Have Yourself a Merry Little Alternative Christmas Dinner

It doesn't HAVE to be turkey

One of the biggest lessons I learned traveling around Europe for the last three years is how every country has its own Christmas food traditions, some of which are incredibly different from what we do in the UK.

My Portuguese friend Luís was telling me the other day that Christmas Eve is all about salt cod and potatoes and that lamb is a common dish on Christmas Day.

When we lived in Spain, a friend told me about all the seafood they eat on Christmas Day after they return from drinking vermouth and snacking in the streets with their friends and family.

In Croatia, it’s suckling pig or even sarma rolls.

And there was me thinking most of Europe eats turkey whilst trapped inside all day with their family.

The best thing about learning all these different traditions is how much it’s taken the pressure off having a “traditional” Christmas lunch in my own home. The kind of Christmas lunch that places terrible stress on those in the kitchen and costs a fortune.

I’m all for making Christmas what you want. This year I can’t leave the Schengen region due to residency restrictions so my husband and I are going to Jerez in southern Spain. We arrive on the 23rd December so we will be at the mercy of what is still available in the local market that close to Christmas. It may be chicken, it could be pork, it may even be a bean stew.

We’ll watch Zambombas which are flamenco-based Christmas sing-a-longs that last six hours minimum.

We will probably eat and drink for a few hours on the street on Christmas Day morning, and we’ll soak up a bit of winter sun.

In other words, it will look nothing like a traditional British Christmas.

Christmas traditions are relative. No one in Portugal would consider cooking a Christmas pudding or eating Mince Pies. And it’s that relativity that permits you to cook — if you want to — something different this Christmas.

With that in mind, I’m mining the Capsule Pantry archive for some alternative Christmas dishes. Ones that will take the pressure off so you can actually enjoy Christmas.

However it looks for you.

The main dish

Swap the turkey for chicken

It’s an easy swap but an important one. Turkey is expensive, tricky to cook and unless you’re having a lot of people over, too big for one family.

Almost always, chicken is better.

During the summer I wrote how to roast chicken without f**king it up. There are also notes on how to make great chicken stock and what to do with leftovers.

Greek lamb Kleftiko

A one-pot dish that encompasses all the elements of a traditional Christmas dinner — roast meat, potatoes, and vegetables — but makes them, in my opinion, more delicious and far easier in the timing department.

My main recipe uses lamb but you can also use chicken.

Albanian Fergesë

This is a roasted tomato, garlic pepper and feta dish from northern Albania that, if you’ve got vegetarians coming for dinner, is a dish worthy of the Christmas table.

Potatoes

“Papas aliñadas” Spanish potatoes

I know, I know, roasties are incredible. But have you ever found they never work well at Christmas because your oven is too small for everything you want to cook? So you stuff the potatoes in with the turkey and they don’t crisp. Or you can’t have your oven hot enough… so they don’t crisp.

Papas aliñadas are a staple in southern Spain. They are boiled on the stove and then turbo-charged with acid (normally sherry vinegar), plenty of good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic and herbs.

They can also be made in advance which saves you one less dish to make á la minute.

Find the recipe here.

Smashed potatoes with garlic and parsley

Because traditional roast potatoes are my nemesis, I’ll be cooking these smashed potatoes with garlic and parsley. I love these because they’re skin-on which cuts down on prep time and is much more forgiving in the roasting department.

Portuguese potatoes on the grill with green sauce

If you’ve got too much going on in the oven but you own a charcoal BBQ, consider making potatoes Portuguese style.

The potatoes are first boiled then placed over hot coals to colour up. They’re served with a spiky garlic, olive oil and parsley sauce.

---

Sides

Leeks confit

You basically can’t overcook these leeks so timing is less of an issue. You can also make them in advance and then reheat them whilst your meat is resting.

Shaved brussel sprout salad with parmesan and nuts

This salad went viral when I posted it on Instagram last year. It’s made on the stovetop which again frees up oven space and should convince even the hardened brussel sprout hater that they’re worthy of attention.

---

That’s it from me this year. I’m taking time out to see friends, travel, and relax. I hope you get to do something similar this Christmas.

I’ll be back in 2024 with new recipes, new stories, and new energy. There is still time to take advantage of my 30% off subscription offer which ends on 31st December. That’s $3.50 a month or $35 a year for at least one versatile recipe a week designed to be adapted into what you love to eat and have in your pantry.

And if you fancy gifting The Capsule Pantry, you can! Follow the link and download the gift card for something to stick in the envelope.

See you in 2024, friends.