Russell Bateman WEEKEND KITCHEN RECIPE SHEET December 14th 2014 Brussel, Onion & Parma Ham Tart Tatin This is absolutely genius! Taking a sweet dish, turning it into a savoury dish which not only works for Christmas but can be adapted for any time of the year. 10 Brussel Sprouts 15 button onions 1 clove Garlic 1 packet Parma Ham 175g Vac-Pac Chestnuts 2 Sprigs Thyme 100g Unsalted Butter 20g Sugar Salt Pepper 1 pack of rolled store bought puff pastry In a large oven proof frying pan place your soft butter. With your fingers gently press the butter until it covers the base of the pan. Sprinkle with the sugar, a little salt and some fresh pepper. Peel the outer leaves of the brussels and place the whole ones in the pan. Place the button onions in the pan and the chestnuts too, in amongst the sprouts; ensure they are all at the same level. Slice your garlic finely and scatter over the vegetables, pick your thyme leaves down and do the same. Lay the parma ham over the vegetables, completely covering them. Cut out your puff pastry into the shape of the pan and cover the ham, tucking the pastry in at the sides. Make a small hole in the centre (to allow steam to leave the pan when cooking). Place over a medium heat until you start to see the butter around the edges begin to bubble and colour. 1
Now place in a pre-heated oven at 190 C/ Gas Mark 4 for about 20 minutes. Once cooked and golden, remove and allow to cool down slightly before turning out to serve. Leftover Christmas Turkey Cassoulet Such a clever way of using up your Christmas leftovers. You can use whatever sausages you have to hand but the chorizo and Toulouse sausages add a particularly lovely flavour. 100g Duck Fat (or just vegetable oil) 400g Cooked Turkey Meat 6 Mini Cooking Chorizo 3 Toulouse Sausages 50g Smoked Bacon Lardons 50g Unsmoked Bacon Lardons 2 Diced Red Onions 3 Finely Chopped Cloves Garlic 2 Sliced Carrots 2 Tomatoes 2 tbsp Tomato Puree 1 tbsp Red Pesto 1 tbsp HP Sauce 1 tin of butter beans 1 tin of haricot blanc 150ml White Wine 500ml Chicken Stock 250ml Water 3 sprigs of thyme 2 sprigs of Rosemary 1 Bay Leaf 1 bunch Parsley 1 sprig of Rosemary 100g Bread Crumbs (made using fresh bread) 1 clove Garlic In a large heavy pan pour the duck fat (or oil). Once hot, add the sausages and chorizo and lightly colour. Remove and set aside. Now add the lardons, lightly colour and put them to one side with the sausages. Add your chopped garlic, carrot and onion to the pan, cook without colour for about 4 minutes (do not let the garlic brown). Now add the tomato puree and cook it out for a minute stirring constantly. Add the white wine and reduce to a glaze. Add all the meat to the pan along with water, herbs and stock. Bring to the simmer. 2
Rinse off your beans under cold water and chuck them into the pan with the halved tomatoes, HP sauce and red pesto. Simmer for about 30 minutes or simply cook in the oven at 150 C/ Gas Mark 3. To make the breadcrumbs; put the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary, garlic and olive oil in the food processor and blend until bright green. Once the cassoulet is thickened and intensely flavoured, sprinkle your herb breadcrumb mix on generously and lightly brown under the grill before serving. Chestnut Mousse 3 Egg Yolks 3 Eggs 100g Sugar 3 Leaves Gelatine 500g Sweetened Chestnut Puree 60ml Armagnac, Brandy or Rum 600g Double Cream Soften the gelatine in iced water. Make a hot sabayon by whisking together the eggs and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the mixture is white and fluffy it is ready. Once the gelatine is soft, add it to your hot sabyon to melt. Pass the chestnut puree through a fine sieve to make it more malleable. You can also use a potato ricer or just crush it with a rolling pin or a pestle and mortar. Whisk the chestnut with the alcohol vigorously until thoroughly incorporated. Fold the chestnut mix carefully into the sabayon. Lastly whip the double cream and gently fold it into the mix. Pour the mix into glasses and leave it to set in the fridge until required. Serve with some whipped cream on top, chocolate shavings, finely chopped satsuma segments or some glazed chestnuts. 3
POLLY OXBY Pancetta and Chestnut Soup Wonderful velvety soup, full of the flavours of Christmas. 1 tbsp Oil 1 Onion Chopped 150g Cubed Pancetta 1 carrot chopped 1 stick celery chopped 1 tsp dried thyme 200g ready to used chestnuts 1 pint chicken stock (fresh or cubed) 500 ml water 100ml double cream Fry the onions, pancetta, carrot, celery and Thyme for around 10 minutes in the oil until softened and golden brown. Add the chestnuts and fry for another 2 mins. Pour in the stock and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 20 mins. Blend and blitz until the soup is completely smooth then add the cream. Season to taste and serve. Italian Rosemary Beef This is absolutely feed-a-crowd food. The capers and a brilliant depth to the flavours. The great thing about this recipe is how much flavour you get out of using so few ingredients. 750g Shin of Beef diced (or other stewing beef) 1 onion halved and finely sliced 3 tbsp capers 200ml red wine 1 can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp dried rosemary 4 garlic cloves chopped 400ml water Salt and pepper 4
Brown the meat in a little oil then remove from pan. In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, rosemary and capers. Fry for 5 minutes until softened and golden. Chuck the beef back to the pan followed by the red wine. Bring to the boil and add the tomatoes and water. Bake in the oven at 180C for 2 hours or until cooked. Adjust seasoning and serve with your choice of potatoes. My Mums and my Grans coffee meringue pudding. A festive special which goes back at least two generations! Somewhere between a meringue trifle and a boozy Christmas tiramisu. Wonderful. 1 tin condensed milk 2 pints double cream 120g raisins 180g walnut pieces 50ml sweet sherry 50ml brandy 3 eggs whites 1 heaped tbsp instant coffee granules 180g caster sugar First make the meringues. Add the coffee to the egg white and whisk until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, whisking all the time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Put tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 3 hours at 100C or until the meringues have dried out. Whilst the meringues are cooking you can prepare the rest of the dish. Bring a pan of water to the boil and put the can of condensed milk in and boil for 30 minutes. Do to open the can or pierce it, it will be fine! After 30 minutes, carefully remove the tin and allow to cool. In a separate saucepan add the dried fruit and nuts with the sherry and brandy and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Once everything is cooked and cool whip the cream with the condensed milk. Lightly break up the meringues. 5
Get a large bowl and layer the ingredients starting with a few spoons of the cream mixture followed by some of the meringues and a then a sprinkle of the fruit and nuts. Continue until all the ingredients have been used. Chill for 6 hours before serving. BETH PESTELL Christmas Shortbread Think of these as like a mince pie sandwich, with beautifully crumbly shortbread filled with festive mincemeat. 225g Plain Flour 100g Polenta 225g Butter 100g Caster Sugar 75g Dried Cranberries 4 or 5 tbsp Christmas mincemeat Flaked almonds to decorate Mix together the flour and polenta, add the butter and sugar and rub it in with your fingers until a crumble is formed. Add half the mixture to a greased and lined 12inch tin and push the mixture down into it. Once level, spread a good layer of mincemeat, making sure it covers the shortbread. Finish off with the rest of the crumbly mix and press down again. Pop some dried cranberries and flaked almonds onto the top of the shortbread and place the tin into the oven on 160C/ Gas Mark 3-4 for around 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle caster sugar over the top. Leave in tin to cool, then remove and carefully cut up and serve. Gluten-free Winter Spice Polenta Cake 400g Margarine 400g Caster Sugar 400g Ground Almonds 200g Polenta 1tsp Cinnamon 6
1tsp Ground Nutmeg 1tsp Ground Ginger Zest of 2 Oranges 6 Eggs Beat and mix the margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the almonds, polenta and spices and mix well. Mix in the eggs and orange zest. Pour the mix into a greased 12 inch tin and bake at 170C/ Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. For the syrup: 1 orange (sliced) 2 Cinnamon Sticks A few cloves Mulled Wine sachet 400ml Orange Juice 100g Icing Sugar Place all ingredients -except sugar- in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiled, leave to simmer gently while the cake is cooking. Just before the cake is ready to come out of he oven, add in the icing sugar and bring the syrup to the boil again. You want a nice liquid syrup to form. Carefully taste and add more icing sugar if needed. When cake is out of the oven, use a skewer to make holes all over the cake and then pour the syrup generously over. Leave to cool in the tin then serve. 7