For some people, it's not Christmas until the festive cookery specials start airing on TV. The cosy houses strewn with a hazardous number of candles. The "friends" enlisted to coo over the celebrity chef's quirky take on a Christmas dinner. The outlandish recipes we know we'll never attempt but like to pretend we might one day... eventually.
Yule kicked off last night for many BBC Two viewers thanks to Nigella’s Christmas special of At My Table. The hour-long show came complete with all the delicious clichés we've come to expect from our favourite celebrity chef – the enviable kitchen (which everyone knows isn't hers, but who really cares?), the coquettish sidelong glances to camera and even a trademark midnight fridge raid, complete with a red silken dressing gown.
Nothing like a midnight ice cream to start Christmas right. 🕛🌙🍦😋 #Nigella #AtMyTable pic.twitter.com/WfUDpYWQxA
— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) December 11, 2017
Watching Nigella, who's well-known for cooking and behaving as if every day is Christmas, in the company of Twitter was almost as amusing and satisfying as the show itself.
nigella popping into town for supplies #Nigella pic.twitter.com/Dhhqu7G4ws
— Matt Sheriff (@i71Sheriff) December 11, 2017
I mean... #nigella pic.twitter.com/oc2xdFa8zy
— Tom Miller (@onceuponatom) December 11, 2017
#Nigella - straight through the door and onto the vodka. She doesn't mess around! pic.twitter.com/DhpgAA2lp1
— James Ward (@jamesward01) December 11, 2017
On the menu were roast duck with orange, soy and ginger, parmesan mashed potato gratin, devilled eggs, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate pistachio meringue cookies and a Christmas martini. While the recipes were all characteristically decadent, viewers were particularly concerned about Nigella's liberal use of one ingredient: salt, with many claiming her guests' health was at risk. Cranberries, eggs and caramel were all sprinkled with alarming quantities of the stuff.
Nigella sprinkling the salt #Nigella pic.twitter.com/yuFBGW8EFw
— Matt Sheriff (@i71Sheriff) December 11, 2017
Steady on with the salt #Nigella
— Dominic (@yoswansrock) December 11, 2017
The roads need gritting tonight!
Blue planet 3 cancelled as #Nigella has used all the fucking salt in the sea
— Rob (@magic_goats) December 11, 2017
'#Nigella At My Table,' A Review: Salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt and "a sprinkling of salt."
— Amanda (@LockwoodKT) December 11, 2017
#Nigella attempting to kill her guests with salt poisoning!
— Geraint (@_fueled_by_tea) December 11, 2017
OK. Loving Nigella this series. But can we talk about how much salt she’s adding to everything? pic.twitter.com/0FO6LXqj5O
— David Gregory-Kumar (@DrDavidGK) December 12, 2017
Some were concerned about the menu for other reasons...
Sprouts and devilled egg's? Going to be a windy Christmas round Nige's #nigella
— Chris Durning (@rtisantraveller) December 11, 2017
Others were more amused by Nigella's fascination with fairy lights, which admittedly was weird considering how au fait she must be with them at this point, and her typically flamboyant language.
Find you a man who looks at you the way Nigella looks at fairy Christmas lights #NigellasChristmasTable #nigella pic.twitter.com/PxXcMC6awU
— Tweet_Dec The Halls🎄 (@Tweet_Dec) December 11, 2017
God bless #Nigella looking at those Christmas lights. She was on a different planet there. pic.twitter.com/5XzSyCNcoT
— Lady Laura (@LawaLaura) December 11, 2017
Yes.....you heard her! Describing crispy duck skin, she did say 'quackling'.#Nigella
— Denis Spillane (@spillaneda) December 11, 2017
Some people just seemed rather turned on by the whole experience.
I know everyone complains about noises on cookery shows but #nigella peeling that orange was fucking sexual
— 🎄Rachel Christmas Dai-ley🎄 (@RachelCDailey) December 11, 2017
We're already counting down the days until next year's special.
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