With Christmas fast approaching, now’s a great time to check you’re stocked up with all the kit you need to cook up a storm on the big day.
Use our handy kitchen checklist to get these essentials on standby and you’ll find prepping and cooking Christmas dinner a breeze…
1. BLENDER
Having a blender on hand will help you blitz up leftovers to make soup in no time.
2. TEA TOWELS
These bad boys are going to be essential for grabbing things out of the oven when you can’t find your mitts, and of course for the worst part of Christmas dinner – washing up.
3. MEAT THERMOMETER
Checking your turkey is the right temperature will help you cook it to juicy perfection, without worrying about whether it’s over- or undercooked. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh where you want the internal temperature to reach 70ºC.
4. BAKING PAPER
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a bit of home baking. Line your tins and trays with baking paper to avoid things sticking (and to reduce washing up!).
5. GREASEPROOF PAPER
If you’ve got lots of leftover butter from Christmas, try smashing it up in a pestle and mortar with fresh herbs and garlic. Then, roll it up in greaseproof paper to form a log shape and pop in the fridge for future meals. You could also try Jamie’s gorgeous cranberry Christmas butter recipe.
6. KITCHEN PAPER
Chaos in the kitchen is a Christmas rite of passage. For many, it’ll be the most people you’ll have in your kitchen at once all year, so chances are there’ll be some spillages. Have some kitchen paper nearby to mop them up quickly and all will be well.
7. WOODEN SPOON
An essential for everyday cooking, from stirring gravy to spooning sneaky tastes of sauces.
8. CLINGFILM
Save faffing around with tupperware for midweek meals. After dinner, simply wrap some clingfilm over your leftovers and pop them in fridge – then return to your Christmas day!
9. STRONG TIN FOIL
Cover your turkey with strong tin foil for the first part of cooking to ensure it stays lovely and juicy, then cover it again when it’s resting with tin foil and tea towels for up to 2 hours, giving you plenty of time to crack on with everything else.
10. COLANDER
Perfect for draining veggies and spuds, and crucial for chuffing and fluffing up those spuds ready for roasting.
11. FOOD PROCESSOR
It might seem like a bulky bit of kit to have around at such a busy time, but a food processor will come in super-handy when you’re prepping Christmas dinner.
12. MEASURING JUG
For stock, gravy and generally measuring out your liquids, a good jug is essential.
13. PASTRY BRUSH
To slap a quick egg wash over over your lovely pastry dishes.
14. SERVING SPOON
To dish up the big meal! Have a good one on hand that you can use for everything.
15. FINE GRATER
Use a fine grater to grate horseradish over smoked salmon, lemon or orange zest into your stuffing, or nutmeg into your bakes.
16. LADLE
Use a ladle to serve up scoops of gravy on the big day and soup made with leftovers after the main event.
17. TONGS
A good set of tongs could be the most handy utensil of them all – great for lifting the bird out of the roasting tin and transferring to a platter to rest, allowing all the juices to run out of the cavity into the veg trivet. They’ll also come in useful for turning roasties during cooking and serving carved turkey.
18. SPEED PEELER
You’re likely to be peeling a lot of spuds so a good speed peeler is essential! It’ll also come in handy after Christmas for making delicate salads to accompany your leftovers or for parties.
19. SIEVE
When it comes to great gravy, a sieve is your best friend. Simply push all the goodness through so you’re left with a lovely, smooth gravy to accompany the most important feast of the year.
20. SCISSORS
For cutting into packaging and snipping string off your turkey.
21. MIXING BOWLS
Great for baking and separating ingredients, it’s well worth having a few different-sized mixing bowls on hand over the festive season.
22. KITCHEN STRING
Kitchen string will come in handy when you’re tying up Christmas puds or porchetta.
23. SCALES
A decent set of scales is a life-saver in the kitchen. Use them to weigh out ingredients for cakes, bakes and stuffings.
24. ROASTING TRAYS
Think about how many roasting trays you’ll need for the main meal – and don’t forget the roasties! It’s also important to check that you’ve got a tray big enough for your turkey (and that both your tray and the turkey will fit in your oven!).
25. SELECTION OF KNIVES
It’s always good to have a great set of knives, but it’s particularly important at Christmas when you’re often prepping lots of different dishes. We suggest having a bread knife, a carving knife, a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a couple of utility knives to hand.
26. CHOPPING BOARD
An absolute must-have to avoid ruining your work surfaces. Use different coloured boards for meat, fish and veg to avoid any Christmas mishaps! And remember – secure your chopping board by placing a damp cloth underneath, this will keep it in place for safe chopping.
Head to the Jamie Oliver store on Amazon and start getting your kit together.
