The Group Executive Chef at Trigon Hotels (Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel), Alex Petit has outlined his top tips for reducing stress around cooking this year's Christmas dinner.

The French native said: "Christmas is a wonderful time of the year when family and friends are together. But that joy can sometimes be overshadowed by the worry of cooking the Christmas dinner. I know only too well about the pressures of preparing a meal so I’ve outlined a few pointers to help on the big day."

His five tips for cooking a stress - free Christmas dinner are:

1. Lists are your friend: A food thermometer takes away the worry of undercooking the turkey. There are a number of moving parts on the day, you don’t need the stress of wondering if the main part of the dinner is cooked correctly.
2. Get a good meat thermometer: Make your hotel part of the gifting season by offering gift vouchers for weekend getaways, dinner-and-stay packages, or even Sunday brunch. Vouchers are a practical and thoughtful option for last-minute shoppers, and they not only generate revenue now but also encourage future bookings that can extend beyond the festive season.
3. Prepare what you can the night before: Peel and wash vegetables and potatoes the night before and put them into cold water. Select desserts you can make ahead like trifles and cheesecake to save you time on the big day.
4. It doesn’t have to be Instagram perfect: A lot of people focus on the presentation of the food. Every dish doesn’t have to look social media ready - the most important thing is spending quality time with your loved ones.
5. Keep it light-hearted and fun: It’s a special time of the year - friends and family are home and you are together. Get them involved and enjoy spending quality time with them.

Alex shares his recipe for the ultimate stuffing.

Sausage meat and cranberry stuffing

Ingredients:
75 g butter
1 onion, diced
2 tsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme)
50 g fresh cranberries
50 g dried cranberries
175 g fresh white breadcrumbs
225 g Rosscarbery free range pork sausage meat
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. In a medium size pan, melt the butter and add the finely diced onions.
2. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and add the dried and fresh cranberries.
3. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the sausage meat, breadcrumbs and fresh herbs.
6. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the cooled butter mix and mix until fully combined.
8. You can either stuff the turkey with this stuffing or else bake it separately in a preheated oven at 170 degree celsius for 25 minutes.

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