The most contemplative time of the year is just around the corner: Christmas. Whether it's potato salad, Christmas goose, or raclette – what's your family tradition? Do you have the same thing on the table every year? That's over now! Unpack your SKOTTI and sing a few Christmas carols around the grill: Ready, set, go. Of course, any other grill is also suitable for these recipes. With our insider tip – a barbecue at Christmas – you'll ensure a special gift.

Grilling in winter: Dos and don'ts!

To ensure your barbecue on Christmas Eve or any of the other Christmas days doesn't turn into a fiasco, we're giving you helpful tips for a surefire Christmas barbecue meal. To ensure safe grilling at all times, consider using winter gas in cold temperatures. Our other tips for grilling in winter include:

1. Heat-resistant grill gloves keep your hands warm and provide a comfortable grip. Regular gloves have no place on the grill.
2. It's cold and wet? Still, using your gas grill indoors or, for example, in your garage is a definite no-go . Make sure you have a roof that protects you from wind and rain. If you don't have a permanent patio roof, consider using a gazebo – this is possible with a gas grill.
3. Before you start cooking, check your grill for proper functionality. Is there any unwanted dirt or defects?
4. Allow enough time to prepare your Christmas menu on the grill—the cold will require more work than usual. Also, keep plenty of gas on hand.
5. It is best to grill with the matching lid – the SKOTTI CAP – to make the best use of the heat and not waste endless time on the grilling process.
6. Prepare your grilled food and accessories: Get everything ready before you start. This will save you valuable time in the cold.
7. Do you spend a lot of time at the grill? How about a radiant heater to prevent you from getting hypothermia or freezing your fingers?
8. Use winter gas, which is specifically designed for winter temperatures. We use this gas at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius.

Christmas barbecue recipes: Our top 3

To ensure your Christmas menu is a true feast for the palate, we've prepared three of our favorite recipes for you to sweeten the festivities with family and friends. Surprise your guests with a high-quality barbecue menu. Forget the Christmas stress and start the evening well-prepared.

1. Lamb fillet with chestnut and red wine sauce and sweet potato pancakes

The first tasty recipe is a lamb fillet with a delicious sauce. Did you know that lamb is highly valued in diets? It's rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and niacin. Lean lamb contains an average of only four percent fat, and this is also of a special quality. And it's especially delicious if you know a great recipe for it. Oh, there's one right now:

For 2 servings you need:

• 3 lamb fillets
• 150 g cooked chestnuts
• 1 large onion
• 100 g bacon cubes
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch of parsley
• some chives
• 1 tsp starch
• 200 ml red wine
• Salt
• pepper
• oil

Here's how:

Finely dice the chestnuts and onion, chop the parsley and chives, and grate the sweet potatoes.

Sauté the chestnut and onion cubes along with the bacon cubes in a little oil in the SKOTTI BOKS, deglaze with red wine, and let it simmer slightly. Then season with salt and pepper.

Then grill the lamb fillets briefly on all sides and place them in the BOKS with the sauce to keep warm.

Now it's time for the side dishes. Mix grated sweet potatoes, parsley, chives, and starch into a batter. Using a tablespoon, fry small pancakes in oil on the SKOTTI plancha until golden brown on both sides.

Then grill the fillets briefly until crispy and serve everything together. Enjoy.

2. Duck leg skewers

How about poultry for Christmas? Duck, along with goose, is a regular feature on many people's Christmas tables. Potato gratin or potato dumplings are perfect winter side dishes. Here we present a particularly delicious dish from Klaus Breinig.

All you need:

• 2 duck legs (250 g each)
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 oranges (preferably organic)
• 300 g lamb's lettuce
• salt, pepper
• olive oil

And it's that easy:

Remove the bones from the duck legs and cut the meat into thick strips.

Wash the orange and finely grate the zest. Then mix the zest with a little salt and pepper and add it to the meat.

Remove the pomegranate seeds, reserving the juice. Add the juice to the meat and mix well. Then cut the orange flesh into chunks or segments.

Place the meat on the SKOTTI-PIKES and grill it until crispy on all sides – this takes about 15 minutes.

Place some lamb's lettuce on a plate and garnish with pomegranate seeds and orange segments. Finally, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and arrange the grilled skewers on top of the salad.

Bon appetit!

3. Mulled wine and bacon jam

Making your own jam? No problem with your SKOTTI. A truly Christmassy mulled wine version will really get you in the mood for breakfast. It also makes a wonderful little gift for friends and family.

You need:

• 2 oranges
• 1 lemon
• 300 g bacon cubes
• 300 g diced onions
• 250 g brown sugar
• 20 g ginger
• 1 tbsp pink peppercorns
• tsp cinnamon
• Salt
• 200ml red wine

And it's that easy:

Peel the oranges, lemon and ginger and then cut them into small pieces.

Sauté the bacon and onion cubes in the BOKS, then stir in the ginger, orange, and lemon cubes. Add a little salt and peppercorns, followed by the cinnamon and sugar.

Pour in the red wine. Cover with a lid (without a rubber seal) and simmer until the mixture reaches the consistency of jam. This takes about 25 minutes. Pour into a clean preserving jar – done!

The SKOTTI team wishes you a magical Christmas!