Having the weight of producing an epic Christmas dinner on your shoulders can cause major stress - particularly if it’s your first time hosting.
The minefield that is the perfectly cooked turkey is difficult enough without adding the complication of roasting a great fillet of ham to accompany it.
While many online tutorials list complicated ways of how to cook a great turkey, getting the Christmas ham right is also easier said than done.
READ MORE: Ireland snow forecast as Met Eireann issues White Christmas verdict
So, as many families prepare for the big day, we decided to unearth an interview with celebrity chef, Donal Skehan, who gave stellar advice on the perfect ham.
He told RSVP Live that ham should be an easy thing to cook because you can prepare it in advance in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
However, he revealed the big mistake that people make is getting the timings wrong, saying: "It all comes down to timing. Ham is one of the easier things to make because you can make it in advance.
"You can make it the day before, unlike turkey which needs to be done on the day."
He joked: "I once made Christmas ham but I ended up with pulled pork because I went out for a walk and got my timings wrong."
"The dog ate very well that year."
If you’re not a major fan of turkey, ham can also act as the centre piece to your Christmas meal with a bit of time and effort put into it.
He said: "Over the last 12 years of writing recipes, I always come back to the classics and the ones I love the most.
"I have a great recipe for plum and star anise Christmas ham and it is my favourite one to do because it is sweet and sticky.
"It is one of those recipes that gives a wow factor because it is visually appealing, it is glossy and ruby red. It is a really handy one, I have been rolling it out for years and it always gets great results."
Donal also advised that you should make your gravy ahead of time so you can focus on other parts of the cooking on the day and reduce your stress levels in the kitchen.
He said: "Over the years I have always tried to find a shortcut to make things more simple with gravy.
"One of the best tips I have found is to make your gravy ahead of time.
"Get your chicken wings and core vegetables and bake or roast them all in the oven.
"You strain them with chicken stock and you simmer it down, it creates this gravy that you can have in a pot ready to go. You don’t have to worry about it.
"You can use your turkey juices to add into the mix as well, so you will get this rich gravy without sweating over the pot.
“Making it in advance is the way to go if you want a stress free and successful Christmas gravy."
READ NEXT:
Woman's Westlife concert experience was 'constant reminder' of disability
Taoiseach Varadkar under fire for 'out of touch' video of first day in office
Woman left blind and unable to speak after fire at Dublin hostel
The Budget 2023 measures that will put more money in your pocket from January
Phil Hogan says Taoiseach and Tánaiste had 'campaign' to oust him after Golfgate
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
