Dawn French's Christmas Eve tradition is beans on toast with grated cheese and salad cream, a simple and delicious way to kick off the festive season.
Dawn French recalls a humorous memory from her time at boarding school when she mistakenly ate butter as cheese, leading to a comical situation.
Dawn French's dream side dish is string fries, thin and irresistible, which she prefers over thick-cut chips.
Deep dives
Pasty love
In her dream restaurant, the main course is a traditional Cornish pasty made by her own mother, or if not available, her husband's mother. She prefers them made with beef skirt and a traditional recipe, without any carrots. Dawn also shares that on Christmas Eve, her family has beans on toast with grated cheese and salad cream as their tradition.
Christmas Eve Delight
For Christmas Eve dinner, Dawn's tradition is beans on toast with grated cheese and salad cream. This easy and comforting meal has become the start of their Christmas celebration, preparing for the extravagance of the next day. It's a simple and delicious way to kick off the festive season.
Boarding School Delicacy
Dawn recalls her time at boarding school, where at the end of the day they would have bread and butter with jam, along with milk or tea. However, as a new student, she misunderstood and thought the butter was cheese, leading her to eat it as a cheese lover would. She had to pretend it was intentional when caught, and it became a humorous memory from her time at boarding school.
Christmas Dinner Nostalgia
Dawn reflects on filming Christmas episodes, remembering that she never actually ate the Christmas dinner during filming due to multiple takes and practical considerations. However, she discusses her favorite Christmas Eve dinner consisting of baked beans on toast with grated cheese and salad cream, a simple and comforting meal that marks the beginning of her Christmas festivities.
Dawn French's Dream Side Dish: String Fries
Dawn French's dream side dish is string fries, which she prefers over her husband's thick-cut chips. She describes them as thin and irresistible, and believes they are impossible to make at home. French also mentions dipping the fries in ketchup and mayo mixed together.
Dawn French's Dream Drink: Foy Valley Cider
Dawn French's dream drink is Foy Valley cider, made by her best friend's husband. She describes it as a light and heavenly cider, not too sweet or dry. French highlights that the apples used to make the cider come from the Foy Valley in Cornwall, where she lives.
Yuletide greetings to all! We’re back in national tredge territory for our first Christmas special of the year, as we welcome Dawn French to the Dream Restaurant.
Dawn French’s new book ‘The Twat Files’ is out now, published by Penguin. Buy it here.