Christmas dinner in a Newfoundland kitchen was never just about the turkey — it was about the whole spread, and the old ways held on longer here than anywhere else. The turkey went in the oven first thing in the morning, stuffed with a savoury bread dressing seasoned with summer savoury, while a pot of salt beef bubbled away beside it with cabbage, carrots and turnip. The two traditions — the roast from the mainland and the boiled dinner from the outports — came together on one table, and the family came together around it.
What makes it great is the sheer abundance: moist roast turkey with crisp skin, dressing that soaks up the pan juices, rich gravy made from the drippings, and that salty, tender boiled beef and vegetables on the side. It’s a dinner that takes most of the day and feeds everyone twice, and the leftovers make the best sandwiches of the year. However you serve it, the rule is the same — no one leaves the table hungry.
