Christmas celebrations

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Maude Randall
5 years ago
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guaranteed to add the wow factor to your festive gathering.

1 Christmas celebrations There s always a real sense of occasion when the centrepiece dish is served on Christmas Day. Whether you re hosting a completely meat-free menu or you have veggie and vegan guests to consider, Rachel Demuth has created a selection of delicious starters and show-stopping main courses that are guaranteed to add the wow factor to your festive gathering. ABOUT RACHEL Chef-proprietor of the awardwinning Demuths restaurant in Bath for 25 years, Rachel is now dedicated to running the Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School, which offers a range of themed workshops, guest chef events, cookery holidays in France and Italy, and the Demuths Vegetarian and Vegan Diplomas for professional chefs and keen cooks. As a well-travelled foodie, Rachel loves to combine her passion for global cuisine with the best of locally grown produce. Christmas is all about colour and engaging the senses from the twinkling lights on the tree to the deep red of a warming glass of mulled wine, from bright orange satsumas and vibrant pink pomegranates in the fruit bowl, to deep green holly adorning the front door. It s the season of rich colour and a comforting feeling of abundance and good will. To make your table look as good as your decorations, and give everyone that wonderful sense of anticipation when the food is served, I always recommend cooking dishes that show off the simple, natural beauty and flavours of the season s most colourful ingredients. While also pleasing your guests, from the strict vegan to the committed carnivore and everything in between, seasonal vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, celeriac, squash and beetroot have the added advantage of being budget-friendly too, leaving you a little extra to splash out on a special bottle of bubbly or some decadent organic chocolates to serve with coffee it is Christmas, after all! The holiday season is often the one time of year when you may have to cook for a large number of people in one sitting, or over a few days. With this in mind, I like to make large centrepiece dishes that can easily feed eight people, with leftovers for Boxing Day. All the festive dishes I ve created can be made in advance and then heated up on the day, which allows the chef time to focus on other things, including relaxing with family and friends. As you may have to cater for different age groups and tastes, I ve included vegan and gluten-free choices too. One of the biggest mistakes when hosting is trying to do everything yourself. Don t feel guilty about asking a guest to bring a side dish or if they have a special diet to bring a dish with them. On the day, do ask your guests to help set the table or serve the drinks and nibbles. Chances are they truly want to help, and it s a lovely way to spend time together. If you re the one travelling to a meat-based gathering, take your veggie dish with you, as that will make the day less stressful for your host and guarantee you have a delicious meal too. Make extra as well, because the other guests are sure to want to try your vegetarian feast! Starters Roasted beetroot, cream cheese and hazelnut tartlets These festive tartlets also make great canapés for parties if made slightly smaller. There are super-quick shortcuts to making these in no time at all using vacuumpacked beetroot and ready-roasted hazelnuts, and you can vary the toppings for a colourful twist. Serves 4 Prep 20 mins Cook 10 mins pack of ready-rolled puff pastry 1 free-range egg yolk, for brushing 100g cream cheese 3 tbsp finely sliced chives sea salt and black pepper, to taste 2 medium-sized cooked beetroot 30g roasted hazelnuts 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Brush a couple of baking trays with oil or line with baking parchment. 2 Place the puff pastry on a floured surface. Using a large knife, cut out eight squares each measuring 8cm x 8cm. Use a smaller knife to score a 1cm margin to make an inner square, being careful to not cut all the way through the pastry. Brush the outer edge _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 28 18/10/ :06

Chef slarder GET CHRISTMAS SORTED At Demuths Cookery School we run lots of day and evening courses to help you plan and learn how to make a complete Christmas lunch, to take the stress out of the

2 Chef slarder GET CHRISTMAS SORTED At Demuths Cookery School we run lots of day and evening courses to help you plan and learn how to make a complete Christmas lunch, to take the stress out of the actual day and the recipes we choose are different every year. Don t forget that Demuths gift vouchers make great Christmas presents for foodie friends too. lightly with egg yolk. Place on the baking trays and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until risen and golden. Allow to cool. 3 When cool, run the tip of a knife along the scored square mark and remove the top layers of the inner piece of pastry. Now they are ready to fill. 4 Mix the cream cheese with the chives, salt and pepper, reserving a teaspoon of chives to sprinkle on top. Divide the cream cheese between the pastry cases. 5 Cut one beetroot into eight small wedges and the other into eight slices. Place a beetroot wedge and a slice on top of each tart and sprinkle over the roasted hazelnuts and the reserved chives. n PER SERVING 381 cals, fat 26g, sat fat 14g, carbs 28g, sugars 8g, protein 8g, salt 0.72g, fibre 3g ROASTED BEETROOT, CREAM CHEESE AND HAZELNUT TARTLETS ALL IMAGES ROB WICKS/EAT PICTURES UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. FOOD STYLING BY LYDIA DOWNEY Replace the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and use a vegan cream cheese, like Tesco Free From. Don t forget to check that your pastry is dairyfree too! The pastry cases can be made days in advance, just keep in an airtight container and crisp up in the oven for a few minutes if they go soft. OTHER FILLING IDEAS l Cubes of roasted squash with toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and feta. l Blue cheese cubes with finely sliced fennel, dressed with lemon and olive oil. l S autéed wild mushrooms with garlic and tarragon. l Cannellini beans with chopped sundried tomatoes, grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese and basil _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 29 18/10/ :06

SWEET POTATO, CHESTNUT AND SESAME BALLS Sweet potato, chestnut and sesame balls These versatile baked little balls make a lovely starter served with cranberry relish, and are also great as a party

3 SWEET POTATO, CHESTNUT AND SESAME BALLS Sweet potato, chestnut and sesame balls These versatile baked little balls make a lovely starter served with cranberry relish, and are also great as a party nibble, or they can be served as stuffing balls alongside a main Christmas lunch. They are very easy to make, and can be prepped in advance. Serves 8 Prep 1 hr Cook 15 mins 500g sweet potatoes 120g cooked chestnuts 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsp tahini 1½ tsp ground cumin 1½ tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp chopped sage leaves 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp lemon juice ¼ tsp salt pinch of black pepper 1½ tbsp gram flour, sifted 4 tbsp white sesame seeds, for rolling olive oil, for roasting cranberry relish, to serve (see recipe, right) 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake the sweet potatoes whole in their skins for about 40 minutes, until soft. Leave to cool, then peel and mash. Weigh out 450g of the mashed sweet potato. 2 Chop the chestnuts well with a knife, leaving a few larger pieces for texture. Mix the chestnuts with the sweet potato, chopped garlic, tahini, ground cumin and coriander, sage, parsley and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, then mix in the gram flour. 3 Shape the mixture into 24 small balls and roll each one in the sesame seeds. Place on an oiled lined tray, drizzle more oil over the top and bake for 15 minutes until golden. 4 Serve three balls per person, alongside the cranberry relish. n PER SERVING 167 cals, fat 8g, sat fat 1g, carbs 18g, sugars 5g, protein 4g, salt 0.21g, fibre 4g CRANBERRY RELISH 225g fresh cranberries 150ml water 4 cardamom pods ½ cinnamon stick 2 cloves 2 star anise peel and juice of ½ lemon 100g caster sugar Place the cranberries in a saucepan with the water. Add the spices and lemon peel and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until about half the berries have popped. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often until all the sugar has dissolved. Serve cold. The relish will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 30 18/10/ :06

Mains Christmas wreath with brandied mushroom and chestnut filling Our favourite vegan traditional centrepiece is full of umami flavours, making it the perfect replacement to a traditional roast at

4 Mains Christmas wreath with brandied mushroom and chestnut filling Our favourite vegan traditional centrepiece is full of umami flavours, making it the perfect replacement to a traditional roast at Christmas. Served with all the trimmings it has a real wow factor and can be made well in advance, and even enjoyed the next day thinly sliced in a sandwich or as part of a cold buffet. For a gluten-free variation, you can make the dish without the pastry and just use tamari instead of shoyu for the glaze Serves 8 Prep 1 hr + pressing and chilling Cook 50 mins 3 x 400g packets of tofu 10 cloves garlic 3 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 2 tbsp sesame oil (untoasted) 30ml lemon juice ¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest 8 tbsp nutritional yeast pack of ready-rolled puff pastry 1 tbsp olive oil, for glazing For the brandied mushroom and chestnut filling: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped 75ml white wine 1½ tbsp brandy 125g cooked chestnuts, crumbled ½ tbsp shoyu ¼ tsp herbes de Provence 2 tbsp chopped parsley sea salt and black pepper For the shoyu glaze: 2 tbsp sesame oil (untoasted) 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp shoyu juice of 1 orange 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 Wrap the tofu blocks in a clean tea towel, put a heavy weight on top and leave overnight in the fridge to remove the excess liquid. 2 Blend the garlic with the salt, pepper, sesame oil, lemon juice and zest, then add one pack of the tofu and the nutritional yeast to make a smooth paste. Mash this blend in with the rest of the tofu using your hands, so the flavour is evenly dispersed and the mixture is not too lumpy _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 32 18/10/ :06

Chef slarder CHRISTMAS WREATH WITH BRANDIED MUSHROOM AND CHESTNUT FILLING 3 Line a 25cm diameter ring mould with a large square of muslin, leaving plenty of overhang around the outside.

5 Chef slarder CHRISTMAS WREATH WITH BRANDIED MUSHROOM AND CHESTNUT FILLING 3 Line a 25cm diameter ring mould with a large square of muslin, leaving plenty of overhang around the outside. Press the tofu into the mould and fold the muslin over the top. Weight it down by placing a heavy chopping board or large pan on top to compact the tofu, then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. 4 Meanwhile, make the mushroom filling. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute, then add the mushrooms and fry until they have released their juices. Stir in the wine and brandy and cook for a minute, then add the chestnuts, shoyu and herbs. Cook gently, until the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is thick and not wet. Add the parsley and season with salt and plenty of black pepper to taste. 5 Scoop the middle out of the tofu ring, making a trough, and add the mushroom filling. Press the scooped-out tofu back on top, which should be slightly domed up above the top of the ring mould, then press again with the weight and place the ring back in the fridge for 30 minutes. 6 Meanwhile, make the shoyu glaze. Boil all the ingredients together for a few minutes to reduce and thicken. Allow to cool. 7 Turn the tofu out onto a large tray lined with baking parchment and remove the muslin. Brush the shoyu glaze all over it should be thick enough to stick to the tofu without dripping. Chill the tofu again in the fridge while you prepare the pastry. 8 Unroll the puff pastry and cut threequarters of it into long 1cm-wide strips. Cut the remaining pastry with holly-leaf and star-shaped cutters. Keep the pastry chilled, taking each strip directly from the fridge as you go to make it easier to work with. 9 Lay the pastry strips across the ring of tofu, criss-crossing to create a lattice effect, trimming the ends as needed. Twist a few strips and lay them along the top, following the line of the ring, and lay some around the base to line both the inner and outer edges of the ring. Finally, decorate the wreath with the holly leaves and stars, placing them particularly over the joins of pastry. 10 Brush the pastry with olive oil and bake in the oven at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 40 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and a deep golden colour. To serve, decorate with fresh bay leaves, fresh rosemary and frozen cranberries to give a festive look. n PER SERVING 508 cals, fat 30g, sat fat 10g, carbs 27g, sugars 7g, protein 25g, salt 2.84g, fibre 6g The wreath can be made a day or two in advance and baked directly from the fridge. Once baked, you can turn the oven down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 to keep it warm until ready to serve. It will keep for 4 days in the fridge once baked. Festive filo rotolo Rotolo is an Italian dish, traditionally made with sheets of rotolo pasta (the word rotolo means roll ). Our festive version gives you a delicious centrepiece for Christmas lunch stuffed with three different fillings, and served alongside roasted veg. You can also slice it thinly and serve as a starter. Serves 8 Prep 1 hr Cook 1 hr 10 mins pack of filo pastry (7 sheets) melted butter, to brush the pastry 2 tbsp sesame seeds For the roasted squash filling: 1 medium squash (about 700g when prepped), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes 1 tbsp olive oil 6 sprigs of thyme 1 bulb garlic 1 tsp pink peppercorns sea salt 1½ free-range egg yolks For the spinach filling: 250g bag of spinach 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp brown mustard seeds grated nutmeg, to taste sea salt and black pepper 100g vegetarian feta, roughly crumbled ½ free-range egg yolk For the artichoke and walnut filling: 50g walnut halves 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp Maldon salt 100g artichoke hearts small handful of flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp lemon juice For decoration: 8 pecans 2 tbsp maple syrup 12 large dried cranberries a few sprigs of thyme, sage and rosemary 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Toss the squash with the olive oil and thyme. Halve the garlic bulb through the middle and _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 33 18/10/ :07

Wash the spinach in a colander and while still wet put in a pan with a lid.

6 Chef slarder place cut-side down on a baking tray with the squash. Grind the pink peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and stir into the squash. Roast for minutes until the squash is soft and starting to caramelise at the edges. Stir it a few times during cooking. 2 Meanwhile, prepare the spinach and the artichoke fillings. Wash the spinach in a colander and while still wet put in a pan with a lid. Heat gently, stirring often until the spinach starts to wilt, then cover for a couple of minutes so the spinach is completely wilted. Transfer to a sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as you can with the back of a spoon. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and nutmeg. When the seeds begin to pop, add the spinach and stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the feta and egg yolk. Set aside. 3 Toss the walnut halves in the olive oil and add the smoked paprika and salt. Tip onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then break up the walnuts in a pestle and mortar. Chop the artichokes and parsley finely, then stir them into the walnuts. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste and stir well. Set aside. 4 Once the squash is cooked, remove any thyme stalks, squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin and roughly mash it into the squash. Taste and season with salt, then mix in the egg yolks. 5 To construct the rotolo, place a large piece of foil on a work surface. Place a sheet of filo pastry on top of the foil in a landscape position, and brush with butter. Lay a second sheet above the first with a 10cm overlap. Brush the second sheet with butter. Sprinkle the sesame seeds all over the filo. Layer two more whole sheets of filo pastry on top in the same way, then another two. Make sure you brush butter in between each layer, finishing with the top of the last sheet. 6 Spread the roasted squash over the central area of the bottom piece of filo into a rectangle 30cm x 15cm. Spread the spinach evenly over the top of the squash, leaving a 1cm margin of squash around the four edges. Place the artichoke mixture down the middle on top of the spinach in a long sausage shape. 7 Working carefully and using the foil to help you, start to roll up the rotolo. Make sure the artichoke stays as a central sausage shape and the squash mixture meets to create a round shape. Roll halfway up the filo length, then gently and loosely tuck in both ends of the pastry to seal in the fillings, folding the filo in by 5cm, then continue to roll up the length. When you come to the end of the filo you should have a tidy round sausage shape. FESTIVE FILO ROTOLO 8 Use the foil to lift the rotolo onto a baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes until golden, checking after 20 and 30 minutes. You may need to cover parts of the filo loosely with the foil as it may brown unevenly. If it is browning all over too quickly, turn the oven down by 10 degrees for the last minutes of cooking. 9 While the rotolo is cooking, prepare the decoration. Place the pecans and maple syrup in a small saucepan and simmer to reduce and thicken, so the pecans are evenly coated. Tip them out onto parchment and allow to cool. 10 When the rotolo comes out of the oven, decorate the top with the pecans, cranberries and sprigs of fresh herbs before serving. n PER SERVING 388 cals, fat 24g, sat fat 7g, carbs 32g, sugars 9g, protein 10g, salt 1.26g, fibre 5g Brush the filo with olive oil instead of the melted butter. Swap the eggs in the squash mixture for 1 tablespoon of gram flour and in the spinach filling with ½ tablespoon of gram flour. Replace the feta with a plant-based alternative. The rotolo can be cooked ahead and reheated on the day, or made up to a day in advance and baked on the day. You can also make it in stages, preparing the fillings up to a day or two in advance, then assembling and baking on the day. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before cooking then bake as per instructions _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 34 18/10/ :07

Carrot, parsnip and cashew terrine This terrine is served hot straight from the oven, and is particularly lovely with stir-fried kale, cavolo nero and purple sprouting broccoli.

7 Carrot, parsnip and cashew terrine This terrine is served hot straight from the oven, and is particularly lovely with stir-fried kale, cavolo nero and purple sprouting broccoli. You can also serve it at room temperature or cold for a buffet, or thinly sliced as a starter. Serves 8 Prep 45 mins Cook 1 hr 25 mins 3 red peppers 350g carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm dice 350g parsnip, peeled and cut into 1cm dice 2 tbsp olive oil 6 cloves garlic, left in their skins 4 sprigs of sage 1 tsp Dijon mustard 100g strong vegetarian Cheddar cheese, finely grated 4 free-range eggs, separated 100g cashew nuts, roasted and ground 2 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley ¼ tsp sea salt pinch of black pepper 2 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp mixture of flaked almonds and seeds: sesame, pumpkin, sunflower and flax 1 tsp pink peppercorns, for decoration 1 Preheat the grill to high. Cut the peppers in half and place skin-side up under the hot grill until the skins blister and blacken a little. Place them in a bowl and cover in cling film. Leave until cool, then peel off the skins. 2 Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Place the carrots and parsnips in two separate roasting tins with a drizzle of olive oil, the whole garlic cloves and the sage. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 45 minutes until soft. Remove the sage and squeeze the garlic out of its skin. 3 Place the parsnips in one bowl and the carrots in another bowl. Blend each vegetable with half of the Dijon mustard, the cheese and egg yolks. The parsnip mixture will need 2 3 tablespoons of water to achieve a soft enough texture to blend well. Once smooth, stir the ground cashews and chopped parsley into each mixture. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste. 4 Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold half into each vegetable mixture. 5 Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment and brush with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the almond and seed mixture. Spread the carrot mixture into the tin and level, then put in a layer of the red peppers, followed by the parsnip mixture. 6 Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and cover loosely with foil if the top is colouring too much. The terrine is ready when it is firm to the touch, CARROT, PARSNIP AND CASHEW TERRINE coming away from the sides slightly and golden on top. 7 Leave the terrine to cool slightly to finish setting, then turn out and serve. Once turned out, the terrine can be covered in foil and kept warm in a low oven at 130C/fan 110C/ gas ½ until ready to serve. n PER SERVING 286 cals, fat 19g, sat fat 5g, carbs 13g, sugars 8g, protein 12g, salt 0.57g, fibre 6g The terrine can be made up to 2 days in advance and warmed through on the day. Or you can freeze it once baked for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating for 40 minutes at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5, covering with foil as needed _VL89[RD_Xmas]NTSJ2LH.indd 35 18/10/ :07

A hug in a bowl HOMEMADE STOCK

A hug in a bowl HOMEMADE STOCK A hug in a bowl Nothing beats a warming bowl of soup on a winter s day, and when paired with tasty toppings and hearty sides you can make a real meal of these dishes, says chef Rachel Demuth. ALL IMAGES