BBC Good Food 2015-11

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING FOOD MAGAZINE

101

fabulous festive recipes

NOVEMBER 2015

Trust our recipes

EXCLUSIVE!

ALL TRIPLE TESTED

Nigella

‘All I want for Christmas – from pickles to Pavlova’

Gingerbread cake with caramel icing

Tom Kerridge

‘My ultimate holiday ham’

Paul & Alex Hollywood

Share a special menu for two

GET CRAFTY

Edible gifts & decorations

99+

BEST BUYS!

Festive food, cookbooks, gifts, gadgets & wine

THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE

Make it magical

Party food to share l Fluffy roasties – can’t be beaten! l Glam winter cocktails l Bacon-basted turkey plus sauces, stuffings & sides l

Welcome

Whether you’re planning a full-on family Christmas or a special day for two, I fnd that the trick is to do some planning so that you have the time to enjoy the preparation as much as the occasion. We’re here to help – this issue is packed with inspiring new recipes and plenty of practical know-how. Filling your freezer now will give you a glow of satisfaction, as well as a selection of homemade goodies – turn to page 32 to fnd canapés, desserts and mains, including a crowd-pleasing fsh pie. Bakers and kitchen crafters – now’s the time to stir up your cake and pudding (p20), and get creative with our gingerbread Christmas jumpers (p124). These get my ‘offce present’ vote – or encourage the kids to decorate them for a lucky teacher. Finally, in the run-up to Christmas, I know I’ll need some simple meals – check out our quick and light dishes (p165). They’ll prove to be lifesavers at this time of year.

Gifts from your kitchen p130

The perfect roast turkey p60

Enjoy all your Christmas cooking.

Gillian Carter, Editor

SUBSCRIBE THIS MONTH AND YOU’LL RECEIVE NIGELLA’S NEW COOKBOOK, WORTH £26

WIN a set of baking gadgets p146

For more about this brilliant offer, turn to page 150.

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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Editor Gillian Carter Deputy editor Elaine Stocks Art director Jonathan Whitelocke PA to Gillian Carter and Alfe Lewis Emma Bales Senior food editor Barney Desmazery Food editor Cassie Best Assistant food editor Miriam Nice Commissioning food editor Jessica Gooch Cookery writer Chelsie Collins Art editor Rachel Bayly Designer Suzette Scoble Picture editor Gabby Harrington Chief sub-editor Art Young Senior sub-editor Fiona Forman Feature writer Holly Brooke-Smith TV editor Kathryn Custance TV recipes Petra Jackson Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens Wine editor Sarah Jane Evans MW Speciality food consultant Henrietta Green Thanks to Liz Baird, Sara Buenfeld, Tania Cagnoni, Alex Davidson, Katy Gilhooly, Hugo Harrison, Dom Martin, Tracy Muller-King, Odhran O’Donoghue, Sienna Rodgers, Todd Slaughter, Jack Tennant Publishing director Simon Carrington Senior marketing and events executive Chris Pearce Reader offer manager Liza Evans liza.evans@ immediate.co.uk Subscriptions director Jess Burney Subscriptions marketing manager Lynn Swarbrick Digital marketing manager Phil Byles Advertising director Jason Elson Group head Display Catherine Nicolson Senior Display sales executive Rosie Bee Display sales executive Abigail Snelling Classifed sales executive Tim Bennett Regional agency sales Nicola Rearden Inserts Harry Rowland Advertising enquiries 020 7150 5044 Head of Print & Partnerships Nicola Shubrook Project manager Emily Griffn Senior Partnerships executives Emma Newman, Adam Reynolds

Head of production Koli Pickersgill Production manager Kate Gristwood Head of advertising services Sharon Thompson Senior ad services coordinator Sarah Barker Head of newstrade marketing Martin Hoskins Newstrade marketing manager Alison Roberts Finance Len Bright Press offce Toby Hicks Director of International Licensing & Syndication Tim Hudson Licensing & Syndication international@immediate. co.uk Chairman Stephen Alexander Deputy chairman Peter Phippen CEO Tom Bureau Group publishing director Alfe Lewis bbcgoodfood.com Head of Digital content Hannah Williams Deputy editor Roxanne Fisher Senior writers Lily Barclay, Natalie Hardwick Product manager Mariana Bettio Digital assistant Sarah Lienard Brand executive Natasha Gandotra Group head Digital sales Anna Priest Magazine editorial advisers Donna Clark Acting Head of Commissioning, factual features & formats, BBC One and BBC Two Tam Fry Spokesman, National Obesity Forum Valentina Harris President of Les Dames d’Escoffer International, London Clare McGinn Head of Network Radio & Music Production, Bristol Aisling O’Connor Commissioning Executive Daytime (BBC Television) BBC Worldwide, UK Publishing Director of consumer products and publishing Andrew Moultrie Publishing director Chris Kerwin Brand editorial director Christine Hayes Director of editorial governance Nicholas Brett Publishing coordinator Eva Abramik uk.publishing@ bbc.com

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99

Stuffed festive porchetta and Black & white rice salad with cumin-roasted butternut squash

Contents November 2015 On our cover this month

Get ahead

20 Stir it up Enjoy time in your kitchen baking your cake, pudding and mince pies 32 It’s a breeze to freeze Make entertaining easier with freeze-ahead canapés, mains and glamorous desserts 52 Books for cooks Find the perfect gift to inspire every type of cook

The Big Day

58 Lunch is served! Fabulous new ideas for all your favourites – Crispy bacon-basted turkey and best-ever roasties, with stunning sides and all the trimmings 72 Break with tradition Three top chefs create impressive alternative centrepieces

Festive entertaining

82 Just for two Paul and Alex Hollywood share a special Christmas Eve menu 90 Tom’s holiday ham Tom Kerridge’s exclusive recipe for glazed roast ham 94 Bring a dish! Celebrate with this relaxed, modern menu 105 Start in style James Martin adds a chef’s touch to three sumptuous starters 110 Final fourish Decadent desserts that you can prepare ahead 210 Winter cocktails Classic drinks with a dash of Christmas sparkle

Makes & bakes

122 We love gingerbread Gorgeous bakes celebrating the season’s iconic spice 130 Have a crafty Christmas Homemade gifts to treat family and friends 136 Festive fancies Simple bakes including Rudolph shortbread to make with the kids

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171

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Simple winter suppers No-fuss meals, all ready in 20 minutes or less Take it to 10 Expand your recipe repertoire with this hearty beef stew Comfort & joy Easy puddings the whole family will love

Good reads 14 55 129

Roast sweet potato & onion tart with goat’s cheese

Nigella’s festive food wishes

Everyday 166 175 177

36

Simple, speedy midweek meals

Exclusive Nigella’s must-haves Food lovers’ weekend Lyon Sugar & spice How humble gingerbread became a global favourite

Every month

9 Recipe index and menu planner 12 Enjoy more Good Food Find us online and at the BBC Good Food Shows 17 What’s cooking News, reviews and buys 145 In next month’s issue Sneak preview 150 BBC Good Food subscriber offers 153 Chefs’ specials Recipes from TV shows 182 Christmas cook school Timeplans, advice and ideas for your cheeseboard 194 Classified advertisements 208 From your kitchen Your letters and photos 209 Reader recipe Caulifower & chestnut soup

Just for you

READER OFFERS

DINE IN STYLE Great savings on 56-piece cutlery sets and a 16-piece dinnerware set p163

Shopping 47 146 188 193 195

Gifts galore! Perfect pressies, large and small, for the food lovers in your life Top baking gadgets Bake Off winners pick the best. Plus, win the complete set The big festive food test The Good Food team rates this year’s best buys Special deliveries Mail-order shopping Cheers! Christmas wines and fzz

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Make our cover recipe – p126 Cover photograph TOBY SCOTT Recipe CASSIE BEST Food styling SARAH COOK and CASSIE BEST Styling SARAH BIRKS

Top-quality meat Half-price Butcher’s Steak Selection p181

Half-price bedding Luxury duck-feather toppers p185 Just 44.99 A handy four-step ladder that’s safe and easy to use around the home p192

A   . S. T’   , F  - C. W        , M        . W       , I         .

M    . .

This month’s recipes and menus RECIPE KEY

Healthy option

Low fat

Gluten free

Suitable for freezing

Sides & sauces

Poultry

Best-ever roast potatoes 62 Buttered toast bread sauce 70 Creamed sprouts with chestnuts 64 Festive red cabbage 64 Ginger & orange-glazed baby carrots 64 Griddled chicory 76 Honey-crushed swede 92 Parsnip croquettes 74 Persian cranberry sauce 70 Pickled red onions 40 Pigs in puff pastry blankets 67 Potato rösti cakes with sage leaves 87 Raita 72 Red wine jelly 87 Salted maple-roasted parsnips 64 Sticky Port gravy 70 Stuffng baubles 62 Triple nut & apple stuffng balls 64

Chicken quesadillas with mango salsa 166 Crispy bacon-basted turkey 60 Griddled chicken with edamame mash 171 Orange-stuffed Christmas duck 85

Meat & game

30

Canapés & cocktails

Starters, soups & salads

Mini chicken fajitas 34 Niçoise toasts 34 Pomegranate rosemary spritzer 210 Spanish skewers 34 White Christmas 210 Winter whiskey sour 210

Arancini patties 158 Baked Camembert with baconwrapped breadsticks 141 Black & white rice salad with cumin-roasted butternut squash 101 Caulifower & chestnut soup 209 Chicken liver pâté 108 Goat’s cheese, pear & candied pecan salad 108 Roast root houmous 158 Smoked salmon carpaccio 108 Spiced parsnip & spinach soup 154

Vegetarian Butternut squash & lentil dhal 165 Caulifower & chestnut soup 209 Roast sweet potato & onion tart with goat’s cheese 36 Shukhi – warm beetroot & mushroom salad 96 Spiced parsnip & spinach soup 154 Truffed parsnip & brioche pudding with hazelnut & thyme butter 76

Beef fllet with red wine sauce 74 Beef in red wine with melting onions 175 Candied roast ham with cranberry & star anise sauce 92 Chapati egg rolls 166 Chestnut & bacon linguine 171 Hasselback jacket potatoes 167 Mexican pulled pork tacos 40 Poached egg, pastrami & avocado bagels 172 Pork, lime & cashew stir-fry 169 Stuffed festive porchetta 99 Venison sausage & chestnut casserole 36

Fish & seafood Harissa prawns with warm tahini chickpea salad 172 Lobster, green bean & radicchio salad 84 Luxe fsh pie 40 Parsley & walnut salmon with kale salad 169 Spiced salmon coulibiac 72

Baking & gifts Alaskan yule log 42 Almond-topped mince pies 30 Basic gingerbread 124 Buttered rum Christmas cake 24 Chocolate chestnut yule log 157 Chocolate nut butter cups 131 Christmas morning stollen muffns 141 Clementine poppy seed loaf 143 Cocktail truffe selection 132 MAKE OUR COVER RECIPE Gingerbread cake with caramel biscuit icing 126 Gingerbread jumpers 124 Gingerbread wreath 126 Hazelnut brownies 144 Hot chocolate set 134 Midwinter candle cake 27 Quick-to-mix mincemeat 30 Rich sweet shortcrust pastry 30 Rudolph shortbread 138 Sparkling snowfetti cake 29 Sparkly bauble cake 27 Sugar charms 132

Desserts Berry good frozen yogurt 159 Bread & butter pudding 178 Chai coconut & mango creams 113 Chinon apple tarts 88 Chocolate orange cheesecake 42 Clementine, cranberry & pistachio meringue wreath 114 Double chocolate profteroles with salted caramel cream 114 Gooey toffee puddings 44 Mandarin-in-the-middle Christmas pud 22 Ponche de crème bread pudding 102 The best apple crumble 178

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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Be inspired!

Two menus for festive get-togethers using recipes from this issue

Smart vegetarian menu for 6

Get the best from our recipes In each issue we promise you tested recipes you can rely on, and include tips and advice to make your cooking easier.

All our recipes are tested thoroughly, so they’ll work frst time for you at home. Most are developed in our Test Kitchen by our cookery team, with extra recipes from food writers, TV chefs or cookbooks – and every single one is tested before being included in the magazine. l We keep ingredients to a minimum and

Shuki – warm beetroot &

Truffed parsnip &

mushroom salad p96

brioche pudding p76

prep time no longer than it needs to be. l We help you to avoid waste by using full packs, cans and jars where possible, or give suggestions for using up leftovers. l Where possible, we use humanely reared meats, free-range chickens and eggs, and sustainably sourced fsh. l We use unrefned sugars (such as golden caster sugar), unless we want white icing. l Where egg size is important, it is stated in the recipe.

Helping you to eat well Griddled chicory p76

Clementine, cranberry & pistachio meringue wreath p114

Relaxed drinks party for 8-10

Find our festive cocktails on p210 and party wines & fzz on p195

Baked Camembert with bacon-wrapped breadsticks p141

All our recipes are analysed by a nutritional therapist on a per-serving basis. Each recipe analysis includes listed ingredients only, excluding optional extras such as seasoning and serving suggestions. Simple changes can make a recipe healthier – such as removing chicken skin after cooking, or using a low-salt stock. If you serve the portion size suggested, you can work out how each recipe fts into your day-to-day diet by comparing the fgures with the Reference Intake (RI).

Reference Intake (RI)

Mexican pulled pork tacos p40

Chocolate nut butter cups p131

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The RIs are a guide to the amount of energy (kilocalories), fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt that an adult should consume each day: Energy 2,000 kcals, Protein 50g, Carbohydrates 260g, Sugar 90g, Fat 70g, Saturates 20g, Salt 6g. The RIs for fat, saturated

l

Always use standard measuring spoons, and never mix metric and imperial measures. Please note that recipes created for Advertisement features are checked by our cookery team but not tested in the Good Food Test Kitchen. l

Visit bbcgoodfood.com for advice on healthy eating and special diets, online conversion charts and thousands more triple-tested recipes. You can also follow us on facebook.com/bbcgoodfood, Instagram and Twitter @bbcgoodfood.

fat, sugar and salt are maximum daily amounts.

What our recipe symbols mean EASY Simple recipes that everyone can make, even beginners. A LITTLE EFFORT Requiring a little more skill – such as making pastry. MORE OF A CHALLENGE Recipes aimed at more experienced cooks, who cook for pleasure and like a challenge. Suitable for vegetarians But always check labels on ingredients such as cheese, pesto and curry sauces, to ensure they are suitable. Not suitable for freezing Suitable for freezing Unless otherwise stated, freeze for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly and heat until piping hot.

salt, with 1.5g or less; and low in sugar, with 15g or less. HEART HEALTHY Low in saturated fat, with 5g or less per serving; low in salt, with 1.5g or less; and high in omega-3. LOW CAL 500 calories or less per main course; 150 calories or less for a dessert. 2 OF 5 A DAY The number of portions of fruit and/or veg contained in a serving. CALCIUM

FOLATE FIBRE VIT C IRON

OMEGA-3

Indicating recipes that are good sources of vitamins or nutrients. GLUTEN FREE This indicates a recipe that is free from gluten, but excludes any serving suggestions. For more information on gluten-free cooking, visit coeliac.org.uk.

• We regret that we are unable to answer medical/ nutritional queries. • For thousands more of Understanding our our tested recipes, plus healthy symbols ‘how to’ cookery videos LOW FAT 12g or less per serving. and healthy eating advice GOOD 4 YOU Low in saturated fat, with from the experts, visit 5g or less per serving; low in bbcgoodfood.com.

LIVE SHOWS l ONLINE l MOBILE & MORE

There are so many ways to enjoy Good Food, in the kitchen and on the move VEGETARIAN CHRISTMAS

GET AHEAD OF THE GAME

This special collection of our best festive veggie recipes is on sale now, featuring impressive Christmas main courses and lots of modern ways with seasonal vegetables. There are also recipes to take you through winter, including quick suppers, vegan dishes, party food and bakes. Why not ask your newsagent to order you a copy, or download the digital edition from the Apple App Store.

We’ve got all you need for Christmas at bbcgoodfood.com. Our brand-new infographic shows you what you can make ahead and freeze, while our Christmas countdown calendar highlights key food prep days. There’s also a festive timeplan, make-and-mature cake recipes, and advice on the best equipment to get you through your Christmas cooking.

DON’T MISS OUR WINTER SHOWS Looking for festive inspiration? Then head to one of our BBC Good Food Shows. See Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (above left) do Christmas lunch, get tips from turkey-carving experts, and stock up on presents for the foodies in your life. Michel Roux Jr (above right) and Tom Kerridge are among the chefs appearing from 13-15 November in London and 26-29 November in Birmingham. Visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com or turn to page 118 to fnd out more.

Let us know what you think and win an iPad Mini! Would you like to have your say in the future development of BBC Good Food magazine? Every year, we carry out research on behalf of BBC Worldwide that invites readers to share their views about this magazine and other BBC Worldwide titles, to gauge how satisfed you are with them. This research is important, and is used by BBC Worldwide and the editors to shape future content and strategy for the magazines. We would really appreciate your time to help us with this research. To help us with the research, and be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad Mini, please visit bbcworldwide.com/survey-adults The survey will take less than 10 minutes and is being conducted according to Market Research Society guidelines, and all of your responses are completely confdential. Terms and conditions The prize is one iPad Mini 16GB WiFi. One winner will be drawn at random after the closing date at 23.59 on 31 December 2015. Open to all residents of the UK and the Channel Islands aged 18 years or over except employees of BBC Worldwide or the BBC, their contractors, members of their families and anyone connected with this prize draw. Only one entry permitted per person. There is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable. No purchase necessary. The prize draw is subject to the laws of England and Wales. Promoter: BBC Worldwide Limited, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London W12 7FA. Your data will be used for the purposes of administration of this prize draw and in accordance with BBC Worldwide’s Privacy Policy (bbcworldwide.com/privacy.aspx). Where consent has been provided, BBC Worldwide may send email marketing messages from which you may unsubscribe at any time.

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BBC Good Food Magazine Reader Survey

All I want for Christmas… As Nigella returns to our screens this month, cooking food to nourish body and soul, she shares her festive must-haves with us. Catch her series on BBC Two, plus a Christmas special next month for more inspiration and recipes Portrait Debra Hurford Brown Illustrations Erin Ellis

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I’ve got a new recipe for mine that’s fudgy with dates, treacly with marmalade, sumptuously dark, and happens to be gluten and dairy free – which means that it has almost universal appeal. For me though, the gorgeousness of the taste is the lure. It is also very easy, because everything is melted together in a saucepan before being transferred to a tin and baked, and you can do it at the last minute. Delicious and easy are the bywords!

I’m the condiment queen at Christmas, and I make quick pickles that don’t involve hours of faffng. I give them as presents, but keep plenty to eat with roast meats, cold cuts and cheese, or to spruce up the many meals that need to get onto the table. My Quick-pickled beetroot with ginger is fabulously festive, but I have others up my seasonal sleeve too!

I have a new recipe that is now frmly part of my Christmas Eve repertoire. My Slowcooked black treacle ham pretty much cooks itself, and is as glorious to eat as it is undemanding to make.

There are more ways to eat sprouts than as chestnut-studded accompaniments to Christmas lunch. My Stir-fried rice with double sprouts, chilli & pineapple is welcome as a hangover salve or a veggie respite from this great meat feast – although it’s wonderful with leftover ham. It works well hot or cold.

I’ve never failed to get a Pavlova on the table at this time of year, and I never want to. My Lemon Pavlova is a thing of beauty. I scatter toasted faked almonds on top, but at Christmas these can be substituted with ruby-red pomegranate seeds.

Nothing says Christmas treat to me more than candied chestnuts. They are an extravagance, but I wouldn’t feel it was Christmas without a small jar in the house. I also buy the cheaper broken ones, and sprinkle them over ice cream for an instant dessert.

Not the plant but my Christmas Day cocktail: for each bottle of Prosecco or dry sparkling white wine, add 125ml orange liqueur and 500ml cranberry juice. It’s stronger than it tastes!

Ever since I was a small child and got a pomegranate in my stocking, I’ve always associated Christmas with these beautiful fruits with jewel seeds. I keep bowls heaped with them, like edible decorations, and I also scatter the seeds in salads and over puddings to give as much food as I can a gleaming festive fourish.

Christmas in my house means Quality Street and Peppermint bark. The latter is an American tradition, which I’ve adopted more recently. I always have a few tins for me, and plenty to give friends as Christmas presents.

I never want to branch out for Christmas lunch and start serving up goose. For me, it has to be turkey, and my special pre-roasting brine makes it extra juicy. The leftovers are just as important: I make sandwiches with good white bread, leftover cranberry and bread sauces and English mustard.

This means Maple-roast parsnips for Christmas lunch, and a Spiced parsnip & spinach soup throughout the season.

I’ve made edible tree decorations with my children since they were little, and now they are the essential ritual announcing that Christmas has begun! Simply Nigella is on BBC Two from 2 November. Find the recipes mentioned here in Nigella’s new book – turn to page 150 for our fantastic offer if you subscribe this month.

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What’s cooking

Holly Brooke-Smith brings you this month’s news and best buys TREND SPOTTER ‚

This year, no festive buffet will feel complete without a handdecorated savoury pie. You’ll see all kinds of twists on this British classic as Christmas specials fnd their way onto supermarket shelves. We love these two: • Collection Christmas pork pie, £4/275g, Marks & Spencer Chestnuts, bacon, thyme and British pork encased in charming pastry puds (right). • Three-bird pie, £12/850g, Waitrose This makes a proud centrepiece: turkey, pheasant and duck liver pâté, layered with pork, and topped with cranberries and glazed pastry holly leaves.

GF LOVES… This Pudsey adult apron, designed to raise money for Children in Need on 13 November (£15.99, Lakeland). Find bake sale inspiration at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk, plus lots more recipes at bbcgoodfood.com.

HOLLY’S TROLLEY

Fancy making your own? Find our Chicken, apricot & pork pie at bbcgoodfood.com. And look out for a new recipe from John Torode in next month’s issue – Cranberry-topped game pie.

FAR LEFT The Ferguson’s Gang trio all had pseudonyms – here are Bill Stickers, Shot Biddy and Black Mary

Ferguson’s Gang, by Polly Bagnall and

Bone-in smoky chorizo chicken joint, £7, Asda From Asda’s new slow-cook pouch range – simply pour the contents into your slow cooker and add water. Can also be cooked in a conventional oven. Tyrrells Merry Crisp-mas, £2.99/125g, Tesco The naturally red and white potatoes in this limited-edition pack are a bit of seasonal fun. Ready salted, available until 31 December. Rude Health Ultimate Almond organic almond milk, £3.45, Planet Organic Made with just almonds and spring water, this is an almond milk for purists – and it tastes great.

Sally Beck, is published by Pavilion, £15.99.

NATIONAL TREASURES As part of the National Trust’s 120th birthday year celebrations, a remarkable book tells the story of Ferguson’s Gang, a band of women determined to save Britain’s rural landscapes and historic buildings from the threat of destruction. In 1927, three women set about buying historic buildings and tracts of the Cornish coast,

endowing them to the Trust. Eccentric and fun-loving, they never did anything without a decent lunch. Fortnum & Mason delivered meals to their HQ at Shalford Mill near Guildford and, at Christmas, they tucked into braised pheasant with chestnuts and chipolatas. Their menus and their amazing exploits are revealed in this fascinating book about three inspiring women.

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l

STUNNING SAVOURY PIES

Get ahead Do some of your Christmas cooking and shopping now, while you have the time to enjoy it

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Stir it up

Jane Hornby shares new festive ideas for you to try on Stir-up Sunday – the traditional day for Christmas baking

22 NOVEMBER

Stir-up Sunday

Photographs Will Heap

Midwinter candle cake, p27

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Get ahead

Almond-topped mince pies, p30

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21

This isn’t as tricky to make as you might think. The mandarin is lightly candied, which creates a tender, syrupy fruit centre that oozes orangey juices as you cut the pudding. If you just want a plain Christmas pudding, simply leave out the mandarin. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 8-10 PREP 30 mins plus at least a few hours soaking COOK 8 hrs 15 mins (or longer in a slow cooker) plus reheating

Make a wish

How did the Stir-up Sunday custom begin? Clare Hargreaves delves into the history

Y

ou have your basin, wooden spoon, dried fruit and spices Ð but why are you making your Christmas pudding on the last Sunday before Advent? The name Stir-up Sunday derives from the Anglican ChurchÕs collect for the day in The Book of Common Prayer, which starts: ÔStir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded.Õ The words of the prayer and its timing coincided with pre-Christmas preparations, which evidently stirred a sense of humour in someone in the late Victorian period, and the link was made. But thereÕs debate about just how long-standing the ÔtraditionÕ is. Some food historians, including Annie Gray, a panellist on BBC Radio 4Õs The Kitchen Cabinet, believe itÕs a lot more recent. ÔStir-up Sunday seems to have originated as a Victorian joke,Õ says Annie. ÔIt gained currency between the wars as people looked back with nostalgia to a rose-tinted past. And once re-invented as a genuine tradition rather than a joke, the myth slowly gathered pace.Õ According to ÔtraditionÕ, members of the family take it in turns to stir the pudding while each makes a wish. But Annie says that in Victorian times, this seems unlikely. ÔThe involvement of a whole family in making a dish doesnÕt ring true Ð in houses with servants, for example, children were rarely welcome in the kitchen,Õ she says. But whatever the origins, Annie believes that Stir-up Sunday has its merits. ÔItÕs a jolly ritual, and if it encourages people to cook, why shouldnÕt we accept it as a fun, modern tradition?Õ â Do you cook on Stir-up Sunday? We’d love to hear your stories and see your photos. Get in touch at the addresses on page 209.

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cream or brandy butter, to serve FOR THE FRUIT 140g/5oz each raisins, sultanas and currants 140g/5oz glacé cherries, halved 50g/2oz blanched almonds, chopped 1 medium Bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated to give 175g/6oz fesh 50ml/2f oz orange liqueur (I used Cointreau) 150ml/1/4pt medium or sweet Sherry zest and juice 1 orange FOR THE PUDDING 140g/5oz cold butter, plus extra, softened, for greasing 175g/6oz dark muscovado sugar, plus 2 tbsp for coating the bowl 175g/6oz fresh white breadcrumbs 140g/5oz self-raising four 1 heaped tsp ground mixed spice 2 large eggs, beaten FOR THE MANDARIN MIDDLE 1 frm mandarin or large seedless clementine, weighing about 140g/5oz 400g/14oz white granulated sugar (it must be white for colour) 2 tbsp orange liqueur

1 First, prepare the fruit. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried fruit, cherries, almonds and apple with the alcohol and the orange juice and zest. Cover with cling flm and leave for at least a few hrs, or overnight if you can. 2 Next, prepare the mandarin. Put it in a pan, cover with cold water, then cover the surface with a scrunched-up piece of baking parchment. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 mins or until completely tender when poked with a cocktail stick. Remove the mandarin from the water, keeping 300ml of the cooking liquid in the pan. Set aside the mandarin. 3 Add the sugar to the cooking liquid in the pan and heat gently to dissolve.

Poke several holes in the mandarin, then add to the syrup along with the liqueur. Cover with the parchment again and simmer for 45 mins, turning the mandarin halfway through. By the end of cooking it will be a little translucent and have a dark orange colour. Leave to cool in the syrup (overnight is fne). 4 To make the pudding, grease a 1.5-litre pudding basin, then scatter over the 2 tbsp sugar. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and a pinch of salt. Coarsely grate the butter, and fold into the fruit with the dry ingredients, followed by the eggs. 5 Fill the basin one-third full with the fruit mix, then nestle the mandarin into it. Pack the rest of the mix around and on top of the mandarin and smooth over. You may have some mix left over, depending on the size of the basin. (If you’re not using the mandarin, just press it all in as you’ll have more room). 6 Tear off a sheet of foil and a sheet of baking parchment, both about 30cm long. Butter the baking parchment and use to cover the foil. Fold a 3cm pleat in the middle of the sheets, then put over the pudding, buttered baking parchment-side down. Tie with string under the lip of the basin, making a handle as you go. Trim the parchment and foil to about 5cm, then tuck the foil around the parchment to seal. 7 To cook the pudding, sit it on a heatproof saucer in a very large saucepan, and pour in just-boiled water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover and steam for 6 hrs, topping up the water occasionally. Alternatively, place in a slow cooker, pour hot water halfway up the side of the basin and cook on High for 81/2 hrs. Leave the pudding to cool, and leave in a cool, dark place to mature. To reheat, steam in a pan for 1 hr or remove the foil and parchment, cover with cling flm and microwave on Medium for 10 mins. Cut the pudding with a sharp serrated knife, so that the mandarin stays in place and everyone gets a piece. Serve with cream or brandy butter. PER SERVING (10) 711 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 8g • carbs 142g • sugars 101g • fbre 3g • protein 8g • salt 0.8g

Tip Save the cooking syrup – keep it in the fridge – and use as a sweet base for mulled wine or festive cocktails.

Black and white photograph ALAMY

Mandarin-in-the-middle Christmas pud

Get ahead

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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FOR THE FRUIT 150ml/1/4pt cloudy apple juice 50g/2oz unsalted butter 2 tbsp maple syrup 5 tbsp dark rum 800g/1lb 12oz mixed dried fruit (the kind that includes mixed peel) 175g/6oz dried cranberries TO FEED THE CAKE (each time) 2 tbsp dark rum 1 tbsp maple syrup

Your basic cake recipe Buttered rum Christmas cake If you’ve indulged in a cup of hot buttered rum in winters past, you’ll know what treats this cake has in store. Rum, apple juice and maple syrup – plus plenty of fruit, nuts and cranberries – make for a crowd-pleasing Christmas cake that improves as it keeps. Soak the fruit the night before so you’re ready to stir up on Sunday. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 15-20 PREP 30 mins plus overnight soaking COOK 3 hrs 15 mins

225g/8oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 225g/8oz light muscovado sugar 4 large eggs, beaten 225g/8oz plain four 2 tsp ground mixed spice zest 1 small orange 85g/3oz pecan nuts or walnuts, toasted, then roughly chopped

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1 Start with the fruit. Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the butter, let it melt, then take off the heat and add the syrup and rum. Put the mixed fruit and cranberries into a large bowl, pour over the hot rum mix, then cover tightly with cling flm and leave overnight. 2 The next day, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and double-line a 20cm round, deep cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale, then gradually beat in the eggs until light and fuffy. If the mix starts to split or look lumpy, add 1 tbsp of the four and keep beating. Sift in the four, spices and 1/4 tsp salt, and fold in using a large spoon. Fold in the orange zest, nuts, soaked fruit and soaking liquid. 3 Spoon the batter into the tin, level the top, then make a slight dimple in the middle using the back of the spoon. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins, then reduce oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and bake for a further 1 hr 45 mins or until it has risen, is a dark golden colour and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Put the tin on a cooling rack and leave until warm. 4 To feed the cake the frst time, use a cocktail stick to poke all over the top of the warm cake. Stir together the rum and maple syrup, then slowly spoon over the cake. Cool completely, then remove the baking parchment, wrap loosely in clean baking parchment and store in an airtight tin. Feed the cake every week to 10 days until you decorate it.

Icing your cake Now you’re ready to cover and ice your cake A LITTLE EFFORT

TAKES 30 mins plus drying COVERS a 20cm/8in round cake

4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved icing sugar, sifted, for rolling out 750g/1lb 10oz natural marzipan cooled boiled water or colourless alcohol 750g/1lb 10oz white sugarpaste (fondant) icing

1 Sit the cake on a large fat plate or board and brush a thin layer of apricot jam over the top and sides. 2 Dust the work surface with icing sugar. Lightly knead the marzipan until pliable, then roll out in one direction, turning the marzipan 90 degrees every few rolls and keeping the pressure even. Keep it in a circular shape, reshaping it if needed as you go. When large enough (about 35cm across for a 20cm cake), lift over the cake. Smooth the top and sides with your palms and trim with a knife. If you have time, leave to dry overnight. 3 Clean the work surface and rolling pin. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the sides with cooled boiled water or alcohol, then cover with the sugarpaste icing, rolling it in the same way. Lift onto the cake, then work your way gradually around, smoothing out any folds with your palms to avoid wrinkles forming. Polish the icing with the palms of your hands (or a proper cake smoother) for a smooth fnish. Trim with a sharp knife. TO COVER THE TOP OF A CAKE ONLY (AS WITH THE MIDWINTER CANDLE CAKE)

PER SLICE (20) 421 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 8g •

Use 500g marzipan and 500g sugarpaste, and roll both into a 20cm circle. Brush jam on the top of the cake. Once the cake is topped, use a straight-sided glass or jar to rub around the marzipan and icing to make them fush with the cake. If they’re not quite big enough, rub the top of the icing with the fat of your hands to make it spread a little, then use the glass or jar to smooth it.

carbs 59g • sugars 50g • fbre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.2g

Turn over for three ways to decorate }

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ly rk a Sp

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Get ahead

Three ways to decorate your cake 1

Midwinter candle cake Covering just the top of the cake with marzipan and icing is easier for first-time cake decorators, yet still looks impressive. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 15-20 TAKES 30 mins

20cm/8in Christmas cake, top only covered with marzipan and sugarpaste (see Icing your cake, p24) FOR THE DECORATION 3 unscented tea lights, in metal cases 35-40 cinnamon sticks, 8cm/31/4in long (available from amazon.co.uk) ribbon, about 120cm/48in long bay leaf sprigs rosemary sprigs

2 Loosely tie the ribbon around the middle of the cake, then drop a cinnamon stick at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock between the ribbon and the cake. One by one, fll in the gaps with the remaining cinnamon sticks. When they are all upright, tighten and tie the ribbon in a knot – you may fnd a second pair of hands helpful for this bit. 3 Separate the bay into 3-leaf sprigs, then insert into the icing (I fnd the leaves look best if they all swirl around in the same direction). Add the rosemary, bending the stems a little to help if you need to, then fll in any gaps with single bay leaves. (Make sure that no leaves hang over or near where the candle fames will be). When ready to show off your cake, light the candles. Don’t leave the cake unattended. PER SERVING (20) 518 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 8g •

1 Arrange the tea lights in a triangle on the top of the cake. Mark their positions by pressing down lightly into the icing, then cut out and remove three circles from the icing, going right down to the marzipan. Insert the candles.

2

Sparkly bauble cake Bright and with a good dose of kitsch, this is my modern take on mid-century Christmas cake decoration. If you follow this design, I recommend having a quick sketch on a piece of paper the same size as the cake top, using the cutters you have as a guide for size and layout. 1 OF 5 A LITTLE EFFORT A DAY

SERVES 15-20 TAKES 1 hr plus drying time

small round cutters in different sizes (or you can use the ends of large piping nozzles) 200g/7oz icing sugar, sifted, plus a little extra 1 large egg white assorted gel food colourings (I used purple, yellow, pink, green and black) coloured sugar balls (you can buy a mix of colours online) disposable piping bag about 120cm/48in matching ribbon 20cm/8in Christmas cake, covered with marzipan and sugarpaste (see Icing your cake, p24)

carbs 79g • sugars 69g • fbre 2g • protein 5g • salt 0.2g

1 Using the cutters, cut out shapes in the icing, pressing down as far as the marzipan, then removing the middles. To make teardrop and bird shapes, use a small sharp knife to cut points above and below or to the sides of the circles. 2 Mix the icing sugar and egg white to make a thick but fowing icing. Split it roughly between fve pots – leave one white, then colour the others. Flood each shape with a different colour, then add some coloured balls and leave to set. A pair of craft tweezers will help if you want the balls to be in a design rather than just scattered over. 3 Add a dab of black colouring to the remaining white icing to make it grey, and add a little more icing sugar to thicken it. Spoon into the piping bag, snip off the end, then pipe on the strings, bows and stars or snowfakes. Tie the ribbon around the base of the cake and leave to dry. PER SERVING (20) 777 kcals • fat 25g • saturates 9g • carbs 121g • sugars 110g • fbre 2g • protein 9g • salt 0.3g

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Get ahead

3

Sparkling snowfetti cake

Bring a little magic to your cake with a simple homemade snow globe. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 15-20 TAKES 1 hr plus drying

20cm/8in Christmas cake, covered with marzipan and sugarpaste (see Icing your cake, p24) 1 large egg white 225g/8oz icing sugar, sifted red, white and green sugar sprinkles (sometimes labelled ‘nonpareils’) small handful red, white and green jelly beans FOR THE SNOW GLOBE 1 medium jar, label removed 1 plastic cake topper (we used a snowman fgurine) to ft inside the jar green or red plastic milk bottle top, if needed strong glue (not water-based) green acrylic paint and small paintbrush 2 tbsp glycerine 1 tsp silver craft glitter festive ribbon, to tie around the jar lid

1 Make the icing by mixing the egg white and sugar together until thick and smooth. Using a palette knife, spread a thin layer of icing all around the sides of the iced cake. Sit the cake on a large tray and, holding it at an angle, sprinkle on the nonpareils. You can use a palette knife to help, scooping them up and pressing them on. Leave to dry, then set aside. 2 Sit the cake topper on the jar’s lid, then invert the jar over it. If the fgurine looks a little lost in the jar once closed, then glue in the milk bottle top as a booster. When you’re happy, glue the cake topper in place and leave to dry. 3 Use the acrylic paint to paint some simple fr trees on the back of the jar (remember to have it upside down as you paint) and leave to dry. 4 When ready,fll the jar three-quarters full with water, add the glycerine and dissolve. Spoon in the glitter, then screw on the lid and shake well. The glitter will clump a bit at frst but then separate. Carefully top up with water if needed, then screw tightly and dry any drips, taking care not to damage your painted trees. Glue the ribbon onto the lid/base of your snow globe.

5 Use a little of the leftover icing to attach the jelly beans to the top of the cake, leaving room for the snow globe. Sit the snow globe on top (you can press it into the icing a little if it seems wobbly) and shake whenever you feel like it!

Tip MAKE YOUR OWN MARZIPAN For an Easy vanilla or Zesty orange marzipan recipe, visit bbcgoodfood.com

PER SERVING (20) 476 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 8g • carbs 73g • sugars 62g • fbre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.2g

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Get ahead Quick-to-mix mincemeat

Almond-topped mince pies

EASY GLUTEN FREE

Topping mince pies with frangipane livens up every bite with its almond flavour and cakey lightness.

MAKES 5 x 450g/1lb jars PREP 15 mins plus 2 hrs soaking NO COOK

EASY

Put everything except the suet into a large mixing bowl and mix well using your hands. Leave for at least 2 hrs, or overnight if you can. Add the suet, mix again, then spoon into sterilised jars (see tip, bottom left) while they are still warm. Will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place. If the mincemeat starts to look dry as it matures, add a little more brandy. PER TBSP 54 kcals • fat 1g • saturates 1g • carbs 10g • sugars 10g • fbre none • protein none • salt none

Rich sweet shortcrust pastry EASY

MAKES about 500g/1lb 2oz PREP 10 mins plus chilling

280g/10oz plain four 140g/5oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 4 tbsp golden caster sugar 1 large egg, beaten

Tip HOW TO STERILISE YOUR JARS Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse, then place on a baking tray and put in a low oven for 10 mins or until completely dry. Alternatively, put them through the hot cycle of a dishwasher. If you are using jars with rubber seals, remove the seals and cover in just-boiled water.

1 Put the four in a large bowl with 1/4 tsp salt. Add the butter and rub it in with your fngertips until the mix looks like fne crumbs. 2 Stir in the sugar, then slowly pour in the egg, stirring with a cutlery knife as you go to avoid any overly wet or dry patches. Scrunch to a dough with your hands, then knead briefy until smooth. Alternatively, pulse together the butter, four and salt in a processor, then add the sugar and egg. Shape into 2 discs, wrap in cling flm and chill for 30 mins (if you have time).

MAKES 24 PREP 30 mins COOK 20-25 mins

100g/4oz soft pitted prunes, fnely chopped (optional) 1 tbsp Armagnac or brandy (optional) 450g/1lb Quick-to-mix mincemeat (see recipe, left) 1 x quantity Rich sweet shortcrust pastry (see recipe, below left), or use a 500g pack ready-made pastry plain four, for dusting FOR THE TOPPING 140g/5oz soft unsalted butter 140g/5oz golden caster sugar 85g/3oz self-raising four 100g/4oz ground almonds 2 large eggs, beaten 1 /2 tsp almond extract handful faked almonds icing sugar, to dust

1 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Mix the prunes and Armagnac into the mincemeat and set aside. Roll out the pastry on a lightly foured work surface until 3mm thick, cut into circles with a 7.5cm or 8cm round plain cutter and gently press into 2 x 12-hole shallow, non-stick bun tins. 2 For the topping, beat together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon, then add the four, ground almonds, eggs, almond extract and a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth. 3 Spoon the mincemeat into the tin (about 1 dessertspoon into each). Spoon over the topping, then smooth it to the edges of the pastry with a palette knife. Scatter over the faked almonds. Can now be frozen for up to 1 month. 4 Bake for 25 mins from room temperature (or 30 mins from frozen) until the pies are golden, risen and the pastry feels frm at the sides. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before transferring to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Can be stored in an airtight tin for up to 3 days once cold. PER MINCE PIE 284 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 7g • carbs 33g • sugars 22g • fbre 1g • protein 4g • salt 0.1g

For more festive baking recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

30 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Food styling JANE HORNBY | Styling SARAH BIRKS

2 large Bramley apples, peeled, cored and fnely chopped to give 450g/1lb 450g/1lb each currants, sultanas and raisins 200g pot mixed candied peel zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon 450g/1lb dark muscovado sugar 11/2 tsp ground mixed spice 100ml/31/2f oz Armagnac or brandy, plus more if needed 200g pack beef or vegetable suet

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+ Slow-aged & cared for in Switzerland

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Switzerland. Naturally.

Cheeses from Switzerland. www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com

It’s a breeze

to freeze

Entertaining is easier when you’ve got a freezer full of home-cooked food. Justine Pattison shows you how Photographs David Munns

Chocolate orange cheesecake, p42

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Get ahead

Spanish skewers

Niçoise toasts

Mini chicken fajitas

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Niçoise toasts

Classy canapés

Bite-sized mouthfuls of robust Mediterranean flavours.

Spanish skewers A nod to my favourite Spanish tapas, these are a doddle to assemble, cook from frozen and will go down brilliantly at any party. EASY VIT C

MAKES 24 PREP 20 mins COOK 25-30 mins

200g/7oz waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte, peeled and cut into 24 x 2cm/3/4in chunks 1 tbsp mild olive oil or sunfower oil 2 tsp fnely chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1 large red pepper, deseeded and cut into 24 x 2cm/3/4in chunks 1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 24 x 2cm/3/4in chunks 200g/7oz cooking chorizo, cut into 24 pieces FOR THE GARLIC DIP 200g/7oz half-fat crème fraîche 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 /2 small pack fat-leaf parsley, fnely chopped YOU WILL NEED 24 short bamboo skewers

EASY

MAKES 24 PREP 10 mins plus cooling COOK 40 mins

1 x 150g part-baked baguette, cut into 24 slices (blitz the ends into breadcrumbs and freeze) 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle 6 anchovy fllets in olive oil (from a jar or can), drained 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 /2 medium red onion, fnely chopped 227g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée 25g/1oz mini capers, drained 1 /2 tsp chilli fakes 12 pitted black olives, ideally Kalamata, drained and halved 2 tbsp fnely grated Parmesan baby basil leaves, to serve

PER CROSTINI 53 kcals • fat 2g • saturates 1g • carbs 6g • sugars 1g • fbre 1g • protein 2g • salt 0.4g

Mini chicken fajitas GOOD EASY 4 YOU

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Half-fll a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and return to the boil. Cook for 1 min, then drain in a colander and tip into a bowl. Pour over the olive oil, sprinkle with the rosemary and season. Toss together. 2 Scatter the potatoes over a large baking tray and cook for 5 mins. Turn the potatoes, add the peppers and cook for a further 10 mins or until just beginning to soften. Set aside to cool. 3 Thread a chunk of yellow pepper, a chunk of potato and a chunk of red pepper onto bamboo skewers, fnishing with a piece of chorizo. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray, cover and chill (up to 8 hrs). To make the dip, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill. 4 When ready to serve, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the skewers for 10 mins or until the vegetables are softened and nicely browned, and the chorizo slices are cooked through. Serve with the dip. PER SKEWER 54 kcals • fat 4g • saturates 2g • carbs 3g • sugars 1g • fbre 1g • protein 2g • salt 0.1g

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the bread slices on a large baking tray in a single layer and drizzle over 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 10-12 mins or until dry, taking care not to let them burn or become too hard. 2 Heat the remaining oil in a medium non-stick frying pan and cook the anchovies, garlic and onion for 3-4 mins over a low heat until well softened, stirring until the anchovies break up. Add the tomatoes, purée, capers and chilli fakes, and cook over a low heat for 10-15 mins, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick. Leave to cool for 15 mins. 3 Once cool, spread a little tomato sauce on each piece of bread and top with half an olive. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, then cover and chill for up to 24 hrs until ready to reheat. 4 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the toasts on a parchment-lined baking tray (or two) and bake for 8 mins or until hot throughout. To serve, garnish with basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

MAKES 36 PREP 25 mins plus chilling COOK 16-18 mins

2 tbsp sunfower oil 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5cm/1/2in chunks 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm/1/2in chunks 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm/1/2in chunks 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 /4 tsp hot chilli powder 227g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp chipotle paste 4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced large pack coriander, leaves chopped 3 large four tortillas 75g/21/2oz ready-grated mozzarella FOR THE GUACAMOLE DIP 1 ripe avocado, stoned and peeled juice 1 large lime 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 heaped tbsp fnely chopped coriander YOU WILL NEED 36 cocktail sticks

1 Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan or wok and stir-fry the chicken and peppers for 2 mins. Sprinkle over the spices and cook for 30 secs more, stirring. Tip the tomatoes into the pan and stir in the chipotle paste. Simmer for 5 mins or until the sauce is thick and glossy, stirring regularly. Stir in the spring onions and coriander, cook for 1 min more, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. 2 Cut the tortillas into quarters, then cut each quarter into three pieces, so you have 36 triangles. Place 1 tsp of the chicken mixture and a little cheese at the widest end of a triangle. Roll the pointed end of the triangle around the flling and secure with a cocktail stick. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Fill and roll the other triangles. Cover with cling flm and chill for up to 8 hrs until ready to reheat. 3 To make the dip, mash all the ingredients in a bowl until almost smooth. Cover the surface of the dip with cling flm and chill for up to 24 hrs. 4 When ready to serve, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Uncover the fajitas and bake for 6-8 mins or until hot throughout. Serve with the guacamole. PER FAJITA 41 kcals • fat 2g • saturates 1g • carbs 3g • sugars 1g • fbre 1g • protein 3g • salt 0.1g

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TO FREEZE For all the uncooked canapés, open-freeze on a baking parchmentlined baking tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-proof container, interleaving with baking parchment. Cover tightly with a lid and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Freeze the dip for the Spanish skewers in a small, lidded container for up to 2 weeks. Thaw in the fridge for several hours, or overnight, and stir well before serving. Cook the skewers from frozen on baking trays for 12 mins or until hot throughout. Cook the Niçoise toasts from frozen on baking trays for 10 mins or until hot throughout, then top with the basil. Put the guacamole dip for the Chicken fajitas in a small, lidded container, cover the surface with cling flm and freeze. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hr, mix in a little water and stir well before serving. Cook the fajitas from frozen for 10 mins or until piping hot throughout.

Get ahead

Venison sausage & chestnut casserole

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Make-ahead mains Venison sausage & chestnut casserole You can’t go wrong with this warming casserole, with its rich red wine sauce, chestnuts and cranberries, and creamy mash on the side. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr

2 tbsp sunfower oil 16 venison sausages 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 3 celery sticks, trimmed and thinly sliced 200g/7oz chestnut mushrooms, halved (or quartered if large) 300ml/1/2pt red wine 1 beef stock cube 200g pack vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts 2 tbsp tomato purée 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp cornfour small pack parsley, chopped, to serve (optional)

Roast sweet potato & onion tart with goat’s cheese This recipe makes two tarts, giving you the flexibility to serve one and freeze one. EASY

OF 5 FIBRE 2 A DAY

SERVES 8-12 (makes 2 tarts) PREP 20 mins plus cooling COOK 1 hr 20 mins

3 tbsp olive oil 6 medium red onions, fnely sliced 5 tbsp red wine vinegar 100g/4oz cranberry sauce 1kg/2lb 4oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks 1 tsp chilli fakes 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry 3 x 100g soft goat’s cheese with rind, broken into large chunks beaten egg, for glazing thyme sprigs and a large salad, to serve

FOR THE MUSTARD MASH 1.5kg/3lb 5oz medium potatoes (ideally Maris Piper), cut into even chunks 75g/21/2oz butter 150ml tub double cream 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the sausages in two batches over a medium heat for 15 mins, turning regularly, until nicely browned. Transfer the sausages to a large fameproof casserole dish. 2 Tip the onions and celery into the frying pan and cook over a medium-high heat for 5 mins or until beginning to soften and lightly colour, stirring regularly. Add a splash more oil if needed. Tip the vegetables into the casserole dish. 3 Put the remaining oil in the pan, cook the mushrooms over a high heat for 4-5 mins until lightly browned, then add to the casserole. Pour the wine and 300ml water into the dish and crumble the stock cube over the top. Stir in the

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions over a low heat for 20-25 mins or until well softened and lightly browned. Add the vinegar and cranberry sauce, and simmer for 5-10 mins more, stirring until almost all the liquid has disappeared. Leave to cool. 2 Meanwhile, put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with the remaining oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the chilli fakes. Arrange on a baking tray and cook for 20 mins, turning halfway, until softened and lightly browned. Leave to cool. 3 Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two large baking trays with baking

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chestnuts, tomato purée and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover loosely with a lid and simmer gently for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. 4 Meanwhile, make the mustard mash. Put the potatoes in a large pan of water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Drain well in a colander, then return to the pan and mash with the butter and cream until smooth. Beat in the mustard, season to taste, and set aside. 5 Mix the cornfour with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth. Stir into the casserole and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring regularly, until the sauce has thickened. Remove the dish from the heat, season and sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using. Serve with the mustard mash. PER SERVING 591 kcals • fat 27g • saturates 14g • carbs 52g • sugars 7g • fbre 7g • protein 25g • salt 1.8g

parchment and unroll the pastry sheets on top – trimming the edges neatly at this point will encourage a good rise. Leaving a 2cm gap around the edge, spread the onions over the pastry, then top with the sweet potatoes and goat’s cheese. Brush the beaten egg around the border of the pastry and bake in the oven for 35-40 mins or until the pastry is golden and crisp, swapping the shelves after 20 mins. 4 Scatter over the thyme, then cut each tart into quarters (or smaller pieces if serving more). Serve with a large leafy salad. PER SERVING (8) 776 kcals • fat 45g • saturates 15g • carbs 73g • sugars 22g • fbre 7g • protein 16g • salt 1.2g

TO FREEZE Freeze the cooked, cooled casserole and the mash in large freezer bags for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Then reheat the casserole in a fameproof casserole dish over a medium heat until piping hot throughout. Reheat the mash in a non-stick saucepan over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and piping hot.

TO FREEZE Open-freeze the assembled unbaked tarts on the trays until solid, then remove and wrap tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Unwrap the tarts and place on lined baking trays to thaw at room temperature for 11/2 hrs, then bake as per the recipe.

Get ahead

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Luxe fish pie

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Get ahead

Mexican pulled pork tacos

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Get ahead Luxe fsh pie This recipe makes one large or two smaller pies. Bear in mind, a large one will take longer to thaw (see far right). EASY CALCIUM

FOR THE CHEESY MASH TOPPING 1.5kg/3lb 5oz potatoes (ideally Maris Piper), cut into even-sized pieces 50g/2oz butter 100g/4oz mature cheddar, coarsely grated 300ml tub half-fat crème fraîche

OMEGA-3

SERVES 8 PREP 45 mins COOK 1 hr 10 mins

500g/1lb 2oz thick white fsh fllets, such as cod or haddock, unskinned 500g/1lb 2oz thick salmon fllet, unskinned 300g/11oz smoked haddock fllet (preferably undyed) 700ml/11/4pts full fat or semiskimmed milk 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges 2 bay leaves 75g/21/2oz butter 75g/21/2oz plain four 140g/5oz young spinach leaves 3 tbsp white wine or vermouth (optional) 1 /2 small pack dill, roughly chopped

Mexican pulled pork tacos EASY

SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins plus overnight marinating COOK 4-5 hrs

1.5kg/3lb 5oz rindless pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks 1 red onion, roughly chopped FOR THE MARINADE 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2-3 tbsp hot habanero chilli sauce 3 tbsp tomato purée juice 2 oranges (around 200ml/7f oz) juice 3 large limes (around 75ml/21/2f oz) 3 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp ground allspice 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 /2 tsp ground cloves TO SERVE Pickled red onions (see recipe, right) 24 corn tacos, warmed 4 Little Gem lettuces, trimmed and fnely shredded soured cream or half-fat crème fraîche

1 Place the fsh fllets in a large, wide saucepan and pour over the milk. Add the onion wedges and bay leaves, tucking them in around the fsh. Bring to a very gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and remove from the heat immediately. Leave to stand and infuse for 10 mins or until the fsh is just cooked. Drain the fsh in a colander over a large jug to reserve the infused milk, then tip the fsh into a bowl. Set aside. 2 Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Drain well, return to the pan and mash with the butter, half the cheese and the crème fraîche until smooth. Season to taste and set aside. 3 To fnish the flling, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the four.

1 Put the marinade ingredients in a large, zip-seal freezer bag and squish until well combined. Add the pork and onion, ensuring they’re well coated. Seal and put in the fridge overnight. 2 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a medium casserole dish. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 4-5 hrs or until the pork is very tender and falls apart when poked with a fork. Drain in a colander, reserving the marinade, then transfer the pork to a board. 3 Shred the pork with two forks, drizzle over 4-5 tbsp of the reserved marinade, and serve from the board with the Pickled red onions (right), warmed corn tacos, shredded lettuce and soured cream. PER SERVING 279 kcals • fat 11g • saturates 4g • carbs 6g • sugars 5g • fbre 1g • protein 38g • salt 0.5g

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Cook for a few secs, then gradually add the infused milk, stirring over a medium heat for 3 mins until the sauce is smooth and thick. Stir in the spinach and wine or vermouth, if using, and cook for 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill. Season to taste. 4 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spoon a third of the sauce into the base of a 3-litre shallow rectangular dish. Scatter half the fsh fllets over the sauce, breaking them into chunky pieces and discarding the skin, any stray bones, onion and bay leaves as you go. Pour over another third of the sauce, then top with more fsh. Continue the layers once more, fnishing with sauce. 5 Spoon the potato over the fsh mixture, starting at the edges. Swirl the potato with the back of a spoon and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 mins or until the potato is golden and the flling is bubbling

Pickled red onions EASY

LOW GLUTEN FAT FREE

SERVES 8 PREP 5 mins plus standing COOK 10 mins

Finely slice 2 medium red onions and put in a heatproof bowl. Cover with just-boiled water and leave to stand for 10 mins. Drain well, then stir in 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar and 2 tbsp caster sugar. Stand for at least 10 mins before serving. PER SERVING 33 kcals • fat none • saturates none •

TO FREEZE Assemble the pie, then cover tightly with a double thickness of foil. Seal, label and freeze the uncooked pie for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hrs, depending on the size of your pie, then cook as per the recipe, adding an extra 15-25 mins, until piping hot throughout.

TO FREEZE Put the cooked, cooled pork and marinade in a large zip-seal bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, heat oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Put the frozen marinade and meat in a roasting tin and cover with a large piece of foil. Reheat for 30-45 mins or until piping hot. Once cooked, drain, reserving the marinade. On a warmed platter, spoon 4-5 tbsp of the reserved marinade over the meat and serve as per the recipe.

s ’ t a h t d n a just for startecrhsristmas #becauseits

Extra Special Prawn & Lobster Cocktail

£5

Get Christmas off to the best start with this classic favourite. Rich cocktail sauce combined with an indulgent lemon mousse, generously garnished with Canadian lobster and Indonesian warm water prawns. Available 10th December.

Make it Extra Special because it’s Christmas Selected stores. Available while stocks last. Asda Extra Special Prawn & Lobster Cocktail 250g (£20 per kg). Photography shows serving suggestion.

Decadent desserts Chocolate orange cheesecake A LITTLE EFFORT

SERVES 8-10 PREP 40 mins plus cooling and overnight chilling COOK 1 hr 15 mins

FOR THE BASE 200g/7oz dark chocolate digestive biscuits, roughly broken 75g/21/2oz butter, melted, plus extra for greasing FOR THE FILLING 4 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 2 x 280g tubs full-fat cream cheese 150ml tub double cream 140g/5oz golden caster sugar fnely grated zest 11/2 oranges 4 tbsp orange liqueur, such as Cointreau FOR THE TOPPING 50g each orange milk chocolate and almond milk chocolate, grated

Alaskan yule log Topped with meringue and singed with a blowtorch (or baked in a hot oven), this has plenty of wow factor. MORE OF A CHALLENGE

SERVES 8 PREP 50 mins plus 5 hrs freezing COOK 35-45 mins

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE softened butter, for greasing 6 large eggs, separated 140g/5oz golden caster sugar 50g/2oz cocoa powder FOR THE FILLING 1 litre tub good-quality vanilla ice cream (not soft scoop) FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING 200g/7oz caster sugar 4 large egg whites 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Put your freezer on the fast-freeze setting, or clear some space in the coldest part of the freezer. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment, grease with a little butter and set aside. 2 First, make the sponge. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. Sift the cocoa powder over the egg mixture and whisk in thoroughly. Wash and dry the beaters. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites

1 Lightly grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin. To make the base, put the biscuits and butter in a food processor, pulse into fne crumbs, then tip into the tin. Spread evenly over the base and press down frmly with the back of a spoon. Put the tin in the freezer and leave to set for 30 mins. 2 Put a large piece of foil (extra-wide foil if possible) on the work surface, or criss-cross two pieces of small foil. Place the cake tin in the centre of the foil and bring up the sides to create a foil bowl around the cheesecake. Place in a medium-sized roasting tin. 3 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the flling, put the eggs and egg yolks in a food processor and blitz until well combined. Add the cheese, cream, sugar, orange zest and orange liqueur to the food processor and pulse until only just combined. Pour the cheesecake flling gently onto the chilled base.

4 Add enough just-boiled water to the roasting tin to rise roughly 2cm up the sides. Carefully place the roasting tin in the centre of the oven and bake for about 1 hr 15 mins. The cheesecake is ready when it is very lightly browned and only just set. 5 Take out of the oven and sprinkle with the grated chocolate. Leave to cool in the water bath for 15 mins. Lift the cake tin from the water and leave to cool for a further 1 hr. Cover with cling flm and chill the cheesecake overnight before serving. 6 To serve, run a round-bladed knife around the cheesecake and carefully release it from the tin. Using a palette knife, slide the cheesecake onto a fat serving plate or cake stand and cut into wedges to serve.

until stiff but not dry. Fold a third of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture, then gently fold in the rest until evenly distributed. 3 Pour into the prepared tin and spread gently with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 mins or until well risen and just beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven, loosen the edges with a round-bladed knife and leave to cool in the tin. 4 Prepare the flling while the cake is cooling. Place a large sheet of cling flm on the work surface, take the ice cream out of its tub and place on top. Working quickly, cover the ice cream with cling flm, then press and roll into a long sausage shape. It will need to be 33cm long and around 5cm wide. Wrap a second piece of cling flm around the frst and twist the ends to maintain the sausage shape. Return to the freezer to harden for at least 1 hr. 5 Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Take the ice cream out of the freezer, unwrap it and place in the centre of the sponge. Using the parchment to help you, bring up the sides to enclose the ice cream and carefully lift the roll onto the lined baking tray, rotating it so the seal is underneath. Trim the ends. Cover the cake and tin with cling flm and place in the freezer for at least 4 hrs, or up to 1 week.

6 Make the meringue topping 20 mins before serving. Put the sugar and 175ml water in a pan and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Continue to boil until it reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer. 7 Meanwhile, put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl or tabletop mixer and whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Continue whisking at high speed and very slowly trickle in the hot sugar syrup. The meringue will begin to thicken and become glossy after about 10 mins. Continue to whisk until it is just warm, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Use the meringue immediately, as it is easier to work with while warm. 8 Fit a large piping bag with a 1.5cm star nozzle and fll with the meringue. Take the baking tray out of the freezer and slide the log gently onto a serving platter using a couple of spatulas. Pipe the meringue in lines down the length, then around the ends. Use a cook’s blowtorch to scorch the meringue all over.Alternatively, bake for 8 mins at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 or until the meringue is set and lightly browned. Serve in generous slices (it will sit quite happily for 5-10 mins). Please note this recipe contains lightly cooked egg whites, which may be unsuitable for babies and toddlers, the elderly, pregnant women and people who already feel unwell.

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PER SERVING (10) 575 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 26g • carbs 33g • sugars 25g • fibre none • protein 10g • salt 0.8g

PER SERVING 478 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 10g • carbs 67g • sugars 65g • fbre 1g • protein 12g • salt 0.6g

TO FREEZE Freeze the cooled cheesecake in the tin, wrapped in cling flm and a double layer of foil, for up to 1 month. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 30 mins, then remove from the tin and place on the serving plate. Thaw in the fridge for a further 2-3 hrs before serving.

Get ahead

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Gooey toffee puddings Indulgent yet wonderfully light, these individual caramel sponges are baked with a sticky toffee sauce. EASY

MAKES 8 PREP 30 mins COOK 30 mins

140g/5oz softened butter, plus extra for greasing 200g/7oz light muscovado sugar 3 large eggs, beaten 175g/6oz self-raising four cream or ice cream, to serve (optional) FOR THE SAUCE 75g/21/2oz light muscovado sugar 75g/21/2oz dark muscovado sugar 75g/21/2oz butter 150ml/1/4pt double cream

1 Lightly grease 8 mini metal pudding basins that each hold around 200ml. Place a small disc of baking parchment in the base of each one. 2 To make the sauce, put the sugars and butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until the butter melts and the sauce is glossy, stirring regularly. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and divide between the pudding basins. Leave to cool for 30 mins. 3 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and four together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until pale and

thick. Spoon the mixture into the pudding basins and place them in a small roasting tin. 4 Add cold water to the roasting tin until it rises just 1cm up the sides of the basins. Place the tin in the oven and bake for about 25 mins or until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. 5 Take the tin out of the oven and, one at a time and holding frmly with a dry tea towel, loosen the sides of each pudding with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto 8 warmed dessert plates, or arrange on a platter. Serve hot with cream or ice cream, if you like. PER PUDDING 572 kcals • fat 34g • saturates 21g • carbs 60g • sugars 44g • fbre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.7g

TO FREEZE Prepare the puddings, then place the pudding basins on a baking tray. Cover each uncooked pudding with cling flm or foil and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, uncover and place the basins in a small roasting tin. Follow the recipe from step 4 onwards, adding

For more of Justine’s tips for storing food in the freezer, turn to page 182

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Food styling SARA BUENFELD and KATE MOSELEY | Styling LUIS PERAL

an extra 5mm of water, and bake for 45-50 mins rather than 25 mins.

What caught your eye frst, the kitchen or the price?

Made in the uk

All these Handleless Cream Gloss kitchen units for just *

£2,719

Affordable luxury. 55 SHOWROOMS NATIONWIDE

visit wrenkitchens.com

* Priced kitchen is for units only and does not include the price of any handles, worktops, appliances, sink, tap, props, accessories or small worktop appliances. Must be purchased in the exact confguration as offered by Wren. No substitutions or alterations can be made. One per customer.

Design inspired by coffee

Inspired by a single drop of delicious cofee, Drop’s sleek and seamless form comes with breakthrough touchscreen technology for a uniquely intuitive experience. Simply pop in a capsule to create frothy Latte Macchiatos, delicious Cappuccinos and smooth Americanos and, with over 30 state-of-the-art beverages in our range, there is plenty more to explore.

Serving suggestion

Discover the Modern Art of Cofee by NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto ® www.dolce-gusto.co.uk

Traditional Mexican molcajete – or pestle and mortar (21cm diameter), £35, souschef.co.uk

Something Fishy tea towel, £10, blankinsidedesign.co.uk Willie’s Cacao The Golden Pod flled with salted caramel balls, £12.99, ocado.com

Cookie & caramel festive wreath (20cm), £20, Hotel Chocolat

Gifts galore! From stocking fllers to premium presents – you’ll fnd something here for the food lover in your life

Cores brewer mug, £30, hasbean.co.uk

Perelló 2kg can of olives, £30, ocado.com Firework ceramic bowl (30cm), £90, lumadirect.com

Santa and Snowman salt & pepper shakers, £1 each, Poundland

Pretty jars of herbs and spice blends (35-50g), £3-3.95 each, arabicafoodandspice.com

Tea party biscuits game, £9.95, dotcomgiftshop.com 6, £1 g, .org a e b ble ot ou y t ortr a f d a- ng 5- ski a

Glass cheese dome and marble board, £55, House of Fraser

‘For Santa and Rudolph!’ plate (21cm), £25, ohnorachio.com

Acacia honeycomb in wooden frame, £49.50, whiskhampers.co.uk

Marques de Valdueza Merula extra virgin olive oil (500ml), £9.77, Booths The Be Sweet Company truffes, £14.99, thebesweet company.com Moscow Mule enamel mug, £15, Oliver Bonas

Brabantia knife block, £19.95/£52.95 with 5 knives, philipmorrisdirect.co.uk

Large oval pie tin (30cm), £34.99, Lakeland

Pig cuts piggy bank, £9.99, oakroomshop.co.uk The Food Journal, £12.95, laurenceking.com

La Vecchia Dispensa green label balsamic vinegar (250ml), £25.50 (plus p&p), oilmerchant.co.uk

Birdy egg cups, £15 each, anthropologie.com

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Pineapple apron, £24.95, thornbackandpeel.co.uk

Kilner butter churner, £28, John Lewis

The East India Company tea caddy (125g), £12, eicfnefoods.com

Brindisa Torta de Aciete rosemary olive oil biscuits, £2.95, ocado.com

Dualit Classic four-slice toaster in copper, £199, John Lewis

Zea patterned mug, £8, Habitat

Nordicware square bundt pan (21.5cm), £35.95, Divertimenti

The Ultimate Collection hamper (26 bars), £65, seedandbean.co.uk

Ethically produced, organic Karma Cola (330ml), £1.59, Waitrose

Cure your own bacon with this kit, £22.99, oakroomshop.co.uk

50 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Compiled by HOLLY BROOKE-SMITH | Photographs ADRIAN TAYLOR

Malone yellow enamel pot (30cm), £35, Habitat

You’ve been drooling at the TV and now it’s time to rustle up something tasty for dinner. Our range of Heat and Eat dishes are quick and easy to prepare, leaving you free to plump your prawns to perfection.

For recipe ideas from Pisa to Pattaya visit www.wevegotariceforthat.com

BOOKS FOR COOKS

Tick of your Christmas gift list with our round-up of books for every type of cook

PRACTICAL & INSPIRING

FOR THE FOODIE TRAVELLER

Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul (£25, BBC Books) Inspiring meze dishes, street food and seafood, for a taste of the eastern Mediterranean. With new ingredients and dishes from this region (including Greece, Albania and Croatia), there's a big emphasis on favour. We can't wait to try Rick's Turkish-inspired Lamb & pistachio kofte.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS COOK

Nikkei Cuisine by Luiz Hara (£25, Jacqui Small) This exciting book features more than 100 dishes that explore the marriage of Japanese and South American cuisine. The collection includes home-style cooking alongside dishes from top Nikkei restaurants, such as Grilled seafood sushi with a spicy chifa sauce.

FOR THE STUDENT COOK

Posh Toast (£12.99, Quadrille) This book elevates the status of toast with simple yet impressive toppings. From Blue cheese, fgs & Parma ham to Peppered steak tagliata crostini, there’s inspiration for breakfast and beyond!

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Good reads

FOR THE PERFECTIONIST

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE PROJECTS

How To Cook by Annie Bell (£25, Kyle Books)

The DIY Cook by Tim Hayward (£25, Fig Tree)

One for the keen cook’s shelf, as they’ll refer to it for years to come. As well as practical advice on essential kit and techniques, Annie shares the best possible version of everyday dishes you can’t live without – from the essential fry-up to the perfect Sunday roast.

This offers little and large projects for those who love spending time in the kitchen. Each chapter is based on a classic dish, from steak Diane and chip butties to trife – plus the history and science behind them. Our must-try project? The Lobster macaroni cheese.

FOR MEAT LOVERS

The Hairy Bikers’ Meat Feasts by Si King and Dave Myers (£22, Weidenfeld & Nicolson) The duo celebrate all things meaty. Learn to make the most of less familiar cuts and leftovers, get stuck into pies and pasties, or tackle stews and tagines. Packed with more than 150 recipes, this is sure to keep dedicated carnivores happy.

FOR THE BUDDING PASTRY CHEF

Sweet by James Martin (£20, Quadrille) The BBC chef fell in love with pastry at the age of 17, when he started in the pastry section of a restaurant. Featuring step-by-step basics, the book includes classics such as Spiced apple strudel, plus modern desserts like Walnut macaroon layer gateau.

FOR THE KEEN BAKER

Quinntessential Baking by Frances Quinn (£25, Bloomsbury)

FOR VEGANS

Peace & Parsnips by Lee Watson (£20, Michael Joseph) Lee is an American chef who now lives in Wales. From hearty mains, such as Portobello pecan burger with roasted pumpkin wedges, to indulgent sweet treats, there’s plenty here for anyone looking to eat less meat or dairy. He also includes lots of gluten-free options.

This lively book by the 2013 winner of The Great British Bake Off is packed with playful and imaginative projects, from cupcakes to towering wedding cakes. Illustrated by Frances herself, this is ideal for somebody who loves the artistic side of baking.

AND LASTLY, A GOOD ALLROUNDER

A Lot On Her Plate by Rosie Birkett (£25, Hardie Grant) Anyone passionate about quality ingredients and beautiful dishes will appreciate this book. The crowd-pleasing recipes are inventive yet easy to follow, and the photographs are gorgeous. A keeper! (For an exclusive recipe by Rosie, turn to p99).

• All these books can be ordered at a discount. Simply call 01326 569444, p&p is free. Or buy online at sparkledirect.com/goodfood.

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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Fabulous nutrition isn’t just for Christmas

Your cat is special, so their food should be too At ROYAL CANIN®, we believe that your fabulous feline deserves specialised, tailored nutrition that respects their breed, individuality, sensitivities and even their lifestyle. Developed from extensive knowledge and proven science, our formulas will support your cat through every stage of their life and you will see the difference the right food can make to their health, condition and wellbeing. So for Christmas and beyond, celebrate everything that makes your cat fabulous by choosing ROYAL CANIN®.

Feed your cat

FREE for a week!

Register online at: www.royalcanin.co.uk/bbcgoodfoodchristmas then take your voucher to the retailer you selected during registration.* ROYAL CANIN® pet food is only available from specialist retailers. Go to www.royalcanin.co.uk to find a specialist near you. © ROYAL CANIN® SAS 2015. All Rights Reserved. *Based on a 4kg adult cat eating an average of 55g per day of ROYAL CANIN® Fit32. For full terms and conditions please see www.royalcanin.co.uk/bbcgoodfoodchristmas

Festive break

FOOD LOVERS’ WEEKEND

Lyon

Place Bellecour illuminated at the Festival of Lights

Dine at the Michelin-starred Les Loges in the old town

With gourmet markets and 17 Michelinstarred restaurants, France’s foodie capital is a must-visit. Fiona Forman took a trip Legendary chef Paul Bocuse

Discover beautiful architecture and pick up Christmas treats at the food markets (right)

Eat like a local Sample traditional Lyonnaise cooking at a bouchon – a family-run bistro, where you can eat well for £20 a head. Chabert et Fils (chabertrestaurant.fr) is cosy and welcoming, and offers classics such as Sausage & mustard gratin and Chicken livers in a cream sauce. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Veal head & tongue or the Cow’s foot. If you want to experience Lyon’s signature dish, Quenelles de brochet (creamed fsh dumplings), visit Le Café Comptoir Abel (cafecomptoirabel.fr) for the defnitive version.

Photographs ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCKPHOTO

Best for brunch Start a relaxed Sunday at Café J’adore (cafejadore.fr) in Croix-Rousse – the heart of the city’s fascinating silk-making district – where you’ll fnd generous plates of pancakes with maple syrup. The café also serves an exquisite homemade Violet ice cream.

Decadent dining No trip to Lyon is complete without a visit to Paul Bocuse’s restaurant, L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges (bocuse.fr). The 89-year-old chef – one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine – has held three Michelin stars for 50 years. Book well in advance and order the Truffe soup, a dish that’s been on the menu since 1975. Alternatively, work up an appetite with a walk up the hill to Fourvière (or take the

funicular), where you’ll fnd Villa Florentine (villaforentine. com). The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Les Terrasses de Lyon, has panoramic views over the city, and on a clear day you can even see the Alps. Typical dishes include Lobster with citrus fruit & fennel panna cotta and, for dessert, a tiny fruity sponge with a matcha tea biscuit, coconut foam & strawberry sherbet.

Where to stay Converted from four Renaissance houses, the fve-star Cour des Loges (courdesloges.com) is a smart hotel in the old town. Doubles start from £140, excluding breakfast. It has opulent bedrooms, a spa and a Michelinstarred restaurant. Les Loges, set in an interior courtyard, serves classic French dishes with imaginative twists. Try the Lamb & stuffed vegetables with hazelnut oil, and the spectacular cheese trolley (five-course tasting menu, £70 per person).

Don’t miss… The Festival of Lights (5-8 December), when the city’s beautiful architecture is lit up with displays and art installations. It attracts millions of visitors, so it’s worth booking ahead.

Getting there Eurostar’s new route from London to the south of France, via Lyon, means you can reach the city in under fve hours. Tickets from £89 return, visit eurostar.com or call 03432 186186.

Foodie gifts At Les Halles, the covered market, there’s everything from cheese and wine to charcuterie; and many will let you try before you buy, so go hungry! Fromagerie Mons offers cheese & wine tastings. l Or try Quai St Antoine, an outdoor market along the river Rhône. l

It’s cheaper than Les Halles and offers cheese, saucisson, dried herbs and fruit tarts. l For more gourmet goodies, head to Place Bellecour, an area packed with smart shops. l And for sweet treats, visit Palomas (chocolatier-palomas. com) for moreish chocolate thins, macarons and giant marshmallows.

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Exciting twists ON ALL YOUR FAVOURITES

Lunch is served! Enjoy a wonderful Christmas meal full of festive cheer with these new recipes from the Good Food team Photographs Sam Stowell

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The Big Day

Crispy bacon-basted turkey

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Crispy bacon-basted turkey During my career as a chef, then all my years with Good Food, I’ve roasted more turkeys than I can remember. My all-time top tip is to lightly salt your bird a day ahead, for a really deep flavour and juicy, never-goes-dry meat. By making a bacon butter as well, not only does the turkey baste in smoky bacon goodness, but you also get a layer of crisp little bits between the skin and the breast meat. Too good for words! Barney Desmazery, Senior food editor A LITTLE EFFORT

butter only

SERVES 6-8 PREP 25 mins plus up to 1 day salting (optional) and up to 1 hr resting COOK 3 hrs 25 mins–4 hrs 10 mins

5kg–6kg/11-13lb oven-ready turkey, neck and giblets removed and saved for the Sticky Port gravy (recipe on p70) 2 thyme sprigs 1 onion, halved 1 lemon, halved 2 bay leaves 1 garlic bulb, halved FOR THE SALT MIX 85g/3oz faky sea salt 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp crushed black pepper FOR THE CRISPY BACON BUTTER 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces 140g/5oz butter, softened 1 tbsp maple syrup

CELEBRATION LUNCH FOR 8 Crispy bacon-basted turkey SENSATIONAL SIDES Best-ever roast potatoes Ginger & orange glazed baby carrots Festive red cabbage Creamed sprouts with chestnuts Salted maple-roasted parsnips ALL THE TRIMMINGS Pigs in puff pastry blankets Triple nut & apple stuffing balls or Stuffing baubles Sticky Port gravy Persian cranberry sauce Buttered toast bread sauce

• Step-by-step to your perfect Christmas meal. Follow our timeplan on page 182 and you’ll get everything cooked on time – without forgetting anything!

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1 If you have time the day before, salt the turkey. Make the salt mix by grinding the salt with the thyme leaves and pepper in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and season all over, inside and out, using about two-thirds of the salt. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, cover with cling flm and put in the fridge for up to 24 hrs. If you don’t have time, or there is no room in the fridge, simply prepare the salt and season the turkey generously before roasting. 2 To make the bacon butter, gently cook the bacon in a dry frying pan for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the

fat has seeped into the pan and is sizzling gently, and the bacon is crisp. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Scrape the bacon and the fat into a food processor with the butter and maple syrup. Blitz to combine, scraping down the sides of the processor from time to time. Roll up the butter in cling flm to form a log and place in the fridge. Can be made a few days ahead or frozen for 1 month. 3 Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or so before you want to cook it. Remove the bacon butter from the fridge to soften up. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Calculate your cooking time based on 40 mins per kg for the frst 4kg of the turkey, plus 45 mins for every kg after that (see timeplan on page 182). 4 Gently push your fngers under the skin of the turkey, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand in down the length of the breast. Take care not to tear the skin. Use your hands to spread the bacon butter under the skin so that it covers the entire breast area, and there is butter in the crevice between the thigh and the main body. Pop a sprig of thyme under the skin of each breast, then smooth the skin over with your buttery hands. Place the onion, lemon, bay leaves and garlic in the cavity. 5 Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time – 30 mins before the end of cooking, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, remove the foil, baste the turkey and return to the oven. When the turkey is beautifully brown and cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a warm platter covered in foil for up to 1 hr. 6 Pour the fat away from the roasting tin, leaving just the juices. If your tin is fameproof, pour in the Sticky Port gravy (recipe, p70) to reheat with the juices; if not, tip them both into a saucepan and reheat. Serve the remaining salt mix as a seasoning alongside the rest of the meal. PER SERVING (8) 761 kcals • fat 41g • saturates 17g • carbs 2g • sugars 2g • fbre none • protein 96g • salt 8.7g

New ideas for sides and stufng

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The Big Day

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Stuffing baubles EASY

MAKES 12 PREP 25 mins COOK 40 mins

drizzle of vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing 6 small or medium red onions 250g/9oz sausagemeat 50g/2oz dried cranberries small bunch thyme, leaves picked 50g/2oz fresh or dried breadcrumbs 12 rashers pancetta

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a large baking tray. Halve the onions through the root and peel off the papery skin. Cut off any stringy roots but leave the base of the root intact. Slice a little off the rounded side of each onion half, so they will sit on the tray. Cut away the centre of the onions, reserving the offcuts, to leave a hollow – once you’ve cut away a little, you can use your fngers to pull out the layers until you’re left with a shell of 2 or 3 layers. Arrange the halves on a baking tray, season and bake for 10 mins until just softened. Set aside to cool.

Best-ever roast potatoes Over the years, we’ve made roasties countless times in the Good Food Test Kitchen, experimenting and refining. These are amazing, and we make no excuses for the amount of detail we’ve given – or how much oil we’ve used! Our top tip? Don’t overcrowd your roasting tin. Each chunk needs to be sizzling in the tin with space around it, so if you don’t have a tin big enough for 3kg of potatoes, make less. You might also be surprised that we’re not using goose fat, but we think sunflower oil gives the crunchiest results. EASY

GOOD GLUTEN FIBRE 4 YOU FREE

SERVES 8 PREP 30 mins plus chilling COOK 1 hr 40 mins

3kg/6lb 8oz Maris Piper potatoes (we’ve tried lots of potatoes over the years and these are truly the best) sunfower oil

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1 A day or two before roasting, prepare the potatoes. You need chunks or whole potatoes roughly the size of a clementine, so peel and leave whole, halve or quarter accordingly. Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold, salted water – salting is important, so don’t skip it. Bring the water to the boil and simmer gently for about 15 mins until the potatoes are cooked all the way through but not on the brink of collapse. Gently drain the potatoes in a colander, but do not shake them or ruffe them up – just leave them to drain and cool. Once there is no more steam coming off them, place on a tray in a single layer and put them in the fridge, uncovered, until ready to roast. 2 Heat oven to 200C/180C/gas 6 (or put them in when you turn it up for the turkey). Pour oil into a deep roasting tin to give an even layer of about 0.5cm. Place the tin in the oven for 5 mins to heat the oil, then remove from the oven. One at a time and working methodically (starting at one corner of the roasting

2 Weigh the onion offcuts and place 140g/5oz in a food processor (save any remaining onions for another recipe). Blitz until fnely chopped but still with a little texture – or fnely chop by hand. Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and add the onions. Cook for 5 mins until softened, then set aside to cool. 3 Tip the sausagemeat, cranberries, thyme and breadcrumbs into a bowl. Add the fried onions and a little seasoning. Mix well. Roll the stuffng mixture into 12 balls and use to fll the onion halves. Wrap a slice of pancetta around each ‘bauble’, ensuring the ends meet underneath the onions. Can now be covered with cling film and chilled for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month. 4 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unwrap the stuffng baubles (if chilled) and bake for 25 mins until cooked through and the bacon is starting to crisp. If you’re cooking from frozen, bake for 35 mins. (If you have a full oven, it may be too steamy to crisp up the bacon, so fnish with a blast under a hot grill until nicely browned and crispy.) PER BAUBLE 120 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 2g • carbs 10g • sugars 5g • fbre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.5g

tin and lining them up as you go) place each potato in the oil and use a spoon to turn it so it’s completely coated. Don’t worry about the oil cooling down too much. Once all the potatoes are in the tin in a single layer, not touching, place the tin in the oven and cook for 40 mins, undisturbed. 3 Remove from the oven and – again, meticulously – turn each potato. Return to the oven for 20 mins, then repeat the potato-turning process again. If, at this stage, your other side dishes allow you to, turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and give the potatoes a fnal 20 mins. By now you should have potatoes that are everything a roastie should be: deep, golden and crunchy on the outside with an extra-fuffy middle – just sprinkle with a little sea salt to serve. PER SERVING 434 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 2g • carbs 61g • sugars 2g • fbre 6g • protein 7g • salt 0.6g

The Big Day

Besteve r ro ast po ta to es

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Ginger & orange-glazed baby carrots

Triple nut & apple stuffng balls

Creamed sprouts with chestnuts

EASY

EASY

SERVES 6-8 PREP 5 mins COOK 25-30 mins

MAKES 16 PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins

SERVES 6-8 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins

900g/2lb baby carrots, washed and scrubbed 50g/2oz butter 25g/1oz piece ginger, peeled and fnely grated 2 tbsp clear honey zest 1 orange

2 tbsp linseeds 1 red onion, halved 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 200g/7oz mixed nuts of your choice (we used a combination of pecans, hazelnuts and pistachios) 400g can cooked green lentils in water, drained 50g/2oz breadcrumbs small bunch sage, chopped 1 small apple, grated

900g/2lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed 2 onions, fnely chopped 2 tsp vegetable oil 50g/2oz butter 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 /2 vegetable stock cube, crumbled 250ml/9f oz double cream 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to serve 200g/7oz vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped

1 Put the linseeds in a small bowl and mix with 2 tbsp water, then set aside for 5-10 mins until the water thickens to a gluey consistency. Meanwhile, place the onion in a food processor and whizz until fnely chopped. Heat the oil in a frying pan, tip in the onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. 2 Tip the nuts into the food processor and whizz until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle 3 tbsp of the nuts over a plate and set aside. Add the lentils, breadcrumbs, sage, apple, linseeds (and any liquid in the bowl), onion and plenty of seasoning to the processor. Pulse to blend the mixture until just combined – don’t chop too fnely or the stuffng will lose its nice nutty texture. 3 Line a baking tray with foil and grease with a little oil. Remove the blade from the processor and oil your hands. Scoop out walnut-sized chunks of stuffng, roll into balls, then roll on the plate of chopped nuts to coat. Place on the prepared baking tray. Can be covered with cling flm and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for 2 months. 4 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unwrap (if chilled) and bake for 25-30 mins until the nuts are a little darker and the balls have frmed up slightly – they will be softer than traditional stuffng balls but will frm up after a few mins cooling. If you’re cooking from frozen, bake for 35-40 mins.

1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the sprouts and cook for 3-4 mins until slightly tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. 2 Meanwhile, very gently fry the onions in the oil and half the butter for about 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic and stock cube and cook for 2 mins, stirring, until everything is combined. Remove from the heat. 3 Roughly chop the sprouts by hand or in a food processor, then stir them in with the onions and the rest of the butter, along with the double cream and nutmeg. Put back on the heat and cook until the cream is bubbling. Season to taste. Toss in the chestnuts and sprinkle over a little extra nutmeg to serve.

EASY

1 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the carrots. Simmer for 5 mins until slightly tender, then drain. 2 In a wide pan, heat the butter until melting, then add the carrots, ginger, honey and orange zest. Cook over a medium heat for 25-30 mins, turning them gently every now and then, until the carrots start to go golden and sticky. 3 Turn the carrots gently in the pan every now and again until all sides are browning. Season well before serving. PER SERVING 101 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 3g • carbs 10g • sugars 9g • fbre 4g • protein 1g • salt 0.4g

Festive red cabbage EASY

LOW VIT C 2 OF 5 GLUTEN FAT A DAY FREE

SERVES 6-8 PREP 10 mins COOK 3 hrs

1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 large onions, fnely chopped 1 star anise 1 cinnamon stick 150ml/1/4 pt red wine 1 red cabbage (about 900g/2lb), shredded 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar 2 Bramley apples, peeled and chopped

1 Heat the oil in a large fameproof casserole dish, add the onions and cook on a medium heat for 8-10 mins, then add the star anise and cinnamon stick. 2 Pour in the wine and let it simmer until slightly reduced. Add the cabbage, sugar and apples, and stir well. Season well, cover and simmer on a low heat for 3 hrs, stirring every now and again. 3 Once the cabbage is tender, check the seasoning. Serve in a bowl with the star anise and cinnamon stick on top. Can be made 1-2 days in advance or frozen for up to 4 months – simply reheat on the hob before serving.

PER BALL 123 kcals • fat 9g • saturates 1g • carbs 6g • sugars 2g • fbre 2g • protein 3g • salt none

OF 5 FOLATE FIBRE VIT C 2 A DAY

PER SERVING (8) 321 kcals • fat 25g • saturates 14g • carbs 16g • sugars 7g • fbre 7g • protein 5g • salt 0.5g

Salted maple-roasted parsnips EASY

1 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

SERVES 6-8 PREP 5 mins COOK 35-40 mins

600g/1lb 5oz parsnips, peeled and quartered 2 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp maple syrup 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the parsnips in a large roasting tin with the oil, maple syrup, thyme leaves and some sea salt fakes. Roast for 35-40 mins until soft and sticky. Scatter over a few more sea salt fakes before serving.

PER SERVING (8) 112 kcals • fat 2g • saturates none •

PER SERVING (8) 97 kcals • fat 3g • saturates none •

carbs 16g • sugars 14g • fbre 5g • protein 2g • salt none

carbs 15g • sugars 8g • fbre 4g • protein 1g • salt none

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The UK’s first Wi-Fi connected kitchen from Hoover

FREE 5 YEAR

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The Big Day

Pigs in puff pastry blankets These would work well as canapés at a drinks party too. EASY

SERVES 6-8 PREP 10 mins plus chilling COOK 25-30 mins 1

/2 tbsp vegetable oil, for greasing /2 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry 16 pork chipolatas 1 egg yolk, beaten, to glaze 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1

1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and grease a large baking tray. Unroll the puff pastry into an A4 sheet and cut 16 x 10cm-long strips. 2 Wrap each chipolata in a strip of pastry, winding it round like a corkscrew. Place on the baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 15 mins. Can be chilled overnight or frozen for up to 2 weeks. 3 Mix the egg yolk with 1 tsp water and use to glaze the top of each pastry spiral. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is puffed up and golden, and the sausages are cooked. PER SERVING (8) 205 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 6g • carbs 9g • sugars 1g • fbre 1g • protein 8g • salt 0.7g

Buttery pastry & chipolatas – bet you can’t eat just one! NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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The Big Day

The all-important sauces

cranberry sauc e sian Per

‚ l

Sticky Port gravy

‚

l

Buttered toast bread sauce

Turn over for these three recipes

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The Big Day

One thing that can stress out even the most experienced cooks is last-minute gravy. We’ve all been there – no space for any pans, fishing a dirty sieve out of the sink, frantically looking for a clean wooden spoon… The solution? Make your gravy ahead. This gravy contains a few unusual ingredients but they come together to provide lots of ‘umami’, or savouriness, for a really deep-flavoured result. EASY LOW FAT

SERVES 8 PREP 25 mins COOK 1 hr 30 mins

neck and giblets from your turkey 4 chicken wings, chopped into pieces (or 8 chicken wings if you don’t have the turkey neck and giblets) 2 onions, unpeeled and quartered 1 carrot, unpeeled and roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped 1 garlic bulb, halved 1 tbsp sunfower oil 1 tbsp clear honey 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp tomato purée 50g/2oz plain four small handful dried mushrooms (optional – but nice) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar 150ml/1/4pt Port, Sherry or red wine 1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock 3 bay leaves small bunch thyme

1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the turkey bits and/or chicken wings into a sturdy roasting tin with the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Toss in the oil and spread out into a single layer. Place in the oven for 40 mins undisturbed – you want them the right side of just burnt, as this will give you lots of favour. 2 Remove the tin from the oven and mix in the honey, soy sauce and tomato purée. Toss everything together until all the bits are completely coated, then return to the oven for 10 mins until sticky and caramelised. Remove the tin from the oven again, sprinkle over the four and dried mushrooms (if using) and return to the oven for a fnal 10 mins.

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3 If your roasting tin is fameproof, put it on a low fame, add the vinegar and sizzle for a moment. Pour in the Port and cook until you have a thick, glutinous paste mixed in with all the ingredients – it will look quite messy! Add the stock and herbs, bring to the boil and cook for 10 mins. (If your tin isn’t fameproof, add the vinegar, stir to loosen all the burnt bits from the tin, then tip into a saucepan to continue.) 4 Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to mash everything to extract as much favour out of it as you can. Carefully pass the contents through a sieve over another saucepan, pushing down on the contents of the sieve. Simmer the gravy until thick and glossy, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat the gravy and serve as it is, or add to the turkey roasting juices for even more favour. PER SERVING 144 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 1g • carbs 12g • sugars 6g • fbre 1g • protein 9g • salt 1.1g

Persian cranberry sauce Middle Eastern flavours bring a new dimension to traditional cranberry sauce. The texture is thick, like a chutney, so if you prefer a thinner consistency, add 100ml water. EASY

LOW GLUTEN FAT FREE

SERVES 8 PREP 5 mins COOK 10 mins

250g/9oz fresh or frozen cranberries 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar juice and fnely grated zest 1/2 orange, plus extra zest to serve 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, plus extra to taste pinch of ground allspice

Simply tip all the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir over a low heat for 10 mins until the cranberries have burst into a thick, glossy, sticky sauce. We like ours on the sour side to give your plate a hit of acidity, but if you prefer it sweeter add a bit more sugar. Leave the sauce to cool, then sprinkle over a little orange zest to serve. Can be kept covered in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for 4 months. PER SERVING 37 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 8g • sugars 7g • fbre 1g • protein none • salt none

Buttered toast bread sauce Bread is vastly improved when you toast it and slather it with butter. We’ve applied the same principle to bread sauce, and you’ll really notice the difference in flavour. EASY

SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins COOK 25 mins

140g/5oz crustless sliced white bread 85g/3oz butter 1 onion, fnely chopped 1 bay leaf 1 thyme sprig 600ml/1 pt milk pinch of ground cloves pinch of ground nutmeg 100ml/31/2f oz double cream

1 In a toaster or under a grill, toast the bread slices on both sides until dark brown. Leave to cool, then pulse in a food processor to make rough crumbs. 2 Heat half the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion gently for about 10 mins until just starting to brown and turn sticky. Add the bay leaf and thyme, and pour over the milk. Mix in the spices and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 mins. 3 Remove the herbs, then stir in all but a handful of the crumbs and cook over a low heat, simmering gently, until thickened. For a very smooth sauce, blitz with a hand blender in the pan. Can be chilled for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months, then reheated to serve. 4 While the sauce simmers, melt the remaining butter in a small frying pan and cook until sizzling and nut-brown. Throw in the remaining crumbs and cook in the butter until really crisp, then turn off the heat. 5 Add the cream to the sauce and heat for a few mins more, then tip into a serving dish. Spoon over the crisp crumbs and any remaining nutty butter to serve. PER SERVING 234 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 11g • carbs 14g • sugars 5g • fbre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.5g

For more Christmas recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Food styling SARAH COOK | Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN

Sticky Port gravy

Break with tradition Fancy a change from turkey? Three regular guest chefs on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen pull out the stops to create alternative centrepieces

Mark Sargeant

M

ark, who owns Rocksalt restaurant in Folkestone, recently opened Morden & Lea in London’s Soho. He worked with Gordon Ramsay for more than a decade and was Head chef at Claridge’s, when it was awarded a Michelin star in 2002.

Spiced salmon coulibiac This is a great main for Christmas Day as it can all be made in advance. The unbaked coulibiac can be kept in the fridge for up to a day or, if the salmon has not been previously frozen, you can put it in the freezer for up to 2 months. A LITTLE EFFORT OMEGA-3

SERVES 6-8 PREP 20 mins plus cooling COOK 50 mins

2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, fnely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 cardamom pods, crushed 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp fennel seeds

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Photographs Sam Stowell 2 star anise 1 tsp fenugreek seeds 3 cloves thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into large chunks 2 tsp garam masala 140g/5oz basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 30 mins, then drained 1 bay leaf small pack coriander, fnely chopped 1 red chilli, seeds kept in, fnely chopped 1 tbsp mango chutney 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 x 320g packs ready-rolled puff pastry 2 x 500g whole salmon fllets, skin removed and pin-boned 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, star anise, fenugreek, cloves, ginger and 1 tsp garam masala. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is a deep golden brown. Add the rice with 250ml water and the bay leaf, and season with salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 mins or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is light and fuffy. Remove from the heat, tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Once cooled, remove the cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, ginger and bay leaf. Add the coriander, chilli, mango chutney and lemon juice. Check the seasoning, cover and chill until needed. 2 Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 mins. Unroll the pastry sheets, roll out to make a little wider and put each on a non-stick baking sheet. Cover with cling flm and place in the fridge to re-chill for 30 mins. Season the salmon on both sides with a

little salt and pepper and the rest of the garam masala, then place one piece of salmon on one piece of pastry and cover with half of the rice mixture. Top with the other piece of salmon, then brush around the pastry edges with beaten egg. Cover with the second piece of pastry, pushing down well, then roll the edges over, crimp with a fork to seal and decorate as you like. Can be made ahead and chilled for 1 day. Brush all over with beaten egg and chill for 30 mins. 3 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake in the oven for 10 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to bake for about 30 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Set aside in a warm place to rest for 10 mins. Serve with the rest of the rice mix (heated or cold) and the Raita (below). PER SERVING (8) 647 kcals • fat 37g • saturates 12g • carbs 45g • sugars 3g • fbre 1g • protein 33g • salt 0.9g

Raita EASY

GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 6-8 PREP 10 mins NO COOK

250g/9oz Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove, fnely grated thumb-sized piece ginger, fnely grated 1 /2 small pack coriander, chopped 1 /4 small pack mint, leaves chopped juice 1/2 lime 1 /2 tsp garam masala, plus a little extra to serve 1 /4 cucumber, grated and lightly squeezed

Mix all the ingredients and season. Serve sprinkled with extra garam masala alongside the Spiced salmon coulibiac. PER SERVING (8) 45 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 2g • carbs 2g • sugars 1g • fbre none • protein 2g • salt 0.1g

The Big Day

Impressive make-ahead main

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Marcus Wareing

E

arlier this year, Marcus, judge on BBC Two’s MasterChef: The Professionals, opened Tredwell’s in Covent Garden. He also runs the two-Michelin-starred Marcus, in Knightsbridge, and The Gilbert Scott in St Pancras.

Beef fllet with red wine sauce A LITTLE EFFORT IRON

SERVES 6-8 PREP 20 mins plus at least 24 hrs marinating and resting COOK 1 hr 30 mins

1.3kg/3lb well-aged beef fllet 50ml/2f oz vegetable oil 100g/4oz unsalted butter, cubed

Parsnip croquettes MORE OF A CHALLENGE

MAKES about 20 PREP 35 mins plus chilling and 1 hr freezing COOK 1 hr 45 mins

350g/12oz parsnips, peeled and left whole 2 tsp olive oil 25g/1oz unsalted butter 2 shallots, fnely chopped 25g/1oz creamed horseradish 75g/21/2oz plain four 2 large eggs, beaten 85g/3oz panko breadcrumbs 1-2 litres/13/4-31/2 pints vegetable oil, for deep-frying FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE 50g/2oz unsalted butter 50g/2oz plain four 300ml/1/2pt full-fat milk 75g/21/2oz cheddar, grated 1 /2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 /2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 100g/4oz Gruyère, grated

Parsnip croquettes (recipe below) and Ginger & orange glazed baby carrots (recipe p64), to serve FOR THE MARINADE 200ml/8f oz olive oil 1 /2 small pack thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped 3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped 1 whole garlic bulb, top third cut off and discarded FOR THE RED WINE SAUCE 250ml/9f oz Port 500ml/18f oz red wine 1 tbsp vegetable oil 140g/5oz beef scraps (ask your butcher for these) or braising steak, chopped 4 shallots, sliced 2 garlic cloves, bashed 12 white peppercorns 1 /4 small pack thyme 1 bay leaf 1 litre/13/4 pints beef stock

1 Put the beef in a container just big enough to ft snugly. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and tip over the beef. Cover and chill, turning and basting as often as possible. Leave for 24-72 hrs. 2 Pour the Port and wine into a large pan and simmer until reduced to a glaze. – this will take about 20 mins. Heat the oil in a separate large pan and, when

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the parsnips in a roasting tin with the oil and roast for 1 hr 30 mins. Remove from the oven and cut into chunks. 2 Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat, then add the four and whisk. Remove from the heat and add the milk gradually, whisking after each addition until combined. Return to a low heat and cook, stirring, until thick. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the Gruyère, add 1/2 tsp salt and take off the heat. Add the Gruyère and mix well. 3 Once the parsnips are cool enough to handle, purée in a food processor and set aside. Heat the butter in a pan. Add the shallots and cook for 10 mins or until soft and golden. Tip into a large bowl with the parsnip purée, béchamel and horseradish. Season to taste, cover and cool. When almost cold, spoon into

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almost smoking, add the beef scraps and cook until dark golden. Add the shallots, garlic, peppercorns and herbs. Fry for a few mins until starting to brown, then add the reduced alcohol and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 mins. Strain into a clean pan, then simmer for 8-10 mins until thickened. Season to taste and chill until needed. 3 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the fllet from the marinade and brush off the herbs, reserving them and the garlic for later. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. When almost smoking, add the fllet, season with 2 tsp salt and fry for 5-7 mins, turning every so often. 4 Add the butter, cube by cube, and – when foaming – baste the fllet, turning regularly. When the fllet is caramelised, put in a roasting tin with the reserved herbs and garlic, and cook in the oven for 8-12 mins, turning every 4 mins and basting. To check that the beef is done, insert a probe thermometer into the centre – it should read 55-60C for medium rare. Transfer to a board, wrap loosely in foil and rest for 20 mins. 5 Return the tin to the oven until the butter is hot. Before serving, roll the fllet in it. Serve with the sauce, croquettes, carrots and garlic. PER SERVING (8) 636 kcals • fat 42g • saturates 14g • carbs 5g • sugars 4g • fbre 1g • protein 39g • salt 1.8g

a piping bag and pipe into 3cm-thick lengths onto a baking parchment-lined tray. Freeze for 1 hr until frm but not completely frozen. Remove from the freezer and cut into 5cm lengths. Coat the croquettes in the four, dip in the egg, roll in the panko breadcrumbs, then place on a parchment-lined tray. Chill until needed. Can be made up to this stage up to 24 hrs in advance. 4 To fry your croquettes, use a deep-fat fryer or half-fll a heavy-based medium saucepan with vegetable oil and heat to 180C. Cook in small batches for 2-3 mins until golden and cooked through. Lift the croquettes from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Put on a warmed plate and cover with foil until ready to serve. PER CROQUETTE 162 kcals • fat 11g • saturates 5g • carbs 11g • sugars 2g • fbre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.4g

Tip Want to get ahead? You can make the red wine sauce two days beforehand. Cook the beef and prepare the croquettes up to 24 hrs ahead. While the beef fllet rests, deep-fry the croquettes and remove the red wine sauce from the fridge – tip into a pan and bring back to the boil.

The Big Day

usly tender beef Luxurio

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Ben Tish Truffed parsnip & brioche pudding with hazelnut & thyme butter My decadent, savoury take on the classic bread & butter pudding can be served as a vegetarian centrepiece, or an indulgent side dish. EASY

1 OF 5 CALCIUM FIBRE A DAY

SERVES 4 PREP 40 mins COOK 1 hr 35 mins

B

en is Chef-director of the award-winning Salt Yard Group – three central London restaurants specialising in a mix of Spanish and Italian food. Ben often demonstrates at the BBC Good Food Show. His first book, Salt Yard, was published in 2012; his second, Grill Smoke BBQ will be published by Quadrille next spring.

300g/11oz parsnips, peeled and cut into small chunks 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 350ml/12f oz double cream 3 large eggs, beaten 85g/3oz unsalted butter, softened 100g/4oz vegetarian-style Parmesan, grated 1 tbsp picked thyme leaves, plus extra to serve 2 tbsp good-quality white truffe oil, plus extra to drizzle 300g/11oz brioche loaf, cut into small chunks 25g/1oz blanched hazelnuts, halved 1 small black truffe, thinly sliced (optional)

Griddled chicory This recipe is so simple to make, and its charred flavour nicely offsets the buttery brioche pudding. EASY

LOW FOLATE 2 OF 5 GOOD GLUTEN FAT A DAY 4 YOU FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins

2 white chicory, cut into quarters 2 red chicory, cut into quarters 1 small radicchio (rosso di Treviso), or extra chicory, cut into quarters 1 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp saba (reduced grape must, see tip below) or balsamic vinegar

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until nearly smoking. Rub the chicory and radicchio quarters with the olive oil and season. In batches, griddle on all sides until tender and the leaves have slightly blackened. Drizzle over the saba or balsamic vinegar to serve. PER SERVING 80 kcals • fat 4g • saturates 1g • carbs 8g • sugars 3g • fbre 2g • protein 2g • salt 0.1g

Tip Ingredients to seek out

bbcgood food.com

PER SERVING 1,221 kcals • fat 103g • saturates 53g • carbs 48g • sugars 15g • fbre 6g • protein 23g • salt 1.5g

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â Saba, also known as vin cotto and mosto cotto, is made from whole pressed grape juice (or grape must) that has been cooked over a very low temperature to produce a sweet syrup. Used in both desserts and savoury sauces, saba is sold in Italian delicatessens and also at melburyandappleton.co.uk. â Radicchio rosso di Treviso is a long, thin, mild-favoured variety of radicchio. Its peppery favour becomes less pronounced when it’s griddled. You’ll fnd it in specialist greengrocers.

Food styling SARAH COOK | Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN

Find more vegetarian recipes at

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the parsnips on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, season well and roast for 30 mins or until tender and nicely caramelised. Reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, half the butter, half the cheese and half the thyme. Season well, then add the truffe oil, brioche and parsnips, and leave for 10 mins. 3 Lightly oil a medium baking dish and tip in the soaked brioche mixture. Heat the remaining butter in a shallow pan and cook until the butter turns brown. Add the hazelnuts and remaining thyme and cook for 2 mins before spooning over the top of the pudding. Cover the dish with foil, and cook in the oven for around 50 mins until puffed up and starting to caramelise. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place back in the oven for 15 mins to brown fully. Scatter over the black truffe, if using, add an extra drizzle of truffe oil, the extra thyme and serve.

The Big Day

A festive treat for vegetarians

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Festive

entertaıning Exciting new recipes for all those special dinners and gatherings with family and friends

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CHRISTMAS EVE SUPPER

Just for two Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood takes a break from the kitchen as his wife Alex prepares a special meal for them to share Photographs David Munns

an en be Lobster, gre

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d ala s hio dicc a r &

Festive entertaining

Or k ang duc e-stu ffed Christmas

CHRISTMAS EVE MENU Lobster, green bean & radicchio salad Orange-stuffed Christmas duck Potato rösti cakes with sage leaves Red wine jelly Chinon apple tarts

Pota to rö sti c akes with sage leav es

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Get ahead

‘As the run-up to Christmas is hectic, and Christmas Day is all about family and children, Paul and I have a tradition of making Christmas Eve our time together. I cook a special meal for us, we have a glass of wine and give each other gifts’

UP TO A MONTH BEFORE The red wine jelly can be made and stored in a small sterilised jar in the fridge. THE DAY BEFORE You could remove the lobster meat from the shell, cut it into pieces and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. The basil dressing can be made and kept covered in the fridge. ON THE DAY The potatoes and beans for the starter can be cooked in the morning and chilled until needed. You could make the cardamom crème fraîche in the morning and keep it covered in the fridge. Cook the röstis up to 8 hours in advance, then warm them through in the oven to serve. The tart bases can be cut out and caramelised in the afternoon, put on a tray and topped with a sheet

Alex Hollywood

Lobster, green bean & radicchio salad There is a French connection on my mother’s side, and I have spent a lot of Christmases in France, where you always start the meal with seafood. Paul and I are massive lobster fans, and this salad is such an easy thing to throw together, as all the components can be prepared ahead – leaving you plenty of time to enjoy a glass of bubbly. OF 5 GLUTEN A LITTLE EFFORT FOLATE 2 A DAY FREE

SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins plus chilling COOK 20 mins

1 chilled whole cooked lobster (about 450g/1lb) 3-4 medium new potatoes (about 175g/6oz) 85g/3oz fne green beans, trimmed 1 /2 small radicchio (about 100g/4oz), leaves separated, washed and patted dry FOR THE BASIL DRESSING 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted small pack basil, leaves picked 1 small garlic clove, crushed 2 tsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

of baking parchment.

1 To prepare the lobster, separate the claws from the tail. Crack the claws with a rolling pin and pick out the meat. Remove the shell from the lobster tail, cut the tail in half and discard the intestine. Break off the legs then roll a rolling pin over them to push out any meat. Cut all the meat into bite-sized pieces, cover and put in the fridge. 2 Put a small saucepan of salted water on to boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 mins until cooked but not broken up. Lift the potatoes out of the water and leave to one side to cool. Add the green beans to the hot water and boil for 3 mins until just cooked. Drain the beans and run under cold water. Put the cooled potatoes and beans in the fridge to chill. 3 To make the basil dressing, blitz the pine nuts, most of the basil (saving a few leaves to fnish), the garlic and red wine vinegar in a small food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The dressing should be fairly smooth but still have some texture. Season and set aside. 4 When you are ready to serve, cut the potatoes into 1cm-thick slices, put in a bowl and mix with half the dressing. Arrange the radicchio and green beans on two serving plates, top with the potato slices and fnally the chilled lobster. Drizzle over the rest of the dressing, top with the reserved basil leaves and serve. PER SERVING 485 kcals • fat 20g • saturates 2g • carbs 19g • sugars 2g • fbre 4g • protein 54g • salt 2.1g

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‘With duck, I love that you have the ceremony of carving a whole bird, even though you’re only cooking for two’

Festive entertaining Orange-stuffed Christmas duck Duck with orange is an unbeatable combination, and it also feels very festive. A LITTLE EFFORT

SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 1 hr 30 mins

1 small (1.25kg/2lb 12oz) oven-ready duck 2 oranges 2 tsp light brown soft sugar 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp Grand Marnier 1 tbsp butter 200ml/7f oz good-quality chicken stock 150ml/1/4pt dry white wine 1 tsp cornfour 50g/2oz watercress, to garnish 200g/7oz baby leaf spinach, Potato rösti cakes with sage leaves (recipe overleaf), to serve

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the duck on a rack set over a roasting tin and prick the skin all over with a skewer. Season well. Halve one of the oranges and squeeze some of the juice into the duck cavity and the tin, then stuff the cavity with both of the halves. Pour 100ml water into the tin and roast for 20 mins per 500g (about 50 mins). Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and roast for another 20 mins until the duck skin is crispy and golden. 2 Put a small pan of water on to boil. Using a peeler, pare the zest from the remaining orange. Scrape any pith off the zest using a small, sharp knife. Add the zest to the water and gently boil for 8-10 mins, then drain, slice thinly into strips and set aside. In the same pan, dissolve the brown sugar with the balsamic vinegar. Cut the pared orange in half, juice it and pour the juice into the pan. Add the Grand Marnier and 1 tsp butter. Bubble until it has reduced by half and is dark and syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest. 3 Once the duck is cooked, wrap it in foil to keep warm and put it on a board to rest. Spoon off the fat from the roasting tin and discard. Pour any remaining duck juices into a wide, shallow saucepan. Tip in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the wine and simmer for 2-3 mins, then add half the orange sauce and stir well. In a small bowl, mix the cornfour with 2 tsp cold water, then stir into the gravy. Season, add 1 tsp butter and whisk together. Pour into a warm gravy jug. 4 To serve, brush the remaining sticky orange glaze over the duck, then put the duck on a board and garnish with the watercress. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tsp butter. Once the butter has melted, tip in the spinach and cook for 1-2 mins until it has wilted. Season and tip into a warm serving dish. Serve the duck with the röstis (recipe overleaf), the spinach and the gravy. PER SERVING 812 kcals • fat 59g • saturates 22g • carbs 12g • sugars 9g • fbre 1g • protein 38g • salt 0.7g

What to drink Serve a non-vintage Champagne with the lobster. Highlight the orange in the duck sauce with off-dry Dr L Riesling 2014, Mosel, Germany, 8.5% (£7.45, Asda). A must with the apple tarts from the Loire is a sweet wine from the same region. Domaine des Forges Côteaux du Layon Chaume 2011, 12%, (£8.49/37.5cl, Waitrose) is a silky treat.

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Festive entertaining

Potato rösti cakes with sage leaves EASY

GOOD 4 YOU

SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins

2-3 Maris Piper potatoes (about 400g/ 14oz), peeled and coarsely grated 1 medium egg, beaten 1 tsp plain four 1 /4 tsp baking powder 1 /2 small onion, fnely chopped 6 sage leaves, 2 fnely chopped, 4 whole 3 tbsp sunfower or vegetable oil, for frying

1 Squeeze any excess water out of the grated potatoes, then tip into a bowl and mix well with the egg, four, baking powder, onion and chopped sage leaves. Season well. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and spoon the mixture in to make 4 röstis, fattening them down with the back of a spoon into disc shapes. Cook for 5 mins each side until golden brown and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Can be made up to 8 hrs in advance and kept in the fridge – see tip, right. 2 When ready to serve, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves and cook for 20 secs until crisp but still green. Drain on kitchen paper and top each rösti with a fried sage leaf. PER SERVING 366 kcals • fat 20g • saturates 3g • carbs 37g • sugars 2g • fbre 4g • protein 8g • salt 0.3g

Tip If you have pre-cooked your röstis, warm them up in the oven while the duck rests. Turn the oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3 when you take out the duck, then put the röstis in until they are warmed through.

Red wine jelly Use this for the Chinon apple tarts (recipe overleaf). Any leftover jelly will be delicious with cold duck or other meats over Christmas – or simply spread on toast. EASY

LOW GLUTEN FAT FREE

MAKES 200ml/7f oz PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins

Put 375ml red wine, such as Chinon, 200g jam sugar, 1 star anise, 1 clove, 2.5cm piece cinnamon stick, pinch of allspice and 1/2 split vanilla pod with its scraped-out seeds in a medium saucepan. Stir together, then heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and boil for 20 mins until reduced and syrupy. Strain into a small, sterilised jam jar and leave to cool completely. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. PER TBSP 36 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 7g • sugars 7g • fbre none • protein none • salt none

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Festive entertaining

Chinon apple tarts Paul and I visit France frequently and we particularly love the Loire Valley. Paul’s first stop, of course, is the patisseries and boulangeries. In Chinon, they sell these wonderfully buttery, crisp little apple tarts that are glazed with a jelly made with Chinon wine. 1 OF 5 A LITTLE EFFORT A DAY

MAKES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 35 mins

1 Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 mins, then unroll. Heat the grill to high and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut out 2 x 13cm circles of pastry, using a plate as a guide, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle each circle with 1 tbsp sugar and grill for 5 mins to caramelise, watching carefully so that the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from the grill. Can be done a few hours ahead, and left, covered, out of the fridge. 2 Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut into 2mm-thin slices and arrange on top of the pastry. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is cooked through and golden, and the apples are softened. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Warm the jelly in a small pan over a low heat with 1 tsp water to make it a little more runny, then brush over the top of the tarts. 3 Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar and cardamom, and mix together. Carefully lift the warm tarts onto serving plates and serve with the cardamom crème fraîche. WITH CREME FRAICHE 1,074 kcals • fat 58g • saturates 31g • carbs 123g • sugars 68g • fibre 2g • protein 12g • salt 1.3g WITHOUT CREME FRAICHE 852 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 18g • carbs 114g • sugars 60g • fibre 2g • protein 10g • salt 1.3g

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Alex, an accomplished home cook and food writer, draws inspiration from her travels and her food-loving family (a mix of Norwegian, French, Scottish and Spanish). Her first book, My Busy Kitchen (£25, Hodder & Stoughton), is out now.

Catch Paul Hollywood cooking live at all three BBC Good Food Shows in November. Visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com. Paul and Mary Berry will be cooking festive dishes in a Christmas masterclass on BBC Two in December.

Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS | Styling SARA BIRKS | Decorative foliage hopsandflowers.co.uk | What to drink SARAH JANE EVANS MW

320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry 4 tbsp light brown soft sugar 2-3 eating apples (I used Pink Lady) 3 tbsp Red wine jelly (recipe, p87) FOR THE CARDAMOM CREME FRAICHE 100ml/31/2f oz crème fraîche 1 tbsp icing sugar 3 cardamom pods, pods discarded and seeds ground

Tom’s holiday ham Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a glazed ham, and this exclusive recipe from BBC chef Tom Kerridge is a real crowd-pleaser Photographs Toby Scott

‘I’m a huge fan of Christmas, and a big ham like this is great to have around for a few days of the festive period. It makes a stunning centrepiece served hot – for a party or as a turkey alternative on the big day – but my favourite time to serve it is Boxing Day. I just love the cold meats, the bubble & squeak and all the jars of pickles. This ham, served cold, is absolutely perfect for that.’

Tom’s tips Buying ham and soaking When it comes to buying pork, I would only ever go British, as it supports our farmers and guarantees a high standard of animal welfare. It’s up to you whether you buy smoked or unsmoked ham, but I prefer the favour of smoked. Some people fnd smoked ham too salty, in which case you will need to soak it to get rid of excess saltiness. It’s best to ask your butcher to advise on this. To soak, simply leave the ham in a large pan or bowl of cold water overnight, then discard the water and carry on as stated. How to cook it Boiling a ham this size calls for a large pan, such as a stockpot or preserving pan. If you don’t have a pan big enough, you’ve got a couple of options. You could buy a 3kg boned and rolled ham, which will be smaller but will take the same amount of time to cook and feed the same number of people. Alternatively, you could slow-roast the ham. To do this, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Sit the ham in a roasting tin and pour over 600ml water. Add the aromatics, cover tightly with foil and bake for fve hours. Cool and continue from step 2 of my recipe.

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Festive entertaining

nt, juicy roast ham Ð and the lefto Succule vers

mak e gr eat san dw ich es

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Festive entertaining

‘I’m a huge fan of Christmas, and a big ham like this is great to have around for a few days’

Candied roast ham with cranberry & star anise sauce The sauce in this recipe is an optional extra, but the sharpness from the cranberries cuts through the smoky ham beautifully. If you want to reheat any leftover ham, try mixing water, butter and a few herbs together in a pan to make an emulsion, then place thick slices of ham in it to warm through. A LITTLE EFFORT GLUTEN FREE

in slices

SERVES 10-12 PREP 25 mins plus cooling

4kg/9lb smoked bone-in ham, trimmed and skin left on (see Tom’s tips, p90) 3 bay leaves 3 star anise small pack thyme 1 tbsp white peppercorns 100ml/31/2f oz white wine vinegar pared zest 1 orange 200g/7oz demerara sugar 1 tbsp ground mace 175g/6oz clear honey FOR THE SAUCE 500ml/18f oz ham stock (from the soaking liquid in step 1) 2 star anise 100g/4oz unsalted butter 50g/2oz fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped zest and juice 1/2 orange

What to drink Chenin Blanc is the appley Christmas favourite with ham, and Ken Forrester is the South African master of this white grape. Choose his dry, elegant Workhorse Chenin Blanc 2014, Stellenbosch, 12.5% (£8.50, Marks & Spencer).

1 Put the ham in a large, deep pan (see Tom’s tips, p90) and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and skim off any impurities. Add the bay leaves, star anise, thyme, peppercorns, white wine vinegar and orange zest. Simmer for 3 hrs, then turn off the heat and leave the ham to cool in the water. 2 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the ham from the pan, reserving the stock. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the skin, leaving a good layer of fat. Score the fat all over with as many long, fine cut marks as you can fit in. Mix the sugar and mace together. Put the ham in a large roasting tin and cover with half the mace-sugar mix, pressing it into the score marks. Drizzle over the honey, then press the rest of the mace and sugar on top. Roast in the oven for 30 mins, basting every 10 mins to form a dark caramel crust. Remove from the oven and rest for 30 mins. 3 To make the sauce, pour the ham stock through a fine sieve until you have 500ml. Pour into a medium saucepan, add the star anise and reduce until thick and glossy. Add the butter and reduce until it emulsifies and becomes a thick sauce. Remove from the heat, stir in the cranberries, orange zest and juice, and check the seasoning. Slice the ham into thick slices and spoon over the sauce. PER SERVING (12) 610 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 13g • carbs 31g • sugars 30g • fibre none • protein 48g • salt 6.2g

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Honey-crushed swede EASY

1 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

SERVES 10 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins

2 large swedes, cut into 3cm/1in chunks 1 tsp ground mace 100g/4oz butter 2 tbsp clear honey

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Add the swede and simmer for 20-25 mins until tender. Drain the swede, tip back into the pan and add the mace, butter and honey. Season and crush everything together gently with a potato masher. PER SERVING 101 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 5g • carbs 6g • sugars 5g • fibre 1g • protein none • salt 0.4g

• Tom has created a range of winter dishes-to-go for Harrods in London, from 12 November until the end of the year. He will also be hosting a pop-up restaurant there, 2-8 November, cooking recipes from his new book.

Tom Kerridge will be appearing at the BBC Good Food Show in London in November. Find out more at bbcgood foodshow.com

Food styling EMILY KYDD assisted by CHELSIE COLLINS | Styling SARAH BIRKS

COOK 3 hrs 45 mins

Celebrate bring a dish

and

Four food writers – all rising stars in 2015 – get together to share an authentic taste of home Photographs Helen Cathcart

MODERN DINNER PARTY FOR 6 Shukhi – warm beetroot & mushroom salad Stuffed festive porchetta Black & white rice salad with cumin-roasted butternut squash Ponche de crème bread pudding

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Festive entertaining

Meet the cooks Sabrina Ghayour, food writer and self-taught chef, teaches cookery classes and runs pop-up food events around London. She is author of the critically acclaimed Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond. Her second book, Sirocco, is out next May. Read her blog at sabrinaghayour.com. Ukrainian-born Olia Hercules trained at Leiths cookery school before becoming a chef at Ottolenghi, and then a food stylist. She published her frst cookbook, Mamushka, in June. Find out more at oliahercules.com. Shivi Ramoutar was born in Trinidad and runs Caribbean supper clubs in London (details at shiviramoutar.com). She recently published her cookbook, Caribbean Modern: Recipes from the Rum Islands. She was a BBC MasterChef contestant in 2013. Rosie Birkett, a food writer and stylist, co-wrote Alain Ducasse’s London food guide, J’aime London, and recently published her own cookbook, A Lot on Her Plate. Read her blog at alotonherplate.com.

Turn over for their recipes for a festive gathering

Olia Hercules

Shukhi – warm beetroot & mushroom salad This is my version of the salad. If you’re not keen on tarragon, replace it with any herb you really love. Similarly, you can substitute any good-quality vinegar, or even add lemon juice in place of the Sherry vinegar – just make sure the dressing is beautifully balanced. EASY

LOW FOLATE 2 OF 5 FAT A DAY

SERVES 6-8 PREP 25 mins COOK 30 mins

2 tbsp rapeseed oil 8 banana shallots, halved and sliced lengthways 6 beetroots (around 900g/2lb), peeled and cut into matchsticks 200g/7oz wild or oyster mushrooms

6 tbsp Sherry vinegar 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey 3 garlic cloves, fnely grated few tarragon sprigs, leaves chopped small rye bread loaf, sliced and toasted 1 /2 small pack dill, chopped, to serve

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and add the shallots. Cook over a medium-low heat for 5-10 mins until the shallots start colouring a little. 2 Add the beetroot, season well and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 10 mins, then stir and return to the oven for another 10 mins until the shallots are golden and the beetroot is cooked through but still frm. 3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the

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mushrooms until golden. Mix the vinegar, sugar, garlic and some seasoning together to make the dressing. Taste to ensure you have a good balance of sweet and sour favours – it should also be quite garlicky. 4 When the beetroot is done, stir in the dressing and tarragon. Top the rye bread slices with some warm beetroot salad, the mushrooms and a scattering of dill. PER SERVING (8) 134 kcals • fat 3g • saturates none • carbs 19g • sugars 13g • fbre 4g • protein 4g • salt 0.4g

BRING THE DISH TO THE PARTY This salad can be served warm or at room temperature, so if you’re taking it to a friend’s place, don’t bother reheating it. Pack the dressed beetroot and cooked mushrooms into two containers. Toast the bread when you arrive, then assemble.

Food styling EMILY KYDD | Styling LINDA BERLIN

I grew up in the secular Soviet Union, where celebrating religious holidays was frowned upon. In the south, where I lived, people used to get married in churches and baptise their children in secret, so New Year became everyone’s ‘Christmas’. Once the USSR broke up, old traditions returned and we began to celebrate Christmas again. It was in the Carpathian Mountains, when I was nine, that I frst witnessed the breathtaking beauty of a Ukrainian Christmas. The embroidered clothes, people going from house to house singing kolyadki (Christmas carols) and playing violins, and the food – so beautifully vibrant. Traditionally, you’re supposed to eat 12 vegetarian courses (to symbolise the 12 apostles), and one of the dishes that the Hutsul people (Ukrainian highlanders) make is shukhi, possibly the earthiest salad on earth!

Stuff ed f est ive po rch et ta

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Festive entertaining

Rosie Birkett

Christmas in my house is all about feasting. It begins with a bacon sandwich (on squishy white bread dipped in the dripping, with Worcestershire sauce) and a glass of orange juice. This is eaten in the living room surrounded by presents – a sort of suspension of excitement before we tear into our gifts. My mother always used to fit between unwrapping presents and sorting out the Christmas lunch in her pinny, but now that falls to me. I let Mum have a break at this time of year. She has spent so much of her life cooking for me. We’re pretty classic when it comes to lunch – usually smoked salmon followed by turkey and a boozy Christmas pud. Being a food stylist, I’m well-versed in cooking turkey, so I experiment with new ideas and mix it up a bit. Stuffng is a penchant of mine – probably because this was always one of my jobs as my mother’s sous chef – and this festive porchetta is inspired by a forcemeat stuffng I love.

‘Christmas in my house is all about feasting’ Stuffed festive porchetta I love the way pork belly has the crispiest, crunchiest crackling. EASY

SERVES 6-8 PREP 30 mins plus at least 8 hrs chilling, 1 hr standing and 30 mins resting COOK 3 hrs 5 mins

1.5kg/3lb 5oz bone-out pork belly 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 3 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp chilli fakes FOR THE STUFFING 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, fnely chopped 1 /2 fennel bulb, hard core cut out and discarded, the rest fnely chopped 1 /2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 2 garlic cloves, crushed 250g/9oz minced pork shoulder 1 slice sourdough bread, torn into small pieces 25g/1oz toasted pine nuts grated zest 1 unwaxed orange 3 dried apricots, fnely chopped 3 sage leaves, fnely chopped 1 /2 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped 1 /2 tbsp lemon juice freshly grated nutmeg 1 egg, beaten

1 Score the pork belly skin with a sharp knife in a cross pattern. Score down to just before where the skin meets the fat, rather than the fat itself. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and add the bicarbonate of soda. Lower the pork into the water, poach gently for 5 mins, then remove it from the water and leave to cool to room temperature. 2 Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds and chilli fakes in a dry frying pan over a high heat for 1-2 mins, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Grind the spices in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar, then mix with 1 tbsp fne sea salt. 3 Once the pork has cooled, turn it skin-side down and pierce the underside of the meat all over with a knife. Rub the meat with the spiced salt rub, cover and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hrs or overnight. Can be prepared 24 hours ahead. 4 The next day, make your stuffng. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion and fennel. Season and cook gently over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the coriander seeds and garlic, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the mince. Cook for 8-10 mins until the mince is browned. Set aside and leave to cool. 5 Transfer the mince and onion mix to a bowl and add the sourdough, pine nuts, orange zest, apricots, herbs, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season well, then mix

together thoroughly with your hands. Add the egg and mix again. 6 Lie the pork belly on a board, skin-side down. Form the stuffng into a sausage shape running all the way down the middle of the belly. Wrap the sides of the belly around the stuffng and tie with butcher’s string. Place seam-side down in a roasting tin, uncovered, and chill for at least 2 hrs, preferably overnight. You want the skin to dry out completely so that it crisps up when you roast it. 7 To cook the pork, remove it from the fridge and leave it for at least 1 hr to come to room temperature before you cook it. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and cook the pork for about 2 hrs, turning the tin every 30 mins or so. After 2 hrs, turn the heat up to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and cook for another 20 mins. When the pork is done, a thermometer pushed into its centre should read 77C. If the skin looks in danger of burning, cover it with foil – but only do this once it has crackled. 8 Once the pork has cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 mins. When you’re ready to carve, put the pork on a big chopping board. Using a sharp knife, slice the meat into rounds. Serve the pork, stuffng and crackling with Sabrina’s rice salad (see overleaf). PER SERVING (8) 480 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 11g •

BRING THE DISH TO THE PARTY Another dish that is delicious served hot or at room temperature. If you want to reheat it, cut off the crackling and set aside, then slice the pork into chunky pieces and put in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with a little water, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Cook in the oven at 160C/ 140C fan/gas 3 for 15-20 mins. Re-crisp the crackling under the grill.

carbs 5g • sugars 3g • fbre 1g • protein 39g • salt 3.3g

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Festive entertaining

Sabrina Ghayour Any occasion where friends and family gather together is joyous for me, but none more so than Christmas. The fact that everyone stops what they’re doing to spend time with each other makes it my favourite time of the year. I like to bring vibrant, memorable dishes to the feast – ones that don’t leave my guests feeling too sluggish. Christmas lunch in my family involves a classic rib of beef. But Boxing Day is a very different occasion – about 20 years ago I started making Peking-style crispy duck and pancakes. It’s a real contrast to the Christmas roast, like my black and white salad. This recipe is versatile too, and works as a side dish or main.

Black & white rice salad with cumin-roasted butternut squash This recipe adheres to the Persian tradition of combining fruit with savoury flavours. The scattering of sharp, crumbly feta finishes off the dish beautifully. EASY

2 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

SERVES 6-8 as a side dish PREP 15 mins

small pack dill, leaves and stalks fnely chopped small pack fat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks fnely chopped 1 large red onion, fnely diced 200g/7oz feta, to serve FOR THE DRESSING zest and juice 1 large unwaxed orange 4 tbsp clear honey 4-5 tbsp Sherry vinegar 4 tbsp olive oil

COOK 30-35 mins

1 small butternut squash (about 375g/13oz), peeled and cubed 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp cumin seeds 250g/9oz basmati & wild rice 140g/5oz dried cranberries 200g/7oz pomegranate seeds 100g/4oz blanched hazelnuts, toasted and halved

1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the squash on the baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter on the cumin seeds and season generously – use your hands to ensure each piece is evenly coated with oil and seasoning. Roast for 30-35 mins until the edges are caramelised, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

2 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the rice for 20-25 mins or according to pack instructions, then strain and rinse well with cold water until all the starch is washed off and the rice is cold. Allow to drain well. 3 Put the cranberries, pomegranate seeds, hazelnuts, herbs, onion and rice in a large bowl and mix well. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl with a generous amount of seasoning to taste. Once the squash is completely cool, gently mix it into the bowl of other ingredients. Pour over the dressing, mix well and serve on a large platter with the feta crumbled over the top. PER SERVING (8) 400 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 2g • carbs 56g • sugars 28g • fbre 4g • protein 6g • salt 0.1g

BRING THE DISH TO THE PARTY To keep the salad looking fresh, it’s best to dress it just before serving. Pack the salad into a big container and take the dressing in a jam jar. Toss it together just before serving, and scatter with feta at the last minute.

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Festive entertaining

Shivi Ramoutar

Caribbean culture is so linked with cooking, eating, drinking and spontaneous hospitality, but we fnd a way to elevate it to another level at Christmas. More cooks in the kitchen, more ‘prized’ dishes to be tasted, and parang (local folk music) blaring at all hours. There’s poinsettias and fake snow everywhere – as I grew up where snow was a thing of storybooks, you can see why we’d go mad for it. The front door becomes a revolving door, with family, friends and neighbours popping in at any hour, and there’s always enough for all. But behind all this bacchanal, we never forget that at its heart it’s a celebration of love and generosity.

For Shivi’s Grainy coconut ice cream recipe to go with this dish, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Ponche de crème bread pudding Ponche de crème is a traditional spiced festive drink, a bit like eggnog. A LITTLE EFFORT CALCIUM

SERVES 6 PREP 55 mins COOK 40-45 mins

50g/2oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 400g/14oz brioche (slightly stale, if possible), thickly sliced 25g/1oz coconut flakes 50g/2oz raisins large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 50g/2oz pecans, roughly chopped 1 tbsp demerara sugar FOR THE PONCHE DE CREME 4 large eggs grated zest 1 lime 410g can evaporated milk 4 tbsp good-quality dark rum 1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract 1 /4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 /2 tsp Angostura bitters 397g can condensed milk TO SERVE Grainy coconut ice cream (see recipe at bbcgoodfood.com), or double cream 2 tbsp pecans (optional) 2 tbsp coconut flakes (optional)

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1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lightly grease a 20 x 30cm baking dish with a little of the butter. 2 First, make the ponche de crème. In a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk, beat the eggs and lime zest for 1-2 mins until light and frothy. Gradually beat in the evaporated milk and rum, then add the vanilla, nutmeg and bitters, and mix well. Stir in the condensed milk and set aside. 3 Butter the brioche slices on one side and cut each in half diagonally. Layer half the slices across the base of the baking dish, butter-side down. Pour over half the ponche de crème. Scatter over the coconut fakes, raisins and half the nutmeg, and leave for 15 mins. 4 Sprinkle over the pecans and layer the remaining slices of brioche, butter-side up, on top. Pour over the remaining ponche de crème, ensuring it soaks all the bread. Sprinkle over the remaining nutmeg and the demerara sugar. 5 Put the baking dish into a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the tin to come halfway up the outside of the baking dish. Carefully put the tin in the oven and bake for 40-45 mins until the custard is set and the pudding is golden brown. Scatter over pecans and coconut fakes and serve with Grainy coconut ice cream (see left) . PER SERVING 839 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 20g • carbs 83g • sugars 58g • fbre 3g • protein 22g • salt 1.4g

BRING THE DISH TO THE PARTY This dessert is best baked from fresh, but the brioche will beneft from a long soak in the custard, so assemble and wrap well, then bake at your host’s house. The ice cream will stay frozen for 20-30 mins in a freezer bag, or serve it with double cream.

BUILDING

HEALTHY

LIVES *

*Water contributes to the maintenance of normal cognitive function. At least 2,0 L of water, from all sources, should be consumed per day, as part of a healthy diet.

Festive entertaining

Start in style BBC Saturday Kitchen host James Martin reveals the chef’s touches that will transform your starters

Goat’s cheese, pear & candied pecan salad

Spiralizing the pear looks stunning in little nests l

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Using a squeezy bottle for the dressing adds a touch of fnesse l

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Candied roasted nuts add texture and enhance the favour

Blowtorching the goat’s cheese creates a brûléed effect

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Chicken liver pâté

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Put thyme leaves and garlic slices under the butter – it looks pretty and adds favour

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Perk up shop-bought chutney by adding crisp apple for extra crunch

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Serve on small wooden boards for a rustic feel

Festive entertaining

Smoked salmon carpaccio Pea shoots make the dish look gorgeous, giving it the restaurant factor l

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Quenelles of horseradish cream add a smart chef’s touch l

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Use a mandolin to fnely slice the beetroot and radish into even rounds

Laying the salmon in a neat rectangle gives the dish a professional fnish

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Festive entertaining GoatÕs cheese, pear & candied pecan salad A LITTLE EFFORT

1 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 7-10 mins

Chicken liver p‰tŽ

Smoked salmon carpaccio

A LITTLE EFFORT FOLATE IRON

Make your own horseradish cream if you can, otherwise buy the best you can find for a stronger flavour.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus chilling COOK 10 mins

1 OF 5 GLUTEN EASY VIT C OMEGA-3 A DAY FREE

100g/4oz pecans 2 tbsp soft brown sugar 1 tbsp maple syrup 2 red-skinned pears, cut into long, thin strips (use a spiralizer, or julienne them) 100g/4oz wild rocket 4 x 35g rounds of goat’s cheese FOR THE DRESSING 1 tsp mustard powder 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put the pecans on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle over the sugar and maple syrup, and toss to combine. Roast for 5-7 mins until golden, then leave to cool completely before roughly chopping. 2 Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the ingredients and seasoning well. In a large bowl, combine the pear with the rocket, and toss with a little of the dressing. 3 Just before serving, blowtorch or grill the goat’s cheese rounds until golden. To serve, put the remaining dressing in a squeezy bottle and swirl around the edge of the plate. Put the pear and rocket salad in the middle, scatter over the nuts and top with the goat’s cheese. PER SERVING 487 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 9g • carbs 22g • sugars 21g • fbre 5g • protein 11g • salt 0.6g

375g/13oz unsalted butter 400g/14oz chicken livers, trimmed 2 large garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 1 fnely sliced 3 thyme sprigs, leaves only 3 tbsp Madeira 4 slices brioche 1 Bramley apple, cored and diced onion chutney, to serve cornichons, to serve

1 Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the chicken livers and fry for 2 mins each side. 2 Stir the crushed garlic, some of the thyme and Madeira into the pan with the livers. Fry for 2 mins, letting the Madeira simmer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, reserve 200g of the butter and add the rest to the processor. Blend everything to a smooth paste. Season to taste, then spoon into 4 x 70ml clip-top jars. 3 Melt the reserved butter in a medium frying pan and add the sliced garlic. Turn the garlic in the butter until slightly golden. Pour into the 4 jars of pâté, ensuring a few slices of garlic and the remaining thyme leaves go in each jar, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, or until set. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. 4 Before serving, toast the brioche, then cut into triangular quarters for serving. Stir the diced apple through the chutney. Serve the pâté on small wooden boards with the toasted brioche, cornichons and chutney.

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins NO COOK

50g/2oz radishes, fnely sliced into rounds 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp strong horseradish 100g/4oz double cream, lightly whipped 400g/14oz smoked salmon, cut into long slices 100g/4oz cooked beetroot, fnely sliced into rounds 2 oranges, peeled and segmented 2 preserved lemons, fnely diced handful of pea shoots drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to serve

1 First, lightly pickle the radish slices by putting them in a small bowl with the vinegar for at least 30 mins. Meanwhile, mix the horseradish with the whipped cream in a small bowl and season with salt. 2 Lay 100g of the long salmon slices on 4 rectangular plates in a neat rectangle shape. Put 3 discs of beetroot on top of the salmon in different places. Arrange about 6 slices of the pickled radish around the salmon too. Add a few orange segments and some of the preserved lemon. 3 Next, shape the horseradish into quenelles by using 2 teaspoons to scoop and roll it. Put 3 quenelles on each plate. Finally, scatter with the pea shoots, and drizzle over a little oil before serving. PER SERVING 318 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 9g • carbs 9g • sugars 8g • fbre 2g • protein 27g • salt 5.0g

PER SERVING 539 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 25g •

Tip

Find more smart starter recipes at

bbcgood food.com

Catch James Martin cooking live on stage at the BBC Good Food Shows in Glasgow (6–8 November), London (13–15 November) and Birmingham (26–29 November). Find out more at bbcgoodfoodshow.com.

108 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

All the individual components can be prepped a day ahead and stored in separate containers in the fridge overnight. You can also arrange the salmon on serving plates and wrap in cling flm, ready to serve.

Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE | Styling POLLY WEBB-WILSON

carbs 16g • sugars 4g • fbre 1g • protein 20g • salt 0.5g

Tofheorigin taste and tradition.

For a taste of real regional European specialities, look for the PDO label.

Just like Prosciutto di San Daniele, true taste and real origins simply cannot be imitated. That is why the European Union created the Protected Designation of Origin scheme. PDO makes regional specialities with centuries of tradition easier to recognise. Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano cheese are perfect companions for every dish – awarded with the prestigious quality mark. So next time you want to enjoy the unmistakeable �lavour, look for the PDO label. Follow our tradition at www.prosciuttosandaniele.it

CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITALY.

Proud carriers of the PDO label.

Final

flourısh

There’s something for everyone with these dazzling do-ahead desserts. Take your pick – gooey chocolate, fruity meringue or a free-from pudding featuring this season’s on-trend favours Recipes Cassie Best Photographs Adrian Lawrence

Double chocolate profiteroles with salted caramel cream

110 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Festive entertaining

Clementine, cranberry & pistachio meringue wreath

Turn to page 114 for the recipes

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Festive entertaining Chai coconut & mango creams Vegan, dairy, gluten, wheat and nut free – and delicious – this dessert will go down a storm. A LITTLE EFFORT VIT C

1 OF 5 GLUTEN A DAY FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins plus chilling COOK 20 mins

3 Sieve the infused coconut milk into a clean pan and discard the spices. Sprinkle over the remaining agar agar fakes and leave for 5 mins until the agar agar has dissolved. Heat gently for 3-5 mins, stirring now and then. Divide the mixture between the moulds and chill for at least 4 hrs, or overnight. 4 To serve, dip the base of each mould into hot water for 10 secs or so, then turn out onto a plate. Top each dessert with a little chopped mango, some passion fruit seeds and a small sprig of mint, then sprinkle the coconut fakes around the plate.

Tip MAKE AHEAD Prepare up to 1 day ahead (agar agar can turn desserts watery if left for too long).

PER SERVING 626 kcals • fat 37g • saturates 30g • carbs 68g • sugars 64g • fbre 4g • protein 3g • salt none

Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE | Styling POLLY WEBB-WILSON

4 allspice berries 4 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves 1 vanilla pod, split, or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 x 400ml cans full-fat coconut milk 200g/7oz caster sugar a little vegetable or sunfower oil, for greasing 1 ripe mango, 1 cheek cut into small dice and set aside to serve, remaining 140g/5oz roughly chopped juice 1/2 lime 4 tbsp agar agar fakes toasted coconut shavings, 2 crinkly passion fruits and mint leaves, to serve

1 Put the allspice berries and cardamom pods in a large saucepan. Use the end of a rolling pin to gently split open the cardamom pods and crack the allspice into a few pieces. Add the remaining spices, coconut milk and 140g of the caster sugar to the pan. Set over a gentle heat and simmer for 5 mins. Cool, then chill overnight. 2 Grease 4 x 200ml pudding moulds, ramekins or pretty glasses with a little oil (you can skip this if you don’t want to turn the creams out once set). Put the remaining sugar, mango, and lime juice in a food processor and blend to a purée. Sieve the purée into a saucepan, sprinkle 1 tbsp agar agar fakes over the surface and leave to stand for 5 mins or until the agar agar has dissolved. Stir the agar agar into the purée and bring to a gentle heat, then simmer for 3-5 mins, stirring now and then, until the purée has thickened slightly. Divide between the moulds and chill for at least 2 hrs or until set.

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Festive entertaining Double chocolate profteroles with salted caramel cream It wouldn’t be Christmas without profiteroles, and this version is twice as nice – with chocolate choux buns smothered in a duo of chocolates and filled with salted caramel. You can make the choux buns a day or two in advance, refresh them in the oven and fill with cream on the day.

Tip

MORE OF A CHALLENGE

MAKE AHEAD Prepare up to

SERVES 6 PREP 45 mins COOK 35 mins

the end of step 3, then store in a

FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY 75g/21/2oz plain four 2 tbsp cocoa powder 85g/3oz slightly salted butter, chopped into small pieces 3 medium eggs, beaten FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL CREAM 1 /2 x 397g can Carnation caramel 1 /2-1 tsp sea salt fakes 300ml pot double or whipping cream TO DECORATE 100g/4oz white chocolate, fnely chopped 50g/2oz dark chocolate, fnely chopped chocolate sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)

sealed container for up to 2 days. Refresh in the oven at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 for 5 mins, then cool and continue recipe.

Clementine, cranberry & pistachio meringue wreath This stunning meringue wreath makes a showstopping centrepiece. The meringues are individually portioned, which makes serving really simple. A LITTLE EFFORT GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 10 PREP 25 mins COOK 1 hr 30 mins

For more festive desserts, visit

bbcgood food.com

FOR THE MERINGUE 4 large egg whites 200g/7oz caster sugar FOR THE TOPPING 100g/4oz fresh or frozen cranberries 75g/21/2oz caster sugar 300ml pot double or whipping cream 2 small clementines, zested, then peeled and sliced 2 tbsp orange liqueur (optional) 100g/4oz pistachios (slivered ones look nice, but use chopped if you can’t fnd them)

114 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

1 Sieve the four and cocoa into a bowl. Put the butter in a saucepan and add 225ml water. Bring to a fast boil, then simmer until the butter has melted. Tip in the four mixture and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to a smooth, shiny dough, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Tip the dough into a bowl and spread it up the sides with your spoon to help it to cool down quickly (but don’t let it cool completely – it’s easier to incorporate the eggs while it’s still warm). Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. 2 While the dough is still warm, add the eggs a little at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon between each addition. You’re looking for a smooth consistency, that reluctantly falls off the spoon in a V shape (you may not need to use all the egg). If the mixture becomes too runny, you won’t be able to pipe it; if it’s too thick, it won’t puff up in the oven. When you’re happy with the consistency, spoon it into a disposable piping bag. 3 Snip off the end of the piping bag to give you a 1cm opening. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle to the baking tray, pipe balls of the dough, about the size of a walnut, over the 2 sheets – you should

make 18-20 in total. Dip your fnger in a little water and gently pat down any peaks on the top of the balls of dough. Place the 2 sheets in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins, swapping the trays over after 20 mins. The choux buns should be puffed up and crisp when cooked. Leave to cool completely. 4 Spoon the caramel into a large bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, mix well and taste – add a little more salt if you like. Add the cream and whisk until holding soft peaks (the cream can now be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day). 5 Split the choux buns in half, spoon a generous dollop of salted caramel cream into each and replace the lids. Melt the white and dark chocolates in 2 bowls suspended over pans of gently simmering water, or in the microwave. Transfer the dark chocolate to a piping bag and set aside to cool a little. Top each bun with a spoonful of white chocolate, stack the profteroles on a plate or cake stand, then drizzle over the dark chocolate and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or edible glitter, if you like. Serve straight away.

1 Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 2 and cut a piece of baking parchment large enough to line your biggest baking sheet. Using a plate as a template, draw a circle roughly 28cm in diameter onto the parchment, then fip it over onto the baking sheet so the pencil marks don’t come into contact with the meringue. 2 Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and beat with an electric whisk until doubled in volume and holding soft peaks. Add the sugar 1 or 2 tbsp at a time, whisking continuously, until the meringue is stiff and shiny, and the sugar has been used up. 3 Dab a blob of meringue on each corner of the parchment to stick it to the baking sheet. Using the circle as a guide, spoon 10 mounds of meringue onto the parchment in a wreath shape. Create a little divot in the centre of each one with the back of a teaspoon. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins, then leave in the oven to cool completely (overnight if you can). 4 Put the cranberries and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn up the heat and boil for 1-2 mins, until

you have a sugary syrup, but the cranberries are still whole. Leave to cool completely. 5 When you’re ready to serve, place the meringue wreath on a large board or plate. Pour the cream into a bowl, and add the zest and liqueur, if using. Whip until the cream just holds soft peaks. Fill each meringue crevice with a spoonful of cream, then top with 1-2 slices of clementine and some cranberries. Drizzle some cranberry syrup and sprinkle generously with pistachios, then let everyone dive in.

PER SERVING 479 kcals • fat 37g • saturates 22g • carbs 28g • sugars 19g • fbre 1g • protein 8g • salt 0.7g

PER SERVING 304 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 8g • carbs 32g • sugars 31g • fbre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.1g

Tip MAKE AHEAD

You can make the meringue wreath up to 3 days before serving. Once cool, place on a tray lined with baking parchment and cover with cling flm. The cranberries can also be cooked and stored in the fridge for 3 days.

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Christmas made easy in association with

Fulfilling the demands of the kitchen at Christmas isn’t easy – but with a #hothack, you can sail through this year. Lisa Faulkner shares her cooking tricks to make festive entertaining fuss free

Hotpoint Openspace Oven This genius oven can help you prepare meals in double-quick time with an intelligent divider that separates the single oven into two cooking spaces, each operated by its own set of controls. And don’t worry about size - it’s big enough to ensure you’ve got plenty of space to meet your needs.

Seasonal hacks This Christmas, make things easier and better. Lisa Faulkner’s series of hot hacks arms you with a cache of invaluable short cuts, tips and ideas to make whipping up something special as easy as pie

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hristmas has to be the best time of year to indulge and really enjoy yourself when it comes to food but with so much of the season revolving around it, it’s pretty important to get it right. This means that somebody is going to be spending a lot more time than usual in the kitchen. And if you’re reading this, it’s probably you. But even the most ardent of cooks can feel overwhelmed by expectations and the sheer amount of cooking and preparation that’s required at this time of year. That’s why – if you need a reason – it’s a good idea to look out for great ways to make things easier for yourself in the kitchen. A clever hack into recipes, preparation techniques and

Hotpoint Food Procesor

Lisa’s #hothack: Instead of sifting icing sugar, try whizzing it in a food processor instead for fast, lump-free results. Especially helpful if it has clumped in the packet.

even kitchen equipment can not only save you precious time and make light work of jobs, it can also keep things interesting. So knocking up kitchen creations to delight anyone lucky enough to sample your dishes is no problem. You can impress your family and friends this Christmas with a stunning Christmas Pavlova with spiced fruit centrepiece or several (they’ll be so popular, you’ll need more!) – you’ll find it’s surprisingly easy to get them right with the Hotpoint Openspace Oven. So take note of Hotpoint ambassador Lisa Faulkner’s hot hacks and how you can use them to create amazing festive creations with a difference. If you’ve got your own clever cooking tips, share them with #hothack

HOT SMOKED SALMON PATÉ SERVES 6-8 a PREP 10 MINS a COOK 5 MINS

250g hot smoked salmon 4 tbsp crème fraîche 3 tbsp double cream 1 tbsp creamed horseradish zest 1/2 lemon and a squeeze of juice small bunch chives, snipped 1 Whizz the smoked salmon, crème fraîche, cream, horseradish and lemon zest together in a food processor. 2 Spoon into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and chives, to taste. Season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper.

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Hotpoint Openspace Oven Lisa’s #hothack: Make extra meringue for Eton Mess with a twist: mix with clementines and pomegranate.

SPICED APPLE AND RUM TODDY a PREP 5 MINS a COOK 10 MINS MAKES 2

150ml pressed apple juice 1 tbsp honey pared strip of lemon and orange a small cinnamon stick 1 star anise 125ml dark rum a tiny squeeze of lemon juice 1 Put everything except the rum and lemon juice into a pan and gently warm. Heat for 10 mins, without boiling, to infuse the favours. 2 Add the rum and allow to warm through, then pour into 2 glasses. Add the lemon juice, to taste.

Hotpoint Induction Hob Lisa’s #hothack: Clean as you go – only the cooking zone of this genius hob heats up, meaning burnt-on spills are a thing of the past.

CHRISTMAS PAVLOVA WITH SPICED FRUIT a PREP a COOK 1 HR PLUS COOLING

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

30 MINS

3 egg whites pinch of salt 200g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp malt vinegar 50g fresh cranberries 400g tin black pitted cherries in syrup 1 cinnamon stick 4 cloves 1 orange, pared 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 150g frozen forest fruits (defrosted) 300ml double cream 1 Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Draw a 23cm circle on baking parchment as a guide and place on a baking tray. 2 Whisk the egg whites with the salt in a bowl until very stif, then gradually whisk in the sugar until it forms stif peaks. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Fold in the vanilla extract and vinegar. 3 Spread the meringue over the circle on the paper. Bake for 1 hr until frm. Turn of the heat and leave the meringue in the oven for another 30 mins. 4 Place the cranberries and the cherries with their syrup, the cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce until you have a lovely thick syrup. When cooled, discard the cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and mix the syrup into the forest fruits. 5 Leave the meringue to cool and peel of the baking parchment from the bottom with care. Place the pavlova on a serving plate. 6 Whip the cream until stif, pile on top of the meringue and decorate with the fruit.

Discover more hacks and recipes at bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks. To fnd out about Hotpoint and ambassador Lisa Faulkner, visit hotpoint.co.uk

#Love your kichen

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Show time is nearly here!

D M ON IS ’T S!

James Mart in

Our top five picks for a delicious day out

P

ut a visit to the BBC Good Food Show Winter at the top of your Christmas preparation list this month. It’s a great day out full of festive inspiration, bringing everything you need for a delicious season together, and serving it all with a large helping of entertainment from the best chefs around.

Be inspired with seasonal recipe ideas and discover delicious food and drink from over 400 producers and exhibitors. Here are our top 5 picks to help you make the most of your day. Last chance to save! Get 20% off* SAVE tickets when you book in advance. 20%* Quote GR20.

1 Festive Finds

The Show is full of festive finds, including luxury Christmas puds from Berries Puddings, new world wines from the Antipodean Sommelier, and award winning blue cheeses from Cornish Cheese. See what products top brands like Oxo and Baileys have in store for you this Christmas too.

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The World Cheese Awards are judged live at the Show with over 250 experts selecting this year’s winners from around 3,000 entries. Join a tasting tour to explore the flavours yourself and visit the World Cheese Awards Deli to take a selection of cheeses home with you. Visit our website for more details and to book a tour.

D M ON IS ’T S!

2 Top Notch Cheeses

3 Go home a ‘new cook’

4 Bargains on the tastiest treats

Learn a few simple skills to improve your cooking while at the Show. Pick up some fun Christmas cake decorating tips from Renshaw, join a tasting session to discover the right beers or wines to your festive menu, or meet the Good Food team on the Good Food stand for top insider tips.

Top quality artisan producers in the Producers’ Village and Great Taste Market; regional delights in the Ludlow Producer Market; healthy food finds in the Eat Well Pavilion; tasty tipples in the Drinks Cabinet; and so much more. Visit on Black Friday for some great discounts.

’T N ! O S D IS M

5 Supertheatre

Experience the buzz of live entertainment in the Supertheatre as one of the highlights of your day. See your favourite chef create mouthwatering dishes live on stage, including Good Food favourite James Martin, the queen of baking Mary Berry, cheeky Geordie duo the Hairy Bikers, Michelin starred master Michel Roux Jr. and more.

NE W !

Te Hairy B iker s x Jr. Micel Ro Tickets from £19.80 with 20% off * saving £4.95 bbcgoodfoodshow.com | 0844 581 1345

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*20% off valid on advance Adult and Over 65s tickets only (excluding VIP). Offer expires midnight 29.11.15. £19.80 is based on a discounted advance Adult Super ticket, Thurs, Fri & Sunday, saving £4.95 (Sat discounted tickets cost £20.60, saving £5.15). Standard Supertheatre seat included with all advance Super tickets, subject to availability. Upgrade to Gold seat for £3 extra. 20% discount also available on Value tickets which exclude Supertheatre, entry from 11am only. Prices include all admin and transactional fees. Not valid with any other offer. Calls to 0844 581 1345 cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. Not all celebrities ap-pear on all days, check the website for details. The Good Food word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright BBC Worldwide Limited. The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and pre-sented by River Street Events.

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SEAMLESS DESIGN

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Makes& bakes It’s the most wonderful time of the year for baking, from cakes and gingerbread to homemade gifts

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gingerbread

We

gingerbread

It has become one of the iconic favours of Christmas. Cassie Best’s stunning biscuits and cake take gingerbread to the next level Photographs Toby Scott

Makes & bakes

26 Ging , p1 g n i erbre c cuit i ad cake wi th caramel bis

MAKE OUR

cover recıpe

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Basic gingerbread EASY

MAKES about 16 gingerbread men PREP 15 mins plus chilling COOK 10-12 mins

175g/6oz dark muscovado sugar 85g/3oz golden syrup 100g/4oz slightly salted butter 350g/12oz plain four, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 egg, beaten

1 Put the sugar, golden syrup and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then bubble for 1-2 mins, stirring until well combined. Set aside to cool for 10 mins. 2 Tip the four, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large bowl. Add the warm syrup mixture and the egg, stir to bring everything together, then gently knead in the bowl until smooth and streak-free. The dough will feel a little soft now, but will frm up once cooled. Wrap the dough in cling flm and chill for at least 30 mins. 3 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and leave at room temperature until softened (approx 20 mins). Dust your work surface with a little four, knead the dough briefy until smooth, then cut it in half to make it easier to work with (keep any dough you’re not working with well wrapped). 4 Roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut into any shape you like and arrange on the baking trays. The cooking time will vary – medium gingerbread men will take 10-12 mins; cook smaller biscuits for less time and larger pieces for a little longer. The biscuits should be a few shades darker and slightly risen when cooked, they will still feel a little soft, but will frm up as they cool. Cool on the trays for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire cooking rack to cool completely. Will keep in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Gingerbread jumpers These cute gingerbread biscuits will go down a storm on ‘Christmas jumper day’ at work. The decorating options are endless. Children may find it easier to use tubes of coloured icing, or you can flood the biscuits with one colour and embellish with festive sugar sprinkles. A LITTLE EFFORT

MAKES 20 PREP 1 hr COOK 10 mins

1 x quantity Basic gingerbread (see recipe, left) 500g/1lb 2oz fondant icing sugar food colouring paste in various colours, or use coloured icing tubes (and you won’t need the fondant icing sugar) sugar sprinkles (optional)

1 Make the gingerbread dough following the Basic gingerbread recipe, left, up to the end of step 2. Remove the dough from the fridge and and leave at room temperature until softened. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. 2 Working with half the dough at a time (keeping the remaining dough well wrapped), roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin, keeping the dough in a rough rectangle shape. Cut the dough into long strips, roughly 8cm wide, then cut each strip into ‘jumpers’ (pic A, right). Cut out a V-neck for the collar and trim slim triangular pieces from either side to create sleeves (pic B, right). Continue rolling and shaping the dough until you have about 20 jumper shapes. Arrange over the trays and bake for 8 mins until a few shades darker and puffed up a little. Cool on the trays for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 3 For ‘fooded’ biscuits, mix 100g fondant icing sugar with enough water

PER BISCUIT 190 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 3g • carbs 31g • sugars 15g • fbre 1g • protein 3g • salt 0.3g

124 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

to make a thick but pipeable icing – it should hold its shape when piped. Transfer the icing to a piping bag ftted with a fne round nozzle and pipe a line around the edge of each biscuit. If you have any icing left, tip it back into a bowl and add the remaining icing sugar, then add enough water to make an icing a little looser than the frst batch, but not too runny. Divide the icing between as many bowls as the number of colours you’d like to use, then add a tiny bit of colouring to each and mix well until you have a vivid colour. 4 If you have disposable piping bags, transfer the icings to different bags and secure the open ends (see Piping bags, below) . Use the icing to food the biscuits or pipe on pretty patterns. We created three styles – see below. PER BISCUIT 247 kcals • fat 5g • saturates 3g • carbs 49g • sugars 36g • fbre 1g • protein 2g • salt 0.3g

HOW TO PIPE YOUR JUMPERS ‘Flooding’ Pipe the runnier icing onto the biscuit, then use a cocktail stick to encourage it to fll every corner up to the piped border. Once dry, you can add details like fuffy collars and cuffs or spots and stripes with the thicker icing. Cable knit Pipe lines of coloured icing (we used white) vertically across the jumper. Use a toothpick to drag up and down through the icing to create a wave effect. Super sprinkles We used mini gingerbread men, snowfakes, white ‘mimosa’ balls and gold polka dot sprinkles. Buy online from amazon.co.uk and thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk – both have a good selection.

A

PIPING BAGS Once you’ve cut the end of the piping bags open, squeeze the icing back away from the opening, roll up the open end and secure them with a clothes peg, so the icing doesn’t drizzle out between uses.

B

Show us your gingerbread creations on Instagram or Twitter – use the hashtag #GFlovesgingerbread.

Makes & bakes

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Makes & ba Gingerbread cake with caramel biscuit icing

Make a gorgeous gift for a special friend. A LITTLE EFFORT

SERVES 12-15 PREP 45 mins COOK 12-15 mins

1 x quantity Basic gingerbread (see page 124) blue food colouring paste (optional) 500g/1lb 2oz fondant icing sugar edible silver glitter (optional) ribbon and cellophane (if giving as a gift)

1 Make the gingerbread dough following the Basic gingerbread recipe up to the end of step 2. Remove the dough from the fridge and and leave at room temperature until softened. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. 2 Cut off half the dough and keep the rest wrapped in cling flm. Roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin, then use a plate or the base of a cake tin as a template to cut out a 20cm circle. Transfer to one of the baking trays, then use a 7cm cutter to stamp out and remove a circle in the middle. Cut out a variety of other shapes to decorate the wreath (you’ll need about 20-25 pieces – we used stars and angels) and arrange these over the trays too. 3 Bake the biscuits for 10-12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through cooking. Stamp a hole in the top of the ring using a small cutter, or the end of a piping nozzle, as soon as it comes out the oven – you can tie a pretty ribbon through this later. Leave to cool on the trays, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 4 Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Transfer to a piping bag ftted with a small nozzle, then decorate the biscuits as you wish, using a little edible glitter, if you like. We fooded some of the biscuits with pale blue icing (see ‘Flooding’, p120) and piped white details on the others. Leave the icing to dry for 1-2 hrs, then use a little more icing to stick the biscuits to the wreath. Thread a ribbon through the hole and wrap up in cellophane, if giving as a gift (the ribbon is just for show and may not support a hung wreath). Will keep for 2 weeks. PER SERVING (15) 330 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 4g • carbs 65g • sugars 48g • fibre 1g • protein 3g • salt0.3g

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This sumptuous creation is covered in a decadent icing made with caramelised biscuit spread, finished with gingerbread biscuits. A LITTLE EFFORT

un-iced sponges only

SERVES 20 PREP 1 hr 20 mins plus cooling COOK 30 mins

150ml/1/4pt full-fat milk 3 tbsp black treacle 225ml/8f oz vegetable oil, plus a little for greasing 375g/13oz plain four 3 tsp baking powder 11/2 tsp bicarbonate soda 375g/13oz light brown soft sugar 11/2 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground ginger 3 good pinches of ground cloves 300ml/1/2pt buttermilk 3 large eggs 3 tbsp dark rum (optional – replace with extra milk, if you like) 11/2 tsp vanilla extract FOR THE CARAMEL BISCUIT ICING 250g pack slightly salted butter, very soft 600g/1lb 4oz icing sugar, plus a little extra for dusting 300g/11oz full-fat cream cheese 2 tsp vanilla bean extract 200g/7oz smooth caramelised biscuit spread (I used Lotus Biscoff biscuit spread) 50g/2oz desiccated coconut, to decorate edible silver glitter (optional) gingerbread shapes (see Decorating your cake, right)

1 Measure the milk and treacle into a saucepan (grease the measuring spoon with a little oil frst and the treacle will easily slide off). Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until combined, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, grease 3 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins with a little oil and line the bases with baking parchment (if you don’t have enough cake tins, see Only one tin?, above right). If the tins are any shallower than 4cm, line the sides with a deep collar too. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2 Measure the four, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and spices into a large bowl, then add 1/2 tsp fne salt. Mix the dry ingredients together with a large whisk; if there are any large lumps of sugar, squeeze these through your fngers until you have an even, sandy-textured mixture. 3 In a jug, whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum and vanilla. Add the milk and treacle mixture, and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk into a smooth batter. Divide between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. You may have to swap the cakes over to cook evenly, but don’t do this until they’ve had at least 20 mins cooking. Cool the cakes in their tins for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, you can wrap the sponges in cling flm and store in a cool place for 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months – the texture and favour will be all the better for it. 4 To make the icing, put the butter and half the icing sugar in a large bowl. Mash together roughly with a spatula, then whizz with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar, the cream cheese, vanilla bean extract and biscuit spread. Mix again until smooth and evenly mixed. Transfer half the icing to another bowl and set aside. Use the remaining icing to stack the cakes and cover the entire outside in a thin layer – don’t worry about making the cake look too neat at this stage, as any crumbs trapped in the icing will be covered in the fnal coat. Chill the cake for 30 mins and the remaining icing for 20 mins (remove the icing from the fridge 10 mins before the cake to soften a little). 5 When the icing on the cake is frm, remove it from the fridge and use the remaining icing to cover the cake. Smooth the sides using a palette knife, but leave peaks and dips on top for your snow scene. Top the cake generously with desiccated coconut, a dusting of sieved icing sugar and some edible glitter, if you like, then decorate the top and sides with gingerbread shapes (see right). If you’re not eating the cake within a few hours, store it in the fridge, but bring back to room temperature before serving. Wlll keep for 2 days. PER SERVING 626 kcals • fat 35g • saturates 15g • carbs 70g • sugars 54g • fbre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.8g

ONLY ONE TIN? If you have just 1 x 20cm cake tin, you can easily divide the cake mixture into three and bake the sponges in batches. Work in metric measurements as they are easier to scale down for this recipe, and write the new measurements out before you start, so you don’t get mixed up halfway through. DECORATING YOUR CAKE I used gingerbread Christmas trees, a house and hearts (you’ll need about 15 hearts for the outside). To decorate, mix 300g fondant icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing, transfer to a piping bag ftted with a fne nozzle. Decorate however you like, then leave to dry. Place the trees and house on top of the cake and push the hearts into the icing.

Food styling SARAH COOK and CASSIE BEST | Styling SARAH BIRKS

Gingerbread wreath

Good reads

&spice

Sugar

Historian Kate Williams charts the rise of gingerbread – from a humble biscuit to a global phenomenon diplomats. The idea of ginger people caught on – and fairs displayed gingerbread ‘newsreel’, with the latest king or queen portrayed in biscuit form. Gingerbread fgurines fell out of favour in the 17th century after they became seen as witches’ tools. Gingerbread cake dominated for the next centuries, and the typical recipe features in my partner’s family’s handwritten recipe book from 1705: treacle, ginger, butter, four, sugar – and, interestingly, no eggs. In Britain, Market Drayton is the home of gingerbread – by the early 20th century, there were four specialist makers in the Shropshire town. On every childhood Lake District holiday, we stocked up at the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, famed since Sarah Nelson created her crumbly gingerbread in 1854. At the start of the 20th century, the gingerbread man also began to appear in American cookbooks.

The Fun of Cooking from 1915 recommends cutting out your own fgure and adding currants for eyes and buttons. A 1920 advertisement for Royal Baking Powder shows a little boy ‘Dreaming of his Gingerbread Men’. Gingerbread is now popu lar worldwide, from Russian pryanki to Dutch speculaas – and, of course, Germany is the traditional home of the gingerbread house, popularised after the Brothers Grimm published Hansel and Gretel in 1812. We’ve all taken a fancy to gingerbread in many forms. Kate Williams, a social historian and author, regularly appears on BBC TV and radio. Her new novel, The Edge of the Fall (£14.99, Orion), is out now.

Medieval gingerbread was sold at fairs, sometimes gilded with gold

‚

Discover new ways with gingerbread – turn to page 122. For this gingerbread man recipe, visit bbcgoodfood.com

l

A

s a child, I read the story of the gingerbread man again and again. This American tale tells of how he runs away from the woman who baked him, to escape his fate, but he is foiled by a fox who gobbles him up. The story is more modern than we might think, having its frst print outing in St. Nicholas magazine in 1875 – but gingerbread itself is one of our oldest bakes, beating sponge hands down. The spice itself, indigenous to China, arrived in Europe via India in the 1st century. Ginger sweetbreads were made in ancient Greece and Asia, but the earliest record we have of a modern-style bake is near Pithiviers, in what is now North-central France, in 992, when an Armenian monk taught the locals to make gingerbread. The word ‘gingerbread’ comes from the Old French ‘gingerbras’, which derives from the Latin for ginger, ‘zingebar’. While readying himself to fght a giant, Sir Thopas, in Chaucer’s 1386 Canterbury Tales, is fed ‘Gyngebred that was ful fyn’. He would have eaten a rougher version than ours – made from stale breadcrumbs, almonds, honey, rosewater and ginger spice. Medieval gingerbread was widely sold at fairs, sometimes gilded with real gold, pressed into moulds of birds or fowers – and Sir Thopas and his friends saw it as a win-win foodstuff, both tasty and medicinal, excellent for improving the digestion. For Shakespeare, in Love’s Labours Lost, it is highly desirable: ‘An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread.’ By this point, breadcrumbs had been replaced by four, and the spice trade was feeding the passion for gingerbread. The frst record of gingerbread in human shape is at Elizabeth I’s court, where fgures were made to resemble visiting

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Have a crafty

Christmas

Homemade gifts put the personal touch into presents. Miriam Nice shows you how to make something special Photographs Stuart Ovenden

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Makes & bakes In the run-up to Christmas, I love to spend time rustling up imaginative presents for family and friends, and tailoring my recipes to their particular likes. A handmade gift is always appreciated, and they’re so satisfying to do. So before you get too busy with all your festive preparations, enjoy a creative session in your kitchen!

Herb planter EASY

MAKES 1 planter TAKES 1 hr

YOU WILL NEED 1.3kg/3lb loaf tin fne chalkboard marker drill (optional) compost selection of 3 or 4 small pots of growing herbs (I used parsley, thyme and rosemary) bits and pieces to decorate (I used different coloured pompoms on wooden skewers) paper fags and a pen, for labelling serving platter and scissors (if making as a centrepiece)

1 Decorate your loaf tin with a simple pattern using the chalkboard marker. If you want the planter to last for longer than a week or so, you will need to turn it upside down and drill 3 or 4 drainage holes in the base. 2 Part-fll with compost and water well. Take the plants out of their pots and plant them in a row. Press down well and fll with more compost. Water once more, then carefully wipe the sides clean. 3 Add your chosen decorations and write on the paper fags to label the different herbs (or download the labels below at bbcgoodfood.com/herblabels). If making as a centrepiece, place on a serving platter along with some scissors, so the recipients can cut their own herbs at the table to season their meal.

Chocolate nut butter cups These make a lovely after-dinner treat with coffee. A LITTLE EFFORT

MAKES about 24 PREP 1 hr plus 2 hrs chilling COOK 15 mins

300g/11oz dark or milk chocolate, chopped 125g/41/2oz butter, softened and chopped 250g/9oz icing sugar 140g/5oz nut butter (I used smooth peanut butter, hazelnut butter and pistachio nut butter – but you can use just peanut butter if you prefer) 25g/1oz nuts (I used peanuts, hazelnuts and pistachios) faky sea salt (optional) YOU WILL NEED about 24 foil petit four cases 2 mini muffn tins 3 piping bags gold leaf and a paintbrush, to decorate (optional – see tip, far right)

1 Tip half the chocolate into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Put the petit four cases into the holes of the mini muffn tins. Put 1 tsp of the melted chocolate in each one, then pick up a petit four case in your hand and swirl it gently to get the chocolate to coat the sides. Repeat with all the cases, leaving about a third of the chocolate in the

bowl. Pop the tins in the fridge to frm up while you make the fllings. 2 Put the butter in a large bowl with the icing sugar. Beat well with electric beaters or a wooden spoon until light and creamy. Divide the mixture into three bowls, then stir the peanut butter into one, hazelnut butter into the second and pistachio butter into the third (if using). Transfer the fllings to three piping bags. 3 Take the chocolate cups out of the fridge and fll with the nut mixtures.

If your reserved chocolate has hardened, melt again as before. Once melted, carefully spoon it over the top of each cup to seal in the nut butters. 4 Top each cup with with a whole nut (or a nut coated in gold leaf, or a pinch of coarse sea salt – or a combination). Chill for at least 2 hrs. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week (see Storing your chocolates, p133).

HOW TO USE GOLD LEAF Place a whole nut on a small sheet of gold leaf and gently ease the sides up over the nut with a paintbrush to coat.

PER NUT BUTTER CUP 399 kcals • fat 27g • saturates 13g • carbs 31g • sugars 27g • fbre 4g • protein 5g • salt 0.2g

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Cocktail truffe selection Homemade truffles with on-trend cocktail fillings! MORE OF A CHALLENGE

MAKES 30 (10 of each favour) PREP 1 hr plus setting and 2 hrs cooling COOK 10 mins

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHELLS 100g/4oz white chocolate, chopped green gel food colouring (optional) 1 mini meringue, crushed 100g/4oz dark chocolate, chopped 100g/4oz espresso-favoured dark chocolate (I used Green & Blacks espresso), chopped 3 cocktail-flavoured fillings (see far right) gold food colouring brush pen (I used a Rainbow Dust bright gold food pen from hobbycraft.co.uk) 10 chocolate-coated coffee beans YOU WILL NEED 3 x 10-hole silicone chocolate mould trays (you can use different shapes) or a 30-hole silicone chocolate mould tray 3 piping bags presentation box tissue paper

Sugar charms These edible charms can be hung on your Christmas tree, where they will sparkle and twinkle. A LITTLE EFFORT LOW FAT

MAKES 10 PREP 20 mins COOK 10 mins

sunfower oil, for greasing 7-8 fruit-favoured boiled sweets, unwrapped and sorted by colour 400g bag clear mint sweets (I used Fox’s glacier mints) 2 metres of coloured thread or thin ribbon, for hanging

1 Grease two large baking trays with the oil. Crush the fruit-favoured sweets by colour and put into separate bowls. Arrange small clumps of coloured sweets onto the trays. 2 Put the mints in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook gently until melted, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon. Once melted completely, remove from

the heat immediately, otherwise the mixture will burn and discolour. 3 Working quickly, design your charm shapes (making sure they have a hole for threading the ribbon) by drizzling spoonfuls of the melted mints over the clumps of coloured sweets on the trays – they will melt into your shape and add interest to your design. 4 If the mixture hardens while you are working, return it to a low heat to soften, but try to make as many as you can in one go – the more you heat the mixture, the less clear the fnal charms will be. Leave to set for about 10 mins until hard and cool enough to handle, then remove from the tray by hand – be careful as they will be quite brittle. Tie a length of ribbon through each charm for hanging on the tree. Pack in a box between sheets of baking parchment so they don’t stick together. Eat within 3-4 days, or keep as a decoration for up to 4 weeks. PER CHARM 350 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 87g • sugars 72g • fibre none • protein none • salt 0.1g

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1 Start by placing half the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, take the bowl off the heat and add the rest of the white chocolate and the food colouring, if using (just use a tiny amount as the gel colours are quite strong). Stir occasionally to allow the chocolate to melt in the residual heat. Sprinkle a pinch of meringue into 10 of the holes of your chocolate mould. Once the chocolate has melted, use half to coat the insides of the holes where you have sprinkled meringue. Use the end of a teaspoon to spread the chocolate up the sides of the moulds so that the the inside is coated. Leave to set for 45 mins-1 hr. 2 Meanwhile, melt the other chocolates in separate bowls using the same method, then use each to coat a further 10 holes of the mould. Keep back half of each chocolate mixture, as you will need this to seal the truffes. 3 While the chocolate sets, make the fllings (see right). Once all the chocolate has set in the moulds, pipe the Pisco sour flling into the green/white chocolate shells, the Espresso Martini flling into the espresso chocolate shells (saving a bit for sticking the beans on later) and the Cosmopolitan flling into the dark chocolate shells. Leave 2mm of space at the top of each one.

Makes & bakes

4 Bring the pan(s) of water back to simmering, then set the reserved bowls of chocolate over to melt them again if they have set. Use this remaining chocolate to fll up the moulds and seal in the flling. Try to fll the moulds level or just under – if they go over, they won’t sit fat when the chocolates are turned out. 5 Leave your truffes somewhere cool to set completely for at least 2 hrs (ideally overnight). If you put them in the fridge they will set more quickly, but they will lose their shine. 6 Once set completely, pop the chocolates out of the moulds carefully. Add a brush stroke of gold to the Cosmopolitan truffes using your brush pen. Stick a chocolatecoated coffee bean on each of the Espresso Martini truffes using a bit of the flling. Arrange in a box lined with baking parchment and tissue paper. Will keep in a cool place for up to 1 week. STORING YOUR CHOCOLATES As these chocolates have not been ‘tempered’ (heated and cooled to precise temperatures), they may become dull and develop chocolate ‘bloom’ (white patches) if kept for more than 1 week.

Making the fillings for your truffles Pisco sour

Espresso Martini

Cosmopolitan

MAKES 10 truffes (easily doubled)

MAKES 10 truffles (easily doubled)

MAKES 10 truffes (easily doubled)

PREP 10 mins NO COOK

PREP 5 mins plus cooling COOK 5 mins

PREP 10 mins NO COOK

Beat 25g softened butter together with 50g icing sugar until pale and smooth. Add 2 tsp Pisco, a dash of Angostura Bitters and 1 tsp lime zest and stir well. Transfer to a piping bag and store in a cool place until needed. saturates 3g • carbs 9g • sugars 8g •

In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt 50g dark chocolate with 25g butter. Remove from the heat and mix in 2 tbsp double cream, 1 tsp vodka and 1 tsp Kahlúa. Leave to cool for 5 mins. Transfer to a piping bag and store in a cool place until needed.

Put 1 tbsp dried cranberries in a bowl with 1 tbsp orange liqueur and leave to soak for 15 mins. Beat 25g butter with 25g icing sugar, then stir in the cranberries and liqueur, bit by bit. Mix in 1 tsp lime zest and 1 tsp cranberry jelly. Transfer to a piping bag and store in a cool place until needed.

fbre 1g • protein 1g • salt 0.1g

PER TRUFFLE 130 kcals • fat 11g •

PER TRUFFLE 94 kcals • fat 5g •

saturates 6g • carbs 6g • sugars 5g •

saturates 3g • carbs 9g • sugars 8g •

fbre 1g • protein 1g • salt 0.1g

fbre 1g • protein 1g • salt 0.1g

PER TRUFFLE 91 kcals • fat 5g •

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Makes & bakes Hot chocolate set Ideal as a last-minute stocking filler, or turn into a wonderful evening-by-the-fire hamper by adding a cosy blanket, novel or DVD, and a pair of slipper socks. EASY

MAKES 4 PREP 10 mins plus chilling and overnight setting COOK 20 mins

sunfower oil, for greasing 50g/2oz milk chocolate, chopped 100g/4oz dark chocolate, chopped faky sea salt 4 cinnamon sticks YOU WILL NEED 4 empty 47g fromage frais pots, washed and dried 4 muffn cases cellophane and twine or string, for wrapping 4 mugs gift tag and pen, for labelling

1 Very lightly grease the fromage frais pots with oil and set aside until needed. 2 Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, stirring occasionally, then divide between the prepared pots. Place in the fridge or a cold place for around 30 mins or until set. 3 Once the milk chocolate layer is frm, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl as before, then pour it over the milk chocolate. Leave the pots to set for 15 mins, then sprinkle a pinch of faky sea salt onto each. 4 Cut a hole in the bottom of each paper cake case and push a cinnamon stick through. Push the end of the stick into the middle of each pot so that the paper case is upside down – it will help to hold the cinnamon stick in place while it sets. 5 Leave to set overnight, then turn out and discard the pot and paper case. Wrap each in cellophane tied with twine. Tie each stick to a mug, or simply place inside the mug, and write a tag to read ‘Just add hot milk’. PER SERVING 217 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 8g • carbs 16g •

For more homemade gift ideas, visit bbcgoodfood.com

134 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Crafts and food styling MIRIAM NICE | Styling LUIS PERAL

sugars 13g • fbre 3g • protein 3g • salt 0.1g

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Makes & bakes

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At this time of year, I love any excuse to get out the bowls and whisks, so I’ve created these fun and festive bakes, which are easy to make and guaranteed to impress. Get the kids involved and spend an afternoon indoors making my reindeer shortbreads – they make great gifts. Having friends over for drinks? My gooey Camembert with baconwrapped breadsticks, plus my indulgent brownies, will make you the most popular host this season. And if you need that extra incentive to fnish wrapping the presents, do it with a cup of tea, a stollen muffn or a slice of my clementine poppy seed cake. It’s a wrap! Sarah Cook

Kids’ Christmas kitchen If you’ve got under-10s, they can probably do everything in the black writing, but make sure an adult helps them with the bits in red. Over-10s should be able to do everything by themselves if they want to.

Rudolph shortbread I’ve kept these cute biscuits quite plain to please the fussiest of eaters – however, you can add other flavours (see below right). EASY

MAKES 8 big biscuits PREP 35 mins plus chilling COOK 25 mins

200g/7oz salted butter, softened 2 tsp vanilla extract 85g/3oz golden caster sugar 85g/3oz ground rice 225g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting 3 tbsp icing sugar 8 red Smarties 16 white sweets or white chocolate buttons, for the eyes (we used Waitrose Cooks’ Homebaking Meringue pieces) black writing icing tube YOU WILL ALSO NEED 8 cellophane bags (15 x 25cm) or 8 x 40cm cellophane squares 8 brown pipe cleaners labels and string or ribbon 22-23cm round plate, cake tin or cardboard template

1 Put the butter, vanilla and sugar in a big mixing bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon until really smooth. Stir in the ground rice frst, then the four. If it starts to get dry, you might need to use your hands to squish everything together to make a smooth dough. 2 Put a piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Make the dough into a round ball in the middle of the parchment, then use your hands to push it down and fatten it. Get a rolling pin and dust it with some four so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough out to a big circle.

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3 Get your 22-23cm round plate, cake tin or cardboard template and place on top of the dough when you’ve rolled it big enough. Use a cutlery knife to trim round the edges to make a neat circle and throw away the trimmings. 4 Use a knife to mark the giant biscuit into 8 smaller wedge-shaped biscuits – pretend you are cutting a pizza into slices and prick lines from the edge to the centre of the dough. Use the back of a fork to press all around the top of the circle along the edge to make a line pattern (it’s going to be hair for your reindeer!). 5 Cover with cling flm and put the tray in the fridge for 30 mins to get cold. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the chilled shortbread for 25 mins until golden. Cool completely on the tray, then use a sharp knife to follow the lines you made with a fork and cut into 8 wedges. 6 Mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tsp of water to make a thick-ish icing. Dunk each Smartie in and use like glue to stick one on the pointy end of each biscuit to make red noses. Dunk in your white sweets or chocolate buttons and stick them 2cm in from the edge at the other end to be eyes. Use the black writing icing tube to add dots to the white eyes, then let all the icing dry and go hard. 7 Carefully wrap each biscuit in a square of cellophane or put in a cellophane bag. Twist the middle of a pipe cleaner in a loop around the top of the bag or gathered cellophane to enclose the biscuit. Now twist each end of the pipe cleaner so it looks like the reindeer’s antlers. Add labels and give to your friends and family, or hang on the tree. Will keep for up to 3 days in a cool, dry place. PER SHORTBREAD 411 kcals • fat 22g • saturates 14g • carbs 49g • sugars 19g • fbre 1g • protein 4g • salt 0.4g

OTHER FLAVOURS Raspberry & white chocolate Mix in 2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries and 2 tbsp white chocolate chips with the four. Chocolate orange Swap 50g of the four for 50g cocoa powder; use orange juice instead of vanilla and add the zest of 1 orange. Peppermint Use 1 tbsp peppermint extract instead of the vanilla and chewy mint sweets for the eyes.

Makes & bakes

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Makes & bakes Baked Camembert with baconwrapped breadsticks This is so easy to prep ahead. Bake the bread for the initial 15 minutes, then cool and cover for up to 1 day. To serve, add the cheese to the centre and bake for 10 minutes at 190C/170C fan/gas 5. A LITTLE EFFORT

bread only

SERVES 8-10 as nibbles, 4-5 as a starter PREP 40 mins plus 1 hr rising COOK 20 mins

400g/14oz strong white four 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 2 tsp English mustard powder 1 tsp golden caster sugar 2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs for the cheese 1 tbsp light olive oil, plus extra for greasing 250g/9oz whole Camembert in a box 20 slices pancetta

Christmas morning stollen muffns Lots of people have sit-down breakfasts on Christmas morning, but if the kids are keen to get into the presents, these can be eaten around the tree. Weigh and mix all your dry ingredients on Christmas Eve, have the butter ready in the microwave and your yogurt measured into a mixing jug in the fridge, then it’s a doddle to make these in the morning. EASY

MAKES 10-12 (depending on your tin) PREP 20 mins plus cooling COOK 20 mins

1-2 tsp sunfower oil, for greasing 200g/7oz plain four 50g/2oz ground almonds 1 tsp each baking powder and bicarbonate of soda 1 /2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Mix together the four, yeast, mustard powder, 11/2 tsp fne salt, the sugar, thyme leaves and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir in 250ml lukewarm water, use your hands to bring together into a dough, then knead for 10 mins on a clean surface until it is smooth and elastic. If you have a tabletop mixer with a dough hook, use this instead and ‘knead’ for just 5 mins. Sit the dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with oiled cling flm and leave at room temperature for about 1 hr until doubled in size. 2 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line your largest baking tray with baking parchment. Sit the lid of your boxed Camembert in the centre of the tray. 3 Knead the dough back into a smooth ball, then use your fngers to make a hole through the centre. Steadily stretch the doughnut shape into a large ring until the centre hole is large enough to ft around the lid. The best way to do this is to swing the dough around your fngers, then hand, like a hula-hoop. 4 Sit the dough ring on the tray around the box lid. Use kitchen scissors to snip the dough ring into 20 strips, from the outside in, but leave a few

millimetres of dough still connecting the strips together around the lid in the centre. If using the ready-to-eat pancetta slices, halve each one lengthways. Twist one of the 20 dough strips to make it longer and thinner like a breadstick, then wrap a pancetta slice in a spiral around it. Repeat with all the dough strips. 5 Your breadsticks might look a little higgledy-piggledy at the moment, so use kitchen scissors to snip the ends off any that need it to make an even, round shape, if you like (see right). Brush with a little light olive oil and bake for 15 mins. 6 Meanwhile, unwrap the Camembert and top with the thyme sprigs. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little more black pepper. Remove the breadsticks from the oven and sit the cheese inside the box lid, then bake for another 5 mins until the bread is golden and crispy, and the cheese molten.

100g/4oz golden caster sugar 100g/4oz marzipan, diced 25g/1oz pistachios, roughly chopped 50g/2oz toasted faked almonds 25g/1oz sultanas or raisins 50g/2oz dried cherries or cranberries 50g/2oz dried apricots, diced 2 large eggs 100g/4oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled 125ml/4f oz full-fat natural yogurt 1 tsp almond extract 2 tbsp icing sugar YOU WILL NEED 12 paper muffn cases (we used tulip cases)

has just come together – the most important thing is to not overmix – don’t worry if there are still a few foury bits. 2 Quickly divide the mix between the cases and put in the oven on the top shelf. Bake for 5 mins, then lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until they are risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the middle of them comes out clean. 3 Once they have cooled a little and are frm enough to handle, lift out of the tin onto wire racks and cool for 5 mins. Mix the icing sugar with the remaining 1 /4 tsp cinnamon and sieve over the muffns. Serve warm. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put the muffn cases in a 12-hole muffn tin. Mix the four, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, the sugar, marzipan, nuts and dried fruit in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, yogurt and almond extract, then pour over the dry ingredients and very quickly mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture

PER SERVING (10) 256 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 5g • carbs 29g • sugars 1g • fbre 1g • protein 12g • salt 1.4g

GOT LEFTOVERS? Bake the snippedoff breadstick ends alongside the breadstick ring for just 10 mins, then cool and snip any larger chunks into smaller bits to use as chunky croutons in a salad. These will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container, or can be frozen and used with your turkey leftovers in a turkey & bacon Caesar salad.

PER MUFFIN (12) 315 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 5g • carbs 37g • sugars 22g • fbre 2g • protein 7g • salt 0.4g

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Makes & bakes Clementine poppy seed loaf If traditional fruitcake isn’t your thing, try this. It’s a lovely bake to make over and over again this month – easy, inexpensive and juicy with festive clementine flavour. EASY

un-iced

CUTS INTO 10-12 slices PREP 30 mins plus cooling COOK 1 hr–1 hr 10 mins

140g/5oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 50g/2oz crème fraîche 200g/7oz golden caster sugar 1 tsp orange or vanilla extract 3 large eggs 225g/8oz self-raising four 50g/2oz cornfour 2 tbsp poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling 4 clementines, zest from 3 and 100ml/31/2f oz juice FOR THE ICING 140g/5oz unsalted butter 300g/11oz icing sugar 140g/5oz crème fraîche zest 2 clementines 1 tbsp chopped candied peel (optional)

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and grease a 2lb loaf tin. Line the base and ends with a long strip of baking parchment. 2 Beat the butter, crème fraîche, sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fuffy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, followed by the fours, poppy seeds, zest and juice. Scrape into the prepared tin and bake on a middle shelf for 1 hr–1 hr 10 mins until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake for 20 mins in the tin, then carefully tip out and cool completely on a wire rack. 3 Meanwhile, make the icing – beat together the butter, icing sugar and crème fraîche until pale and fuffy. Add half the clementine zest and beat just a couple of times to incorporate, then cover and leave in the fridge to chill until the cake is ready to ice and the icing is frm enough to spread or pipe. 4 Spread the icing all over the cake or put in a food bag or piping bag, snip off the corner and pipe thick stripes over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining clementine zest, the candied peel (if you like), and a pinch more poppy seeds. Will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. PER SLICE (12) 516 kcals • fat 28g • saturates 17g • carbs 62g • sugars 44g • fbre 1g • protein 4g • salt 0.4g

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Makes & bakes I normally buy whole hazelnuts and chop my own, but bags of ready-chopped nuts work really well in these decadent little brownies. EASY

MAKES 16 PREP 15 mins COOK 45 mins

box of 16 Ferrero Rocher chocolates 250g pack salted butter, plus extra for greasing 250g/9oz golden caster sugar 225g/8oz light muscovado sugar 100g/4oz cocoa powder 4 large eggs 100g/4oz self-raising four 85g/3oz ready-chopped hazelnuts 4 tbsp Frangelico or Fratello hazelnut liqueur (or Disaronno)

1 Unwrap the chocolates, place on a tray and pop in the freezer. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 21-22cm square tin with baking parchment. 2 Put the butter, sugars and cocoa into your largest saucepan and gently melt together, stirring regularly so the mixture doesn’t catch. Once the sugar granules have just about disappeared, take off the heat, tip into a bowl and leave to cool for 5 mins. 3 Use a whisk or wooden spoon to beat the eggs, one by one, into the mixture. When they’re completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth and shiny,

stir in the four, hazelnuts and liqueur. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 mins. 4 Remove the tin from the oven and use a cutlery knife to mark the top of the brownies into 16 squares (don’t cut through, it’s just as a guide). Use a teaspoon to push a little dent in the centre of each portion and add a frozen Ferrero Rocher chocolate into each dip. Return to the oven for 3 mins, then remove and leave to cool completely. 5 Once cool, cut into 16 squares. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container. PER BROWNIE 424 kcals • fat 24g • saturates 11g • carbs 42g • sugars 37g • fbre 2g • protein 6g • salt 0.5g

For more festive bakes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

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Food styling SARAH COOK | Styling SARAH BIRKS

Hazelnut brownies

COMING NEXT MONTH

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DON’T MISS NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE

On sale 9 December l Raymond Blanc cooks goose l Party cocktails & canapés l Boxing Day buffet l Homemade hampers l John Torode’s raised game pie

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TEST!

All our top baking gadgets See p148 for details

Three Great British Bake Off champions join the Good Food team to choose baking equipment that will help to produce a showstopper Portraits David Cotsworth Bake Off winners John Whaite, Frances Quinn and Edd Kimber tested 117 pieces of baking kit. They rolled and egg-washed pastry, piped buttercream and much more to reveal our top 13 gadgets – a full baker’s dozen! MEASURING SPOONS TOP BUY Professional Stainless

Steel Measuring Spoons, £12, boroughkitchen.com The difference between pretty and practical gadgets was most apparent in this category. All three bakers said they wouldn’t use decorated, ceramic measuring spoons. John These narrow ones are the best because they go inside spice jars – I’ve got them at home. Edd I don’t like any of the pretty or stylised ones – they’re never accurate. Frances These narrow ones are a good all-round choice, but the round ones are quite good for balling melons!

ROLLING PINS TOP BUY Tapered Rolling Pin,

50cm, £7.50, souschef.co.uk We looked at rolling pins ranging from heavy marble to plain thin wood, as well as several silicone models. Edd You can manoeuvre this really easily – it pivots at the thick part in the middle, so you can easily change your direction. John The design means you can shape pastry into a perfect square: you use the tapered end to start off your pastry ball and then use the different thickness to squash out any unevenness. Flour clings to wood better as well. Frances You don’t need to spend loads of money on a rolling pin. I like one that’s lightweight and quite simple.

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On test special CAKE CARRIERS TOP BUY Lock & Lock Cake Store,

£14.99, Lakeland The Bake Off team regularly transport their creations for testing, shoots and events, so cake carriers are an important part of their kit. Frances I want it to be big enough to take a three-tiered cake. Edd I don’t like any of the frilly, decorative ones – it should be functional and practical. John The Lock & Lock ones are so reliable, and a really good size. It has a handle on top, which some don’t.

DIGITAL SCALES TOP BUY Brabantia Essential

Digital Kitchen Scales, £19, amazon.co.uk Whether round or square, most scales we looked at were roughly the size of an A5 page. Any smaller and our testers felt they weren’t very useful. John Scales need to be long enough so that you can see the display when you put a big bowl on it. This one is a good size and it’s quite responsive. Frances The screen is very clear, so you can see the weight at a glance. Edd The thing you really need is a tare button, which sets the scale back to zero even if there’s something on it. I’m not bothered about how it looks, it just needs to be reliable and clear.

BLOWTORCHES TOP BUY Cook’s Blowtorch,

£24.99, Lakeland The blowtorches we looked at were all a similar size. However, some were easier to fll, hold and use than others. The fame strength varied too. Edd I didn’t know there were so many different makes of blowtorch. The one I have at home runs out all the time, which is quite annoying. Frances The fame on this one is amazingly strong! John A good blowtorch should be comfortable to hold. It should have a powerful fame that comes out as smooth heat rather than ragged fame.

MIXING BOWLS TOP BUY Mega Mixing Bowl,

£18.29, Lakeland There were many sizes and types in this category – including ceramic, plastic, metal and glass – but the bakers were immediately drawn to the bigger bowls.

Our star bakers Edd Kimber won the frst series of Bake Off in 2010, creating a full British tea party for the fnal. He has written three books and is now a food writer and stylist. John Whaite won the third series with his showstopping Heaven & hell chiffon cake. He has written two books, and is setting up a cookery school in Lancashire. You can catch John cooking live at the BBC Good Food Bakes & Cakes Show in London (bbcgoodfood bakesandcakesshow.com). Frances Quinn’s imaginative bakes, including the Secret squirrel cake and Hidden carrot cake, won her the 2013 title. Her book, Quinntessential Baking, is out now (£25, Bloomsbury).

Edd This metal bowl has a useful grip on the bottom, it’s a good size and it even has a pouring lip. Brilliant. John I wouldn’t choose a plastic bowl – you can never get rid of grease properly from plastic, which is hopeless for meringue. Frances My kitchen is flled with all sizes of Pyrex, like Russian dolls. But when it comes to an all-purpose mixing bowl, I think you need a large one.

PASTRY BRUSHES TOP BUY Matfer Pastry Brush

Natural Flat Bristles, 3.5cm, £3.83, nisbets.co.uk The options included round and fat handles, with a mix of silicone brushes and natural or synthetic bristles. Edd I’m not keen on the silicone ones – egg wash drips off much quicker, and they damage delicate pastry. They’re just a lot harder to control. John This one has really foppy bristles, which is good for a delicate egg glaze. They’re wide and fat too, so you get good surface coverage. Plus, it’s really great value. Frances To be honest, I use soft paintbrushes! But never ones with stiff bristles, because they will knock out the air from your dough.

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On test special TURNTABLES TOP BUY Ateco Cast Iron

Turntable, £59.99, thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk Some turntables are better suited to intricate sugarcraft, where the tilting angle is more important than fuid rotation. For general cake decorating, a table that spins easily is essential. John Turntables are supposed to make it easier to decorate a cake, so they should spin smoothly – although I like the ones that tilt as well. Edd This has a heavy cast-iron base. The top turns on a spike instead of a ball bearing. It spins endlessly – it’s the smoothest I’ve ever found. Frances You need height too – one that’s fat on the table is no good.

Bag Set, £14.99, Lakeland TOP BUY 20 Non-Slip Piping Bags, £3.25, Lakeland John You need to get this roll of disposable piping bags that you just tear off. They’re not expensive and are the easiest, no-nonsense option. Frances I hate cloth piping bags; they’re hard to clean and, if you squeeze too hard, sometimes the moisture comes through. Edd You can also cut those plastic bags to any size nozzle you want. Personally, I’d never buy a set of piping nozzles, because inevitably only some of them are worthwhile – I order them individually. But this Tala set is good – every one in the box is useful.

FLOUR SHAKERS TOP BUY Dexam Mesh Top

Shaker Stainless Steel, £10, boroughkitchen.com The bakers admitted they don’t use shakers very often, but when they do, only a very specifc model will suffce – a fne mesh sifter. John There’s a difference between a sifter and a sprinkler, and I would only ever really use a fne sieve shaker, so this one is good. Edd I might use shakers for decorating with icing sugar, but I’d normally use my hands for four. This is my favourite, because it’s the fnest. Frances I sometimes have one of these in my kit because it doesn’t take up as much room as a bag of four, and it’s just a bit easier. They’re good for chocolate powder as well.

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SPATULAS TOP BUY Vogue High Heat

Spatula, 10in, £7.18, nisbets.co.uk

Cake off! Frances and Good Food’s Holly Brooke-Smith

This category caused some debate. However, the bakers agreed that spatulas must be made from silicone or heat-resistant plastic so that you can use them over heat. Edd The best spatulas are from Nisbets – every professional kitchen that I’ve worked in has had them. They last forever, and are thin and quite sharp. John Spatulas need to have a very sturdy handle – nothing too bendy. Narrow ones can be good for getting into the whisks on a stand mixer. Frances You don’t want anything too thick – it’s important to have a slim blade that scrapes right along the edge of your bowl.

THERMOMETERS TOP BUY Thermapen, £48,

amazon.co.uk Despite the range of thermometers – including jam thermometers that stand in the pan, and a variety of probes – one model stood out above the rest. John It’s all about Thermapen. You can’t beat them – they’re incredibly simple to use, and so versatile. Edd They just do absolutely everything: sugar, chocolate – it’s also a great meat probe. Frances They’re so accurate and last forever. Brilliant.

WIN OUR BAKER’S DOZEN! We’ve got fve sets of baking kit to give away. For your chance to win, simply complete your details at bbcgoodfood.com/ competitions Terms & conditions Competition closes at 11.59pm on 9 December 2015. The promoter is Immediate Media Co London Ltd. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 or over. Only one entry per person. For full terms & conditions, visit bbcgoodfood.com/competitions

Compiled by HOLLY BROOKE-SMITH | Product photographs ADRIAN TAYLOR

ICING NOZZLES AND BAGS TOP BUY Tala Large Nozzle and

The Tala Large Nozzle and Bag Set comes with four nozzles

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TV recipes

Chefs’ specials This month – a warming soup, a crowd-pleasing pudding and clever ideas for your leftovers Edited by Kathryn Custance Recipes tested by Home economist Petra Jackson

Chocolate chestnut yule log – p157

Simply Nigella Starting this month – Nigella’s new series on

Monday evenings

Saturday Kitchen Catch James Martin and guests every Saturday at 10am

Leftovers Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall’s series tackles food waste, starting in November

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Simply Nigella A family favourite from Nigella’s Christmas special. Her new BBC Two series is on Monday evenings from 2 November

Spiced parsnip & spinach soup Spiced parsnip soups were the staple of my childhood and teens – those of my vintage, and older, will most definitely remember the popularity of the curried parsnip soup. But this, while inspired by that memory, is very different. It’s rich (though without the butter that was the hallmark of the time), sweet and a glorious snooker-baize green. The spinach improves the texture and taste, adding a robust earthiness – which, once added, seems the obvious partner for the more mutedly earthy parsnips. I keep frozen organic leaf spinach (which comes in cubes, and unfurls into leaves as it thaws and cooks in the soup) in the freezer at all times. Someone once told me that spinach draws its nutrients deep from the soil (and it’s one of those vegetables where it makes a real difference if it’s organic). I don’t know if that’s true, but somehow this message has permeated deep into my consciousness and I have to obey. EASY

SERVES 2 for supper (makes around 1 litre, with enough left over to make lunch for 1 the next day) PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins

500g parsnips 1 fat garlic clove 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 1 tsp garam masala 150g frozen organic leaf spinach lots of freshly ground nutmeg

1 Peel the parsnips and cut them into equal-sized pieces that will cook in about the same time: that’s to say, leave the skinny twigs as they are, and cut the wider bits into smaller pieces. Cut the garlic into 3, then drop these and the parsnips into a large saucepan with a lid.

Cover with the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Put the lid on and leave to simmer with some brio for 15 mins or until the parsnips are soft. 2 Stir in the garam masala, add the frozen spinach, then put the lid back on and cook for 5 mins, by which time the spinach should be thawed and hot. 3 Take the pan off the heat to cool slightly and, using a stick blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth. Add a generous amount of freshly ground nutmeg and season to taste. You may need to add water, as this soup tends to thicken as it stands.

154 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

NIGELLA’S STORAGE NOTES Cool leftovers, then cover and put in the fridge within 2 hrs of making. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed, until the soup is piping hot. Cold soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat as above.

Petra says ‘If you don’t own a stick blender, or prefer a more velvet texture, purée the ingredients in a blender. You will have to do this in two or three batches, depending on the size of the ‘jug’. Also, you may need to reheat it for a few minutes before serving.’

TV recipes

SIMPLY NIGELLA Nigella takes a pared-down approach to cooking and eating in her new BBC Two series. According to Nigella, it’s ‘about food that makes our life easier, that makes us feel better, more alive and less stressed’. Whether that’s preparing a feast for a special occasion or a satisfying everyday family meal, the aim is to get the right balance between lightness and lushness, recipes that

Portrait DEBRA HURFORD BROWN

are a pleasure both to cook and to eat.

Recipe adapted from Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson, published by Chatto & Windus at £26. Photographs © Keiko Oikawa. To buy the book for just £23 with free p&p, call 01326 569444 or visit sparkledirect.com/goodfood. • Subscribe to BBC Good Food this month and receive a copy of Simply Nigella as a bonus gift – see p150 for details.

TV recipes

make the chocolate ganache

JAMES’S TIP For the bark, melt 150g

for the bark, make sure that you use

chopped milk chocolate, 100g chopped dark chocolate and 300ml double cream in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the pan and leave

Saturday Kitchen A Christmas treat from James Martin. Catch James and his guests on Saturday Kitchen at 10am on BBC One

Chocolate chestnut yule log Forget Christmas pudding; this year it’s all about the yule log! I’m keeping it simple with a light chocolate sponge and traditional French rich chestnut and mascarpone filling. A LITTLE EFFORT

un-iced cake only

SERVES 6-8 PREP 1 hr (longer if you decorate with chocolate bark) COOK about 20 mins

FOR THE SPONGE 175g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 6 eggs, separated 175g caster sugar 50g plain four 2-3 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting FOR THE FILLING 150g sweetened chestnut purée 150ml double cream, lightly whipped 50g mascarpone 75g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water). Leave to cool for a few mins. Whisk

the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until pale and fuffy. Sift in the four, then fold in gently with the melted chocolate. 2 Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold very gently into the chocolate mixture. Take care not to overmix. Carefully spoon the mixture into the tin and lightly spread into the edges and corners so that the sponge bakes evenly. 3 Bake for 18-20 mins or until the sponge has risen and springs back when you gently press a fnger into the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few mins. Place a clean, damp tea towel over the sponge and place a chopping board on top. Flip over so the cake is face down on the tea towel. Remove the tin and peel off the parchment. Cover with another clean, damp tea towel while it cools. 4 To make the flling, carefully mix the chestnut purée, whipped cream and mascarpone until just combined. Fold in the chopped chestnuts. Remove the top tea towel from the sponge, then use a palette knife or spatula to spread the flling to within 2cm of the sponge edge. 5 Starting from the longer side of the cake, and using the bottom tea towel

Petra says

to assist, gently but frmly roll up the sponge as you would a Swiss roll. Try to keep the frst roll tight so you get a good spiral. Transfer to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar, or decorate with a bark effect (see below).

‘If you choose to

ordinary double cream rather than whipping or thickened. To speed

until cool and thickened before spreading over the log. When it’s nearly set, use the

up the cooling process, sit the

tines of a fork or a palette knife to create a bark effect.

bowl over ice and give it a stir every now and then.’

MORE CHRISTMAS COOKING Don’t miss James Martin’s Christmas Home Comforts starting on Monday 7 December on BBC One. You can also catch James cooking live at three BBC Good Food Shows this month – in Glasgow from 6-8 November, in London from 13-15 November and at the Good Food Show Winter in Birmingham from 26-29 November. For more information and tickets visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com or call 0844 581 1360.

Recipe adapted from Saturday Kitchen Suppers (£20, Weidenfeld & Nicolson). To buy the book for just £16.50 with free p&p, call 01326 569444 or visit sparkledirect. com/goodfood.

TOMORROW’S FOOD Dara O Briain presents a new BBC One series starting in November about the technological innovations that will transform the ways we grow, buy and eat our food. Highlights include Angela Hartnett discovering how 3D printing is exploding in the food industry, and whether the ingredients for the burgers of the future are more likely to be found in a lab or an insect farm than a feld. Greengrocer Chris Bavin goes inside future-facing farms that fourish in the desert, are staffed by robots, or whose crops never see daylight. Dr Shini Somara investigates the kitchen, supermarket and restaurant of the future, and the growing ‘health by stealth’ trend – from healthy chocolate to technology that can persuade us to feel full faster.

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Roast root houmous This is a great snack or starter, served with crudités, warm flatbreads or toasted pittas, with salad or shredded cold meat. EASY

SERVES 2-4 PREP 15 mins NO COOK

Love your leftovers Be imaginative with your leftovers this Christmas and join Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s campaign against waste. His new BBC One series starts in November

Arancini patties If you have some leftover risotto, one of the most delicious things you can do is transform it into Italian fried rice balls (or patties). They’re quite good plain, with just some added cheese, or with other scraps of leftover meat or veg worked into them.

Petra says

EASY

MAKES about 6 PREP 20 mins COOK 10 mins

250g-350g cold, cooked risotto 50-70g Parmesan or other hard cheese, grated any scraps of cooked meat or fsh, torn or chopped into small pieces any cooked veg, such as mushrooms, courgettes, chopped small, and/or peas some soft herbs, such as parsley, dill, lovage, chervil or chives, chopped (optional) 1 egg, beaten, to bind, if necessary FOR THE COATING plain four 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional) couple of handfuls of fne breadcrumbs (optional) FOR FRYING sunfower oil

‘Arancini means little oranges in Italian. I know because as a student I assisted Valentina Harris with some cookery demos. I must have fried hundreds of arancini at the time. Until I tried these, I’d rather forgotten how rice and leftovers could become something so delicious.’

158 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

1 Tip the cold risotto into a bowl and stir in the cheese. Add any scraps of cooked meat, fsh or veg that you think will work. Add some chopped herbs, if you like, taste and season if necessary, then mix everything together well. The mixture should be sticky enough to hold together, but add a little beaten egg if needed. 2 Roll the mixture into walnut- to-golfball-sized balls, then fatten to form plump patties. Dust the patties with four, and, if you want a crispy coating, dip them in beaten egg, then into fne breadcrumbs (just fouring is fne too). 3 Heat about a 1cm depth of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Shallow-fry the arancini patties – in batches, if necessary – fairly gently until golden brown on the outside and piping hot in the middle. Serve immediately. HUGH’S TIPS To make arancini with a surprise centre, take 2 patties (before fouring) and make a dimple in the centre of each. Spoon flling into one, place the other on top, dimple-side down, then squish the patties together to seal in the flling. Fry as before and serve piping hot. FILLING OPTIONS l Mozzarella or blue cheese l Diced ham or chunks of cooked sausage

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 100g-300g roasted roots, such as carrots, parsnips or celeriac juice 1 small lemon 2 tbsp tahini or thick natural whole milk yogurt 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus extra to fnish 1-2 garlic cloves, fnely chopped 1 /2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed, or a good pinch of ground cumin, plus extra to fnish (optional) good pinch chilli fakes, plus extra to fnish (optional)

1 Whizz the chickpeas, roots, lemon juice, tahini or yogurt, oil, garlic, cumin and chilli fakes in a food processor until fairly smooth. If it’s too thick, thin with some hot water until you get the consistency you like. Season to taste. 2 To serve, spoon the houmous into a bowl or onto a plate, sprinkle with a good pinch of crushed cumin seeds, and chilli fakes (if you like), and trickle on some olive or rapeseed oil. Sealed in a container, this houmous keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. HUGH’S TIPS Use leftover home-cooked chickpeas if you like: 250g is roughly equivalent to a 400g can. Cannellini beans or butter beans work well as alternatives.

TV recipes

Petra says

Berry good frozen yogurt This is so quick and easy. If you use frozen fruit, then you don’t need to churn it – it’s ready to eat straight away. You can also use this recipe as a blueprint for other combinations.

‘This is a scrummy way to make use of the frozen fruit glut from this summer. As Hugh suggests, soft fruits work well, but if you’ve got some frozen apple, pear or plum purée, give those a go too. A little ground cinnamon added to the mix tastes nice.’

EASY

Programme information correct at time of going to press. Please check Radio Times, radiotimes.com or bbc.co.uk for transmission dates

SERVES 3-4 PREP mere seconds! NO COOK

300g-400g frozen ripe berries, either alone or in combination (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries are all good) 125g natural whole milk yogurt or thick Greek-style yogurt 2-3 tbsp clear honey, depending on sweetness of the berries 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until very smooth. Eat immediately or scrape into a plastic tub with a spatula, cover and freeze.

Recipes adapted from River Cottage: Love Your Leftovers by Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall (£20, Bloomsbury). Photographs © Simon Wheeler. To buy the book for just £18 with free p&p, call 01326 569444 or visit sparkledirect.com/ goodfoodgoodfood.

HOW TO TACKLE WASTE After his campaign to tackle the discarding of unwanted fsh at sea, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall takes on waste nearer to home. In his new BBC One series, he discovers what happens to the millions of tonnes of waste generated in Britain each year. Hugh asks supermarkets why they throw away tonnes of fresh food, and sees what happens to waste after collection. ‘It’s a scandal how much perfectly good food and brand-new clothing are thrown away,’ he says, ‘and how much unnecessary packaging is dumped in landfll. I hope we can make compelling programmes that change the way people think and how things are done. Big businesses have been skirting around this issue for a while, and it’s time for them to face up to their responsibilities.’ His new BBC One series starts in November.

My goodness!

Tried and tested by real home cooks, new OXO Stock Pots can help bring your midweek meals to life

oomph

hen you’re cooking dinner for your family, it’s the taste that’s the most important thing – you want it to be as delicious as possible, so everyone enjoys it so much they ask for seconds. New OXO Stock Pots take the hard work and time out of achieving great-tasting dishes. The range brings together a special blend of meat juices, vegetables, herbs and seasoning in a concentrated stock. They’re also gluten free and don’t have any artificial colours or

flavour enhancers. Simply melt and stir them into dishes to help give richness and depth, lifting the flavour of every mouthful. You can choose from three mouth-watering flavours: Rich Beef with Onion & Rosemary, Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme, and Garden Vegetables with Parsley & Bay. Home cooks made the recipes below using OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme – you can see what a few of them thought (right). Try it for yourself and see what a difference an OXO Stock Pot can make to your cooking.

Easy lamb, apricot and harissa tagine

Lemon and almond couscous

SERVES 4 a PREP 15 MINS a COOK 1 HR 45 MINS

SERVES 4 a PREP 15 MINS a NO COOK

1 tbsp sunfower oil 2 onions, roughly chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp harissa paste 1 x OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme Stock Pot 600g leg of lamb, diced into 3-4cm chunks ½ x 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained 125g soft dried apricots, halved handful coriander leaves, optional Greek or natural yogurt, to serve

This simple couscous dish is delicious served with the exotic lamb tagine recipe on the left or even enjoyed on it’s own, hot or cold, for lunch or as a snack.

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and soften the onions on a low heat for 10 mins. Stir in the cumin and harissa for 1 min, followed by the OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme Stock Pot and 500ml water. Add the lamb and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and bake for 1 hr. 2 Remove the lid and stir in the chickpeas and apricots. Pop back in the oven without the lid for another 30 mins. 3 Season, then scatter over the coriander leaves, if you like. Serve with Greek or natural yogurt and the couscous (see right).

1 Tip the couscous into a bowl, then fill the kettle and boil the water. Tip the OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme Stock Pot into a heatproof jug and top up to 500ml with the boiling water. Give it a good stir, then pour over the couscous and cover with clingfilm or a tea towel. Set aside and leave for 10 mins to fully absorb. 2 When all the stock has been absorbed and the couscous is tender, use a fork to fluff it up. Stir through the lemon zest and juice, the flaked almonds and spring onions. Serve immediately with the Easy lamb, apricot and harissa tagine (see recipe, left).

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250g couscous 1 x OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme Stock Pot zest and juice 1 lemon 50g toasted faked almonds 4 spring onions, fnely sliced

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Foodies who have cooked with OXO Succulent Chicken with Garlic & Thyme Stock Pots love them:

Mary “It helped make the meal taste absolutely delicious. Flavour was great!” Mary from Lincolnshire

Paul “It gives an unprecedented depth of favour that makes the dish come alive” Paul from Leeds

Sallie “They were easy to use, had a wonderful smell and added a beautiful favour” Sallie from Worcester

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Visit oxo.co.uk for more inspiration and recipe ideas

4 - 6 DECEMBER, HAMPTON COURT PALACE

A sensational NEW Fayre for this festive season!

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Calls to 0844 581 1365 cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. Not all celebrities appear on all days, check the website for details. The Good Food word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright BBC worldwide. The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and presented by River Street Events.

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Dine in style with this cutlery set from Elia. Each piece has been made to last, crafted from 18/10 rust-resistant stainless steel. The sets come with a lifetime guarantee. Available for just £75* (rrp £120). Choose from four patterns: Bead, Dubarry, Harley or Rattail. Each set includes eight of the following: • Table knives • Table forks • Dessert knives • Dessert forks • Dessertspoons • Soup spoons • Teaspoons Plus TWO FREE serving spoons. Add the mahogany canteen when you purchase any cutlery set for just £22* (rrp £44).

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Terms and conditions Two free serving spoons available with cutlery orders only. Delivery within 28 days to UK mainland only, some exclusions may apply. Offer ends 31 January 2016. If you are not completely satisfed with your product, please call our customer services on 01483 204455** and we will advise you of the best way to return the goods. Orders returned within 14 days in perfect condition will receive a no-quibble, money-back guarantee (less p&p). **Calls cost 10p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. Data protection BBC Worldwide Limited and Immediate Media Company Limited (publishers of BBC Good Food) would love to keep you informed by post, telephone or email of their special offers and promotions. Please state at time of ordering if you do not wish to receive these from BBC Worldwide or Immediate Media Company.

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163

Everyday 10 simple winter suppers No more than 20 minutes prep Easy-to-fnd ingredients All recipes costed Healthy options Recipes Katy Gilhooly Photographs Mike English

HEALTHY SUPPER £1.18 per serving

Butternut squash & lentil dhal LOW LOW FOLATE FIBRE VIT C IRON EASY FAT CAL 2 OF 5 GOOD A DAY 4 YOU

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 40 mins

600ml/1pt vegetable stock 200g/7oz green lentils, washed 1 large butternut squash (about 1kg/2lb 4oz), peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks 2 tbsp mild curry paste 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

100g bag spinach small pack coriander, leaves chopped 2 limes, 1 zested and juiced, 1 cut into wedges 1 tbsp desiccated coconut, toasted 50g/2oz pomegranate seeds low-fat yogurt, to serve (optional)

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Tip in the lentils, cover and simmer for 25-30 mins until they are cooked but still have a bit of bite.

2 Meanwhile, mix the squash with the curry paste and oil, and spread out in a single layer on a large non-stick baking tray. Roast for 20-25 mins until soft and slightly charred. 3 Stir the squash, spinach, coriander, lime zest and juice into the lentils. Sprinkle over the coconut and pomegranate seeds, and serve with lime wedges and low-fat yogurt, if you like. PER SERVING 350 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 2g • carbs 46g • sugars 14g • fbre 12g • protein 16g • salt 0.8g

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Chapati egg rolls EASY

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins

4 rashers back bacon 2 eggs 2 chapatis chilli sauce or ketchup, to serve 1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

1 Lay the bacon in a cold, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once the fat starts to melt, turn over and cook for a further 5-10 mins, turning every so often, until cooked to your liking. Lift the bacon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn up the heat to cook the eggs (don’t wipe the pan) . 2 Crack 1 egg into a small cup. Once the bacon fat is hot, gently pour the egg into it. Repeat with the second egg. Cook for about 1 min or until the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain. 3 While the eggs are cooking, heat the chapatis in the microwave on High for 30 secs. To serve, top each chapati with 2 slices of bacon, 1 egg, a drizzle of chilli sauce or ketchup, and a sprinkling of coriander. Roll up and eat. PER SERVING 637 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 6g • carbs 55g • sugars 2g • fibre none • protein 30g • salt 3.0g

JUST 5 INGREDIENTS Chicken quesadillas with mango salsa

99p per serving

OF 5 EASY CALCIUM FIBRE VIT C 2 A DAY

SERVES 2 (easily doubled) PREP 10 mins COOK 4-5 mins

175g/6oz prepared mango, cut into small chunks zest and juice 1 lime 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 1 /2 small pack coriander, chopped 100g/4oz roast chicken, cut into small pieces 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed 50g/2oz cheddar, grated 2 large soft tortilla wraps

Set aside. Mix together the chicken, beans and cheese. Lay a wrap on a board and add half the flling to one half, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Fold the other side over the flling, as you would an omelette. Repeat with the second wrap. 2 Put a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, lift the quesadillas into the pan and fry for 1-2 mins each side until the tortilla are crisp and golden, and the flling is hot – you may have to do one at a time. Cut into wedges and serve with the salsa. PER SERVING 465 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 7g •

1 First, make the salsa. Mix together the mango, lime zest and juice, spring onions, coriander and some seasoning.

carbs 48g • sugars 13g • fbre 11g • protein 32g • salt 1.5g

166 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

READY IN 15 MINUTES

£2.29 per serving

Everyday

ONLY 5 INGREDIENTS £1 per serving

Hasselback jacket potatoes EASY FIBRE GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr 15 mins

4 large baking potatoes 50g/2oz butter 1 tsp smoked paprika 8 slices prosciutto 175ml/6fl oz half-fat soured cream

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut slits into each potato, three-quarters of the way through, at 5mm intervals. Melt the butter with the paprika and brush all over the potatoes, pushing it down into the slits. Place on a non-stick baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hr 15 mins until crispy and golden on the outside and you can easily push a skewer into the potato. 2 When the potatoes are nearly cooked, line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Fold each piece of prosciutto back and forth as though making a fan, then place the slices on the tray and bake for 10-15 mins, on the shelf below the potatoes, until crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oven, spoon over the soured cream and top with the crispy prosciutto to serve. PER SERVING 580 kcals • fat 24g • saturates 13g • carbs 68g • sugars 4g • fbre 8g • protein 19g • salt 2.0g

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Need a breakfast boost? Adding Linwoods cold milled seeds, nuts and berries to a bowl of porridge is an easy way to increase your intake of essential fatty acids, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, so go on...

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Pork, lime & cashew stir-fry OF 5 GOOD EASY FOLATE VIT C IRON 2 A DAY 4 YOU

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins

600g/1lb 5oz pork loin steaks, trimmed and cut into thin strips 2 lemongrass stalks, outer layers discarded, centre fnely chopped 2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce 2 limes, zest and juice of 11/2, 1 /2 cut into wedges to serve 300g/11oz basmati rice 1-2 tbsp sunfower or rapeseed oil, for frying 2 bunches spring onions, trimmed and cut into thirds 300g bag beansprouts 1 Savoy or sweetheart cabbage (about 300g/11oz), shredded 25g/1oz cashews, roughly chopped

1 Tip the pork into a medium bowl. Stir together the lemongrass, soy sauce, lime zest and juice, pour over the pork and mix together, then set aside. 2 Put a medium pan of water on to boil. Tip in the rice and cook following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the spring onions. Cook for 1-2 mins until golden brown and softened. Lift out of the pan onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. 3 Return the frying pan to the heat. If the pan is dry, add another 1 tbsp oil. Tip in the pork and marinade, and stir-fry over a high heat for 4-5 mins until the pork is nearly cooked. Tip in the beansprouts and cabbage, and stir-fry for another 3 mins until the pork is cooked through and the vegetables are slightly soft. Stir in the spring onions, sprinkle over the cashews and serve with the rice and lime wedges.

£2.27 per serving

PER SERVING 569 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 2g • carbs 66g • sugars 5g • fbre 5g • protein 45g • salt 0.9g

HEART-HEALTHY £2.28 per serving

Parsley & walnut salmon with kale salad HEART 1 OF 5 EASY LOW CAL HEALTHY FOLATE VIT C A DAY GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 15 mins

50g/2oz walnuts, soaked in cold water for 5 mins, then drained small pack parsley, roughly chopped 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp zest and juice 1 orange 2 x 240g packs skinless salmon fllets 200g bag curly kale 2 cooked beetroots, cut into thin strips, or 1 small raw beetroot, peeled and grated 1 green apple, cored and chopped (skin left on)

Cook the perfect roast The Tower roaster with rack allows heat to circulate, ensuring even cooking, and lets the fat drip away, for a healthier roast. The carbon steel roaster is non-stick, with solid

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a small food processor, whizz the drained walnuts and the parsley with the balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp oil and the orange zest. Put the salmon on a non-stick baking tray and top each fllet with some of the walnut mixture. Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins until just cooked. 2 Meanwhile, tip the kale into a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, and rub into the kale for 3-5 mins until it starts to wilt slightly. (Massaging the leaves softens them and makes them taste less bitter when eaten raw.) Toss with the beetroot, apple and orange juice, and season with black pepper. Serve with the salmon. PER SERVING 397 kcals • fat 26g • saturates 4g • carbs 11g • sugars 6g • fbre 2g • protein 29g • salt 0.4g

steel handles for safe removal from the oven. Plus, it comes with a carving knife, fork and sharpening steel in a carrying case.* Roaster measures 40 x 30.5 x 8.7cm. Order now for just £33.99.

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Exclusive offer for BBC Good Food readers – FREE p&p (worth £3.95) To order, please send a cheque payable to JEM Marketing, with GF/0199 written on the back, to BBC Good Food Reader Offer, JEM House, Littlemead, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8ND or call 01483 204455 quoting GF/0199 or visit shopatjem.co.uk/goodfood.

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Create

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Everyday Griddled chicken with edamame mash 2 OF 5 GOOD EASY LOW CAL FOLATE FIBRE IRON A DAY 4 YOU GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins

1 tbsp mirin 2 garlic cloves, crushed zest and juice 11/2 lemons 2 tbsp sesame oil 4 small skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthways to make 8 fat pieces 300g/11oz frozen edamame beans 500g/1lb 2oz frozen peas 1 red onion, fnely chopped 1-2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and fnely grated 100g/4oz low-fat natural yogurt

1 Mix the mirin, garlic, two-thirds of the lemon zest and juice, and 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Tip in the edamame beans, boil for 4 mins, then add the peas and cook for another 2 mins. Drain and set aside. 2 Return the pan to the heat with the remaining sesame oil, the onion, chilli and ginger, and cook for 4 mins until just beginning to soften. Tip the edamame beans and peas back into the pan and roughly crush with a potato masher. Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt and remaining lemon zest and juice. Add a splash of water if you need to.

3 Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 3-4 mins each side until charred and cooked through. Divide the edamame mash between four plates, top with the griddled chicken and serve. PER SERVING 428 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 3g • carbs 22g • sugars 9g • fibre 13g • protein 46g • salt 0.2g

HEALTHY DINNER £2.94 per serving

READY IN A FLASH £1.18 per serving

Chestnut & bacon linguine EASY LOW CAL

SERVES 4 PREP 2 mins COOK 13 mins

375g/13oz linguine or spaghetti 75g/21/2oz bacon lardons 6 thyme sprigs 85g/3oz vacuum-packed chestnuts, cut into small pieces 100g/4oz half-fat crème fraîche 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 70g bag rocket 25g/1oz grated Parmesan, to serve

1 Put a large pan of salted water on to boil, add the linguine and cook for 8 mins or following pack instructions. 2 Meanwhile, heat a medium non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Add the lardons and thyme, and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy. Add the chestnuts, crème fraîche, mustard and some seasoning. 3 Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the chestnut sauce and toss together with a splash of cooking water. Stir through the rocket and serve with the Parmesan. PER SERVING 402 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 4g • carbs 61g • sugars 2g • fbre 1g • protein 16g • salt 0.7g

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Everyday HEARTY & HEALTHY £2.51 per serving Harissa prawns with warm tahini chickpea salad 2 OF 5 GOOD EASY LOW CAL CALCIUM FIBRE VIT C IRON A DAY 4 YOU GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 2 (easily doubled) PREP 6 mins COOK 6 mins

1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, fnely sliced 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 50g/2oz curly kale 1 tbsp tahini juice 1 lemon 2 tbsp chopped fat-leaf parsley 150g pack raw shelled prawns 2 tsp harissa

1 Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add the oil. Tip in the onion and fry over a high heat for 1-2 mins. Add the chickpeas and kale, and warm through. Mix the tahini with the lemon juice and parsley, then stir into the pan. Tip onto a serving platter. 2 Return the pan to the heat. Mix the prawns with the harissa and fry for 1-2 mins until the prawns are cooked through. Tip the prawns over the salad and serve. PER SERVING 361 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 2g •

SPEEDY SUPPER

£1.81 per serving

Poached egg, pastrami & avocado bagels OF 5 EASY 2 A DAY

SERVES 2 (easily doubled) PREP 5 mins COOK 7 mins

1 large avocado 2 tsp hot creamed horseradish 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 /2 small pack basil, leaves fnely chopped 1 tomato, fnely diced 4 large eggs, cold 2 bagels 4 slices pastrami

1 Put a large pan of water on to boil, then halve, stone and peel the avocado. Mash the fesh with a fork in a bowl with the horseradish and vinegar. Stir through the basil and tomato, then set aside. 2 Turn the water down to a simmer, add the eggs and poach until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still soft, about 3 mins. Toast the bagels. Spread each bagel half with avocado, top with slices of pastrami, then the eggs. PER SERVING 652 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 8g • carbs 54g • sugars 9g • fbre 5g • protein 31g • salt 2.6g

Tip Swirl the water with a spoon before dropping in the eggs to make a nicer shape.

172 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Food styling SARA BUENFELD assisted by SARAH BIRKS | Styling LUIS PERAL

carbs 27g • sugars 5g • fbre 9g • protein 26g • salt 1.1g

OLYMPIA LONDON 13 - 15 NOVEMBER

The tastiest day out Time to plan your day at our London Show

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et ready for a packed day of first rate entertainment from world class chefs, pop up restaurant and tasting experiences, and plenty of fine food and drink to try and buy at the BBC Good Food Show London. Here are our tips for making the most of your visit.

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Everyday

Take it to

10 in association with

Warming one-pot Our Good Food Nation survey reveals that half of us can cook no more than fve recipes from memory. This new series aims to take that number to 10. This month, try a hearty beef stew

Beef in red wine with melting onions Beef skirt and shin are underused cuts that are great value, and particularly delicious after slow cooking. This stew freezes well too, so it’s ideal to make ahead and portion up for fuss-free family meals. 1 OF 5 EASY A DAY

SERVES 4-6 PREP 20 mins

Recipe and food styling SARA BUENFELD | Photograph STUART OVENDEN | Styling LUIS PERAL

COOK 2 hrs 10 mins

25g/1oz butter 2 large onions, sliced into rings 6 garlic cloves, halved 3 tbsp plain flour 600g/1lb 5oz piece beef skirt or slices of shin, cut into large chunks 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 3 bay leaves 400ml/14fl oz red wine 1 tbsp tomato purée 300ml/1/2pt strong beef stock 250g mushrooms, halved (we used small Portobello mushrooms) chopped parsley, to serve (optional)

1 Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. In a large, heavy-based fameproof casserole dish with a lid, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 10 mins until starting to brown, then transfer to a small plate. 2 Put the four in a large plastic food bag with plenty of black pepper. Add half the beef, shake to coat, then remove, leaving some four in the bag. Add the rest of the beef and shake to coat in the remaining four. 3 Heat the oil in the same casserole dish you cooked the onions in (there’s no need to clean it frst). Add the beef

and bay leaves, and fry until the meat is browned all over. Pour in the wine and return the onions to the dish. Add the tomato purée and stock, stir and return to a simmer. Cover with the lid and put in the oven to stew for 1 hr. 4 After 1 hr, add the mushrooms and return to the oven for another hour. Taste the meat – if it’s tender, remove from the oven. If it’s still a little frm, cook for 30 mins more and test again. Serve scattered with parsley, if you like. PER SERVING (6) 360 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 7g • carbs 15g • sugars 5g • fbre 3g • protein 20g • salt 0.4g

For step-by-step photos and a video of this recipe, visit bbcgoodfood.com/take-it-to-10

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Everyday

Bread & butter pudding

Comfort

joy

Warm up winter with these simple desserts – they’re quick to prepare, then just pop in the oven

Recipes Katy Gilhooly and Orlando Murrin Photographs Jan Baldwin and Darren Feist

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Everyday

If you want to use other apples, make sure you slice them thinly as they don’t cook down as quickly as the Bramleys will. EASY

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 40 mins

FOR THE FILLING 550g/1lb 4oz Bramley apples (3 medium apples), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm-thick slices 2 tbsp golden caster sugar FOR THE CRUMBLE 175g/6oz plain four 100g/4oz golden caster sugar 100g/4oz cold butter 1 tbsp rolled oats 1 tbsp demerara sugar double cream, clotted cream or custard, to serve

1 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Toss the apples with the 2 tbsp caster sugar, tip into a baking dish (roughly 23cm round and at least 5cm deep, or a 20cm square dish), then fatten down with your hand (to prevent too much crumble falling through). 2 Put the four and golden caster sugar in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Slice in the butter and rub it in with your fngertips until the mixture looks like

Bread & butter pudding Transform a stale loaf into this classic British dessert, layered up with a rich vanilla custard. EASY

SERVES 6 PREP 20 mins plus soaking COOK 45 mins

250ml/9f oz full-fat milk 300ml/1/2pt double cream 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 whole large eggs and 1 egg yolk 3 tbsp golden caster sugar 8 slices of day-old white crusty bread 50g/2oz slightly salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 75g/21/2oz mix of sultanas and currants or other dried fruit zest 1/2 lemon 2 tbsp demerara sugar single cream or ice cream, to serve

178 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the custard, heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod with its scrapedout seeds (if using) together in a saucepan to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and yolk with the caster sugar in a jug. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture, including the vanilla pod, over the eggs, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract now (if using). 2 Lightly grease an ovenproof dish approximately 20 x 25 x 5cm. Cut the crusts from the bread slices, then butter both sides of the bread and cut into triangles. Lay half the bread slices in the bottom of the dish so that they are slightly overlapping. 3 Mix the dried fruit with the lemon zest and sprinkle half the mixture over the bread. Layer the rest of the bread on top, then sprinkle over the remaining dried fruit.

moist breadcrumbs. Shake the bowl and any big bits will come to the surface – rub them in. Alternatively, pulse in a processor until sandy (be careful not to over-process). 3 Pour the crumble mix over the apples to form a pile in the centre, then use a fork to even out. Gently tap the surface with the back of the fork (so the crumble holds together and goes crisp), then lightly drag the fork over the top for a decorative fnish. Sprinkle the oats and demerara sugar over evenly. 4 Place the crumble on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the top is golden and the apples feel very soft when you insert a small, sharp knife. Leave to cool for 10 mins before serving with double cream, clotted cream or custard. PER SERVING 608 kcals • fat 24g • saturates 14g • carbs 90g • sugars 55g • fbre 5g • protein 6g • salt 0.6g

Tip Give it a Christmas twist Mix 1/2 tsp mixed spice, cinnamon or allspice into the sugar when tossing the apples. A large spoonful of mincemeat or nuggets of marzipan mixed through the apples would also be delicious.

4 Remove the vanilla pod from the custard, then pour the custard over the pudding. Leave to soak for at least 30 mins in the fridge. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown and puffed up. Serve with cream or ice cream. PER SERVING 566 kcals • fat 40g • saturates 23g • carbs 42g • sugars 29g • fbre 1g • protein 9g • salt 0.7g

Tip Give it a Christmas twist Try swapping the bread for panettone and add a splash of sweet Sherry, brandy or rum to the custard. Orange zest will also add a festive aroma.

Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS and JULIA AZZARELLO | Styling LINDA BERLIN and DARREN FEIST

The best apple crumble

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500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 medium onion, chopped 1 x sachet of Bisto Barbecue Chicken Tray Bake Made Simple paste salad leaves and corn on the cob, to serve

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the onion into

a shallow ovenproof dish and place the chicken on top. 2 Mix the Bisto Barbecue Chicken Tray Bake Made Simple paste with 60ml of boiling water and stir vigorously. Add to the dish and stir, ensuring both the chicken and onion are coated. 3 Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 50 mins, stirring halfway through cooking. Serve hot with salad leaves and corn on the cob, or see the twist, below.

Why not try this twist… Before baking add 1 yellow and 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced, then scatter over a handful of chopped coriander to serve.

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To order, call 01467 629666 quoting BBCGF1518 or visit donaldrussell.com/bbcgf1518 NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

181

Christmas cook school Inspiration, tips and timeplans from our team of experts

BOOST THE FLAVOUR

STEAM YOUR PUD

Flavoured butters are an easy way to add lots of taste to Christmas dishes. Wrap your butter in cling flm, roll into a log and store for up to a week in the fridge or a month in your freezer.

l Keep your pudding watertight. If it’s tricky to tie the baking parchment and foil lid with string, use a large elastic band. l If you prefer to steam your pudding in the oven, put it in a roasting tin flled with hot water. Cover the tin with a tent of foil to keep in the steam and bake at 160C/140C fan/gas 3 for 1 hr or according to pack instructions. You can steam two at a time this way. l If you are steaming your pud in a saucepan, put a marble in the water. If it starts to run dry, it will rattle to alert you. Visit bbcgoodfood.com for a step-by-step video.

Lemon & mustard butter Mix the zest of 1 lemon, 2 tsp clear honey, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard and seasoning into 100g softened butter. Perfect rubbed over your Christmas turkey before roasting. Porcini & truffe butter Soak 2 heaped tbsp dried porcini mushrooms in boiled water for 15 mins. Mix the drained mushrooms and 1 tsp of the soaking liquid with 100g softened butter, 1-2 tsp truffe oil and seasoning. Melt over steamed greens to serve. Herby hazelnut butter Mix 2 tbsp fnely chopped toasted hazelnuts with 1 tbsp thyme leaves, 2 tbsp chopped fat-leaf parsley, 100g softened butter and seasoning. This butter goes well with roasted caulifower or steamed broccoli. Gingerbread brandy butter Beat 100g softened butter with 85g light brown soft sugar, 2 tbsp brandy, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Serve with Christmas pudding or mince pies.

PICK OF THE PEELERS FREEZER KNOW-HOW Justine Pattison, who created our freeze-ahead recipes on page 32, reveals how to make the most of your freezer: l Cool food quickly before freezing, and

never add warm food to the freezer. l Press the fast-freeze button at least 2 hrs before adding foods. l Expel as much air as possible by wrapping foods tightly in cling flm, freezer bags or foil to prevent icy patches, freezer burn and favour transfer between dishes. l Cover containers tightly with wellftting lids. Liquids expand when frozen, so leave a 4-5cm gap at the top. l Label everything and add the date of freezing. Aim to use frozen foods within about 4 months. l For best results, defrost food in the fridge for several hours or overnight. l Ensure that frozen raw meat, poultry and fsh are thoroughly cooked before serving. Frozen cooked dishes, such as casseroles and pies, should be reheated until piping hot throughout.

For more fabulous freezeahead recipes, visit

bbcgoodfood.com

182 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

With all those Christmas vegetables, a decent peeler is a solid investment. Victorinox double edge potato peeler, far left (£5.20, amazon.co.uk) Victorinox, makers of Swiss Army knives and watches, created this sturdy, reliable peeler that can be used in either the right or left hand. OXO Good Grips julienne peeler (£6.99, lakeland.co.uk) Shreds carrots and courgettes into thin strips for salads or stir-fries. Also ideal for the shaved pear in our goat’s cheese & pear salad, p108.

TOP ICING TIPS l TO MEASURE YOUR CAKE

ACCURATELY, run a piece of string up one side, across the top and down the other side. Cut the string to that length – your cake’s diameter – giving you a guide when rolling out your marzipan. l IF THERE’S TIME, leave your cake uncovered for 24-48 hours after applying the marzipan to let it frm up a bit before icing. l USING TOO MUCH ICING SUGAR when rolling out your fondant can make it dry and more likely to crack. Rotating the icing every few rolls will prevent it from sticking.

New on board Make your cheeseboard even more delicious this year – these easy-to-make accompaniments add contrasting favours and textures

Soft goat’s cheese

Strong cheddar

+

Honey & lavender drizzle

+

Christmas cake

See recipe below

Creamy Camembert

+

Illustrations RACHEL BAYLY | Butter photographs PETER CASSIDY | Cheeseboard photograph SAM STOWELL | Food stylist JENNIFER JOYCE | Stylist LUIS PERAL

Stilton

+

frozen grapes

See recipe below

Pop them in the freezer at least 2 hrs before you want to serve them

Candied walnuts

PEAR CRISPS These go well with any cheese. Thinly slice 1 pear, sprinkle with 2 tsp golden caster sugar and put on a tray lined with baking parchment. Bake at 140C/ 120C fan/gas 1 for 1 hr until dried out. Leave on a wire rack to crisp further.

Manchego

+

Chorizostufed dates See recipe below

CANDIED WALNUTS Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip 100g walnuts into a heatproof bowl and pour over just-boiled water. Drain after 2 mins and toss with 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and a pinch of sea salt fakes. Bake for 10 mins on a tray lined with baking parchment. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

HONEY & LAVENDER DRIZZLE Combine 2 tsp clear honey, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard and a small pinch of dried lavender. CHORIZO-STUFFED DATES Stuff medjool dates with fnely chopped cured chorizo. Bake at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 10 mins.

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CHRISTMAS DAY COUNTDOWN FOR LUNCH AT 2.45PM These times are based on a 5kg turkey, which should take about 3 hrs 25 mins plus resting time, for a 2.45pm lunch. Adjust times according to your turkey’s weight and the time you plan to sit down.

MAKE OUR CHRISTMAS LUNCH PAGE 58

Cook’s countdown

Whatever time you’re planning to eat, we’ve worked out what you need to do and when to do it. Make and freeze some dishes ahead. Or prepare them in advance and keep in the fridge to cook on the day. Pick and choose sides, or make them all if you’re feeding a crowd.

MAKE AND FREEZE AHEAD Freeze for up to 4 months l Persian cranberry sauce (or chill for up to a week ahead) l Festive red cabbage Freeze for up to 2 months l Stuffng baubles l Triple nut & apple stuffng balls l Sticky Port gravy l Buttered toast bread sauce (prepare up to the end of step 3) Freeze for up to 1 month l Crispy bacon butter for the turkey l Best-ever roast potatoes (prepare up to the end of step 2) Freeze for up to 2 weeks l Pigs in puff pastry blankets (prepare up to the end of step 2)

THE DAYS LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS 3 DAYS AHEAD l Make the crispy bacon butter for the turkey (if not already frozen) l Make the Sticky Port gravy and chill (if not already frozen) 2 DAYS AHEAD l Weigh the turkey and work out cooking time, then salt the turkey and chill it l Make the Buttered toast bread sauce and chill (if not already frozen) l Make the Festive red cabbage and chill (if not already frozen) l Prepare the Best-ever roast potatoes up to the end of step 1 (if not already frozen) and chill uncovered in the fridge to roast on the day

IS YOUR TURKEY COOKED? The best way to check is to use a digital thermometer. When cooked, turkey thighs should be 80C and breasts 75C. Always double-check by sticking the probe into several different spots within the thigh or breast. If returning to the oven, allow 10-15 mins, then re-check. If you don’t have a digital thermometer, we recommend that you buy one! Otherwise push a spoon under the

184 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

Make the Stuffng baubles (if not already frozen) and chill to cook on the day OR l Make the Triple nut & apple stuffng balls (if not already frozen) and chill unbaked CHRISTMAS EVE l Prepare the Pigs in puff pastry blankets up to the end of step 2, ready to bake the next day (if not already frozen) l Take anything that you have prepared ahead out of the freezer and put in the fridge to defrost l Chill Champagne, wine, water and other drinks l Lay the table l

turkey leg to pierce the skin (or use a skewer) and inspect the juices in the spoon. The juices should be pale golden or clear. If there are traces of blood, return the bird to the oven. DON’T GET IN A FLAP Need advice? The British Turkey Helpline is available 9am-5pm weekdays from 1 December until Christmas Eve, and offers advice for anyone with concerns about cooking their Christmas bird. Call 0800 783 9994.

8.30AM Take the turkey and the crispy bacon butter out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 1 hr. 8.45AM Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Prep anything you haven’t done, such as the Ginger & orange glazed baby carrots, Creamed sprouts with chestnuts and Salted maple-roasted parsnips. Make the crispy crumbs for the Buttered toast bread sauce. Finish preparing the turkey. 9.30AM Put the turkey in the oven and set your timer for 2 hrs 55 mins. 12.25PM Turn oven up to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6, remove the foil and cook the turkey for another 30 mins. 12.55PM Take the turkey out of the oven and check that it’s cooked, then put onto a warm platter, cover with foil and keep warm. Discard the fat from the roasting tin and keep the juices to add to the gravy, if you like. Put the potatoes in the oven and roast for 40 mins. Put the stuffng on the shelf below the potatoes and roast for 25 mins. Remove the stuffng and keep warm. 1.35PM Turn the potatoes over in the tin and return to the oven for 20 mins. Put the parsnips in. Start cooking the sprouts and the baby carrots. 1.55PM Turn oven up to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Turn the potatoes again and return to the oven for 20 mins. 2.15PM Take the potatoes and parsnips out of the oven and keep warm. Put the Pigs in puff pastry blankets in the oven for 25-30 mins. Gently reheat the Festive red cabbage, Persian cranberry sauce (if you like it hot) and bread sauce. 2.30PM Warm the plates and serving dishes (if there is no room in the oven, you can heat the plates in a washing-up bowl of hot water, then dry them to serve). Reheat your gravy, adding the reserved juices from the turkey, if you like. Carve the turkey, take the dishes to the table and ask your guests to sit down. Start plating up, then bring the Pigs in puff pastry blankets to the table at the last minute when they are cooked.

For more Christmas dinner know-how, visit

bbcgoodfood.com

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THE BIG FESTIVE FOOD TEST The Good Food team spent a week tasting and rating more than 230 products from 13 retailers to fnd this year’s very best buys Winning main courses

MULTI-ROAST GAME

CLASSIC TURKEY CROWD Basted crown with a pork, PLEASER chestnut & thyme stuffng & maple glaze, £50, Sainsbury’s This generous crown has a tempting glaze and favoursome meat – slightly gamey. The stuffng is packed with herby favour too. Feeds eight to 10 comfortably.

Taste the Difference three-bird roast duck, turkey, guinea fowl & British pork with blackberry & cranberry stuffng, £60, Sainsbury’s We love that this is a little different, plus it is simple to carve and serve. It’s wrapped in bacon and the stuffng has a good colour and texture too. Perfect for three to four people.

TOP BEEF EASY TURKEY

Luxury British basted turkey with sausage & bacon stuffng, 1.8kg, £11.99, Iceland This turkey has a buttery favour and an attractive bacon lattice that prevents the meat drying out. The stuffng has a frm texture and good meaty taste. Simple to cook, feeds eight.

TURKEY FOR TWO

Pork, sage & onion stuffed turkey wrapped with bacon lattice, £6, Co-op Very neat and a generous size for two people. This joint is easy to carve; the stuffng doesn’t dry out and infuses the meat with lovely subtle herby favours.

In-store prepared, super-trimmed rib of beef, £17/kg, Morrisons A glorious, large rib of beef with tidy bones curving out of the top – there was a good amount of meat for 12 people. The favour is robust and a little gamey.

IMPRESSIVE PORK

SHOW Hampshire outdoor STOPPER reared pork loin crown with Bramley apple & chestnut stuffng, pork jus and crackling, 4kg, £30, Tesco Wow! This pork joint stands proud and is easier to carve than it looks. Good variety of texture through the cut. The crackling is a great addition.

GLAZED HAM STAR DUCK

British duck supreme crown, 1.4kg, £30, Marks & Spencer

SMART & SPECIAL

These prepared duck legs look stunning. The succulent meat encases a lovely rich stuffng and it is perfectly portioned for four people.

Specially Selected British ‘Glaze and Bake’ salted caramel & bourbon glazed ham joint, 1.5kg, £14.99, Aldi A ham with just the right balance between sweet and salty. The shiny glaze elevates the appearance, and it’s so easy to cook in its bag.

ELEGANT VENISON

SMART FISH

Rack of venison, £40, Booths

Cod loin wrapped in chestnut bacon with lemon & capers, £12.50, Morrisons

This is a quality piece of meat with great favour and texture. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something different, or as an additional centrepiece if you are catering for a crowd.

We liked the way the delicate favour of the fsh contrasted with the sharpness of the caper & butter stuffng. It looks attractive, and the bacon keeps everything succulent and makes slicing easy.

LAMB CENTREPIECE

British lamb rack, £12.75/kg, Tesco With a beautiful herb crust, this lamb rack looks and tastes great – and as a bonus, it is very easy to cook. A majestic option for your Christmas table.

188 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

DELICIOUS VEGETARIAN

Roasted butternut, almond & pecan nut roast, £7, Marks & Spencer This has good festive favours. Big enough for a main course for two.

TRIED & TESTED

Sides & starters CLASSIC SMOKED SALMON

Organic smoked salmon strong cure, 200g, £22, GOURMET Fortnum & Mason A nicely smoked fsh with CHOICE a great texture and a balanced favour. The standout favourite on the table – the hero of your Christmas morning!

FLAVOUR-PACKED FISH

Finest hickory & oak smoked salmon, 100g, £4.80, Tesco Pleasantly dry and smoky without being overpowering, this is a fabulous salmon option to have in the fridge over the festive break.

SIMPLE YET IMPRESSIVE

Four easy-carve quails with sticky plum & date stuffng, £10, Sainsbury’s These look as good as they taste and are easier to carve than you’d expect. Simply serve with sautéed cabbage.

MEAT-FREE STARTER

Mushroom, cranberry & goat’s cheese parcels, 275g, £5.99, Waitrose Very neat and pretty. These have a deep mushroomy favour, and the flo pastry crisps up well. A lighter choice to start your big meal.

STUFFING LOAF

Specially Selected British pork, cranberry & apple stuffng slab, 420g, £1.99, Aldi We love the smoky favour of this stuffng. Very easy to prepare and serve, with good seasoning and a sweet, meaty favour.

QUICK & EASY STUFFING

Brussels sprouts & bacon stuffng wraps, 300g, £3.99, Waitrose With little fecks of green sprouts, these pork stuffng balls are quite big, very juicy and less sweet than many of the others we tried.

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Sweet treats TRADITIONAL FRUITCAKE

TOPPED MINCE PIES

GREAT FLAVOUR

Signature spice fruit cake, £15, Waitrose This was extremely popular with our testers. Soft, moist and loose-textured with a spiced favour and subtle notes of oranges. There’s no icing – just simple marzipan stars and Florentine almond shavings. STUNNING CAKE

Taste the Difference Golden Bow cake, £18, Sainsbury’s A lighter sponge with quite a strong boozy favour and masses of dramatic icing on top. Lots of generous chunks of soft fruit too. FUN SPONGE

Loved by Us reindeer cake, £6, Co-op Really chocolatey favour – incredibly soft with delicious buttercream on the outside, however it’s very sweet! Good size for six people and great value. ONE FOR KIDS

Icy igloo cake, £10, Tesco We really like this bouncy sponge with its buttery favour. It’s layered with cream and jam, and is slightly less sweet than others we tested.

Specially Selected Exquisite Luxury mince pies, £2.99 for six, Aldi A lovely, generous almondy crumble top. The pastry is thin and crisp, and the mincemeat is fruity and balanced. The pastry-flling ratio is spot on too. MINI MINCE PIES

Mini mince pies assortment, £2.50, Sainsbury’s We loved this selection! All open topped, with three choices: classic, pecan and Ecclefechan (dried fruity mix).

FREE-FROM MINCE PIES

Love Life free-from mince pies, £2.50 for four, Waitrose Crisp pastry with a traditional taste – you can’t tell that it’s made with gluten-free four. We like the tangy, fruity flling as well.

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING

OUR FAVE!

Specially Selected 12-month matured Christmas pudding, 750g, £6.99, Aldi A boozy, classic pud – dark, rich and delicious. We prefer the simple smooth top to jewelled puddings with glacé fruit. This traditional favourite delivers on all fronts.

Compiled by HOLLY BROOKE-SMITH | Photographs DAVID COTSWORTH, RACHEL BAYLY, GABBY HARRINGTON

GLUTEN-FREE CAKE

Gluten-free Christmas cake, £12, Marks & Spencer Fruity, moist and rich – this is a little more bitter than other cakes we tried, which gives it a grown-up favour. It’s fnetextured and includes a generous amount of small fruit pieces.

GLUTEN-FREE CHRISTMAS PUDDING

‘Collection’ gluten-free Christmas pudding, £8.50, Marks & Spencer Packed with chunky nuts, brandy-soaked cherries as well as brandy, Cognac and Port, it’s rich, sticky and soft.

CHOCOLATE LOG

Totally Irresistible chocolate & amaretto yule log, £4, Co-op Intensely chocolatey! There’s lots of oomph from the amaretto, and satisfying layers of cream and sponge. A generous size with pretty curls on top – and an extra hit of chocolate from the ‘shell’ on the outside.

IRRESISTIBLE PUD

Heston ultimate chocolate bar, 610g, £9.99, Waitrose A grown-up ice cream with lovely textured layers – this bar is delicious. We couldn’t stop eating it even after sampling 19 other contenders in the category!

STOLLEN LOAF

Favorina hazelnut stollen, £1.99, Lidl The thick centre of crushed hazelnuts adds a slightly savoury edge to this super-sweet treat. The dough is buttery and has a traditional crust of icing sugar on top.

ON-TREND FLAVOUR FAVE MINCE PIES

Christmas star mince pie, £2.50 for six, Marks & Spencer Thin, crispy pastry with a deep flling and pretty appearance. Not too much of a mouthful. We like the paper cases too.

The English Cheesecake Company’s salted caramel Arctic roll, £15.99, ocado.com This moreish sponge is flled with cheesecake and ice cream, layered with salted caramel. Simply defrost while you eat the main course.

POSH PANETTONE

Prosecco panettone, 750g, £10, Waitrose The softest and richest panettone on our testing table. It’s light, doughy and speckled with fruits – and the alcohol slightly sharpens the favour of this buttery treat.

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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Handy home essentials Save £195 on this high-performance dehumidifer and useful safety ladder

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Remove excess moisture from the air and eliminate condensation, damp and mildew in your home with the large capacity Aqua Dri Large Desiccant dehumidifer, a high-performance 650W electric dehumidifer. It uses desiccant, a special humidity-absorbing material, to quietly extract up to 7 litres of moisture from the air each day. It can operate at cooler temperatures, so is ideal for use in garages or sheds. There’s a built-in ioniser flter mode to help purify the air and a laundry mode that provides hot or warm air to dry clothes faster. Other features include a removable 3.5-litre water tank, three speed settings, a timer and an automatic louvre to distribute warm air around the room. Measures H48 x W30 x D18cm. Order code D7926.

This four-step safety ladder guarantees stability, safety and maximum reach. It has front and side safety rails, plus an extra-high front safety rail, reaching 61cm (2ft) above the top step for extra reassurance. Oversized non-slip rubber trim steps reduce the chance of missed footing. Maximum standing height 96cm (3.1ft from the foor). Measures 158 x 48 x 85cm. The ladder folds down to 169 x 48 x 21cm. Weight 11kg. Comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. Order code D8325. Delivery takes between fve and seven days. Due to courier limitations, we are unable to deliver this product to the Scottish Highlands, Isles or BFPO addresses.

To order Call 0844 493 5654** quoting 53884 or visit cliffordjames.co.uk/53884 or send your contact details, address and the codes and quantities of the item(s) you wish to order, along with a cheque payable to BVG Airfo, to: Good Food Offer 53884, PO Box 87, Brecon LD3 3BE. Please add the required amount to your order total for p&p (see right).

Terms and conditions *Postage for the dehumidifer is £4.95 and for the ladder, £9.95. If ordering both items, postage is capped at £9.95. **Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. ‘Was’ pricing refers to the original selling prices offered on the promoter’s website, cjoffers.co.uk, and in their retail store between 20/7/15 and 20/10/15. Delivery within seven working days to UK mainland only, some exclusions may apply. If not completely satisfed with your order, please return goods in mint condition and in sealed original packaging for a refund within 30 days of receiving your order (postage costs will not be refunded unless faulty). Your contract for supply of goods is with BVG Airfo. A signature is required on delivery. Data protection BBC Worldwide Limited and Immediate Media Company Limited (publishers of BBC Good Food) would love to keep you informed by post, telephone or email of their special offers and promotions. Please state at time of ordering if you do not wish to receive these from BBC Worldwide or Immediate Media Company.

To order, call 0844 493 5654** quoting 53884 or visit clifford-james.co.uk/53884 192 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

TRIED & TESTED

Sidestep busy supermarkets this Christmas and order festive treats straight to your home

TURKEY & POULTRY

GAME

Madgett’s Farm (01291 680174, madgettsfarm.co.uk)

The Wild Meat Company, (01728 687627, wildmeat.co.uk)

A full range of white and bronze poultry grown to full maturity, free to roam in the fresh air.

Fosse Meadows Farm (07886 340752, fossemeadows.com) Chickens, cockerels (capons), geese and turkeys all matured in Leicestershire meadows.

Copas Turkeys (01628 499980, copasturkeys.co.uk) Traditional white or bronze free-range turkeys reared in cherry orchards.

KellyBronze (01245 223581, kellyturkeys.co.uk) Free-range bronze birds, hand-plucked and hung for up to 14 days.

BEEF

Longhorn Beef (01743 351939, longhornbeef.co.uk)

Compiled by HOLLY BROOKE-SMITH

This heritage breed of cow produces distinctive marbled beef. Choose between ribs, joints, steaks or mixed boxes.

LAMB

The Blackface Meat Company (01387 730326, blackface.co.uk) Order individual joints of specialist Scottish lamb and mutton, or a mixed festive hamper including game birds, haggis, beef sausages and venison steaks.

Game birds, boar, venison and rabbit, as well as prepared two- and three-bird roasts, supplied from Suffolk farms and estates.

The Well Hung Meat Company (01364 643087, wellhungmeat.com) Organic venison sourced from the edge of Dartmoor and hung for at least a week for great favour.

RARE BREEDS

Butts Farm Shop (01285 862224, buttsfarm rarebreeds.co.uk) A rare-breed farm and butcher selling lamb, beef, game, pork and poultry all reared to exceptional standards.

VEGETABLES

Soil Association (soilassociation.org) A useful directory of organic veg box delivery schemes.

The Organic Delivery Company (020 7739 8181, organicdeliverycompany. co.uk) Veg boxes in a variety of sizes – choose from pre-set contents, or customise to your taste.

FISH

The Cornish Fishmonger (01726 862489, thecornish fshmonger.co.uk) Family-run company that also supplies Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens across the UK. Choose between fresh, seasonal fsh and shellfsh, as well as smoked fsh and selection hampers.

Fish For Thought (01208 262202, fshforthought.co.uk) Online fshmonger supplying top-quality fresh, smoked and frozen fsh, as well as shellfsh, lobster and crab.

CHARCUTERIE

The Dorset Charcuterie Company (01202 625688, dorsetcharcuterie.co.uk) Beef, pancetta, charcuterie platters, black pudding and legs of air-dried ham – all produced in Dorset.

Cannon & Cannon (020 7403 5481, cannonandcannon.com) British biltong, nduja, selection packs and hampers, sourced from artisan producers across the UK.

ALL IN ONE

Riverford Organic Farms (01803 762059, riverford.co.uk) A huge range of seasonal vegetables – order as a veg box, or incorporate into a mixed meat and veg box.

Marley Spoon (020 3695 4225, marleyspoon.co.uk) Recipe boxes providing ingredients to make a selection of festive or everyday meals – a helping hand over the busy holidays!

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

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CHEERS! Sarah Jane Evans suggests great matches for your special meals and gatherings

MY CHRISTMAS

TOP 10

Red or white – it’s your choice with poultry

Impress your guests

Celebrate in style

CLASSIC RED

DESSERT WINE

PARTY FIZZ

Defnition Claret 2010, Montagne St Emilion, France, 14%, £12.99 (£9.74 when you buy any 2 bottles on 25% discount), Majestic

Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, Victoria, Australia, 17.5%, £12.49/37.5cl, Waitrose

Veuve Monsigny Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2010, France, 12%, £19.99, Sainsbury’s

For the Big Day

In deepest Victoria, the town of Rutherglen produces sumptuous sweet wines, and the Campbell family have a great tradition. Tremendously versatile, this goes really well with desserts and cheeses. Serve cool or chilled.

Majestic’s new Defnition range of classics is spot on with this Christmas regular, red Bordeaux. Mainly Merlot grapes give it a cherry-fruited charm. Serve from a decanter for added glamour.

BARGAIN BUBBLES

MODERN RED

The Lot Series Priorat 2014, Spain, 14.5%, £9.99, Aldi

DINNER PARTY RED

Reserva Carménère 2014, Rapel Valley, Chile, 14%, £7.99, Waitrose

Seek out the fve wines in the well-priced Lot Series, all by leading producers. My favourite is this pure and spicy Garnacha, from expert Ricard Rofes. It’s perfect with the favours of Christmas.

For seasonal entertaining, Chile’s Carménère (like Argentina’s Malbec) should be on your shopping list. A little smoky, a little spicy – made for casseroles, curries and slow-cooked roasts.

CLASSIC WHITE

Photographs iSTOCKPHOTO | SARAH JANE EVANS is a Master of Wine

M Signature Chablis Premier Cru 2012, France, 12.5%, £14.99, Morrisons The shelves are groaning with Chablis at this time of year: its elegance and freshness perk up the palate. This is excellent value from a respected producer – or try their creamy, young Chablis at £9.99.

Good spirits ON-TREND BUY

Belsazar Rosé Vermouth, 17.5%, £36.50, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, thewhiskyexchange.com

MODERN WHITE

Janeil Gros Manseng Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Côtes de Gascogne, France, 12%, £7.75, Oddbins If there’s smoked salmon on your Christmas menu, this crisply aromatic white is a cracker to go with it. Great aperitif too, and a good match for main-meal salads.

Good value, zesty and fresh. Be sure to choose this Blanc de Blancs label – the 100% Chardonnay grapes give it extra bite.

UNDER

£8

Make this the year you rediscover vermouth. This German producer uses local fruit brandies and herbs to make dry, red, rosé and white. For a twist on a Kir, top 50ml of the rosé with sparkling wine.

Casa Luis Cava Brut NV, Spain, 11.5%, £5, Asda Asda has recently MY BEST been voted best BUY supermarket for wine, especially for its lively Wine Atlas collection. This is a crisp and cheerful party pleaser – serve it cold.

TRADITIONAL FAVOURITE

Château de Pellehaut 20-year-old Armagnac, France, 40%, £37, Marks & Spencer This makes a lovely gift. Armagnac is Cognac’s tasty, fuller-favoured cousin, an artisan spirit worth savouring. Enjoy it with rich fruit desserts, chocolate, creamy blue cheeses, or as a digestif with coffee.

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

195

From your kitchen

Share your views and your photographs – we love to hear from you. Email [email protected] or write to the address opposite

H

STAR LETTER

I enjoyed ‘How to read the label’ (Sept). As a mum, I’ve had lots of experience of the minefeld of food labelling. Manufacturers focus on profts, not transparency. Consumers are left with misinformation, health problems and ultimate responsibility. I no longer buy packaged products and cook as many of our meals from scratch as possible. I sympathise with people lamenting the ‘nanny state’ of guidelines, but if food labels are deliberately ambiguous, even conscientious shoppers can be caught out. Laura Fopp, Buckinghamshire

Cake Club

Laura wins 12 bottles of Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (£14.35, Waitrose). This Chilean red wine is full of fresh fruit favours with notes of black pepper and spice.

Rachel, seven, had fun making the Veg & cheese rolls (Aug). She followed the recipe, and wore goggles to grate the onions! The rolls were delicious, especially as she used beetroots and carrots from our garden. Jo Rose, Edinburgh

I made my frst sourdough (Sept) from a starter I nurtured for a week. It was so exciting to see it grow in the oven. Amazing that something so tasty came from just three simple ingredients: water, salt and four. Helen Gillespie, Lancashire

Here is my version of the Spiced fg, coffee & hazlenut cake (Cake Club, Sept). I made it for my mam as she loves a good coffee cake, and this was a change from coffee & walnut. Lee Vallely, Northumberland

This magazine is owned by BBC Worldwide and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Co. London Limited. © Immediate Media Company London Limited, 2015. BBC Worldwide’s profts are returned to the BBC for the beneft of the licence-fee payer. BBC Good Food provides trusted, independent advice and information that has

been gathered without fear or favour. When receiving assistance or sample products from suppliers, we ensure our editorial integrity and independence are not compromised by never offering anything in return, such as positive coverage, and by including a brief credit where appropriate. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the prices displayed in BBC Good Food. However, they can change once we go to print. Please check with the appropriate retailer for full details.

208 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

My children (Josh, four, and Jess, six) loved making this Plum & marzipan pie (Sept). They used a fower cutter to make the topping and really enjoyed themselves. It tasted good too. Kathy Howard, Gloucester

Printed by Polestar Chantry. The text paper for BBC Good Food is printed on 65gsm Galerie Brite and the cover is printed on 170gsm Galerie Art, produced by Sappi Paper. It is elementally chlorine free and coated with china clay produced in the UK. Immediate Media Company is working to ensure that its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine can be recycled. Please dispose of it at your local collection point.

FOLLOW THAT FOODIE!

Each month we talk to one of our Instagram followers about their cooking. Get involved at @bbcgoodfood and use #bbcgoodfood when you cook one of our recipes and post a photo. Ted Mason, 25, is a student from King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Find him on instagram @ somethingclean_ green.

When did you begin posting? I got into Instagram quite recently. I wanted to share my blog recipes and improve my 147 photography skills. likes Describe your style. My recipes are fresh, vibrant, often seasonal and Cacao & date mostly vegan. I try fapjack to post ideas that are healthy, exciting 180 likes and a bit quirky. Your fave Good Food recipes? I love the recent recipe for mapleroasted marrow on Saffron risotto cavolo nero salad – and za’atar carrot so tasty and unusual. 128 What inspires you likes on Instagram? It’s an endless stream of creativity. I’m always coming across accounts that make BBQ avocado me go ‘wow’! & pepper

BBC Good Food magazine is available in both audio and electronic formats from National Talking Newspapers and Magazines. For more information, please contact National Talking Newspapers and Magazines, National Recording Centre, Heathfeld, East Sussex TN21 8DB; email [email protected]; or call 01435 866102. If enquiring on behalf of someone who has trouble with their sight, please consult them frst.

READER RECIPE Caulifower & chestnut soup EASY

OF 5 FOLATE FIBRE VIT C 2 A DAY

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 25 mins 1

Becky Lovatt, 24, from Chesterfeld, works in digital communications and lives with her family and two pet ducks, Dolly and Percy.

/2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve 1 large onion, fnely chopped 1 large caulifower (about 600g/ 1lb 5oz), cut into forets 250ml/9f oz milk 850ml/11/2pts vegetable stock 150ml/1/4pt double cream 200g pack vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped 25g/1oz grated Parmesan, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 mins until the onion softens. Add the caulifower, milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, cooking for 10-12 mins until the caulifower is tender. 2 Add the cream, season well and bring back to the boil. Take off the heat, throw in the chestnuts and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning, if you like. To serve, top with shaved Parmesan, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Test Kitchen verdict We loved this creamy soup – a great way to use up leftover chestnuts from your Christmas cooking. Or you could use fresh roasted chestnuts instead for a more intensely favoured soup.

How to contact us Email us at [email protected] Write to

PER SERVING 419 kcals • fat 26g • saturates 14g •

BBC Good Food, Immediate Media Company Limited, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green,

carbs 32g • sugars 15g • fbre 8g • protein 11g • salt 0.7g

Hammersmith, London W6 7BT

Share your recipes and win a prize Send your recipe to the addresses above or tag us on Instagram at @bbcgoodfood and you could win a prize. Becky wins a new Le Creuset signature castiron casserole, with toughened enamel interior, in Marseille blue (rrp £175).

NOVEMBER 2015 bbcgoodfood.com

209

Christmas cheer Chelsie Collins gives her favourite cocktails a festive spin

Winter whiskey sour EASY GLUTEN FREE

MAKES 2 PREP 10 mins NO COOK

Pomegranate rosemary spritzer EASY GLUTEN FREE

MAKES 4 PREP 5 mins NO COOK

Using a small paintbrush (or your fnger), brush some honey around the rim of two tumblers and use another small paintbrush to stick edible gold glitter around each. Fill each glass with crushed ice. Put 50ml bourbon into a cocktail shaker with 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh orange juice and 1/2 tbsp sugar syrup. Shake and strain into each glass, and serve with an orange slice and short straws. PER SERVING 76 kcals • fat none • saturates none •

Put 200ml pomegranate juice in a small saucepan with a sprig of rosemary. Bring to the boil and reduce for a few mins until syrupy. Leave to cool, then chill until ready to use. Fill four Champagne futes with 1 part pomegranate syrup and top up with 3 parts Prosecco. Garnish each glass with a rosemary sprig, if you like. PER SERVING 79 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 11g • sugars 10g • fbre none • protein none • salt none

carbs 3g • sugars 3g • fibre none • protein none • salt none

White Christmas Serve these in dinky glass milk bottles with rolled chocolate wafers as straws. EASY

MAKES 2 PREP 5 mins NO COOK

Photograph STUART OVENDEN | Food styling MIRIAM NICE | Styling LUIS PERAL

Put a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker with 100ml vanilla vodka, 160ml coconut cream, 1 tbsp crème de cacao and 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg. Shake and strain into two mini milk bottles (available from Lakeland and amazon.co.uk). Pop a rolled chocolate wafer in each. PER SERVING 311 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 15g • carbs 5g • sugars 4g • fbre none • protein 1g • salt 0.1g

Don’t miss next month’s

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Raymond Blanc’s celebration menu l New Year’s Eve party food l Masterclass – make a raised game pie

210 bbcgoodfood.com NOVEMBER 2015

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Isla, 10 months. Important notice: breastfeeding is best for your baby. Follow On milk should only be used as part of a mixed diet and not as a breastmilk substitute before 6 months. Use on the advice of your healthcare professional.

BRAND-NEW SEASONAL RECIPES

12

2016 Recipe calendar

SPONSORED BY

hack i !

F

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks. Find out more about Hotpoint and ambassador Lisa Faulkner at hotpoint.co.uk

inding ways to hack into recipes to make things easier for yourself in the kitchen can also lead to a better outcome when it comes to your culinary creations. Whether it’s a genius shortcut to whipped cream, a quick and smart way to peel garlic, or an intelligent piece of tech that allows you to bake four perfect cakes in the same oven at once, a Hotpoint #hothack is one of the best weapons in your kitchen arsenal.

Hotpoint’s range of kitchen appliances has cleverness built in, with functions to make them multi-use and user-friendly – something that Hotpoint ambassador, TV cook and author Lisa Faulkner knows only too well. She uses Hotpoint appliances in her own kitchen and finds the helping hand they offer invaluable. Try the recipe on the right and put a #hothack to the test yourself. And if you’ve got your own #hothack, don’t be shy – share it online!

Take your results in the kitchen up a degree – with a #hothack. Hotpoint ambassador Lisa Faulkner presents her cooking tricks

in association with

Tis year,

Lisa’s #hothack: Got a party? Make three cakes at once. The Openspace Oven can easily accommodate all of them.

Hotpoint Openspace Oven

#Love your kichen

1 heat oven to 140c/120c fan/gas 1. Draw a 23cm-diameter circle on baking parchment and place on a baking sheet. 2 Whisk the egg whites with the salt until very stif. gradually whisk in the sugar until the whites form stif peaks, then fold in the vanilla extract and vinegar. 3 Spread the meringue mixture over the circle on the baking parchment and bake for 1 hr until frm. When done, turn of the oven but leave the meringue inside for 30 mins with the door closed. 4 Place the cranberries, cherries with their syrup, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a thick syrup. 5 When cooled, discard the cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel, and mix into the forest fruits. 6 leave the meringue to cool. Peel of the baking parchment, then place on a plate. 7 Whip the cream until stif, pile on top of the meringue and top with the fruit.

3 egg whites pinch of salt 200g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp malt vinegar 50g fresh cranberries 400g can pitted black cherries in syrup 1 cinnamon stick 4 cloves pared zest of 1 orange 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 150g frozen forest fruits, defrosted 300ml double cream

a cooK 1 hR

SERVES 8 a PREP 30 minS PluS cooling

CHRISTMAS PAVLOVA WITH SPICED FRUIT

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Gillian Carter, Editor

Cooking with the seasons is one of the great joys of the year, whether you’re using the month’s freshest ingredients or making a special dish for one of the key events in the calendar. We’ve created 12 brand-new recipes to inspire you throughout the year, from chocolate hot cross buns for Easter to an amazing picnic bread in July – all on a handy calendar for your kitchen. These recipes, all tested in the BBC Good Food Test Kitchen, give just a taste of what you’ll fnd in every issue of the magazine. Each month you’ll discover fresh, seasonal recipes, easy weeknight meals as well as bakes and menus for the weekend.

Welcome to your 2016 Recipe calendar

unbaked pie

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a large frying pan, soften the onion and celery in the butter for about 10 mins. Stir the four into the veg until completely absorbed, then gradually stir in the stock. Simmer to a sauce consistency, then stir in the cream, mustard and cheese, followed by the turkey or chicken, ham and sprouts. Take off the heat and season well. 2 Tip the pie flling into a baking dish. Unroll the shortcrust pastry and, if you need to, roll a little thinner until it’s big enough to cover the pie dish. Divide the pastry into 6 portions by pricking lines with the prongs of a fork. These pricked lines will

1 onion, diced 1 celery stick, diced 50g/2oz butter 50g/2oz plain four 500ml/18f oz turkey or chicken stock (or 100ml/31/2f oz leftover gravy mixed with 400ml/14f oz water) 175ml/6f oz single, double, whipping or soured cream, or crème fraîche – or a mixture 1 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard 100g/4oz mature cheddar or Stilton, grated, plus 25g/1oz extra to sprinkle on top 400g/14oz turkey or chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks 200g/7oz ham, diced slightly smaller than the turkey/chicken 100g/4oz Brussels sprouts, halved 320g sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry splash of milk or beaten egg, to glaze mashed potato and greens, to serve (optional)

SERVES 6 PREP 30 mins COOK 55 mins

EASY

Great for using up leftovers from Christmas dinner. If you don’t fancy turkey again quite yet, make up the filling, then cool and freeze to eat later in the year – or use chicken instead.

Ham, turkey & sprout pie

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Epiphany

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Wednesday Thursday

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Burns Night

19

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Tuesday

11

Bank Holiday, Scotland

Monday

January 2016

BBC Good Food magazine on sale

New Year’s Day Bank Holiday, UK & Republic of Ireland

Friday

29

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8

1

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9

2

Sunday 3

31

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Making more than one blend of juice? Just pour water into the bowl and it’s ready for your next creation!

Hotpoint Slow Juicer

advertisement feature

fbre 3g • protein 43g • salt 2.6g

saturates 18g • carbs 34g • sugars 4g •

PER SERVING 662 kcals • fat 38g •

also work as air holes for the steam to escape, so you don’t need to use a pie funnel. Lift the pastry onto the pie dish. Crimp or pinch the edges to seal the pastry to the dish, and glaze the top with a little milk or egg. Scatter with the extra cheese and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and crisp. 3 Leave the pie to cool for 5-10 mins, then serve with mash and greens, if you like.

fibre 3g • protein 3g • salt 0.1g

saturates 33g • carbs 46g • sugars 46g •

PER SERVING 698 kcals • fat 54g •

1 Put the raspberries and Champagne in a mini food processor or blender (or use a jug and a hand blender). Whizz until the purée is as smooth as you can get it, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to push as much of it through a sieve as you can. Discard the seeds left behind. 2 Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and warm gently until the sugar melts. Increase the heat until just boiling, then boil vigorously for 21/2 mins, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the raspberry-Champagne purée. Cool for 15 mins before dividing between 2 small pots or glasses. Chill for 30 mins, then sprinkle over the freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chill for at least 2 hrs more until set (or overnight if you’re making ahead). 3 To serve, remove the possets from the fridge and add some shortbread biscuits (shop-bought or find shortbread recipes at bbcgoodfood.com) on the side.

140g/5oz frozen raspberries, defrosted 2 tbsp Champagne (buy a mini bottle and treat yourself to a glass while you prepare dinner!) 200ml/7f oz double cream 4 tbsp golden caster sugar 2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces shortbread biscuits, to serve

COOK 5 mins

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins plus 21/2 hrs chilling

EASY

These are perfect for Valentine’s Day. If you don’t want to splash out on Champagne, buy Cava rather than Prosecco – the dryness works nicely with the sweet berries and cream.

Champagne & raspberry possets

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Chinese New Year

Monday

February 2016

BBC Good Food magazine on sale

Friday

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St Valentine’s Day

Sunday 7

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Make a main course and dessert at the same time by using the divider to create separate cooking zones.

Hotpoint Openspace Oven

advertisement feature

1 For the dough, warm 275ml of the milk for a few mins in a small pan or 1 min in a microwave on High. Mix the four, cocoa, yeast, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, and whisk the egg and vanilla extract into the warm milk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir to make a soft dough. Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough back in the cleaned mixing bowl, cover with oiled cling flm and leave to rise until doubled in size – about 1 hr. 2 Turn the dough back out onto a work surface, scatter over the raisins and chocolate chips, and knead them in. 3 Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet in a 4 x 3 formation, leaving some room in between for rising. Score a cross

FOR THE DOUGH 300ml/1/2pt milk 400g/14oz strong white bread four, plus extra for dusting 50g/2oz cocoa powder 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 50g/2oz golden caster sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 large egg, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g/4oz raisins 100g/4oz milk chocolate chips FOR THE CROSSES 50g/2oz white chocolate 2 tbsp milk 50g/2oz plain four

COOK 20 mins

MAKES 12 PREP 45 mins plus rising and proving

A LITTLE EFFORT

An indulgent twist on a traditional Easter treat. If you love chocolate and orange, add some orange zest to the dry dough ingredients and soak the raisins in a little orange juice.

Double choc hot cross buns

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St David’s Day

Tuesday

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday, Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland

3

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24

17

10

Wednesday Thursday

Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

Easter Monday Bank Holiday, UK & Republic of Ireland (not Scotland)

Monday

March 2016

Good Friday Bank Holiday, UK & Republic of Ireland

Friday

25

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5

Easter Sunday; British Summer Time begins

Palm Sunday

Mother’s Day

Sunday 6

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Defrost frozen fruit in the steamer and then blend in the same machine. Add icing sugar, then freeze and serve as a delicious sorbet.

Hotpoint Steam Blender

advertisement feature

fbre 2g • protein 8g • salt 0.2g

saturates 3g • carbs 45g • sugars 18g •

PER BUN 274 kcals • fat 6g •

on the top of each bun, cover loosely with oiled cling flm and leave to prove until the buns have nearly doubled in size. 4 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. For the white chocolate crosses, melt the white chocolate with the milk in a small pan or in the microwave, then stir in the four, 1 tbsp at a time, to make a smooth paste. Spoon into a disposable piping bag or food bag, and snip off the tip of the corner. 5 Glaze the buns with the remaining milk and bake for 15 mins, then pipe on crosses where you scored the dough and bake for 5 mins more. Cool on a wire rack before eating.

fibre 6g • protein 21g • salt 2.9g

saturates 2g • carbs 32g • sugars 7g •

PER SERVING 311 kcals • fat 10g •

1 Heat the oil in a wok or non-stick frying pan and fry the spring onion whites for 2 mins until softened. Stir in the pepper for 1 min, followed by the pineapple for 1 min more, then stir in the green curry paste and soy sauce. 2 Add the rice, stir-frying until piping hot, then push the rice to one side of the pan and scramble the eggs on the other side. Stir the peas, bamboo shoots and prawns into the rice and eggs, then heat through for 2 mins until the prawns are hot and the peas tender. Finally, stir in the spring onion greens, lime juice and coriander, if using. Spoon into bowls and serve with extra lime wedges and soy sauce.

2 tsp sunfower oil bunch spring onions, greens and whites separated, both sliced 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped into small chunks 140g/5oz pineapple, chopped into bite-sized chunks 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste 4 tsp light soy sauce, plus extra to serve 300g/11oz cooked basmati rice (brown, white or a mix – about 140g/5oz uncooked rice) 2 large eggs, beaten 140g/5oz frozen peas 225g can bamboo shoots, drained 250g/9oz frozen prawns, cooked or raw 2-3 limes, 1 juiced, the rest cut into wedges to serve handful coriander leaves (optional)

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins

1 OF 5 LOW EASY LOW FAT CAL FIBRE VIT C A DAY

This quick supper is perfect for a busy weeknight. To get ahead, you could cook your rice in advance, run it under cold water to chill quickly, then freeze in a food bag for up to one month.

Thai fried prawn & pineapple rice

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

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Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

Monday

April 2016

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BBC Good Food Show Spring, HIC Harrogate, North Yorkshire, 8-10 April

April Fool’s Day

Friday

St George’s Day

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Sunday 3

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: There’s no need to worry about dried-on food spills ever again – only the cooking zone of the Hotpoint Induction Hob heats up, so you can clean up any splashes or drips as they happen.

Hotpoint Induction Hob

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1 Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1/2. Mix the fours, bicarbonate of soda and 1 /2 tsp salt together in a bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, egg and 3 tbsp melted butter together in another bowl, then gradually whisk into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. 2 Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining butter and the oil, plus the asparagus, and fry, turning, for 3-4 mins until almost tender. 3 Turn the heat down and scoop out all but 6 of the asparagus spears. Arrange the 6 left in the pan into 2 groups of 3. Use a ladle to spoon a little batter over each group of asparagus, to make 2 round pancakes, with the asparagus hidden underneath. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface – about 2-3 mins. Flip over and cook for 1-2 mins more until golden and set. Remove and keep warm in the oven while you use the

100g/4oz buckwheat four 100g/4oz plain four 1 /2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 284ml pot buttermilk 1 egg, beaten 50g/2oz butter, melted 2 tsp rapeseed or vegetable oil 18 asparagus spears, halved to make 36 shorter spears 140g/5oz smoked salmon 150ml pot soured cream a few lemon wedges

COOK 25-35 mins

SERVES 4 (easily halved) PREP 15 mins

EASY FOLATE

Make the most of the asparagus season with these versatile buckwheat pancakes. This makes a lovely brunch – or pair the pancakes with crispy chorizo, fried eggs, a handful of salad leaves and some tomato relish to transform them into a satisfying supper.

Asparagus pancakes with smoked salmon

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

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Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

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Tuesday

9

Early May Bank Holiday, UK & Republic of Ireland

2

Spring Bank Holiday, UK

Monday

May 2016

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BBC Good Food Eat Well Show & BBC Good Food Show Summer in the City, ExCeL, London, 20-22 May

Friday

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Too posh to bash? Whizz boiled sweets in a food processor and add to biscuits with holes in the centre before baking – the sweets will melt into the shape you’ve cut!

Hotpoint Food Procesor

advertisement feature

fbre 5g • protein 21g • salt 3.0g

saturates 12g • carbs 40g • sugars 7g •

PER SERVING 468 kcals • fat 24g •

remaining asparagus and batter to make another 10 pancakes. 4 Pile 3 pancakes on each plate and add a pile of smoked salmon. Serve with some soured cream, a good grinding of black pepper, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 22cm square tin with baking parchment. Slice the strawberries thinly and mix well with 4 tsp lemon juice, then put them in a sieve over a bowl and set aside to macerate, discarding the liquid that drips into the bowl. 2 Put the four, 175g caster sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod, then add the softened butter and pulse until the mixture comes together. Spoon out a quarter of the mixture into a mixing bowl and set aside. Tip the rest of the mixture into the bottom of your tin and press down frmly to make an even base. Prick a few times with a fork, then bake for 25 mins until golden. 3 While the base is cooking, add the cold butter, remaining sugar, the oats, hazelnuts, remaining cinnamon and the lemon zest to the reserved mixture. Use your fngers to rub together until crumbly. 4 When the base is done, mix the sliced strawberries with the jam and arrange on top. Sprinkle over the crumbly topping and

300g/11oz hulled strawberries juice and zest 1/2 lemon 300g/11oz plain four 175g/6oz golden caster sugar, plus 3 tbsp for the topping 11/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways 250g pack butter, 200g at room temperature, 50g cold and diced 4 tbsp rolled porridge oats 3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts 2 tbsp strawberry jam

MAKES 12 PREP 10 mins COOK 55 mins-1 hr

A LITTLE EFFORT

Pack these in tins for picnics or school fêtes, or serve single bars with a dollop of clotted cream for dessert. When the strawberry season is over, blackberries will work just as well.

Strawberry & cinnamon streusel bars

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

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BBC Good Food Show Summer, NEC, Birmingham, 16-19 June

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Wednesday Thursday

Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

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13

Bank Holiday, Republic of Ireland; Ramadan

Monday

June 2016 Friday

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Father’s Day

Sunday 5

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Making a chilli in the oven? Prepare barbecue ribs while it’s cooking and add for the last 20-25 minutes.

Hotpoint Dualfow Oven

advertisement feature

fbre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.5g

saturates 11g • carbs 44g • sugars 23g •

PER BAR 381 kcals • fat 20g •

bake for another 30-35 mins until the top is golden and the strawberries juicy and bubbling. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into bars or squares.

1 Tip the bread mix into a large mixing bowl with the shredded sage and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Put 2 tbsp of the oil and the garlic in a jug with the amount of water stated on the bread mix pack. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then bring the dough together with your hands and knead for 5 mins on a foured surface until smooth. Return to the mixing bowl, cover with oiled cling flm and leave to rise until doubled in size. 2 Punch the dough a few times to knock out the air, then divide into 8 portions. Roll each to a fattish bap shape on a lightly foured surface and arrange in a roughly 20 x 30cm roasting tin. Toss the whole sage leaves, fgs, onion and ham with 1 tbsp of the oil, then scatter these over the top. Use your fngers to press the toppings into the bread a little, and spread the bread to fll any gaps. Cover loosely with oiled cling flm and leave to rise for 20 mins until it has puffed up. 3 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Drizzle over the remaining oil, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, and bake for 30 mins until risen, golden and crisp on top. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins,

500g pack bread mix (we used ciabatta) 15 sage leaves, 5 fnely shredded, the rest left whole 4 tbsp good-quality olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed plain four, for dusting 4-5 fresh fgs, thickly sliced 1 /2 onion, sliced as thinly as possible 100g/4oz Serrano ham slices faky sea salt, for sprinkling

COOK 30 mins

SERVES 8 PREP 30 mins plus rising and proving

A LITTLE EFFORT

Eat this as it is with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dunking, or smear with soft goat’s cheese and top with a handful of rocket.

Fig & Serrano ham picnic bread

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

7

28

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14

Wednesday Thursday

Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

26

25

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Bank Holiday, Northern Ireland

Tuesday

18

11

Independence Day, USA

Monday

July 2016 Friday

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Cut down on food waste. Use the crisper drawers for fruit, salad and veg. “Day 1 technology” also keeps things fresher for longer.

Hotpoint Ul ima Fridge Freezer

advertisement feature

carbs 33g • sugars 5g • fbre 2g • protein 10g • salt 1.4g

PER SERVING 248 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 2g •

then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pack back into the tin to transport to a picnic, and tear the bread into 8 portions.

uncooked skewers only

1 First, make the chimichurri base. Put the shallot in a mini food processor with the garlic, herbs and oil. Pulse until fnely chopped but still with some texture – like a chunky pesto. Put 11/2 tbsp in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the red wine vinegar, chilli and 1 tbsp water into the remaining mixture and season. Chill until assembling. 2 Stir the cumin seeds and lime juice into the reserved 11/2 tbsp chimichurri base,

2 tsp cumin seeds juice and zest 2 limes, plus wedges to serve 3 sirloin or rump steaks, fat trimmed, cut into long strips 200g/7oz long-grain or wild rice mix 2 x 400g cans black beans, rinsed and drained 3 shallots, fnely diced 2 ripe avocados, chopped into small chunks 20cm piece cucumber, chopped into small chunks 200ml/7f oz Greek or natural yogurt, to serve FOR THE CHIMICHURRI 1 shallot, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped small pack coriander small pack fat-leaf parsley, leaves picked 2 tsp dried oregano 4 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 red chilli, fnely chopped YOU’LL ALSO NEED 6 large or 12 small metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers

COOK 35 mins

SERVES 6 PREP 25 mins plus marinating

OF 5 GLUTEN EASY FIBRE 2 A DAY FREE

As the Olympics gets underway in Rio de Janeiro this month, here’s a way to bring some South American sunshine to your plate.

Beef skewers with chimichurri rice salad

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Wednesday Thursday

Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

Summer Bank Holiday, UK (not Scotland)

16

15

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9

Tuesday

8

Bank Holiday, Scotland and Republic of Ireland

Monday

August 2016 Friday

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Sunday 7

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

BBC Good Food Festival at Hampton Court, London, 27-29 August

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Fancy a quick pizza? Add the dynamic crisp plate to turn it into your own pizza oven.

Hotpoint Combination Oven

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fbre 11g • protein 26g • salt 0.5g

saturates 5g • carbs 34g • sugars 2g •

PER SERVING 457 kcals • fat 22g •

then spoon all over the steak strips in a non-metallic dish. Give everything a good mix to coat, then marinate in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or up to 2 hrs. 3 Rinse the rice and put in a saucepan with triple the volume of water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until cooked. Drain any remaining liquid, then spread on a tray to cool quickly. 4 When the rice is almost cool, stir in half the chimichurri sauce with the black beans, shallots, avocado and cucumber. 5 Thread the beef onto 6 large or 12 small skewers and heat the grill or a griddle pan to high. Grill for 3-4 mins each side, or griddle for 1-2 mins each side, depending on how well cooked you like your steak. Serve the rice on a platter with the skewers, lime wedges, yogurt mixed with lime zest and black pepper, and the remaining chimichurri.

stuffng only

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the sliced onions in the middle of a roasting tin. Mix the oil with 2 tsp paprika and leaves from one of the thyme sprigs. Rub all over the chicken, sit it on top of the onions and season well. Push 3 of the lemon halves inside the cavity, cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 45 mins. 2 Meanwhile, make the stuffng. Cook the diced chorizo over a low-medium heat until crisp and plenty of oil has collected in the pan. Scoop out the chorizo to cool, and tip the chopped onions into the pan. Soften gently for 15-20 mins, then tip into a mixing bowl to cool. 3 Rub together the cooking chorizo meat and the breadcrumbs, as if you were rubbing butter into four to make pastry. When the breadcrumbs are all orange, mix in the apricots, parsley, leaves from another

4 onions, 2 unpeeled and thickly sliced, 2 fnely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 3 tsp sweet smoked paprika 4 lemon thyme sprigs 1.5kg/3lb 5oz whole chicken 2 lemons, zested then halved 100g/4oz chorizo, diced 120g/41/2oz cooking chorizo, meat squeezed from the skins 175g/6oz fresh white breadcrumbs 100g/4oz soft dried apricots, chopped 4 tbsp chopped fat-leaf parsley 1 large egg, beaten 250ml glass white wine 400ml/14f oz chicken stock sautéed potatoes and steamed broccoli, to serve (optional)

SERVES 5 PREP 35 mins COOK 1 hr 45 mins

OF 5 EASY VIT C IRON 2 A DAY

This Spanish-style stuffing is packed with flavour – and even more so if you make it ahead. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days before roasting with the chicken.

Lemon roast chicken with chorizo stuffng

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Tuesday

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

BBC Good Food magazine on sale

8

1

29

22

15

Wednesday Thursday

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Monday

September 2016 Friday

30

23

16

9

2

24

17

10

3

Sunday 4

25

18

11

For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Got a party? Make three cakes at once. An even temperature ensures a consistent bake for all cakes.

Hotpoint Dualfow Oven

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fbre 5g • protein 56g • salt 1.9g

saturates 10g • carbs 46g • sugars 18g •

PER SERVING 760 kcals • fat 35g •

thyme sprig, remaining paprika, the lemon zest and egg. Squeeze over the juice from the remaining lemon half, season with lots of pepper, then use your hands to squish everything together really well. 4 Grease a small roasting tin and push in the stuffng, roughing up the surface with a fork – this will create lots of crispy bits. Tear over the remaining thyme sprigs. 5 After 45 mins, remove the foil from the chicken and pour the wine and stock into the tin. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and put the chicken back in with the stuffng on a shelf below. Roast for another 45 mins until the juices between the legs and body run clear. 6 Rest the chicken for 15 mins while you bubble the pan juices to reduce a little, then carve and serve with the stuffng, reduced juices, and sautéed potatoes and steamed broccoli, if you like.

before drizzling

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and grease a roughly 22cm ring or bundt tin. Mix the pears with the lemon juice and zest and the elderfower cordial to stop them turning brown. Mix the four, baking powder and ground almonds together. 2 Beat together the oil, half the sugar, the whole egg and 3 yolks, and the vanilla with an electric whisk in a big mixing bowl until pale and fuffy. Stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the juices from the pear. 3 Clean the whisk beaters. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and beat for 1 min more until thick again and shiny, then fold into the rest of the cake mixture, a third at a time. Finally, fold in the pear chunks. 4 Spoon into the tin gently to keep the air, and bake on a middle shelf for 45 mins. Insert a skewer into the sponge – if it is cooked, it will come out clean. Cool in

butter, for greasing 2 pears, peeled, cored and diced juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 tbsp elderfower cordial 300g/11oz plain four 1 tsp baking powder 100g/4oz ground almonds 250ml/9f oz sunfower oil 250g/9oz golden caster sugar 4 large eggs, 3 separated 1 tsp vanilla extract plain or gooseberry yogurt, to serve (optional) FOR THE DRIZZLE 3 tbsp elderfower cordial zest and juice 1 lemon 100g/4oz sugar cubes, bashed with a rolling pin to crumble

COOK 45 mins

CUTS INTO 10-12 slices PREP 30 mins

EASY

There will be an abundance of British pears and apples in the shops and our gardens right now. You’ll love this new fruity spin on a classic.

Pear drizzle cake

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Wednesday Thursday

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4

Tuesday

3

Bank Holiday, Republic of Ireland; Halloween

Monday

October 2016

BBC Good Food magazine on sale

Friday

28

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1

British Summer Time ends; Diwali

Rosh Hashanah

Sunday

9

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Combine jam, marshmallows and softened vanilla ice cream using the Kitchen Machine’s whisk attachment for a Rocky Road-style dessert. Place in the freezer until set.

Hotpoint Kichen Machine

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fbre 2g • protein 7g • salt 0.2g

saturates 3g • carbs 55g • sugars 37g •

PER SLICE 501 kcals • fat 28g •

the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack. 5 Use the skewer again to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Mix together the drizzle ingredients and quickly pour all over the cake. Leave to cool – the sugar drizzle will become crunchy. Serve slices with a dollop of plain or gooseberry yogurt alongside, if you like.

mash & gravy only

1 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the potatoes in a large roasting tin and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins until crisp and a knife sinks in easily. 2 Meanwhile, make the gravy. Put the onions in a large, deep frying pan with the butter and cook gently until soft and golden. Stir in the four, then gradually add the ale. Bring to the boil for 1 min, then stir in the stock, Marmite, Worcestershire sauce and sugar, and bring back to a simmer. Bubble for a few mins until you get a good gravy consistency, then taste and season. 3 When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and put your bangers in for 30-35 mins or until cooked through.

1.8kg/4lb foury baking potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, unpeeled 16 sausages 200ml/7f oz full-fat milk 200g/7oz cream cheese 1 tbsp English mustard powder 140g/5oz mature or extra mature cheddar, grated 85g/3oz Red Leicester, grated FOR THE GRAVY 2 onions, sliced 50g/2oz butter 50g/2oz plain four 200ml/7f oz light ale 600ml/1pt beef stock (or chicken for a lighter gravy) 1 tbsp Marmite 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar peas, to serve (optional)

COOK 11/2-2 hrs

SERVES 8 (easily halved) PREP 40 mins

EASY CALCIUM FOLATE VIT C

This cheesy twist on a British classic will keep everyone warm on Bonfire Night. Use your favourite sausages – herby Lincolnshire, leek or appleflavoured varieties all work well.

Bangers with Welsh rarebit mash

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St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday, Scotland

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BBC Good Food Show Birmingham at the NEC Birmingham, 24-27 November Thanksgiving, USA

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Wednesday Thursday

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Monday

November 2016 4

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BBC Good Food London and BBC Good Food Bakes & Cakes Show at Olympia, London, 11-13 November

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BBC Good Food Show Scotland in Glasgow, 4-6 November

Friday

Bonfre Night

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Remembrance Sunday

Sunday

For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: Making caramel for a dessert? Make extra to serve with cakes or ice cream as you fancy.

Hotpoint Direct Flame Hob

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fbre 5g • protein 31g • salt 3.8g

saturates 27g • carbs 59g • sugars 11g •

PER SERVING 881 kcals • fat 56g •

4 Halve each potato and scoop the fesh into a big mixing bowl, discarding the skins. Add the milk, cream cheese, mustard powder and cheeses. Mash together really well. Season with salt and keep warm, or reheat in the microwave with the gravy when the sausages are done. Serve with peas, if you like.

fbre 2g • protein 5g • salt 0.2g

saturates 22g • carbs 38g • sugars 31g •

PER SERVING 538 kcals • fat 39g •

1 Put the custard and chocolate in a saucepan. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has completely melted into the custard. Cover the surface with cling flm to stop the custard forming a skin, then cool. 2 Sit the brownies in a trife bowl and mix together the coffee with the 1 tbsp Irish cream liqueur. Drizzle all over the brownies. Use a rolling pin or saucepan to gently bash the bag of Maltesers a few times to crush a little, then sprinkle about three-quarters over the brownies. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard all over the top, then cover and chill. 3 Make the fnal layer by combining the cream and 100ml Irish cream liqueur in a bowl. Sift over the icing sugar, then whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve. 4 To serve, give the cream a quick mix, then spoon on top of the chocolate custard. Scatter over the last few crushed Maltesers to decorate.

500ml pot ready-made chilled custard (look for one with real vanilla) 100g/4oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces 400g/14oz shop-bought chocolate brownies 3 tbsp coffee 100ml/31/2f oz Irish cream liqueur, plus 1 tbsp extra for soaking the brownies 121g bag Maltesers 500ml/18f oz double cream 25g/1oz icing sugar

SERVES 10-12 PREP 25-30 mins COOK 5-10 mins

EASY

A naughty chocolate version of a traditional trifle, and so easy to make.

Boozy brownie trife

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Bank Holiday, UK & Republic of Ireland

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Tuesday

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BBC Good Food magazine on sale

BBC Good Food magazine on sale

8

1

29

22

15

Wednesday Thursday

Subscribe to BBC Good Food magazine today and get 5 issues for £5 Call 0844 848 3414 and quote GFCAL16

Boxing Day

Monday

December 2016 2

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BBC Good Food Festive Fayre at Hampton Court, London, 2-4 December

Friday

New Year’s Eve

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Christmas Day

Sunday 4

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For more seasonal recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com

Saturday

For more hot hacks and recipes, visit bbcgoodfood.com/hotpoint-hothacks

Lisa’s #hothack: When making a Pavlova, make extra meringue for a Christmas Eton Mess. Mix with clementines and pomegranate for a seasonal twist on a classic.

Hotpoint Openspace Oven

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JANUARY

2016 Calendar

FEBRUARY

Bangers with Welsh rarebit mash

Pear drizzle cake

Beef skewers with chimichurri rice salad

Fig & Serrano ham picnic bread

Asparagus pancakes with smoked salmon

Thai fried prawn & pineapple rice

Champagne & raspberry possets

Ham, turkey & sprout pie

APRIL

JULY

OCTOBER

MAY

AUGUST

NOVEMBER

MARCH

Double choc hot cross buns

JUNE

Strawberry & cinnamon streusel bars

SEPTEMBER

Lemon roast chicken with chorizo stuffng

DECEMBER

Boozy brownie trife

Recipes and food styling SARAH COOK | Photographs ALEX LUCK | Styling REBECCA WILLIAMS

Editor Gillian Carter Deputy editor Elaine Stocks Art director Jonathan Whitelocke Art editor Rachel Bayly Designer Todd Slaughter Chief sub-editor Art Young Head of production Koli Pickersgill Production manager Kate Gristwood This calendar is available with the November 2015 issue of BBC Good Food magazine. Not to be sold separately. BBC Good Food magazine is owned by BBC Worldwide and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Company Limited. Printed at Ancient House Press.