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. 😂
Hello you two amazing people.
I’m doing the 12 hour slow cooked lamb which will be coming out of the oven at 6am 25/12/25 to make way for the slow cooked pork. My question is what is the best way to heat the lamb (eating at 1pm)? The recipe calls for all liquid to be removed so the lamb doesn’t continue cooking.
Thank you and have a wonderful Christmas. You inspire so many and I’m one of them – thank you. Ruth.
Hi Ruth! Remove the liquid to make the jus. Let the lamb cool to room temp uncovered (if you cover, the surface sweats and you lose the colour), then when cool cover and fridge. Take it out an hour prior them reheat at 150°C/300°F for 1 hour, or cheat and microwave on medium (maybe 10 minutes?). I do this ALL the time 🙂 Jus will also need to be warmed to loosen again. Hope you love it! – N x
Merry Christmas 🎄
I would like to make your shortbread sticks into cookies for Christmas, however they need to be gluten free. Can I simply swap the flour to GF flour?
I haven’t tried, sorry! I am not experienced enough with GF flour to know how it would affect the recipe. 🙂 – N x
Hi. How much can I scale up the pavlova bombs recipe by. I want to make 8 +2 spare. Or should I just do 2 separate batches? Thx Deb
Hi Deb! You could absolute make a double batch and bake at the same time 🙂 – N x
Hi wonderful team!
I have searched some of the questions on here and I’m sure this has probably already been answered but –
12hr slow cooked lamb. Can it be done in a slow cooker? 1.9kg of lamb shoulder! I don’t mind using the oven but would prefer to use slow cooker if possible!
Thanks so much, Merry Christmas x
You sure can! Use this recipe: https://fast-enhancement.today/slow-cooker-roast-lamb-leg/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
But use rub the shoulder with the rosemary, salt etc per the 12 hour shoulder recipe. Then cook per the slow cooker leg recipe (including adding the beef stock and also make the gravy per that recipe rather than the jus in the oven 12 hour shoulder recipe 🙂 – N x
Hello, how far in advance can I make the mango cheesecake? Thanks & Merry Xmas!
Hi Li! The cheesecake part will be perfect 3 to 4 days but the base will soften a bit after day 2. 🙂 – N x
Hi Nagi,
Love your recipes and use them all the time!!
I can only find a 200gm brie for the Christmas brie. How long should I cook it in the microwave for?
Merry Christmas 🤶
1 1/2 minutes should be enough! Just poke – you can tell by touch 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too Karen! – N x
Hi Nagi and JB.
Happy Xmas 🎄
How can I turn a frozen 2024 Xmas cake into Xmas pudding… without the calico cloth.? 🙏
I’m not sure Shirene, I don’t have enough pudding experience to say, sorry!
Serving 23 including kids… all older than 12..
what potatoes would you do out of Parmesan roasted , truly crispy roasted or crispy smashed?? What one would be easiest to do in bulk and pre prep for Xmas?? We do love them all!
Parmesan roasted! It would be the biggest hit and you can do 2 pans at the same time. None are suitable for pre-prepping unfortunately, but the Parmesan ones are the fastest prep. – N x
I would love for your recipes to be Thermomix T7 friendly.
Any chance of this?
I’m sorry, I don’t know enough about thermomixes to say!
Have made gingerbread men dough but it is very soft, should I just add more flour?
You can use a bit, but gingerbread dough is actually very soft! – N x
Hi Nagi & JB. Can I parboil the potatoes for your Duck Fat Potato recipe the day before, then add semolina and bake them on Christmas Day? Will they discolour or be less crispy if I do? Thanks so much. Your recipes are the best!
Hi Sarah! In theory that would work great because the outside will dry out more if you leave them overnight uncovered in the fridge. I’d love to try myself! They won’t discolour because they’re cooked (only raw potatoes go brown). I’m going to try this myself this Christmas, thanks for the idea! – N x
I had the same question!
Will you add the salt and semolina the day before or wait until Christmas Day to do that?
Hi Navi and JB…what small entree/pre lunch nibbles can I prepare for one daughter who is pregnant therefore cannot have prawns and another daughter who doesn’t like prawns …🤷🏻♀️…not sure where she came from. 😆
Thank you.
Tricky! 🙂 I would do the Maple Crispy Brie Bites or Zucchini Tots, Devilled eggs, salt and pepper squid or any hot dip (I love corn dip!)
I want to cook the beef tenderloin the day before as I need a hot oven to do the veggies. Am I best to serve it at Room temperature or can I give it a little bit bit of warmth before serving?
You can warm it a bit Jan but you just need to be super careful not to overcook the meat! If you can put the oven temp to 40 – 50C that would be safe, to give it a little warmth without risk of cooking. 🙂 – N x
Hi there!
I would like to make your crispy slow roast pork shoulder AND a standing rib roast for Xmas late lunch and but not sure how I can with one oven? Could I cook the rib roast on the stove in a Dutch oven? Thank you!!!
Mmm, that’s a tricky one because of the different cooking times and temps. To be honest, I’d probably cook the rib roast first to get the meat perfectly pink – leave it on the counter – then do the pork shoulder and get the crackling perfect. Then you can pop the beef back in the oven very briefly to warm it lightly as you plate up the pork. Then serve!
I’m wanting to make the apple with candied walnut salad as a main salad, not a side salad by bumping it up with protein. Would chicken work, or would another protein be better? Thanks!
I’d use chicken – I’d probably use the seasoning from this recipe: https://fast-enhancement.today/chicken-breast-recipe/#recipe%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Then slice!
What is the best Vegetarian
Christmas meal ?
I’m not Nagi nor JB, sorry, but here’s a few festive treats I think might do the trick.
The Stuffed Butternut Squash photo and recipe on p 284-5 of Dinner always attracts me, although I’ve yet to make it. It’s definitely a vegetarian showstopper! https://fast-enhancement.today/stuffed-butternut-pumpkin/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Nagi’s Vegetarian Lasagna is amazing! I usually add fennel to the roasted veg which gives a pleasant sweetness, and dust the top layer of mozzarella with smoked chipotle powder. I made this yesterday (along with the meat one) for a potluck to rave reviews. https://fast-enhancement.today/vegetarian-lasagna/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The spinach pie has spoiled me forever, it’s a masterpiece. https://fast-enhancement.today/spanakopita-greek-spinach-pie/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Easier but equally delicious is https://fast-enhancement.today/lentil-ragout-french-puy-lentils-side-dish/%3C/a%3E which I usually serve with salmon, basmati, and rocket/arugula salad with a high octane lemony dressing.
For a Christmas Eve open house I was asked to bring something gluten free and will be making https://fast-enhancement.today/potatoes-au-gratin/%3C/a%3E with thyme from the winter garden.
My question, after all that: how to pronounce Dauphinoise? What would chef JB say? (doe-fin-wawz?)
Hi Nagi
Working on your turkey recipe for Xmas! Do you have any turkey stuffing suggestion? Any ideas? Or do you think the herbs inside will be enough?
Thank you for opening a hotline. We are cooking for Christmas at a holiday house. I’m not sure of the oven. It has a very good electric frypan will it be possibel to cook a tenderloin in the fry pan?
Hi Nagi
The spicy crispy tuna rice squares (nobu) – can these be cooked ahead & then topped at the time?
Would the Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce work with prawns.