I think you have to pre-prepare as much as you can for Christmas lunch, to save hassle on The Day. Lots of the vegetables can be precooked, frozen and will re-roast well. Stuffing can be frozen. Puddings too can be frozen. eg. Christmas Pud and also a Frozen Chocolate Mousse (always good). Biscuit dough can be frozen.
Do check online, as there's lots of good advice on freezing and making stuff in advance.
Recipe for Choc. Mousse - fine for Vegetarians as there isn't any gelatin in this.
9ozs. approx. a very good quality chocolate (preferably)
5 ozs. unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1 ozs. icing sugar
1 tablspn. dark rum or orange juice
Line a loaf tin (or tin of choice) with Klingfilm. Overlapping the sides so you can wrap it once the tin is filled.
Either very carefully in your micro*, or using a bain-marie, melt the chocolate and butter.
Stir so it's smooth and glossy.
Cool slightly.
Add rum/orange juice - stir well.
Beat egg whites till softly peaky, and add the icing sugar - whisk till soft peak stage.
Beat about 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate, then fold in the remainder.
Pour into your tin, wrap and freeze. Once frozen wrap again.
This will need defrosting before you can eat it, but dont over-defrost - it should still be a little firm.
* You can melt the chocolate and butter - until just melting. Take the bowl out of the micro and keep stirring until melted. You have to be pretty careful with this, so as not to over-micro it. If you do - adding a little boiling water may bring it back!
I like this served with a Dried Fruit salad (and cream) - just an easy fruit salad with sultanas, raisins, maybe prunes, cherries and figs, apricots - whatever you have handy. Place in a saucepan with water just to cover, sugar to taste (include a little honey or maple syrup) - cook gently until fruit is soft, add a small amount of cinnamon - cool and refrigerate. This keeps very well.
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