The 'must-know' Christmas cooking tips from Scotland's best chefs - including how to get the ‘crispiest roast potatoes’

It’s the time of year when some of us will be donning our aprons and gearing up to cook the feast of all feasts - Christmas dinner. Whether you’re cooking turkey and all the trimmings, or something a bit different such as duck, we’ve got some top tips from Scotland’s best chefs to ensure your dinner goes without a hitch.

Mark Donald, head chef at The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, the world’s first two Michelin-starred distillery had these tips: "Preparation is key, these two tips will allow you to focus more on the last minute bits and free up oven and stove space at crucial times throughout the day: For the crispiest roast potatoes, par boil them the day before, let them steam off and dry out in the fridge. They will be crispier when cooked and your stove is free for other things.

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“For turkey, season and place in the oven at 60 degrees Celsius on Christmas eve, leaving it in all night. (around 10-12 hours). On Christmas morning, crank the oven to 220 Celsius until the skin is golden. Remove from the oven and let rest, basting the turkey as it cools.”

Fellow head chef at one of Scotland’s Michelin Star restaurants, Lorna McNee, advises on having a meat thermometer handy especially for a baked ham recipe. She said: “You will need a meat thermometer to get the cooking just right. A meat thermometer is a useful tool that can be used for all sorts of dishes and will really help to elevate your home cooking.”

Chris Rowley, executive head chef and co-owner of Ballintaggart had this advice on keeping your turkey moist. He said: “Brine your bird! Don’t miss out on this crucial step which not only prevents the bird drying out but can also add festive favour. What is the best way to brine? Use a 5% salt solution (50 grams of salt per litre of water). Adding festive flavours to the brine adds interest, cloves, rosemary, cinnamon, star anise or even fennel will all add a festive twist.

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“Another top tip to prevent the bird drying and save time constantly basting it is to soak two household j clothes in melted butter and cover the bird in them. The butter will keep the bird moist throughout the long cooking time and give the skin a wonderful golden colour. Remove the j clothes before resting to prevent them sticking. And when it comes to resting, you should do this for as long as the roasting time. If your roasting time is 3.5 hours, rest it for up to 3.5 hours. The bird will keep its heat if covered in foil. This frees up your oven space for all the trimmings.

“Finally for the other courses, get ahead. Curing a side of Scottish trout in your favourite gin and fruit and freezing it ahead of time will mean all you need to do on the big day is slice and go! We of course use Ballintaggart gin, orange and peppercorns which works perfectly for this. Serve simply with lemon, leaves and Scottish crème fraiche.”

Claire Waddell

Paul Wedgwood, owner of Wedgwood the Restaurant said that oven and stove space is always an issue on Christmas Day so take a little bit of time on Christmas Eve to prepare some menu items in advance. He said: “Remember, most of your vegetables can be peeled and prepared the day before.” Post-Christmas is a great time to get creative as Mr Wedgwood advises: “When it’s cold outside and the shops are shut its important to be using all your leftovers. To add those extra touches to your menu and give it the wow factor without any extra preparation, try miniaturising yesterday’s starter and main course to become a couple of little amuse bouche or yesterday’s dessert to serve today as a mini pre-dessert. Remember you can also make soup out of most of your leftovers . . . be creative.”

Mark Greenaway of Grazing By Mark Greenaway has this simple piece of advice when it comes to gravy. He said: “The best way to thicken gravy is to mash one of your roast potatoes and stir it through the gravy. Yes, this means sacrificing one of the roasties but it is really worth it and saves messing around with flour.” He also had some advice on keeping sides interesting, saying: “Jazz up your Christmas dinner table with some interesting side dishes. Roast your Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta. Bring carrots to life by cooking them in orange juice with some orange zest, butter and star anise.” Finally, on dessert Mr Greenaway said: “Make a large dessert that can be shared by everyone and make sure that there is plenty of it so that you can enjoy the leftovers in the following days. Choose something that can be prepared in advance like a trifle or a cinnamon and brioche bread and butter pudding. This gives more time for a stress-free Christmas and allows for time to actually enjoy the day. If you are choosing to make a baked dessert, then it is essential to make it the day before as oven space is prime real estate on Christmas morning.”

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If you’re cooking duck for the main meal, Bryan Coghill, of Jack ‘O' Bryan’s Bar & Kitchen in Dunfermline has this advice: “You'll know when the duck is done when the leg joints feel loose when you wiggle them, and remember to let the duck rest for 10–20 minutes before serving. You’ll also want to save the fat as it can be used for roasting vegetables, sautéing vegetables, or adding to beans and rice. You can also save the carcass for making soup stock. We waste nothing here in our restaurant and make flavoured butters from meat fat as well.” He’s currently writing a cookbook, and his popular duck and cherry recipe will feature, much to the delight of customers.

No matter what, or how you’re cooking this Christmas, we hope it’s a delicious one.