Mary Berry has her roast potato trick; Nigella’s got parsnip secrets up her sleeve.
But you can trust Gordon Ramsay to bring the Christmas magic when it comes to the festive season’s meatier dishes.
The celeb chef (correctly) shared on his site that “No Christmas dinner (or any Sunday roast) would be complete without classic pigs in blankets served alongside.”
To prevent pale, flavourless pork, though, he adds three patently un-traditional ingredients to provide a “delicious glaze.”
What are the secret ingredients?
Gordon mixes honey, wholegrain mustard, and soy sauce together in a bowl.
He doesn’t dress the sausages and bacon in it before they go in the oven, though ― instead, he drizzles the bangers in the sweet, sticky sauce once they’ve cooked for 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy around the edges.
Then, he puts the lot back into the oven to cook for another five to 10 minutes, basting the bacon-wrapped sausages in the sauce.
Once the glaze has thickened and the sausages look cooked, he says, you’re ready to go.
It’s a smart move, because the sugar in the sauce will caramelise ― leading to a crispy, flavourful bite.
The flavourful soy sauce and tangy mustard will add a punch and ensure the food doesn’t look pale and uncooked, too.
“The sausages, bacon and glaze can all be prepared separately up to a day ahead,” Gordon added.
You can keep the sausages in a covered baking tray in the fridge, while the glaze can stay at room temperature in a sealed container ― just be sure to give it a good mix before using it.
Any other advice?
If bacon-wrapped pigs in blankets aren’t your bag, you might want to try Nigella Lawson’s recipe, which dresses the sausages in cheese scone dough instead.
And if you’re a side dish purist, Mary Berry’s classic recipe is perfect.
If Gordon’s offerings don’t push the boat out far enough for you, though, you might want to try out the beloved recipe of Dean Parker, chef patron of Glasgow restaurant Celentano’s.
“We do like dates wrapped in bacon to go alongside the pigs in blankets,” he told HuffPost UK.
