The festive season is the time when your kitchen works the hardest. From lunch on the day itself to cooking delicious canapés for guests on Christmas Eve, or rustling up a quick evening snack for hungry carol singers, it’s definitely a busy time.
Having the right equipment to hand will definitely help you prepare delicious festive meals in a flash, so we’ve put together our top five pieces that we think will help to make all your Christmas meals festive and bright.
1. Serving Platter
For most of us the turkey will be the star of this year’s show but whether you’re having a large bird, a joint, fish or a fabulous veggie dish, sitting it on a gorgeous platter will help to give it the gravitas it deserves. Each year, renowned ceramics specialist Emma Bridgewater releases new festive patterns and this time it’s the delightful Scandi-style Christmas Joy and Reindeer. The new Christmas Joy medium platter features a stylish Nordic red and green border (£59.95).
2. Mixer
If you’ve been inspired by the return to our screens of the kitchen goddess Nigella Lawson, with Nigella: At My Table, and want to replicate her delicious meals for your family then you might want to invest in one of her favourite pieces of kit. Pride of place on her worktop goes to the KitchenAid Artisan mixer in the colour choice of the moment, copper (£739). It’s definitely become covetable kitchen appliance, particularly when she demonstrated that it’s not just essential for whisking up eggs and making cakes by spiralising potato to make deliciously crunchy late-night snack. Who could resist?
3. Knives
Everyone knows that carving a joint without a sharp knife is bound to result in a shredded mess, rather than delicious slices, and possibly a trip to A&E, too. So, ensure you get it right with a knife that’s comfortable to hold, is razor sharp and cuts beautifully. Robert Welch is a renowned maker of cutlery and has a huge array of specialist knives. The 2-piece carving set, which comprises an 18cm fork and 23cm carving knife is made from forged German stainless steel will make light work of any roast (£85).
4. Roasting Dish
If you’re fed up with roasting dishes that bend and buckle in the oven and are hard to get completely clean then buying one with a non-stick surface could be worth the investment. At £140 from Divertimenti, the Mauviel M’pure non-stick medium roasting pan is definitely a considered buy. Mauviel is renowned for making cookware for professional and commercial markets and it’s products are designed to take a hammering from restaurant kitchens so it should last for many a Christmas dinners to come.
Divertimenti opens its doors later this month for a Christmas Cookery event, hosted in the Harvey Jones demonstration kitchen. Join Rachel Green on Wednesday 29th November as she takes us through a series of delicious seasonal recipes.
5. Cookery Book
All the gear but no idea as the saying goes? Well, there are a plethora of new cookbooks gracing our shelves this year that are not only fabulous presents but could stand you in good stead when the hordes arrive expecting wonderful home-cooked food. Of course, as we mentioned before, the lovely Nigella has a new show and her cookbook to accompany the series is filled to the brim with scrumptious meals for family and friends. If you fancy something a little easier, then the ever-reliable Jamie Oliver’s latest tome, 5 Ingredients – Quick and Easy should help you to create a feast from just five key items (plus store cupboard ingredients). Finally, Nigel Slater’s The Christmas Chronicles (£11.99) is his love letter to winter and is set to be a classic for years to come. Featuring recipes, decorations, fables and quick fireside suppers, the book guides you through the essential preparations for Christmas and the New Year, with everything you need to enjoy the winter months. Happy cooking!
With less than six weeks to go until Christmas, there is much to prepare for the festive season. Keep an eye on our blog for more seasonal ideas.
Ready to start designing your kitchen for the New Year? Our 80 page brochure is full of inspiration to help draw together ideas that you can discuss with our expert designers. Request your copy here.
