QUICK SPICED NUTS

Wonderfully spicy, sweet and salty, and oh so moreish. You just won't be able to stop yourself from eating them, so prepare a few extra for your friends, surely you can`t keep them all for yourself!!! Or can you?

 

100g     Cashew Nuts
100g     Peeled Pistachios
100g     Peeled Peanuts
100g     Brazil Nuts
100g     Pecan Nuts
100g     Whole Almonds (skin on)
50g       Unsalted Butter Melted
45g       Maple Syrup
2  Tsp   Maldon Salt
1 tsp     Chilli Powder
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked finely chopped
 

Preheat the oven to 170C. 

1. Sprinkle all the nuts on a tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are golden brown.

2. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and add all the other ingredients. Stir well until coated.

3. Return to the oven on a tray for 3-5 minutes, allow to cool, stirring from time to time. When cool, place in an air-tight container.

 

CHESTNUT SOUP 

50g duck fat
30g smoked bacon, chopped
75g chopped onions
50g chopped white of leek a sprig of thyme
225g peeled chestnuts
500g mushrooms
15g sherry vinegar
15g Cognac
200g white port
200g white wine
750g good fish stock or chicken stock 
300g milk
125g double cream
50g unsalted butter

 

Melt the duck fat in a heavy-based saucepan.

When it is good and hot, add the smoked bacon and render the fat a little without colouring. Add the onions and leek, cover and cook until translucent without colouring. Add the thyme, chestnuts and mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes, then deglaze with the vinegar and cook until it has evaporated. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then add the white port and cook until evaporated. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Stir in the stock and milk and cook for 50 minutes on a slow simmer. Pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Whisk in the butter and season, then remove from the heat and serve.

 

MULLED WINE PASTILLES 

I got to thinking about Christmas and some of the things I like , and one of them is that first glass of mulled wine or gluhwein on a really chilly day of the season. So I thought why not make a pastille out of them, the higher the temperature you take the sugar too the chewier they become. For the recipe here they are harder than fruit jellies but a little softer than fruit pastilles.

The recipe can be adapted by adding blackberry juice etc and replacing all the other liquids with it. These are wonderful with  powdered burdock root, and star anise. If you want to give it an added zing add 30g of citric acid to the coating of granulated sugar.

Makes 70-80 pastilles 

250g   Red Wine
200g   Orange Juice
150g   Port
450g   Castor Sugar
100g   Glucose
A good pinch of Ground Ginger
A good pinch of Allspice
4     Cloves
5cm Stick Cinnamon
3     Juniper Berries
2     Star Anise
2     Strips Orange Peel
50g Castor Sugar
20g Pectin Powder
7g   Tartaric Acid
200g   Granulated Sugar 

Place the liquids, spices and orange peel into a saucepan and bring up to the boil, remove from the theat, cover and allow to infuse for 2 hours, or overnight.

Strain off the liquid into another saucepan and add  450g of the castor sugar and the glucose bring to the boil, stirring all the time.

Cook this to 102 c stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the 50g of castor and the pectin powder together thoroughly incorporating them.

When the orange juice  mixture reaches 102 c whisk in the pectin mix and whisk until dissolved, being careful as it is getting extremely hot.

Keep on a high heat and cook to 110 c stirring occasionally.

Finally whisk in the tartaric acid and pass into a lined sided tray to a depth of 1cm.

Allow to cool. Cut into pastille shapes with a 20mm cutter.

Toss in the granulated sugar and place on a wire rack to air dry for 6 hours.

Keep in an airtight container in single layers, in a cool dry place.

 

At the restaurant we use a silicone mould for the pastilles  so it cuts down on wastage.

You can always cut them into squares, strips or rectangles thus eliminating any waste.

 

CRANBERRY GIN

1 litre Gin
600g Cranberries
475g  Castor sugar
2 Strips Orange Zest
1 Strip Lemon Zest

 

Wash Cranberries, Prick all over, Mix gin and sugar together until dissolved.

Place cranberries and zests in a bottle. Pour over the gin/sugar solution. Place the cork in and put it in a cool place for 1 ½ -2 months Shake turning the bottle upside down and then right way up twice a week. Strain through muslin and bottle.

 

HOT BUTTERED BEER

This recipe is a lovely warming drink ideal for a winter barbeque or anytime there is a chill in the air.I have used a beer from our local Battledown Brewery which has a deep complex flavour with hints of chocolate and coffee. Any deeply flavoured beer would do but I truly recommend this one, it's a keeper! The spices could be changed if a cider is your thing, I would suggest changing the rum to an Apple Brandy though.

 

Serves 4-6

800g    Cheltenham Black Russian Imperial Stout
60g      Unsalted Butter
100g    Light Muscovado
60g      Dark Rum
1          Star Anise
1.5g     Ground Ginger
1.5g     Ground Cinnamon
1.5g     Ground Nutmeg
Small pinch of Ground Cloves
1          Orange
1          Cinnamon stick to stir for each glass

 

1. Place the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and melt over a medium heat until lightly browned. Approximately 2-3 minutes 3 minutes.Add the spices and place to one side until cool. 

2. Next add the brown sugar and stir well.

3. Run the grater 4 times over the orange above the pan, make sure the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick paste.

4. Remove the sugar from the pan and place to one side.

5. Pour the beer into the saucepan and heat without boiling and simmering. 

6.  Add the sugar to the beer and stir until dissolved.  Pour the rum into the beer.

7. Use a cinnamon stick to stir the beer in each glass. 

 

VIETNAMESE TURKEY BROTH (PHO)

 This broth is based on a Vietnamese soup called a Pho. It is normally made with beef, but here I have chosen to use the leftover turkey carcass and meat from Christmas day.

 A good Pho is measured by the amount of flavor in the broth, it should be clean but intense at the same time. This is a cracking little recipe that is both satisfying and light at the same time

 

Serves 6-8

 

Turkey carcass from Christmas day and any turkey trimmings picked of

3-4 ltr    Chicken Stock or Water
1       Cinnamon Stick 7cm
1tsp   Fennel Seeds
2tbsp Whole Coriander Seeds crushed
4       Cloves of Garlic peeled and sliced
2           Whole Cloves
2       Whole Star Anise
10cm-   Root Ginger, unpeeled, cut into4 slices
2       Onions cut into 4 slices each
1/2    Bunch Coriander Leaves roughly chopped
½      Bunch Mint
175g     Bean sprouts
6           Spring Onions finely sliced
1           Red Chilli sliced
40g       Fish Sauce (nam plah)
1tbsp    Palm Sugar
400g     Rice Noodles
1-2    Limes Juiced
1Tbsp   Sesame Oil
Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to degrees 220 degrees C

1)     Pick all the meat off the turkey carcass and place to one side.

2)     Chop the bones up into small pieces and place in a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes until a deep golden brown.

3)     Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion slices and cook until a deep golden brown, almost black.

4)     Place the onions, ginger,garlic, chilli, spices and chicken carcass pieces into a large saucepan and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours on a very low heat, skimming occasionally.

5)     Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Place a pan of water on the stove to boil,

6)     Add the noodles and cook for only 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water.

7)     Strain off the stock.

8)     Place in a new saucepan and add the fish sauce, sugar, juice of 1 lime and the turkey meat. Bring to a simmer.

9)     Place the noodles in the serving bowls.

10)    Add the mint, coriander bean sprouts and spring onions and sesame oil to the broth, cook for 1 minute and lift some of the garnish out onto the noodles.

11)    Finish by ladling the broth over the noodles and garnish.

 

BAKED HAM AND LEEK RISOTTATA

A quick and easy risotto using pasta instead of rice, and using any leftover Christmas baked ham you may have, I have chosen leek to accompany the ham, a classic but more than worthwhile garnish. 

A little grain mustard complements both the ham and the leek

 

Serves 4-6

250g      Orzo Pasta
1 ltr        Chicken Stock, Turkey Stock or Water
100g      White Wine
1             Clove Garlic finely chopped
1  Large Leek, cut into White and Green nd sliced finely
250g      Leftover Christmas Ham cut into 1/2cm dice
50g        Unsalted Butter

 

To finish the Risottata

10g    Grain Mustard
30g    Mascarpone 
40g    Parmesan
Salt and ground pepper
Baby watercress to garnish
100g   Mascarpone to garnish

 

1. Bring the stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Heat the butter in a medium sized saucepan.  Add the white of leek and garlic and cook without colour until translucent for approximately 4 minutes.  

2. Next add the orzo pasta and cook for a further 3 minutes 

3. Add the white wine and bring to the boil, cook until the wine has disappeared. Add a 1/3 of the stock, stirring all the time and simmer gently until the stock has almost disappeared.

4. At this point, quickly colour the ham in a little olive oil and add to the pan.

5. Repeat with another third of the stock.

6. Add the final third of the stock and the green of leek and bring to a low simmer and cook until the pasta is tender with just a little bite, approx. 10 minutes. When cooked, raise the temperature and cook quickly to evaporate any remaining liquid. If still too al dente add a little more stock.

7. To finish the risotto, add the 30g of mascarpone, and mustard mix well, then add the parmesan Season, check consistency, too stiff add a little more stock, too sloppy and cook a little more

8. Serve and garnish with a little of the watercress and dots of mascarpone.