There’s a knack to feeding a crowd, so before we talk specific dishes, let’s nail down a few golden rules. First, be practical: “Most people have a single oven, so you don’t want five dishes that need to go in there,” says Phil King, executive chef of Pophams in London. “When I’m thinking of a menu, I want one dish that cooks in the oven, one on the stove and one that can be served at an ambient temperature, such as braised leeks.” Otherwise, favour things that like a rest, whether that’s a joint of meat (“cover with foil and a tea towel and leave for an hour”) or a veggie wellington (“that will sit comfortably for 30 minutes”). And remember, snacks are golden: “That’s anything you don’t have to prepare yourself,” notes King, be it olives, crisps, nuts – anything that will keep hunger at bay.
Menu decided, do as much as you can in advance and clean up as you go. “Worktop space is at a premium, so the moment you take a pan off the stove, get it washed,” King says. “That way, you’ll have a much calmer environment.”
And don’t be daft and try to do everything yourself. “People want to help, so ask them to bring the sides,” says Seema Pankhania, author of Craveable. “I often send recipes, so everyone knows what to make and so you don’t end up with three cheesy dishes.”
Now let’s move on to the specifics. “The Italians do entertaining really well,” King says. “At this time of year, you’ll see tortellini or anolini in brodo [broth], which is simple and always tasty.” Happily, the broth base can be made well ahead of time, so on the night it’s just a case of reheating it and then cooking the pasta. “If you’ve roasted a bird over Christmas, make a stock from the carcass, or for a vegetarian broth: start with a mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion), add mushrooms (fresh and dried), then add a splash of wine and let that evaporate.” Tip in stock, soy and the obligatory parmesan rind, and simmer. Any leftover meat (or ricotta for vegetarians) can be used to fill homemade pasta, but if that’s a step too far, King would simply use a pasta noodle and add the shredded meat to the broth. Serve with bread and job’s a good ’un.
Pankhania would also be tempted to go with soup at Twixmas. “Something like roast parsnip and carrot topped with crisp bacon or some herbs would be nice, because no one wants anything too heavy,” she says, but you could always bulk up proceedings with leftover cheese and meat. Otherwise, she would put leftover veg or meat to work in a big, spicy biryani. “Colouring the rice with turmeric or saffron will make it feel really special”.
Finally, you can’t go far wrong with chilli con (or sin) carne. “It’s even better when made the day before, because the flavours develop,” says Simon Attridge, culinary director of Claridge’s in London, who grates in some dark chocolate just before serving. To make life even easier, Attridge recommends stocking up on supermarket pouches of rice – “They cook in a couple of minutes” – then all that’s left is to pop them in the middle of the table and serve family-style for “a nostalgic, shareable meal”. And that’s what Christmas is all about.