Head Chef James McKay reveals the meticulous planning that goes into cooking for many people on Christmas Day.
James says there will be around forty turkey crowns cooked and prepared over the course of Christmas Day at Horizons, the in house restaurant at Pettycur Bay and The Bay Hotel. He explained that there is an enormous amount of planning which goes into making the day a success.
He said: “Our festive turkey comes from local suppliers, Fife Creamery.
“Our other butchery products such as our stuffing, chipolatas and beef fillet that we will use on Christmas Day, come from Hendersons The Butcher who have been suppliers for twelve years. The quality from both companies is always first rate.”
Horizons also uses David Lowrie, the fish merchant to create the perfect festive fare.
James said: “Please feel sorry for me in that I have to estimate how many brussel sprouts we will use this December – it will be thousands.
“Fresh Express, based in Glenrothes are our veg supplier. They do a fantastic job keeping us well topped up with everything we need throughout December. We have very reliable and trusted local suppliers that never let us down.
“We missed a few years with our Christmas Day dining due to the pandemic.
“It was brought back last year as a result of demand. We had customers who had always had their Christmas Day Lunch with us – they were keen to see its return. It’s a real treat to go out and have your festive feast made for you. Needless to say, we were fully booked last year, with only a few spaces to fill this year.
“Overall, in the month of December, we will use around 1,000 portions of turkey, as we have our Festive Fare dining available from 1 to 24 December.
“It’s a great team effort to keep the Christmas Dinners coming out of the kitchen.
“It’s very satisfying though to know that people are getting together with family and friends, and that they’ve chosen to come to Horizons.”
Every year, James starts planning his Christmas menus in May – and he has the experience of a dozen Christmas Days as Head Chef behind him.
He said: “I’ve prepared enough Christmas Dinners here over the years to know what goes down well with our customers, but it’s a case of thinking well, can I put a fresh spin on a classic, will I present something completely new this year or not?”
This year’s menu includes starter courses such as warm crab and ginger tart, terrine of chicken, parma ham and mushrooms, and cream of tomato and mascarpone soup.
Main courses include everyone’s favourite festive bird – James cooks a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings.
He said: “But if turkey is not for you, I’ve got a succulent scotch beef fillet on the menu too, or a parsnip, butternut squash and thyme tart.
“Christmas Day wouldn’t be Christmas Day without traditional Christmas Pudding. It’s joined on the menu by a Bramley apple cheesecake, and a rich chocolate and pear tart.”
Christmas Day Dining at Horizons, taking place from noon until 4pm, costs £85 per person for adults, with children under 12 priced at £20.95.
Call 01592 892222 to book
