Up to one week ahead
Get your dessert sorted and out of your life by making this Amaretto-and-raisin coconut cassata up to one week in advance. Throw everything together and then into the freezer, and forget about it until Christmas day.
Four days before
Make these cherry (or whichever fruit you’re using) tarts up to four days ahead. Wrap them in clingfilm and store out of the fridge until ready to serve.
Day before
This is really where you’re able to ramp up your preparation. Make the most of it by doing small jobs that you don’t want to think about on Christmas day.
1. Make the dressing for your Brussels sprouts, anchovy and Parmesan salad.
2. Make the dressing for the prawn cocktails, and blanch the prawns too.
3. Get your gammon prep on the go by making the accompanying BBQ sauce today and popping it in the fridge.
4. Make your romesco sauce for the lamb and leave it in the fridge.
5. Make the stuffing and stuff the bone-in sirloin today, and store in the fridge overnight.
6. Let the last task of the day be curing the salmon for the gravadlax. Leave in the fridge overnight.
On the day
Today’s the day. You’ve got this. Stay calm and hydrated.
Get all the roasted meat on the go, such as the lamb ribs and the stuffed sirloin.
While that’s happening, finish the cauliflower-and-pine nut salad and the Brussels sprouts salad and slice the roast potatoes (remember to pop them in water until ready to cook).
Cook the potatoes for the blinis.
When guests arrive
Get the potatoes cooking, along with the gammon and BBQ sauce.
Mix up the cocktails and serve – don’t forget a large one for yourself.
Cook the blinis and serve with the gravadlax.
Serve
Once your meat is all roasted, it will need some resting time. Use this opportunity to finish off any last tweaks to dishes, and give anything still cooking a bit more time to do its thing. Serve the potatoes straight out of the oven, but everything else will be ok to sit for a few minutes at room temperature. Then, sit back, relax and enjoy the grand feast you prepared.
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