Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, be plenteous in mercy is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge.

Monday 26 November 2012

WEEK 2: LET'S SHARE - XD IN THE UK!


Let's share the Christmas recipes in the commentaries below!!!
Remember:
1) you can publish only ONE recipe;
2) if you provide a different recipe for the dish which has already been described in the commentary, do it via the Reply button. 


A recipe will bring you TWO POINTS!!!
In the United Kingdom, what is now regarded as the traditional meal consists of roast turkey, served with roast potatoes and parsnips and other vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding, a heavy steamed pudding made with dried fruit, suet, and very little flour. Other roast meats may be served, and in the nineteenth century the traditional roast was goose. The same carries over to Ireland with some variations.
  • Brandy butter
  • Bread sauce
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Chocolate yule log
  • Christmas cake
  • Christmas ham - Usually a honey or marmalade glazed roast or boiled gammon joint.
  • Christmas pudding
  • Dundee cake, traditional Scottish fruit cake
  • Mince pies
  • Nut roast (a popular vegetarian alternative)
  • Pigs in a blanket - Chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon
  • Roast turkey
  • Roast beef
  • Roast duck
  • Roast goose
  • Roast pheasant
  • Roast potatoes - roasting with goose or duck fat is becoming more popular
  • Stuffing
  • Trifle
  • Tunis Cake



19 comments:

  1. Brandy Butter Recipe

    Brandy Butter is the perfect accompaniment to Mince Pies and Christmas Pudding. Brandy Butter recipe is so easy and quick you'll never buy it from a shop again.
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Ingredients:

    4 oz/ 100g soft, unsalted butter
    8 oz/ 225g icing sugar
    3 - 5 tbsp brandy or Cognac

    Preparation:

    Place the soft butter into a large baking bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until light and creamy.
    Add the icing sugar and beat again until all the sugar is incorporated.
    Add the brandy or Cognac to taste and stir well. If you add too much brandy the mixture may curdle. If it does, don't worry, just add more icing sugar until the mixture binds back together.
    Spoon the butter into a serving dish, cover and store in the fridge until required.

    The butter can be made up to 5 days in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mince Pie Recipe
    Ingredients
    1 1/4 pounds beef round or leftover roast
    1/4 pound suet
    1 1/2 pounds apples
    1 cup raisins or currants
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ground clove
    2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
    1/4 cup brandy
    2 cups cider or apple juice
    Piecrust recipe, recipe follows
    1 tablespoon butter
    Directions
    If uncooked meat is used, simmer beef 2 to 3 hours or until very tender, adding suet for last 1/2 hour of cooking.

    When cooked, chop beef and suet very fine, into about 1/4-inch pieces.

    Pare, core, and chop apples to make 3 cups.

    Mix beef, suet, apples, raisins or currants, white and brown sugars, spices, brandy, and cider or apple juice.

    Prepare the piecrust.

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

    Roll out piecrust dough and line pie plates with pastry; fill each with half of meat mixture. Cover with top crusts, seal edges, and slit 2 holes on top for steam to escape. If desired, spread a thick layer of butter on pastry for flaky upper crust.

    Bake until apples are cooked and meat is heated through, about 1 hour.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Traditional Bread Sauce


    Traditional bread sauce is one of the great, classic British sauces, but I think it has suffered from either not being made properly or – worst of all – being made from a mix or packet. The real thing is beautifully creamy and the perfect accompaniment to chicken or turkey.

    Ingredients:

    4 oz (110 g) freshly made white breadcrumbs (a two-day-old white loaf with crusts removed will be hard enough to grate, but the best way to make the crumbs is in a liquidiser, if you have one)
    1 large onion
    15-18 whole cloves or freshly grated nutmeg
    1 bay leaf
    8 black peppercorns
    1 pint (570 ml) breakfast milk
    2 oz (50 g) butter
    2 tablespoons double cream
    salt and freshly milled black pepper

    This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Christmas and The Delia Collection: Chicken. It has also appeared in Sainsbury's Magazine (Guide to Poultry and Game Cookery).


    Method :

    Cut the onion in half and stick the cloves in it – how many you use is a personal matter; I happen to like a pronounced flavour of clove. If you don't like them at all, you can use some freshly grated nutmeg instead. Place the onion – studded with cloves – plus the bay leaf and the peppercorns, in a saucepan together with the milk. Add some salt then bring everything up to boiling point. Take off the heat, cover the pan and leave in a warm place for the milk to infuse for two hours or more.

    When you're ready to make the sauce, remove the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and keep them on one side. Stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and add 1 oz (25 g) of the butter. Leave the saucepan on a very low heat, stirring now and then, until the crumbs have swollen and thickened the sauce – about 15 minutes. Now replace the clove-studded onion, the bay leaf and the peppercorns and again leave the pan in a warm place until the sauce is needed. Just before serving, remove the onion and spices. Reheat gently then beat in the remaining butter and the cream and taste to check the seasoning. Pour into a warm serving jug.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Christmas Cake

    No British Christmas is complete without a classic Christmas Cake. A Christmas cake can be made 2 months before Christmas for it to mature and to be fed at regular intervals with brandy. If you are making it later, don't worry, it will still taste good.

    Prep Time: 1 hour

    Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

    Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes

    Ingredients:

    1lb 2oz/525g currants
    8oz/ 225g golden raisins/sultanas*
    8oz / 225g raisins
    4oz / 110g mixed candied peel, finely chopped
    6oz / 165 glace cherries, halved
    10oz/ 300g all purpose or plain flour
    Pinch salt
    ½ level tsp mixed spice **
    ½ level tsp ground cinnamon
    ½ level tsp freshly ground nutmeg
    2½ sticks / 300g butter, slightly softened
    10 oz / 300g soft brown sugar
    Zest of ½ lemon
    6 large eggs, lightly beaten
    3 tbsp brandy, plus extra for feeding
    Preparation:

    Heat the oven to 300°F/150°C/Gas 2
    The temperature is low as the cake needs a long slow bake. It is packed with sugars, fruits and brandy and if the temperature is any higher the outside of the cake will burn and the inside be undercooked.


    Line a 9 inch cake tin with 2 thicknesses of parchment or greaseproof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator and to prevent the cake from burning on the outside read more about why here.
    In a large roomy baking bowl mix the currants, sultanas, raisins, peel and cherries with the flour, salt and spices.
    In another large bowl cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten egg to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition - do not try to rush this process as the mixture could curdle. If it does curdle simply add a tbsp of flour and mix again, this should bring the mixture back together. If it doesn't come back together, don't fret, the cake will still be delicious.
    Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture, once incorporated repeat with the remaining flour and fruit. Finally add the brandy.
    Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin making sure there are no air pockets. Once filled smooth the surface with the back of s spoon and make a slight dip in the center (this will rise back up again during cooking and create a smooth surface for icing the cake).
    Finally, using a piece of paper towel clean up any smears of cake batter on the greaseproof wrapping, if left on they will burn, and though it won't affect the cake, it doesn't smell too good.
    Stand the tin on a double layer of newspaper in the lower part of the oven, if you have a gas oven ensure the paper is well away from the any flame, and bake for 4½ hours. If the cake is browning too rapidly, cover the tin with a double layer of greaseproof or parchment paper after 2½ hours. During the cooking time avoid opening the oven door too often as this may cause the cake to collapse.
    After 4½ hours check the cake is cooked. The cake should be nicely risen and a deep brown all over. Insert a skewer or fine knife into the centre of the cake. If there is sticky dough on the skewer when you pull it out it needs cooking longer, if it is clean, the cake's done and remove from the oven.
    Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for an hour, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. Once cooled prick the surface of the cake with a fine metal skewer and slowly pour over 2 - 3 tbsp brandy. This feeding should be repeated every two weeks up until Christmas.

    The cake should be stored wrapped in greaseproof or parchment paper in an airtight tin.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christmas Pudding

    Prep Time: 45 minutes

    Cook Time: 8 hours

    Marinating Time: 12 hours

    Total Time: 20 hours, 45 minutes

    Ingredients:

    Serves 8 - 10
    1lb /450g dried mixed fruit (use golden raisins/sultanas* , raisins, currants)
    1 oz /25 g mixed candied peel, finely chopped
    1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped Grated zest and juice
    ½ large orange and
    ½ lemon
    4 tbsp brandy, plus a little extra for soaking at the end
    2 oz /55 g self-raising flour, sifted
    1 level tsp ground mixed spice
    1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    4 oz /110 g shredded suet, beef or vegetarian
    4oz /110g soft, dark brown sugar
    4 oz /110 g white fresh bread crumbs
    1 oz /25 g whole shelled almonds, roughly chopped
    2 large, fresh eggs
    Preparation:

    Lightly butter a 2½ pint/1.4 litre pudding basin.

    Place the dried fruits, candied peel, apple, orange and lemon juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
    Stir together the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon in a very large mixing bowl. Add the suet, sugar, lemon and orange zest, bread crumbs, nuts and stir again until all the ingredients are well mixed. Finally add the marinaded dried fruits and stir again.
    Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl then stir quickly into the dry ingredients. The mixture should have a fairly soft consistency.
    Now is the time to gather the family for Christmas Pudding tradition of taking turns in stirring, making a wish and adding a few coins.
    Spoon the mixture in to the greased pudding basin, gently pressing the mixture down with the back of a spoon. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, then a layer of aluminum foil and tie securely with string.
    Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 7 hours. Make sure you check the water level frequently so it never boils dry. The pudding should be a deep brown color when cooked. The pudding is not a light cake but instead is a dark, sticky and dense sponge.
    Remove the pudding from the steamer, cool completely. Remove the paper, prick the pudding with a skewer and pour in a little extra brandy. Cover with fresh greaseproof paper and retie with string. Store in a cool dry place until Christmas day. Note: The pudding cannot be eaten immediately, it really does need to be stored and rested then reheated on Christmas Day. Eating the pudding immediately after cooking will cause it to collapse and the flavours will not have had time to mature.
    On Christmas day reheat the pudding by steaming again for about an hour. Serve with Brandy or Rum Sauce, Brandy Butter or Custard.

    Left over Christmas pudding can be reheated by wrapping tightly in aluminum foil and heating through in a hot oven.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ROAST POTATOES =)

    Could your roast potatoes do with being that little bit more golden and crispy? Follow this foolproof recipe to find out the secret to potato perfection.

    INGREDIENTS:

    4 lb small (1 1/2- to 2-inch) boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
    3/4 cup rendered goose fat, reserved from roast goose , or duck fat
    2 teaspoons salt
    3/4 teaspoon black pepper

    DIRECTIONS:

    - Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then boil, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes.

    - Meanwhile, switch the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7 and place the oil or fat in a large roasting tin towards the top of the oven to heat thoroughly.

    - Drain the potatoes thoroughly (reserving the water for gravy, stock or soup). Return them to the pan in batches and shake vigorously to soften the edges, or you can scratch them with a fork.

    - Take the tin from the oven and add the potatoes. Turn them quickly in the oil then cook at the top of the oven for 50-60 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking until crisp and golden on the outside and soft in the centre. Drain and sprinkle with salt. Serve as soon as possible.

    Have a nice meal! =)










    ReplyDelete
  7. Chocolate yule log

    Ingredients:
    Ingredients
    butter , for greasing
    5 eggs
    140g light muscovado sugar
    100g self-raising flour
    25g good quality cocoa powder
    caster sugar , for dusting

    FOR THE ICING AND FILLING
    285ml/9½fl oz carton double cream
    450g fondant chocolate , such as Lindt Lindor
    icing sugar , for dusting

    METHOD
    1)Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter and line the base and sides of a 30 x 35cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
    2)Separate the eggs, putting them into two large mixing bowls. Add the sugar and 2 tbsp water to the egg yolks. Using an electric whisk or tabletop mixer, whisk the sugar and yolks for about 5 mins until the mixture is light in colour and thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk blades are lifted. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold in lightly, using the whisk blades or a large metal spoon.
    3)Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then fold into the cake mixture in three batches, again using the blades to preserve as much air as possible.
    4)Pour the mixture evenly over the prepared tin, then carefully spread to the edges. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until the cake feels firm to the touch. Put a large sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Turn the cake out onto the parchment and peel off the lining paper. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to cool completely. Trim a little cake from all the edges, then score along the edge of one of the long sides of the cake and roll up from there, using the paper to help you, rolling the paper inside the cake.
    5)To make the icing and filling, bring the cream to the boil in a small pan, remove from the heat, then break in 400g of the chocolate. Stir until it is melted and smooth. Leave to cool, then chill until it is spreadable, about 1 hr. Chop the remaining chocolate, spoon a third of the icing into a bowl, then stir them together to make the filling.
    6)Carefully unroll the cake, then spread all the filling over to within 2cm of the edges. Roll up the cake again using the paper to help you, then set on a board.
    7)Cut a thick diagonal slice off one end of the cake. Transfer the larger piece of cake to a board or flat serving plate. Spread a little icing over cut side of the small piece of cake and fix it to the large roll to make a stump. Spread remaining icing over the cake, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

    It's a lighter recipe than most :)

    ReplyDelete

  8. Old Fashioned Stuffing
    30 slices white bread, lightly toasted

    2 tablespoons butter

    1 large onion, finely chopped

    2 stalks celery, finely chopped

    2 eggs, lightly beate
    2 cups chicken broth

    2 teaspoons rubbed sage

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.
    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
    Crush the bread into crumbs with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a large bowl.
    Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
    Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
    Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tunis Cake Recipe

    Ingredients
    325g self raising flour (sifted)
    250g softened butter
    250g castor sugar
    175g ground almonds
    1 lemon juice, and rind
    4 eggs

    Now for the topping:
    Chocolate topping: 150g dark chocolate; 40g butter; 1.5 tbsp water

    If you want it orange butter cream filling:
    50g icing sugar, sifted;
    25g butter, softened;
    2 tsp orange juice;
    yellow food colouring (or not as desired)
    and marzipan

    Method
    - Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until pale.
    - Add the eggs, flour, lemon juice, lemon rind and ground almonds, mixing thoroughly.
    - Place the mixture into a 8in greased and floured cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 150oC/300oF/gas mark 2 for one hour or until springy in the middle when pressed.
    - Leave on a wire rack to cool.
    - To decorate the cake, wrap some greased proof paper around the sides of the cake, standing proud about 3cm of the top, securing this with a piece of string.
    - Put all topping ingredients in a basin over a pan of very hot water. Leave 10 mins to melt, stir till smooth. Leave to cool.
    - Pour chocolate icing over top of cake; smooth. Leave to set. Remove paper.
    - There should be a good covering of chocolate on the cake.
    - Once completely set,
    - Marzipan fruits and leaves: form two thirds of marzipan into a selection of apples, pears, bananas, oranges and lemons. Roll oranges and lemons over a nutmeg grater. Place a clove in each fruit to resemble stalk. Us remaining marzipan to make 7 small ivy leaves and tendrils. Paint with food colourings. Leave to harden, arrange on cake.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nut roast (vegetarian)

    Ingredients:
    250g of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and thinly sliced
    1 fennel, thinly sliced
    5 tbsp of olive oil (enough to toss the vegetables in)
    500g of mixed nuts, such as pistachios and hazel nuts
    75ml olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of a frying pan
    200g dried wild mushrooms
    3 small onions/shallots, diced
    3 cloves of garlic
    A handful of parsley
    3 tbsp walnut oil
    150g roasted smoked almonds
    50g dried cranberries
    250g blue cheese, diced
    150g of macadamia nuts
    50g vegetarian Parmesan, finely grated

    Preparation:
    1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4.
    2. Put the sliced Jerusalem artichokes and fennel into a baking tray with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until soft.
    3. While the vegetables are baking, dry roast the pistachios and hazelnus in a frying pan over a low heat, taking care not to let them burn, then grind finely in a food processor.
    4. Soak the dried wild mushrooms in hot water which just covers them, leave until soft, then drain, (keeping the water to make a mushroom gravy if you wish) and chop finely.
    5. Fry the diced shallots for around five minutes until just starting to soften, then add the garlic, drained mushrooms and parsley and cook for a couple more minutes.
    6. Combine the mushroom mixture and the ground nuts, adding a little walnut oil and season with salt and pepper.
    7. Line the bottom of a greased 900g loaf tin with the smoked almonds and cranberries. Then add layers of the ingredients in the following order: mushroom mixture, diced blue cheese, mushroom mixture, whole macadamia nuts, mushroom mixture, roasted Jerusalem artichokes and fennel, mushroom mixture, finely grated Parmesan cheese.
    8. Finally, decorate with a layer of smoked almonds and cranberries.
    9. Pat the ingredients down firmly in the tin, cover with foil and put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4.
    10. Take it out of the oven and stick a skewer in the centre. The skewer should emerge hot.
    11. Then, using a palette knife, pressing against the sides, turn out the loaf tin onto a plate.
    12. Serve, in slices, with parsley and pomegranate seeds.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dundee Cake Recipe !

    Ingredients:

    285g (10oz) plain flour
    pinch of salt
    110g (4oz) candied peel, preferably whole pieces
    225g (8oz) currants
    225g (8oz) sultanas
    55g (2oz) glacé cherries, quartered
    175g (6oz) whole almonds, skins on
    225g (8oz) butter
    225g (8oz) caster sugar
    5 large eggs
    grated zest of 1 large orange
    1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    1 tsp milk

    The main preparations:
    Butter a 20cm (8in) cake tin and line it with a double layer of buttered greaseproof paper that stands 4cm (1½in) higher than the tin. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.
    Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. If you are using whole slices of peel, put them into a pan of boiling water for one minute, then chop to the size of the sultanas. Place the peel and the rest of the dried fruit into a bowl and dust with a tablespoon or two of the sifted flour until coated. Boil the almonds in a pan of water for a minute, strain and pop them out of their skins. Set aside half of them and cut the rest into quarters while they are still damp.
    Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a small amount of the sifted flour if the mixture looks like curdling, then fold in the salt and the rest of the flour. Add the fruit, orange zest, quartered almonds and the bicarbonate of soda dissolved in the milk. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the tin and arrange the whole almonds on top. Beginning at the centre, place the six best nuts pointing inwards to make a circle, then add the rest of the almonds in concentric rings.
    Bake for three and a half hours, testing after three. If a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, return to the oven. Leave the cake to cool in the tin then turn it out, remove all the paper and place on a rack to finish cooling. Wrap in clean greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container to mature for at least a week.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Chocolate and Fruit Trifle Recipe

    This refreshing dessert layered with devil's food cake, a creamy pudding mixture, red berries and green kiwi is perfect for the holidays.

    Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 20 min. + cooling Yield: 12-16 Servings

    Ingredients
    1 package devil's food cake mix (regular size)
    1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
    1 cup cold water
    1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
    2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
    2 tablespoons orange juice
    2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
    2 cups fresh raspberries
    2 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped

    Directions
    Prepare cake batter according to package directions; pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Crumble enough cake to measure 8 cups; set aside. (Save remaining cake for another use.)
    In a large bowl, whisk the milk, water and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for two minutes or until soft-set. Fold in the whipped cream.
    To assemble, spread 2-1/2 cups pudding mixture in a 4-qt. glass bowl. Top with half of the crumbled cake; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Arrange half of the berries and kiwi over cake.
    Repeat pudding and cake layers; sprinkle with remaining orange juice. Top with remaining pudding mixture. Spoon remaining fruit around edge of bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12-16 servings.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Roast Beef Recipe


    Ingredients
    3 to 3 1/2 lbs (1.3 to 1.6 kg) of Boneless Rump Roast (pick an end cut with a layer of fat if you can)
    Olive oil
    8 slivers of garlic
    Salt and pepper

    You will need a meat thermometer

    For the gravy:
    Red wine, water, and or beef stock
    corn starch

    Method

    1 Start with the roast at room temperature (remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking - keep it wrapped). Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

    2 With a sharp knife make 8 small incisions around the roast. Place a sliver of garlic into each incision. Take a tablespoon or so of olive oil and spread all around the roast. Sprinkle around the roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast directly on an oven rack, fatty side up, with a drip pan on a rack beneath the roasting rack. This arrangement creates convection in the oven so that you do not need to turn the roast. The roast is placed fat side up so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire roast in its juices.

    3 Brown the roast at 375°F (190°C) for half an hour. Lower the heat to 225°F (107°C). The roast should take somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours additionally to cook. The shape of the roast will affect the cooking time, by the way. So if your roast is on the long and narrow side, versus a more round shape, it may take less time to cook. So keep an eye on it. When the roast just starts to drip its juices and it is brown on the outside, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Pull the roast from the oven when the inside temperature of the roast is 135° to 140°F (57°C to 60°C). Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes, tented in aluminum foil to keep warm, before carving to serve.

    To make the gravy:
    Remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat. Note that if you are pulling the roast out early, for rare or a medium rare level of doneness, you may not have a lot of drippings. Hopefully you will have some. If not, you may want to leave the roast in a little longer at even lower heat, 175°F, to ease some more drippings out of it. Add some water, red wine, or beef stock to the drippings to deglaze (loosen the drippings from the pan). Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add to the drip pan. Stir quickly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping. You can add a little butter if there is not a lot of fat in the drippings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mom adds some fresh thyme too if she has some. (See also How to Make Gravy.)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Roast Duck
    Ingredients
    1 (5 1/2-pound) duckling
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    1 onion, sliced
    1 cup red currant jelly
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    Directions

    Season both the outside and inside of the duckling with salt and pepper. Place the onion inside the duck. Truss the bird and prick the skin. Dry thoroughly.

    Place the duck breast-side up in a roasting pan and place in the center rack of a 425 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes to brown lightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast for 1 additional hour to 1 hour and 25 minutes. Remove accumulated fat occasionally with a bulb baster.

    The duck is done to medium rare if the juices from the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly rosy when the duck is pricked, and when the duck is lifted and drained, the last drops of juice from the vent are pale rose. The duck is well done when the juices run pale yellow.

    Remove the duck from the oven, discard trussing strings, and place on a serving platter. Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

    In a saucepan, combine the red currant jelly and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, strain, and serve with the duck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Кoasted turkey

    Prep Time: 35 minutes

    Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

    Total Time: 4 hours, 5 minutes

    Yield: Serves 8-10

    Ingredients:

    12-14 lb. turkey, thawed if frozen
    1 recipe My Great Grandmother's Stuffing
    Solid vegetable shortening
    Butter
    Salt and pepper
    Preparation:

    Remove giblet package from turkey. Place neck, heart and gizzards in saucepan and cover with four cups of water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. I don't like using the liver, as I think it gives the giblet broth a bitter taste.
    Rinse turkey and dry well inside and out with paper towels. Make stuffing according to recipe. Spoon stuffing lightly into turkey neck cavity, pull skin over and secure with skewer. Spoon more stuffing lightly into body cavity and fasten closed according to Turkey 101. Melt together 2 Tbsp. solid shortening and 1/3 cup butter. Place stuffed turkey in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Soak a four-layer piece of cheesecloth in the butter/shortening mixture and place on top of the turkey.

    Roast turkey according to cooking charts, for stuffed turkey. Baste with pan juices every 1/2 hour. You can remove the cheesecloth from the turkey half an hour before you take it out of the oven, if you like, but you don't have to. When turkey is done, remove from pan, remove stuffing from cavities, cover, and let rest 15-20 minutes to let juices redistribute while you make the gravy.

    Enjoy your meal!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Pigs in a blanket - Chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon

    Serves:- 4 people

    Preparation Time:15 minutes

    Cooking Time:- 30 minutes

    Total Time:- 45 minutes

    Ingredients:

    •16 chipolata sausages
    •8 long rashers of streaky bacon

    Method:

    Cut the streaky rashers in half and wrap them around the sausages. You don't need to fully encase the sausage, just wrap the bacon round so that you've got a little overlap and provided you lay them out neatly for the first stage of the cooking then the bacon will secure itself in position. (It's very tempting to secure the bacon with a cocktail stick but this will only serve to puncture the chipolata and so dry it out).

    You can place them on the grill to cook in 30 minutes turning at half time or stick them in the smoker with some other things and you’ll have the perfect pigs in a blanket after a couple of hours.

    Note that if you are just going to do these in the oven in a more conventional way then try using smoked streaky bacon and just place them along side the bird for the final 45 minutes of cooking.

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  17. How to Roast a Goose


    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes


    Ingredients:
    • 1 1/2 gallon cold water
    • 1 cup kosher or sea salt
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1 (10-12 pound) young goose, fully thawed
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 apple, peeled and quartered
    • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
    • 1 orange, quartered
    • 1 lemon, quartered
    Preparation:
    1. Add the 1 1/2 gallons of cold water to a container, or stockpot large enough to fit the goose and brine mixture. Add the salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Unwrap the goose and remove anything in the cavity. Rinse and trim any excess fat from the neck and/or tail end of the goose and place into the brine so that it is completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
    2. Remove the goose from the brine and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle the goose cavity generously with salt and pepper. Put the onion, apple, orange and lemon into the cavity. Place the goose, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan with rack, to keep the bird at least 1 inch off the bottom.
    3. With a small sharp knife, or large needle, prick the goose skin all-over, especially where you can see and feel fat under the surface. Be carefully NOT to piece the flesh, only the skin and fat. This will allow the fat to drain during the cooking and make for a crisper skin. Salt and pepper the goose to taste, and add 2 cups of water into the bottom of the pan.
    4. Roast at 350 degrees F. for 2 1/4 to 3 hours, until it reaches an internal tempreture of 170 degrees F. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 25 minutes before carving.

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  18. English Trifle Recipe:

    Ingredients List:

    2 layers of baked and cooled white cakes
    1 pint fresh blueberries
    2 pint fresh strawberries
    2 whole bananas
    15 jarred cherries
    1/4 cup sliced almonds
    1 cup whipping cream
    1 pack of instant pudding (vanilla)
    1/4 cup orange juice
    1/4 cup sugar

    Directions:

    First, you should prepare your strawberries. Once you have washer them off, you should slice them into two to four pieces and then sprinkle sugar on them. Prepare your bananas by cutting them into thin to medium slices and putting them into a bowl of orange juice. Make your pudding by mixing it with the milk and putting into the refrigerator so that it can chill. You will prepare your cake by cutting both of the pieces into one inch sections.

    Now line the bottom of the bowl you have chosen for your trifle with half of the cake pieces. Now lay half of the strawberries onto the cake pieces; followed by half of the blueberries. Finally, follow through by laying in half of the bananas. Spread half of your pudding mixture on top of the fruit and then repeat the above process over again. Finally, you are going to top the trifle with the whipping cream and sprinkle the almond slices over it. Place your cherries on the top to complete your English Styled Trifle. Now, you are ready to eat a piece of one of the most mouth watering desserts ever created!

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