I love Christmas, with all of the traditions and entertaining involved, but it is the often overshadowed by Boxing Day, which I really look forward to hosting. Boxing Day is free from the expectations and trappings of Christmas Day, a real family day where you can enjoy time together, play with all of the new toys, take the dog for a nice long walk and eat whatever you fancy and actually have space for!
For us there is one meal that we look forward to all year, not the marathon that is Christmas lunch but the Boxing Day cold meats and pickles, we’ve even been known to have pseudo Boxing Day lunches throughout the year. Cold home cooked ham is always the star and the thing that gets eaten first, the turkey often being taken in and out of the fridge for several days. A good selection of homemade pickles and chutneys such as pickled walnuts, eggs, pear chutney and my mum’s very good Christmas chutney (slightly more spiced and richer than a standard) along with piccalilli cater to all tastes. A beautiful cheese board with lots of local West Country cheeses and some home made crackers, easy to do in the week leading up to Christmas and adding a personal touch to the table. The one thing that we can’t ever agree on is chips (husband’s preference) or herby potatoes (mine), so invariably end up having both. Some salad bits and any other yummy leftovers from the day before finish off the spread. It’s easy to put together, allows you to really enjoy all of your favourite bits from Christmas Day dinner and can very easily cater for as many people as you have turn up without needing any extra planning.
In order to make sure that Boxing Day entertaining feels special and guests don’t think they’re being served up leftovers make sure you pay attention to the extra touches. A small wrapped gift as a place marker for each guest, champagne cocktails or delicious spiced cider to greet them and a pudding made in advance but especially for Boxing Day such as a boozy trifle (put the finishing garnishes such as flaked almonds on just before serving so that there’s some nice crisp texture), individual cheesecake or crumble pots or a fresh light fruit salad with whipped mascarpone.
Whether you end up hosting hoards or having an intimate affair this Christmas, enjoy the festivities and time together.
Katy