Page 67 - NACC – 2018 Yearbook

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SUPPLIERS ARE IMPORTANT
No one wants any surprises when it comes to product availability or price hikes, so it’s important to keep lines of communication with suppliers open.
Contact suppliers at the start of the planning process to nd out what produce will be available Make sure you are aware of any projected price increases or supply issues
Con rm delivery dates with suppliers
Double check the days they are closed over the festive period
Have a contingency plan in place should deliveries not turn up – a white Christmas is not unheard of!
THE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE
Don’t forget the little touches that bring the festive period to life for residents and their families and stir memories of Christmases they may have enjoyed throughout their lives.
Festive choirs, fairs and food demonstrations bring the Christmas spirit to any venue
Always have mince pies and mulled wine on o er
Remember, Christmas isn’t just one day; plan for the whole Christmas period. We always do a menu for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Don’t forget the Christmas crackers, table decorations and so on; and order these well in advance. I would recommend doing this in the summer, so you know you have them!
You can get the residents involved in Christmas preparations. Activities like table decoration making, cookie decorating and mince pie making are a great way to engage and excite them
It’s got all the flavour of Christmas, just done differently. There’s nothing wrong with serving everything traditionally, but it’s fun to try
new things and be adventurous.
BE PREPARED
Get your menus in place a good month or two before Christmas so you have time to practice and plan your prep lists and timings
Get your orders in to your suppliers a few weeks before delivery, guaranteeing your stock
We always prepare in advance where we can – but some things are best made last minute. Most vegetables can be prepared, as can dessert items. Get things into piping bags, sealed and labelled and ready to go
Freshness of produce is most important. Don’t sacri ce this by preparing inappropriate ingredients too soon
Make sure you have enough storage before ordering stock in too early
THE MAIN EVENT
Food is at the heart of Christmas celebrations. There are some elements that can be played around with, but there are others that certainly cannot!
Turkey is always on the menu and our residents wouldn’t have it any other way, but we do like to add a twist to this classic ingredient
We turn turkey breasts into Wellingtons using berry stu ng in the middle, smoked streaky bacon to wrap around, followed by a rich mushroom duxelle, all wrapped up in a brioche loaf and cooked to perfection
Chestnuts are slow roasted and puréed to a silky-smooth paste that can be dotted on the plate Potatoes are par-steamed, thinly sliced and laid stacked on their sides in loaf tins, brushed with melted infused goose fat with garlic and garden herbs, and slow cooked in the oven until golden.
Carrots are braised in butter, honey and thyme
Red cabbage with herbs, wine and sugar is reduced and raisins and zingy apple added with a touch of calvados
I always like to serve a creamy celeriac purée for extra indulgence
Christmas dinner is ruined without a good gravy! We spend days making it the proper way. Any juices from cooking our Wellingtons go back into the gravy too, adding extra avour Christmas pudding and brandy butter sauce always make an appearance, as will homemade chocolate tortes infused with rum and berry sorbet, or sticky lemon cake with pistachio crumb and raspberry mousse lled brandy snap
There’s always plenty of champagne, prosecco and ne wines to wash it down
FEATURES & INSPIRATION