FOOD WITH MIGUEL MAESTRE CHRISTMAS IN JULY It s Christmas in July and guess who s coming to dinner? The NSW Blue Mountains is the perfect Yulefest destination and chef Miguel is at the historic Old Leura Diary preparing a winter feast for his whole family. Out to dispel fears of cooking turkey, he creates family friendly dish adding a fresh twist to a delicious turkey roast with his Turkey Leg Roll. Then, with a little help from his brother Carlos, Miguel makes the ultimate Christmas in July dessert that will have the mouths watering until December bread and butter pudding!
YULEFEST Yulefest began over twenty years ago in Australia's internationally famous Blue Mountains. It has grown to become the major seasonal event of the Blue Mountains and Yulefest is now enjoyed annually by visitors from Sydney and beyond. Once upon a time, in Australia's beautiful Blue Mountains when the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even, in the depths of Winter when the icicles glistened and the log fires crackled, a group of men came from far off Ireland. They were staying in a grand old Mountains Guesthouse and being Irish they said something like, "It feels just like Christmas time at home prepare us some turkey and stuffing and plum pudding if you would and serve it round the fire." So was born Yulefest. http://www.yulefest.com/ RECIPE Macadamia, cranberries stuffed turkey roll Serves: 2 generously
INGREDIENTS: 2 tbsp butter 2 onions, thinly sliced 60g macadamias, roughly chopped ½ bunch sage, finely chopped ½ bunch thyme, freshly chopped 2 tbsp aged sherry 60g panko breadcrumbs 2 pears, freshly grated 15 cranberries 150g turkey mince 200g pancetta, jamon or prosciutto, thinly sliced 1 turkey leg de-boned, skin on Miguel s Cranberry Sauce 400g fresh cranberries 150g caster sugar 60ml cherry brandy 80ml water pinch salt ½ lemon juice Bread Sauce 2 pink eschallots 6 cloves 800ml full fat milk 1 star anise 1 cinnamon quill 1 sprigg thyme fresh nutmeg whole flaky salt black pepper 1 baguette 1 ciabatta 50g butter 5 tbsp double cream METHOD: Melt butter in a frypan, add onion and cook over low heat for 5 mins. Add macadamias, sage and thyme and cook for other 5 mins or until lightly brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in sherry, panko, pears, cranberries and turkey mince.
Place a 25cm piece of foil on chopping board and then put baking paper on top of foil, set the pancetta and boned turkey leg in middle. Add stuffing to the centre. Roll very tight into a cylinder and tie the foil at each end. Poach in boiling water for 35 minutes. Allow to cool inside water. Remove from water and discard foil and baking paper and panfry until pancetta is crispy. Carve and serve. Garnish with mixed roasted winter vegetables. Cranberry Sauce Add cranberries, sugar, brandy, water and salt into a saucepan and stir until cranberries pop, this will take approximately 15mins. Add lemon and allow to cool overnight. The sauce will look runny but solidifies on cooling. Once cooled, break down with fork or whisk to serve. Bread Sauce Peel eschallots, leaving them whole, spike them with cloves and put in medium saucepan with milk, star anise, cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, simmer for 10 mins and allow to infuse for another 10 mins. Cut the crusts off baguette and ciabatta, add to food processor until you have coarse breadcrumbs. Strain milk mixture through sieve into a jug. Discard everything leftover in sieve. Return milk into pan and bring back to boil, reduce to low simmer and slowly stirring in the breadcrumbs. Add butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper. If too thick you can thin it with more milk. Equipment: large frypan, chopping board, foil, baking paper, deep pot, serving plate Bread and Butter Pudding
Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes INGREDIENTS: 500ml (17fl oz) milk 1 tablespoon Pedro Ximenez (sherry) 4 eggs 250g (8oz) caster sugar ½ bunch thyme, leaves only 2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped out 8 10 slices sourdough bread, without the crust extra caster sugar, to sprinkle METHOD: Lightly grease four ovenproof dishes (200ml/6½fl oz capacity). Whisk milk, Pedro Ximenez, eggs, sugar, thyme and vanilla seeds in a large jug until combined. Cut bread to fit prepared dishes. Cover sides and bottom of dish. Pour over milk mixture. Stand for about 2 hours or until bread is very soft. Then wrap the dishes in plastic wrap and make sure its very air tight. Place dishes in a baking dish. Add enough boiling water to come half way up the outside of ovenproof dishes. Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes at 145 C (265 F) or until puddings are just set. Run a thin bladed knife around outside of puddings and turn out onto an oven tray. Sprinkle puddings with extra sugar. Cook under a hot grill or use a domestic blow torch caramelise sugar until golden brown. Tip I used 11cm x 3cm (4in x 1in) round dishes. The exact amount of bread will depend on the size of your loaf.
THE OLD LEURA DAIRY The Old Leura Dairy was a run down, old former dairy which has been transformed into a cohesive, intimate retreat nestled amongst regenerated and landscaped gardens. It has taken around 8 years to evolve. Rather than destroy the elements of history an integrated property has been created around it mixing the old with the new. The accommodation includes The Workers Cottage, Straw Bale House and Studio, the Milking Shed and the Buttercup Barn. For more information and to make bookings please contact: THE OLD LEURA DAIRY Phone (61) 2 4782 0700 Mobile (61) 415 900 549 Email: enquiries@oldleuradairy.com Web: www.oldleuradairy.com
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS CONTACT DETAILS: Chas Clarkson http://www.chasclarkson.com.au/ 1028 Botany Rd, Mascot NSW 2020 Ph: 02 9557 7300 or call Toll Free 1300 300 195 Fax: 02 9557 8099 Email: sales@chasclarkson.com.au Chas Clarkson supplies Christmas Decorations all year round CHRISTMAS TREES CONTACT DETAILS: Merlino s Christmas Trees merlinoschristmastrees.com.au Trees are available for purchase at: 260 Great North Road Wareemba, Sydney NSW 2046 Located in Sydney's Inner West between Five Dock & Abbotsford. For general enquiries please call 02 9713 2861 between 9:00am 6:00pm, 7 days a week. For special orders, pre-orders and existing orders please call Cherie Merlino directly on 0430 199 147. Delivery can be provided within a 2km radius of Five Dock, Sydney at an additional cost. Alternatively pick-up is available 7 days a week during business hours. Merlino's Christmas Trees sells real, live & fresh Sydney Christmas Trees and live potted Christmas trees direct to the public from their Sydney store at wholesale prices.
WEBLINKS http://www.oldleuradairy.com.au/index4.html http://www.chasclarkson.com.au/ http://www.yulefest.com/ merlinoschristmastrees.com.au