightly with foil at a low temperature oven would be the best way.
Hi and thanks for doing this! I’m interested in making the stuffed pumpkin, but I’m wondering if I can get ahead and do some of it the night before it will be served? I was thinking of doing the first roast and making the stuffing (sans spinach and nuts so they don’t go too soggy?) then adding the spinach the next day for the final roast. Would that work?
Also, how long do you think it would stay warm for? We have to travel 30 mins then when we arrive I don’t think there will be an excess of oven room to reheat!
Thanks so much to both of you.
Hi Katie, Yes, that will work well. Do the first pumpkin roast and make the stuffing the day before, leaving out the spinach and nuts. Refrigerate separately. On the day, fold in the spinach and nuts, stuff the pumpkin and do the final roast. Once cooked, it will stay warm for 45–60 minutes if wrapped well in foil and covered with a towel.
Hi guys, I’m hoping to make your crispy duck fat potatoes but need to travel to my sins befire lunch at my daughters . So can I parboil night before, then roast at my daughters x? Thanks
I am planning to make the garlic herb turkey breast but my breast doesn’t have the bone. How long will it take to cook? Also is there a stuffing/dressing i could put in the same pan to soak up the juices and make it even more yum?
Hi Meg, just check it 15 – 20 minutes earlier. You could absolutely use my sausage stuffing recipe underneath! Pop the breast on top 🙂 Only thing is that you then won’t have pan juices to use as the sauce – N x
Hi Meg, the breast will cook 15 to 20 minutes faster without the bone. And check this stuffing recipe! Merry Christmas!
Hello all! I am making your Christmas Cake, and am wondering if you have any idea of whether it would work out made in a 9″ x 4″ bundt pan rather than a round pan? And also, what change to the baking time (if any) would you recommend? Or would it just not be a good idea? Christmas blessings to all of you there, from Ontario, Canada.
Bundt pan will be fine Kat! I’d check it 30 minutes prior, insert a skewer to check if done. – N x
Hi Nagi and JB, love your work!
Did you ever post the chilli oil recipe? I wanted to make it for gifts but couldn’t find.
Hi Kari, it’s the big recipe and we are still working on it. Sorry we couldn’t post it before Christmas. 🙂
No we didn’t! 100% my fault, I ran out of time to finish testing the recipe 🙂 – N x
Hi Naggi,I make Rocky Road,honeycomb and Xmas Crack,but do you have any other ideas for Xmas gifts?
The Cookie in a Jar!! It’s soooo cute. I also do caramel popcorn quite often – especially the Holiday Popcorn. – N x
Hi Dave, I’ve made jars of golden gaytime popcorn for friends this year. They loved it!
Hi,
I am wondering if you have an easy Brandy cream and Brandy custard recipe please?
I’m sorry I don’t! One day 🙂 – N x
Hi Nagi and JB,I would like to make a Xmas Panna Cotta.Any ideas with some Xmas ingredients?
I would use some of the spices in my Christmas cake and add it into the mixture! You really can’t go wrong with any combo. Just add and taste, add and taste before setting! – N x
Hi Nagi & JB,
Can the Christmas Trifle be made in advance? Will it keep in the fridge for 2 days?
Thanks
YES!! It is made for making ahead 🙂 Just be sure to use stabilised whipped cream and you can even put the cream on ahead of time! If you don’t stabilise, just do the cream before serving 🙂 – N x