Christmas Day - Turkey , Beef, Goose, Stuffing, Starters and sides.
STARTERS
Potted Stilton
PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 2 MINS plus 2 hrs chilling EASY MAKES 1 LARGE RAMEKIN
200g Stilton, rind removed, crumbled
140g butter, softened
2 tsp dry sherry
few green peppercorns in brine
Put the Stilton, 100g of the butter and Sherry in a bowl. Season with a few grinds of black pepper, then mash together well with a fork until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a large, sterilised ramekin or ceramic pot.
Melt the remaining butter in a small pan. Spoon over the cheese mixture, making sure it’s completely sealed. Top with a few green peppercorns and chill for a minimum of 2 hrs, or for up to 2 months.
Salmon, fennel & lime plates
PREP: 15 MINS no cook EASY SERVES 4
This is a fresh and light way to serve up smoked salmon
140g smoked salmon
1 fennel, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
juice 1 lime
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
a little black pepper
Divide the smoked salmon between 4 plates. Toss the fennel, red onion, lime juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil and a little black pepper. Arrange over the salmon and serve.
Note if fennel is not your cup of tea just use a few green salad leaves.
Pate
Pate (you can of course make it from scratch, but I would suggest for ease you buy a good quality one, and I will find some pate recipes in the new year for anyone that wants to make it) a nice alternative to Salmon and all you need to do is make toast or use any sort of savory biscuits.
Soup - Bisque soup or Stilton and asparagus soup
Here again you can make your own special soup or you can buy some really nice soups at any supermarket
Avocado salad
This super healthy salad would be great for any vegetarian
serves 2
4 Cos lettuce leaves, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 radishes, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
50g cucumber, cut into small cubes
25g flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
25g mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 avocado, chopped into chunky pieces
½ tbsp sumac (a crushed red, lemony berry; find it in Middle Eastern and Indian markets and online) (if this really is last minute you might have to leave this out, and use some other spice you have in the cupboard)
For the dressing
½ garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing, mix the crushed garlic with a pinch of salt, the lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside until ready to serve.
Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl, season and toss with the dressing just before serving. Serve with toasted pitta bread or crisp breads.
MAINS
Here I would say to you buy a turkey that fits in your oven, you could cook it the night before. follow the cooking instructions that come with your turkey, if its frozen make sure you allow enough time for it to thaw.
Crispy bacon-basted turkey
PREP: 25 MINS COOK: 3 HRS, 25 MINS - 4 HRS, 10 MINS plus up to 1 day salting (optional) and up to 1 hr resting MORE EFFORT SERVES 6 - 8
5kg-6kg oven-ready turkey, neck and giblets removed and saved for the Sticky port gravy (see 'Goes well with', far right)
2 thyme sprigs
1 onion, halved
1 lemon, halved
2 bay leaves
1 garlic bulb, halved
For the salt mix
85g flaky sea salt
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp crushed black pepper
For the crispy bacon butter
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces
140g butter, softened
1 tbsp maple syrup
If you have time the day before, salt the turkey. Make the salt mix by grinding the salt with the thyme leaves and pepper in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and season all over, inside and out, using about two-thirds of the salt. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for up to 24 hrs. If you don’t have time, or there is no room in the fridge, simply prepare the salt and season the turkey generously before roasting.
To make the bacon butter, gently cook the bacon in a dry frying pan for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the fat has seeped into the pan and is sizzling gently, and the bacon is crisp. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Scrape the bacon and the fat into a food processor with the butter and maple syrup. Blitz to combine, scraping down the sides of the processor from time to time. Roll up the butter in cling film to form a log and place in the fridge. Can be made a few days ahead or frozen for 1 month.
Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or so before you want to cook it. Remove the bacon butter from the fridge to soften up. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Calculate your cooking time based on 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg of the turkey, plus 45 mins for every kg after that.
Gently push your fingers under the skin of the turkey, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand in down the length of the breast. Take care not to tear the skin. Use your hands to spread the bacon butter under the skin so that it covers the entire breast area, and there is butter in the crevice between the thigh and the main body. Pop a sprig of thyme under the skin of each breast, then smooth the skin over with your buttery hands. Place the onion, lemon, bay leaves and garlic in the cavity.
Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time – 30 mins before the end of cooking, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, remove the foil, baste the turkey and return to the oven. When the turkey is beautifully brown and cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a warm platter covered in foil for up to 1 hr.
Pour the fat away from the roasting tin, leaving just the juices. If your tin is flameproof, pour in the Sticky Port gravy (see 'Goes well with', right) to reheat with the juices; if not, tip them both into a saucepan and reheat. Serve the remaining salt mix as a seasoning alongside the rest of the meal
Spiced roast beef with red wine gravy
PREP: 35 MINS COOK: 1 HR plus chilling and resting EASY SERVES 6 WITH LEFTOVERS
Marinade your fillet with peppercorn, fennel and mustard seeds then roast until rare - the gravy is gluten-free too!
2 tbsp mixed peppercorn
2 tbsp mustard seed, yellow or black, or 1 tbsp of each
2 tsp fennel seed
1½ kg fillet of beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp wholegrain or English mustard (check the brand is gluten-free)
3 red onion, skins left on, thickly sliced into rounds
a few thyme leaves, to serve (optional)
For the gravy
2 tbsp olive oil
1½-2 tbsp cornflour
2 gluten- and wheat-free beef stock cubes (check the label)
3-4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
400ml red wine
Up to 2 days before, crush together the peppercorns and seeds using a pestle and mortar, or in a saucepan with the end of a rolling pin or similar. Brush the beef fillet all over with the mustard, then roll in the peppercorn mix to coat. Cover and chill.
Two hours before you are ready to start cooking, take the beef out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a pan big enough to hold the beef, and brown the beef all over, seasoning with salt. In a roasting tin, use the onions as a bed to sit the beef on – pat on any spices that have fallen off. Roast for 20 mins for rare, 25 mins for medium, and 35 mins for well-done beef.
Lift the beef from the tin and rest on a platter, covered with foil to keep it hot, for about 30 mins. Set the tin with the onions and roasting juices over the hob and stir in the oil, cornflour and crumbled stock cubes. Mix in the jelly, then gradually stir in the wine and 400ml boiling water, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom. Simmer for 15 mins until reduced a little. Season, then sieve into a clean pan to keep warm, discarding the onions. Slice the beef, scatter over the thyme, if you like, and serve with the gravy.
Roast goose with potato & stuffing
PREP & COOK: 4 HRS, 30 MINS - 5 HRS (including 3.5 - 4hrs simmering and roasting)
MORE EFFORT SERVES 6
4½ kg oven-ready goose, neck, giblets and wishbone removed and saved for the stock
For the stock
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 bouquet garni (a sprig of thyme; 3-4 parsley stalks; 1 celery stick, sliced; and 6-7 peppercorns - all in a muslin bag)
For the potato stuffing
25g butter
450g onions, chopped
450g cooking apples, peeled and chopped
2 tsp thyme or lemon thyme leaves
2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice
900g floury potatoes, halved if large
3 tsp finely grated orange zest
To serve
bay leaves
Bramley apple sauce
Make the stock. Put the neck, giblets and wishbone from the goose into a large saucepan with the vegetables and bouquet garni. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil then simmer, half covered, for 11⁄2-2 hours. Strain the stock when it is ready. (You can make and strain the stock up to 24 hours ahead, and keep it in a covered container in the fridge.)
Make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes. Tip in the apples, thyme and orange juice and cook, covered, until the apples are soft and fluffy – about 10 minutes.
Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain and peel when cool enough to handle, then mash and add to the fruit and onion mixture with the zest and seasoning. Allow to get quite cold before stuffing the goose.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Season the cavity of the goose with salt and freshly ground pepper and rub a little salt into the skin. Stuff the cavity loosely and roast for about 2 hours. To test if it’s done, prick a thigh at the thickest part: the juices that run out should be clear. If they are still pink, the goose needs a little longer.
Put the goose on a serving platter and put it in a very low oven while you make the gravy. Spoon the fat from the roasting tin and save it in a covered container in the fridge – it will keep for months and is great for roast potatoes. Pour about 600ml/1 pint of the strained stock into the tin and bring to the boil on the hob. Using a small whisk, scrape the tin well to dislodge the flavourful meaty deposits. Taste, then strain and serve in a hot gravy boat. Serve the goose garnished with bay leaves and hand the gravy and apple sauce separately.
SIDES
Braised chestnuts, apples & Brussels sprouts
Spruce up your sprouts with pan-fried apples and sweet, melting chestnuts to give this classic Christmas side dish a delicious French twist
PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 35 MINS EASY SERVES 6
50g unsalted butter
400g raw peeled chestnut (or frozen raw peeled chestnuts, defrosted)
1 celery stick, cut into 1cm/½ in slices
1 Braeburn apple (about 100g/4oz), skin on, cored and cut into 8 segments
100ml water (or light chicken stock)
2 tsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
400g Brussels sprouts
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan on a low heat. Add the chestnuts, celery and apple, and cook gently for 4 mins. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and season with 1 tsp fine sea salt, 2 pinches freshly ground white pepper, the sugar and lemon juice. Cover and cook on a low heat (so that the bubbles are just breaking the surface) for 20-25 mins until soft and melting.
Meanwhile, blanch the sprouts in boiling salted water for 6 mins, then drain well. Add the sprouts to the chestnut pan, sizzle for 5 mins, then tip into a serving dish.
Best-ever roast potatoes
PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 1 HR, 40 MINS plus chilling EASY SERVES 8
3kg Maris Piper potatoes (we’ve tried lots of potatoes over the years and these are truly the best)
sunflower oil
A day or two before roasting, prepare the potatoes. You need chunks or whole potatoes roughly the size of a clementine, so peel and leave whole, halve or quarter accordingly. Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold, salted water – salting is important, so don’t skip it. Bring the water to the boil and simmer gently for about 15 mins until the potatoes are cooked all the way through but not on the brink of collapse. Gently drain the potatoes in a colander, but do not shake them or ruffle them up – just leave them to drain and cool. Once there is no more steam coming off them, place on a tray in a single layer and put them in the fridge, uncovered, until ready to roast.
Heat oven to 200C/180C/gas 6 (or put them in when you turn it up for the turkey). Pour oil into a deep roasting tin to give an even layer of about 0.5cm. Place the tin in the oven for 5 mins to heat the oil, then remove from the oven. One at a time and working methodically (starting at one corner of the roasting tin and lining them up as you go) place each potato in the oil and use a spoon to turn it so it’s completely coated. Don’t worry about the oil cooling down too much. Once all the potatoes are in the tin in a single layer, not touching, place the tin in the oven and cook for 40 mins, undisturbed.
Remove from the oven and – again, meticulously – turn each potato. Return to the oven for 20 mins, then repeat the potato-turning process again. If, at this stage, your other side dishes allow you to, turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and give the potatoes a final 20 mins. By now you should have potatoes that are everything a roastie should be: deep, golden and crunchy on the outside with an extra-fluffy middle – just sprinkle with a little sea salt to serve.
Parsnip, potato & St Gall cheese gratin
PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 2 HRS MORE EFFORT SERVES 6 - 8
3 large parsnips
4 large potatoes
4 onions, finely sliced
175g Irish St Gall cheese, mature cheddar or gruyere, grated
600ml double cream
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Use a Japanese mandolin or sharp knife to slice the parsnips and potatoes very thinly. Layer the parsnips and potatoes in a shallow gratin dish, sprinkling some cheese and onion and a little drizzle of the cream over each layer, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. The top layer should be potatoes and parsnips with a final sprinkling of cheese and drizzling of cream.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 2 hrs, alongside the pork. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 20 mins until golden. For a really golden brown top, finish under a hot grill if you like.
Red cabbage with juniper & pears
PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 1 HR, 10 MINS EASY SERVES 8
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onion, halved and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
30 juniper berries, chopped
1 red cabbage (about 1kg), quartered, cored and shredded
2 tsp ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp light muscovado sugar
600ml vegetable stock, made with 2 stock cubes
2 firm pears, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and sauté for about 8 mins. Stir in the garlic and juniper and cook for 1 min more. Add as much cabbage as you can and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, then make room for more and add the rest with the cinnamon, vinegar, sugar and stock.
Give everything a good stir, then cover the pan and leave to cook over a low heat for 35 mins, stirring occasionally and checking it isn’t catching on the bottom of the pan.
Add the pears and cook for 10-15 mins more, depending on their ripeness. If freezing, cook for just 5 mins. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1 week
Chestnut, bacon & cranberry stuffing
PREP: 30 MINS - 40 MINS COOK: 40 MINS
plus 1 hour to soak the cranberries EASY MAKES 24 STUFFING BALLS
100g dried cranberries
50ml ruby port
1 small onion, chopped
2 rashers unsmoked back bacon, cut into strips
50g butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
450g sausagemeat
140g fresh white or brown breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
140g peeled, cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough egg to bind – I find it easiest to use my hands. Fry a knob of stuffing in a little butter, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
To Cook: This stuffing can be baked in a dish, or rolled into balls that will be crisp on the outside and moist inside. To bake, press the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish in a layer that is around 4cm thick. Bake at 190C/gas 5/fan 170C for about 40 minutes, until browned and, in the case of sausagemeat stuffing, cooked right through. Alternatively, roll into balls that are about 4cm in diameter. Roast the stuffing balls in hot fat (they can be tucked around the turkey or done in a roasting tin of their own) for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and nicely browned on the outside.
Sausage & Bramley stuffing
PREP: 25 MINS COOK: 1 HR, 10 MINS EASY SERVES 8
1 tbsp olive oil
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 x 400g packs meaty Cumberland sausages
1 Bramley apple, peeled and chopped (about 325g)
85g fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 large egg
10 rindless streaky bacon rashers
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the celery and onion, and cook for about 5 mins until starting to soften. Tip into a bowl to cool while you remove the sausagemeat from the skins. Add the apple, sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, herbs, egg and seasoning. Mix well – the easiest way is to knead it together in the bowl with your hands. Use 1/4 to stuff the neck cavity of the turkey (see 'Goes well with')
For the remainder, line a 900g loaf tin with 8 rashers of streaky bacon, spoon in the stuffing, lift the bacon over and cover with the last 2 rashers. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake the stuffing for 40-50 mins. Can be made ahead up to this point and chilled for 2-3 days. Turn out onto a baking-parchment-lined baking tray and return to the oven (once the turkey has come out) at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for 15-20 mins more to brown the bacon. If chilled, reheat at the lower temperature for 45 mins, covered in foil, then turn out for the extra 15 mins at the higher temperature. Allow to stand, then scatter with parsley (if you like), slice and serve.
DESSERT
I am sure that if christmas pudding is what you like best as your dessert you already have it sorted, see here are a few alternatives.
Double chocolate profiteroles with salted caramel cream
PREP: 45 MINS COOK: 35 MINS A CHALLENGE SERVES 6
For the choux pastry
75g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
85g slightly salted butter, chopped into small pieces
3 medium eggs, beaten
For the salted caramel cream
½ x 397g can caramel (Carnation)
½ -1 tsp sea salt flakes
300ml pot double or whipping cream
To decorate
100g white chocolate, finely chopped
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
chocolate sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)
Sieve the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Put the butter in a saucepan and add 225ml water. Bring to a fast boil, then simmer until the butter has melted. Tip in the flour mixture and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to a smooth, shiny dough, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Tip the dough into a bowl and spread it up the sides with your spoon to help it to cool down quickly (but don’t let it cool completely – it’s easier to incorporate the eggs while it’s still warm). Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
While the dough is still warm, add the eggs a little at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon between each addition. You’re looking for a smooth consistency, that reluctantly falls off the spoon in a V shape (you may not need to use all the egg). If the mixture becomes too runny, you won’t be able to pipe it; if it’s too thick, it won’t puff up in the oven. When you’re happy with the consistency, spoon it into a disposable piping bag.
Snip off the end of the piping bag to give you a 1cm opening. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle to the baking tray, pipe balls of the dough, about the size of a walnut, over the 2 sheets – you should make 18-20 in total. Dip your finger in a little water and gently pat down any peaks on the top of the balls of dough. Place the 2 sheets in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins, swapping the trays over after 20 mins. The choux buns should be puffed up and crisp when cooked. Leave to cool completely.
Spoon the caramel into a large bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, mix well and taste – add a little more salt if you like. Add the cream and whisk until holding soft peaks (the cream can now be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day).
Split the choux buns in half, spoon a generous dollop of salted caramel cream into each and replace the lids. Melt the white and dark chocolates in 2 bowls suspended over pans of gently simmering water, or in the microwave. Transfer the dark chocolate to a piping bag and set aside to cool a little. Top each bun with a spoonful of white chocolate, stack the profiteroles on a plate or cake stand, then drizzle over the dark chocolate and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or edible glitter, if you like. Serve straight away.
Sunshine tiramisu
Serves 8
2 medium egg, separated
50g caster sugar
250g tub mascarpone
150ml pot double cream
125ml marsala wine
175g pack sponge finger
400g mix of nectarines and peach, stoned and diced
50g crunchy amaretti biscuit
Use an electric whisk to beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until the mixture is pale and moussey – this will take 3-4 mins. Beat the mascarpone in a large mixing bowl to loosen, then beat in the double cream until just combined. Scrape in the mousse mixture and beat everything together until smooth and light.
Clean the beaters, then whisk the egg whites in another bowl until stiff peaks hold on the end of the beaters. Tip in the remaining sugar and beat until glossy and stiff again. Use a big metal spoon to stir a third of this into the cream mixture, then gently fold in the rest.
Get your serving dish or bowl ready, then put the Marsala in a shallow plate and dip in a few sponge fingers at a time so they are just soaked but not soggy. Layer half of the fingers evenly in your dish, then scatter over half the fruit. Top with half the cream mixture, then crumble over half the crunchy amaretti biscuits. Repeat the layers, but finish with the cream and save the other half of the biscuits. Cover and chill for a few hrs, or overnight.
To serve, crumble over the remaining biscuits, then spoon into bowl