The alternative Christmas dinner - with a fraction of the heartache

Joe McNamee ditches the big bird and the pig and considers some other dishes you can consider putting on the plate for your nearest and dearest this Yuletide.   

If I’m honest, tradition and nostalgia are probably the best dressing for turkey; strip them away and it seems a lot of effort for less than magnificent results.

After all, how many other times in the year are you driven to cook a meal that involves equal parts stamina, endurance and downright mulish determination: scouring the four corners of the globe for the perfect bird; brining the thing for an eternity; experimenting with this year’s latest basting technique; and ‘complementing’ with so many side dishes, guests will consume their ‘five-a-day’ for the next month.