Gluten Free Christmas Dinner

I used to hate Christmas! A gluten free Christmas meant I missed out on a lot of the goodies and was forever hearing "Don't let Carol have any of that!" and "You are not allowed to eat that!". I felt deprived and hated to see everyone else tucking in to all the treats while I sat hungry on the side lines.

Now this was a long time ago, when I was a child, before it became much easier to cater for a gluten free Christmas. Back then all that was available for the celiac diet was flour, which needed to be ordered especially from Ireland, and cardboard tasting bread that came in a cylindrical red tin.

This year I will enjoy Christmas and I hope to help you see that you can too. I would like to share my tips on how to make it a happy occassion for everyone. So read on and learn the things you need to watch out for along with delicious gluten free recipes.

Turkey - Gluten free gravy - Vegetables

Let's start with the turkey

No problem there you might think? But stop! There is something to watch out for. You need to avoid self basting turkeys as they may have been injected with a hydrolyzed vegetable protein which is wheat based. Another danger to be aware of is any flavouring that may have been added.

What sized turkey do you need?

A good rule of thumb is to allow 10-12 oz uncooked meat per person. If you are serving duck this would change to 4-6oz uncooked per person, and for goose allow 8-12oz.

How long does a turkey take to cook?

The following times are a good guideline for turkey cooking times in an oven at 190 degrees centrigrade.

1.5 - 2.5 kg (3 - 5lb) 1.5 to 1.75 hours or 1.75 to 2 hours in foil

3-3.5kg (6-7lb) 1.75 - 2 hours or 2 - 2.25 hours in foil

4-4.5kg (8-9lb) 2 - 2.5 hours or 2.5 - 2.75 hours in foil

5-5.5kg (10-11lb) 2.25-2.75 hours or 2.5-3 hours in foil

6-6.5kg (12-13lb) 2.75-3 hours or 3-3.25 hours in foil

7-8.5kg (14-17lb) 3.25-3.5 hours or 3.75-4 hours in foil

The weights in the table above relate to a stuffed bird. Read this page for tasty gluten free stuffing recipes.

Once the bird is cooked allow another 15 minutes for it to rest before serving time (out of the oven).

For a large turkey it may cook better if you first lay the bird on its side and cook for half the time before turning it over. This way the heat penetrates the legs ensuring they are cooked properly.

To keep the turkey moist you need to put plenty of butter on the breast and you may also like to lay bacon rashers on top, remembering to remove them 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time to allow the breast to brown.

Tasty gluten free gravy

The gravy is another area where you need to be careful if cooking a gluten free Christmas dinner. I am often asked questions like "Is OXO gluten free?" or "how do I thicken gluten free gravy?". Well OXO is not gluten free, neither is Bisto or many other brand name mixes. The recipe below, however, is safe to eat and delicious.

giblets and neck from turkey
bay leaf
black peppercorns, about 5 or 6
1 small onion, sliced
salt
1 .2 litres (2 pints) water
5 tbsp roasting juices from turkey
4 tbsp arrowroot or cornflour

Place the giblets, neck, bay leaf, peppercorns and onion in the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hour. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Gently heat the turkey juices in the roasting pan. Sprinkle in the arrowroot or cornflour and stir until smooth.

Stir in the reserved stock and increase the heat until the gravy comes to the boil, by which time it should be smooth and thick. Pour into a serving dish or jug.

Vegetables to accompany your gluten free Christmas dinner

You now need some tender vegetables to serve with your roast turkey, gluten free gravy and stuffing.

Crunchy roast potatoes

Peel and cut enough potatoes into chunks for each person to have 3 to 4 pieces each.

Par-boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes until just tender. Drain and return to the pan. Place the pan back on the heat and shake vigorously for a few moments to roughen up the surface of the potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a roasting pan in the oven.

Turn the potatoes into the pan and roll in the oil to coat. Return the tin to the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.

Brussells sprouts with almonds

500g (1lb) Brussels sprouts
25g (1 oz) butter
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove any untidy outer leaves from the Brussels and cut a cross in the bottom of any large ones. Boil in salted water for 8-10 minutes or until they are tender. Drain and keep hot.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flaked almonds and garlic. Fry until the almonds are golden. Add the lemon rind and juice and season well.

Sprinkle the almonds over the sprouts and serve.

Another great vegetable to serve with your gluten free Christmas dinner is:

Cauliflower with apple

450g (1lb) cauliflower
75g (3oz) butter
2 dessert apples, cored and sliced

Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut into florets.

Place in a steamer or colander over boiling water and steam until tender. (To save space on the top of the stove you could be cooking something else in the pan beneath the cauliflower, such as the stock for the gravy.)

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan then add the apples and saute gently for about 10 minutes until they are golden. Try not to break them up by stirring too roughly.

Add the cauliflower to the saucepan and continue cooking until it is also golden. Serve.

A gluten free Christmas dinner can be rather rich. Why not serve baked onions to help lower the blood fat levels.

Baked Onions

1 onion for each person
100ml (2 tsp) oil
150ml (1/4 pint) stock
freshly ground black pepper

Cut the roots off the onions but do not peel them.

Place in a roasting tin and brush them with the oil. Pour the stock into the tin then bake in a low oven (150 degrees C) for 1.5 hours or until they are soft when gently squeezed.

Place onions on serving dish and gently run a knife blade across the top in both directions to cut a cross. Peel back the skins and sprinkle black pepper on the tops. Serve.

I hope his page helps you to enjoy a safe, gluten free Christmas dinner.

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