P.E.I. chef offers tips on stress-free holiday cooking

You're on the clock holiday cooks, but there's no need to fear. Chef Jeff McCourthas you covered with tips to make cooking the holiday meal stress-free.

It takes the pressure off the day off when you want to be spending time with friends and family.- Jeff McCourt

"As a chef it's all about your mise enplace."said McCourt, who owns Glasgow Glen Farm, an artisan cheese operationin New Glasgow.

Planning ahead is the best way to keep the big holiday meal stress free.

"We do up a holiday meal plan, break down each meal," saidMcCourt.

"It takes the pressure off the day off when you want to be spending time with friends and family."

In the McCourt family it means you shop early, not often, make a single run to the grocery store with the list of everything you'll need forthe holiday meal. Check your recipes in advance so you're not caughton Christmas Eve.

Now, to brine, or not to brine, that is the question.

"Turkey does not have a lot of inter-muscular fat, and that's what kind of gives tenderness to the meat, so you need to kind of tenderize that protein a little bit."

That's whyChef Jeff brines, which means adding another day to allow your turkey to sit in a cold bath of salt, sugar and water.

There are plenty of other tips the pros use too.

• Think about using fresh vegetablesor serving a holiday salad instead of putting every pot on the stove.
• Bake all your root vegetablestogether on single baking sheet adding flavour by caramelizingthem.
• Mashed potatoes can be done in advance and reheated at meal time.
• Use your BBQ to roast vegetables, or the rotisserieto cook a ham for the holiday meal.
• Build 30 minutes into your cooking plan to allow your meat to rest before serving.
• Use make-ahead meals in the days around Christmas that can easily be cooked in the oven.

McCourt said the most important thing is to make sure you'reahead far enough to spend time away from the kitchen on Christmas Day.

"It's important that we make memories for my kids, my parents didthe same thing" addedMcCourt.

"If I can make my job easierin the kitchen in all the planning, that's what I tend to focus on."