Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Christmas Recipes

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Guardian xmas recipes. Made the cake and pudding- the pudding's tasty but not very rich. Xmas cake was covered with marzipan and icing with apricot glaze under. It was too sweet.

Pam's mincemeat

My friend Pam "The Jam" Corbin's mincemeat is the best I've ever tasted. Makes four 450g jars.

1kg plums, halved and stoned
Finely grated zest and juice of 2-3 oranges (you need 200ml juice)
500g russet apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm cubes
200g currants
200g raisins
200g sultanas
100g orange marmalade
250g demerara sugar
½ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
½ nutmeg, grated
50ml ginger wine or cordial (optional)
100g chopped walnuts
50ml brandy or sloe gin

Put the plums and orange juice in a pan, cook gently for 15 minutes, until tender, then purée. Pour into a bowl with all the other ingredients except the alcohol, mix, cover and leave to stand for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/gas mark ½. Put the mincemeat in a large baking dish and bake for two to two and a half hours. Stir in the booze, spoon into sterilised jars, seal and store in a dry, dark, cool place until Christmas. Use within 12 months.

Granny Jane's Christmas pudding

Adapted from Rosemary Hume by my mum, who says, "Don't skimp on the boiling; it's what makes it good and dark." Makes two (keep one for 2010).

900g dried vine fruits
200ml brandy, plus more for flaming
110g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
170g suet
170g light muscovado sugar
55g flaked almonds
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp marmalade
225g fresh white breadcrumbs
4 eggs
300ml ale or stout
Butter, for greasing

Put the fruit in a bowl with 100ml of brandy, cover and leave overnight.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, then stir in the suet, fruit, sugar, almonds, lemon, marmalade and breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs, then stir in, along with the ale.

Butter two one-litre pudding basins, fill with cake mix and cover with a layer each of greased paper and foil, both pleated in the middle to allow for expansion. Secure with string. Put a metal jam-jar lid or tart tin in the bottom of a large pan, put the basins on top and pour in boiling water to come a third of the way up the sides. Cover, simmer gently for six hours (top up the water as necessary), then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When cold, remove the paper and foil, poke holes in the top of the puds and pour over the brandy. Tightly wrap in clingfilm and store in a cool, dry place. On Christmas Day, press foil-wrapped 20p coins and one £1 coin into the pud, wrap in a double layer of clingfilm, and simmer for two to three hours. Turn out, flame with warmed brandy and serve with apple brandy butter (150g soft butter, 50g soft icing sugar and a splosh of apple brandy beaten until smooth).

Christmas cake

If you have time, cover in marzipan and icing instead. Makes one cake.

200g sultanas
200g currants
150g dried apricots, finely diced
150g prunes, diced
150g raisins
60g candied peel
60g dried cherries or cranberries
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
200ml Somerset apple brandy
110g hazelnuts, roasted, papery skins removed and roughly chopped
200g unsalted butter
100g light muscovado sugar
80g dark muscovado sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
250g plain flour
1 heaped tsp mixed spice
¼ of a nutmeg, grated
¼ tsp salt
90g stem ginger, finely chopped

To decorate
300g whole dried fruits, such as figs, apricots, apple slices, cherries
120g nuts, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds
150g warm apricot jam, strained

Put the first nine ingredients in a bowl, add the brandy, stir, cover and leave for 48 hours.

Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1. Grease a round 22-24cm x 9cm, loose-bottomed cake tin, and line with parchment to come 4cm above the sides. Pulse half the hazelnuts until very fine, add a quarter of the boozy fruit and blend to a thick purée. Beat the butter and sugars till fluffy, then beat in the eggs one by one (if it begins to curdle, add a little flour). Sieve the flour, spices and salt, then stir gently into the batter. Fold in the purée, nuts, soaked fruit and ginger, spoon into the tin, smooth and bake for two to two and a quarter hours, until a skewer comes out clean. (If it browns before it's done, cover with parchment.) Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and wrap in a double layer of foil. Store in a cool, dry place, feeding it with a slug of brandy every two weeks.

A day or so before the big day, brush with warm apricot glaze, lay the fruit and nuts on top, and glaze again. Store in an airtight container.

Black Salsify, Spinach & Gruyere Gratin

Not done this one yet but saving it in case

30g of butter plus extra for greasing the gratin dish
450g black salsify, peeled or scrubbed
250g baby spinach
300ml vegetable or chicken stock
300ml single cream
Gruyere or edam cheese (no exact amounts here as it depends on how much cheesiness you like!)
White breadcrumbs, a couple of handfuls

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and butter the inside of your gratin dish.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.

Peel the salsify and cut into the desired lengths, then drop straight into the boiling water. Cook until just tender (around 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salsify).

Meanwhile, mix the stock and cream together and season.

Place a layer of salsify in the bottom of the dish and then add a layer of spinach. Grate over some gruyere cheese then finish with the remaining salsify and spinach.

Pour over the cream-stock mixture then mix the breadcrumbs with a generous amount of grated gruyere and sprinkle over the top of the gratin.
Bake until golden and bubbling.

Chicken, mushroom and spinach pasta

Made on 24th November 2009. YUM.

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chicken-mushroom-and-spinach-pasta-bake

Ingredients

1. 250g pasta shapes
2. 1 quantity defrosted Creamy chicken
3. 1 tbsp olive oil
4. 250g button mushrooms, sliced
5. A couple of handfuls baby spinach leaves
6. 4 tbsp double cream
7. 30g grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Method

1. 1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta shapes according to the packet instructions, then drain.
2. 2. Meanwhile, tip the defrosted creamy chicken into a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the mushrooms, for 4-5 minutes, until lightly golden.
3. 3. Drain on kitchen paper and stir into the chicken. Stir into the pasta the spinach leaves. Season well.
4. 4. Tip into a 1.2-litre ovenproof dish, drizzle with double cream and sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Grana Padano. Bake at 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 for 25 minutes.

Creamy Chicken in White Sauce

Made on 24th November 2009 and then developed into Chicken, mushroom, spinach pasta.

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/creamy-chicken-in-a-white-sauce

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2. Knob of butter, plus extra 3 tbsp, softened
3. 16 boneless chicken thighs or 8 chicken breasts, diced
4. 1 large onion, finely chopped
5. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
6. 150ml dry white wine
7. 4 fresh bay leaves
8. Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
9. 3 tbsp plain flour
10. 700ml chicken stock, hot
11. 75ml double cream

Method

1. 1. Heat the vegetable oil and knob of butter in a large, deep frying pan or flameproof casserole. Season the chicken pieces and fry, in batches, over a medium-high heat, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a large bowl and set aside.
2. 2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and fry gently, without colouring, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the wine and herbs, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. 3. Remove the lid and bubble over a high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add to the bowl with the cooked chicken.
4. 4. Add the extra 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt. Add the flour and stir well to make a paste. Cook for 5 minutes, until a pale golden colour. Gradually add the hot stock, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.
5. 5. Return the chicken and onions to the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then add the double cream. Check the seasoning. Set aside to cool.
6. 6. Once cool, divide the creamy chicken between 3 freezer bags or freezerproof containers, label and freeze. Now you have your base, search for one of the following recipes: Chicken a la king; Chicken, mushroom and spinach pasta bake; or Chicken, pea and bacon pies.

Aubergine, Tomato and Parmesan Bake (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10033/aubergine-tomato-and-parmesan-bake-melanzane-alla-

This was very, very tasty, I added a two layers of mushrooms to the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 tbsp olive oil

2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

4 aubergines, cut into long 5mm thick slices

85g parmesan. freshly grated

20g pack basil, leaves torn

1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a shallow pan, mix together the garlic and 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook over a high heat for 3 mins, tip in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8 mins, stirring every now and then. Stir in the tomato purée.
2. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Brush a few of the aubergines with a little oil, then add to the pan. Cook over a high heat until well browned and cooked through, about 5-7 mins. Turn them halfway through cooking. Lift onto kitchen paper and do the next batch.
3. When all the aubergines are cooked, lay a few of them in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then spoon over some sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil leaves. Add seasoning, then repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. Finally, pour the egg over the top, sprinkle over a little more Parmesan, then bake for 20 mins or until the topping is golden

Chicken and Chorizo Bake

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-and-Chorizo-Pasta-Bake/Detail.aspx

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 chorizo sausage, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until firm and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo is hot and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the tomato puree, cream, and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add drained pasta and sauce to the skillet containing the chicken and mix well. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the Cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

Baked Goat's Cheese with Beetroot, Honey and Thyme

This recipe was delicious!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7553/baked-goats-cheese-with-beetroot-honey-and-thyme

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

100g breadcrumbs, use Japanese panko crumbs if you can find them

2 x 100g soft rindless mild goat's cheese

2 homecooked beetroots

1 tbsp olive oil

2 small thyme sprigs

For the dressing

Small bunch of thyme

2 tsp Red wine vinegar

2 tsp Honey

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Make the dressing: mash the thyme leaves with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle, stir in the other dressing ingredients, then set aside.
2. Tip the egg and breadcrumbs into separate shallow dishes. Dip the cheeses into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. repeat so they are completely coated. Put the cheeses on an oiled baking tray, then drizzle a little oil over. Bake for 10 mins until they are golden.
3. While the cheese cooks, finely slice the beetroot, then arrange on plates. When the cheese is cooked, place on top of the beetroot and top with thyme sprigs. Drizzle the dressing over the beetroot and serve.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

A really tasty, hearty soup. I also added a packet of pancetta and some mushrooms. I grated the brocolli rather than blending it so that it was chunkier.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-of-Broccoli-Soup-V/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 head fresh broccoli
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pinches paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Place broccoli in a medium saucepan with water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 minutes. Remove broccoli and reserve cooking water.
2. In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onions and celery in butter until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in flour, milk and cream. Dissolve bouillon in 2 cups reserved broccoli water. Stir into soup. Season with Worcestershire, paprika and salt. Stir in cheese and cook 10 minutes more.

Curry night with Sarah and Clare

Cooked 4 curries for Sarah and Clare in Nov 09. 3 were from the internet and 1 was from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food- Vegetarian Jalfrezi. It was served with naan and Jamie Oliver's the ginger and lemon rice (ministry of food). The jalfrezi wasn't great, but we used jalfrezi sauce rather than paste without reducing the amount of tinned tomatoes put in which might have been the main problem with it. The Brussels Sprouts curry was the most interesting and most distinctive but the amount made was small so I then made a second batch before serving. The potato and aubergine was also good but I cooked it too early so it turned to mush- cook it later next time.

Brussels Sprouts Curry Serves 1-2. (V small portion- double the recipe)

By Phil Vickery BBC Food

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/brusselssproutscurry_84938

Ingredients

dash olive oil

100g/3½oz Brussels sprouts, halved

large potato, chopped and blanched in a pan of boiling salted water for five minutes

pinch turmeric

tsp cumin seeds

pinch paprika

1 cardamom pod, crushed

pinch ground cinnamon

2 tbsp white wine

chicken stock cube

squeeze orange juice

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp sesame seeds

To serve

large handful coriander, chopped

1 orange, peeled, chopped

2 tbsp plain yoghurt

Method

1. Put a dash of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the Brussels sprouts and blanched potatoes and cook for about four minutes until browned all over.

2. Add all the spices and cook for a further two minutes or so, until the spices give off a deep aroma.

3. Add the white wine, stock cube, orange juice, red wine vinegar and sesame seeds and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir to ensure the stock cube dissolves fully.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the coriander and orange.

5. Pour the curry into a serving bowl and top with the mixed coriander and orange. Spoon over the yoghurt just before serving.

Aubergine and Potato Curry Serves 4-6

http://www.recipezaar.com/aubergine-and-potato-curry-392613

Ingredients

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled, diced

2 medium aubergines, peeled, diced

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

2 teaspoons mild curry powder or garam masala

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup approx oil (for frying)

2 cups approx hot water

1 teaspoon hot red chili powder (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil in deep frying pan or wok for about 1 minute, add diced potatoes, stir in until edges go transparent (about 2-3 minutes) and add aubergine cubes. Stir and cook until aubergine squares start to brown.

2.Add turmeric, stir, then crush cumin and coriander seeds in mortar or grinder and add, stir in, along with chili pepper, if used.

3.Add salt, then about half the water (1 cup), to just cover the aubergine and potato cubes. Squeeze in lemon juice and bury the rind in the middle of the mix (this gives the curry a slightly bitter flavour).

4. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasoinally. Add more water as needed to keep mix just covered. Add and stir in curry powder or Garam Masala just before serving.

Aloo Gobi Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 lb Potatoes

1 Cauliflower

5tbsp Vegetable oil

1 tsp Cumin seed

1 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/4 tsp Ground turmeric

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 Green chile - chopped

1/2 Ground cumin - roasted

1 tsp Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

This is the kind of comforting 'homey' dish that most North Indians enjoy. It has no sauce and is generally eaten with bread. I like to serve Shahi korma or Tandoori chicken with it.

1. Boil the potatoes in their jackets and allow them to cool completely. (Day-old cooked potatoes that have been refrigerated work very well for this dish.) Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4 inch (2cm) dice.

2. Break up the cauliflower into chunky flowerets, about 1-1/2 inches (4cm) across at the head and about 1-1/2 inches (4cm) long. Soak the flowerets in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Drain.

3. Heat the oil in a large, preferably non-stick frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the whole cumin seeds. Let the seeds sizzle for 3-4 seconds. Now put in the cauliflower and stir it about for 2 minutes. Let the cauliflower brown in spots. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 4-6 minutes or until the cauliflower is almost done but still has a hint of crispness left. Put in the diced potatoes, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, green chile, ground roasted cumin, salt, and some black pepper. Stir gently to mix. Continue to cook uncovered on low heat for another 3 minutes or until potatoes are heated through. Stir gently as you do so.