I am lucky because my husband cooks Christmas dinner in my house and does an incredible job. But it is a lot of work and getting the bird right takes time, care and patience. So this got me thinking that perhaps it is time to mix things up and have a year when my husband can serve up a fabulous roast without the basting.
And frozen food specialists Iceland may just have the answer. As part of their luxury Christmas range, Iceland will be stocking their 'Luxury Perfect Beef Wellington' with pork and mushroom stuffing wrapped in all butter puff pastry. It says it serves six and is priced at £26, so is it worth it? After defrosting in the fridge overnight, the Wellington needs no preparation, so is simple to cook, just popping in the oven.
We tend to turn things over in our oven midway through, just because not all ovens are built equally and no one wants a soggy bottom. So while you are waiting for the Wellington, you can take the time to prepare veggies and gravy, or whatever you might like. I will say, it smelled amazing while cooking and the cute pastry stars were a lovely festive touch.
You are advised to egg wash the pastry ahead of cooking to give it a lovely golden crust. Taking it out and carving it was very grand, you could easily see yourself cutting this rather than a turkey come December 25. You get a lot of meat in this for £26 and I would say it does serve six, but some people might want a little more meat, so this is the perfect time to add some of the Iceland .