Crab mousse with avocado and lime salsa
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes Chilling time: 4 hours
- 2 sheets of gelatin
- 240g white crabmeat
- 260ml double cream
- Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
- Sea salt and white pepper
- ¼tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 generous pinches of cayenne pepper
- 60ml milk
- 2 ripe avocados, stoned and chopped into 5mm cubes
- 1 celery stalk, chopped into 5mm cubes
- 1½-2tbsp lime juice
- 1 lime, cut into eight sections to serve
- ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 100g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 50g rocket leaves
- Handful of coriander, roughly chopped
- Drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper to serve
Soak the gelatin in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Divide the crabmeat into
two. Blend one half in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
Roughly break up the remaining crabmeat and set aside.
Lightly whip 200ml of the cream, then add the crabmeat paste and mix. Stir in
the lemon zest, a little salt, white pepper, mustard, cayenne and the rest
of the flaked crabmeat.
Remove the gelatin sheets from the bowl and lightly squeeze out any excess
water with your hands. Place them in a small saucepan, pour in the milk and
heat gently until the gelatin has melted. Take off the heat, add the
remaining cream and leave to cool. Once cooled, add it to the crab mixture
and combine. Taste and add seasoning if necessary. Divide the crab mousse
between 8 greased 80ml pudding moulds and chill in the fridge for at least 4
hours.
Just before serving, mix the avocados, celery, lime juice, chilli and tomatoes
in a bowl. Then stir through the rocket and coriander. Remove the mousses by
dipping the moulds into a bowl of boiling water for 3 seconds, then running
a small knife around the inside of the moulds and turning out on to 8
plates. Top each with some avocado salsa, drizzle with olive oil, season and
serve with a wedge of lime.
Nutritional information: 280 calories 27g fat
Aromatic herb and citrus brined turkey
Serves: 6-8 (with a 4.5-5kg turkey)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Soaking time: 12-24 hours
Cooking time: About 4 hours
Resting time: 30 minutes
For the brine
- 2 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 100g table salt
- 130g demerara sugar
- 1tbsp black peppercorns
- 1tbsp juniper berries
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 1tsp allspice
- 40g ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
For roasting
- 75g butter
- Stuffing of your choice
- Vegetable oil
Use a peeler to remove the zest of the oranges and lemon and cut off any white
rind. Remove all the white pith from one of the oranges and slice into
1cm-thick pieces.
Tip the sliced orange along with all the other ingredients and 2 litres of
water into a large stockpot and cook on a medium heat until the sugar and
salt has dissolved. Then add
a further 3 litres of water to dilute and cool it down to room temperature. If
you don’t have a stockpot, use a large pan to heat all the ingredients and
transfer to a large bucket to cool.
Remove the giblets from the turkey and put to one side to make the gravy
later. Place the bird upside down in the stockpot or bucket filled with the
brine. Cover the top with cling film and keep refrigerated for a minimum of
12 hours or ideally 24 hours or more (up to 36 hours).
An hour before you start cooking the turkey, remove the bird from the liquid.
Use kitchen paper to pat it dry. Leave the bird in a warm room until it has
reached room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7. Smear the butter over the bird and
cover just the breast with 2 layers of greaseproof paper. Tuck in the wings,
then cut the remaining orange into wedges and place in the cavity. If you
are using stuffing, add this now. Tie the legs with cooking string and smear
a small amount of vegetable oil on tin foil and loosely cover the bird. Pop
the turkey in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 and continue to cook the bird
according to our turkey timings (see above) occasionally basting it with oil
from the tray and turning the dish to ensure an even cooking time for both
sides of the bird. When the wings start to brown, remove the foil and
greaseproof paper, and continue to cook according to your calculated time.
For the last 30 minutes, turn the heat up again to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7 and
cook until the bird has turned golden.
If some parts are browning more quickly, you can cover them with small pieces
of foil and use skewers to hold them in place. When you think the turkey is
cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the bird and when the
juice from the meat runs clear, it is ready. Once cooked, transfer the bird
to a warm plate and cover with foil. Leave it to rest for around 30-45
minutes.
In the meantime, finish off the gravy (see page 63 for a recipe) and your
other side dishes.
Nutritional information: 555 calories, 20g fat
-
Time it right If you are using a frozen turkey, defrost it thoroughly
before soaking.
To calculate the cooking time, if your turkey weighs less than 6.75kg, cook
for 20 minutes per 450g plus an extra 30 minutes.
If the bird is more than 6.75kg, cook for 15 minutes for each 450g plus an
extra 30 minutes. If you’re using stuffing, add this to the overall
weight.
Roast potatoes with rosemary, black pepper and sea salt
Serves: 8-10
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
- 2½kg potatoes (Désirée or other floury potatoes work best) peeled and cut
into approximately 5cm chunks - Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g goose fat
- 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Put the potatoes in a pan of
boiling salted water and cook for about 7-10 minutes until the potatoes are
still fairly firm but you can easily put a skewer through to find a harder
centre.
Drain well, then put the potatoes back into the pan on a medium heat and shake
them a few times to release the steam and make their skin fluffy and dry.
Remove from the heat and place them on a large non-stick baking tray, then tip
the goose fat over them and scatter with 6 sprigs of rosemary.
Cook the potatoes in the oven for about an hour, turning them from time to
time until they become golden. Garnish with the remaining sprigs of rosemary
and serve with generous amounts of sea salt and black pepper.
Nutritional information: 347 calories, 13g fat
Sprouts with chunky bacon, honey and lemon peel
Serves: 8
Prep and cooking time: 25 minutes
- 1 lemon
- 2tsp honey
- 750g sprouts
- ½tsp salt
- 1tsp olive oil
- 150g bacon lardons
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- A pinch of ground cloves
- 10g butter
- Black pepper
Use a peeler to remove the rind of the lemon and then finely slice the rind
into thin strips. Halve the peeled lemon and squeeze out ½tsp of juice from
one half and put to one side. With the other half, cut 3-4 slices and then
chop these into small pieces.
Combine the juice, the chopped lemon, honey and the strips of rind. Leave to
stand for at least 30 minutes or if possible for up to 2 hours.
Trim the bottom of the sprouts and cut a few cross-like incisions into them
(this helps the sprouts to cook through to the middle). Cook the sprouts in
boiling salted water for 8 minutes, or for longer if you prefer them
slightly softer. Blanch in cold water for few minutes, drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the bacon on a medium to high heat, until
it becomes crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl,
leaving the oil in the pan. Add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook on
a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they turn golden. Stir in the
ground cloves and add to the bacon.
Ten to 15 minutes before you serve the turkey, combine the onion and bacon
mixture together with the sprouts in a pan. Heat through until they are very
hot. Then add the lemon mixture, the butter and a generous amount of black
pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information: 125 calories, 7g fat
Maple and mustard roasted carrots and parsnips
Serves: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
- 700g parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways
- 800g carrots, peeled and quartered lengthways
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1½-2tbsp maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About an hour before you serve the turkey, pre-cook the carrots and parsnips
by putting them in a microwaveable bowl, covering with cling film and
heating in the microwave on a high setting for 8 minutes. Leave to stand for
a few minutes, still covered with the cling film. If you don’t have a
microwave, steam them on a high heat for 10 minutes. Partially pre-cooking
the vegetables will help them cook faster in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Tip the vegetables on to a baking
tray, drizzle over the olive oil and thyme and cook in the oven for about 40
minutes (alongside the roast potatoes), turning occasionally. In a bowl, mix
the wholegrain mustard and maple syrup together and then pour the mixture
over the vegetables. Cook for a further 10-20 minutes until they have
slightly charred. Season well with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Nutritional information: 138 calories 5g fat
Fruity citrus gravy
Serves: 8
Preparation and cooking time: 1½ hours
To finish: 10 minutes
For the giblet gravy base
- 10g butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- Turkey giblets – neck and heart, but not liver
- 1 orange, zest only
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1tsp peppercorns
To finish
- The remaining liquid from the turkey baking tray
- 100ml white wine
- Orange wedges from the cooked turkey
- Salt
- 2-3tbsp cornstarch, diluted with a little water
Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion, celery and carrots for five
minutes. Add the turkey giblets and cook until they start to brown. Add a
litre of water, the orange and lemon zest, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and
peppercorns. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for around 1½ hours.
Strain the stock.
Pour the cooked turkey juices into a small jug. Spoon off the fat and discard
it. Pour the remaining juices back into the baking tray, add the giblet
stock and place over a medium heat on the hob. Use a wooden spoon to scrape
the charred bits from the bottom of the tray, squeeze in the juice from the
orange wedges used in your turkey and season to taste. Add more hot water if
necessary. Strain the gravy again into a medium-sized pan, heat it up and
add the cornstarch to thicken it slightly. You should have around 800ml of
gravy, so add more water if you need. Serve warm.
Nutritional information: 40 calories, 1g fat
White Christmas pudding ice cream with hot toffee sauce
Serves: 8-10
Prep and cooking time: 10 minutes
Freezing time: Overnight or longer
For the ice cream
- 70g dried cranberries
- 60ml sweet port wine or Grand Marnier
- 1ltr good-quality vanilla ice cream
- 200g mincemeat (about half a jar)
- 50g salted pistachio nuts, lightly crushed
- 80g shortbread, lightly crushed
For the salted toffee sauce
- 80g butter
- 100g dark muscovado sugar
- 200ml double cream
- A pinch of salt
- 200g of frozen red berries, to decorate
Line a 1-1.2 litre pudding basin with a large sheet of cling film so it hangs
out the sides. Soak the dried cranberries in the port or Grand Marnier for
at least 15 minutes or ideally for 6-12 hours, as the flavour will really
improve.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften a little. Scoop it
into a large bowl and mash it up slightly with a spatula. Mix quickly with
the cranberries in port, mincemeat, pistachio nuts and shortbread, then pour
the mixture into the pudding basin. Put it in the freezer and leave it for
at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
To make the toffee sauce, melt the butter and sugar in a small pan over a low
heat, stirring occasionally. Once they are combined, pour in the double
cream and add a pinch of salt.
Set aside to cool and keep in the fridge until needed – it will keep for up to
a week.
When you’re ready to serve, warm the toffee sauce for a couple of minutes in
the microwave or on a low heat on the hob and keep warm in a jug. Remove the
ice cream by grabbing hold of the cling film and gently pulling it out of
the basin. Turn it out on to a plate. Arrange some frozen berries on the top
of the pudding and around the base. To serve, have a jug of hot water handy,
and use to warm up a sharp knife before cutting generous wedges of ice
cream. Top each serving with frozen berries and a generous helping of warm
toffee sauce.
Nutritional information: 478 calories, 30g fat
Tried & tasted
Festive nibbles These tasty seasonal treats are perfect Christmas gifts
for good food enthusiasts…
Conserve
Winner Mrs Beeton Jam Pots, £10 (1)
This cute set of tasty jams features little ceramic pots for marmalade and
preserves with matching spoons.
We also love Duchy Originals Preserves Trio, £7
Chutney
Winner Duchy Originals Chutney And Mustard Selection, £7 (2)
A trio of onion marmalade, mustard and chunky harvest chutney.
We also love Asda Extra Special Caramelised Onion Chutney, £1
Olive oil
Winner Le Cedraie Denocciolato Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £9.99 (3)
The stylish packaging and deliciously fruity flavour make this the perfect
present for foodies.
We also love Colonna Granverde Lemon, £10.85
Cheese
Winner Tesco West Country Cider & Cheese Gift Pack, £12 (4)
The dry, fruity cider is a fab accompaniment to the vintage Cheddar.
We also love Sainsbury’s Oatcakes, Cheddar & Chutney Gift
Set, £5
Biscuits
Winner M&S Family Biscuits For Tea Selection, £10 (5)
Very chocolatey, and the tin will be worth keeping long after the biccies have
gone.
We also love Sainsbury’s Biscuit Assortment, £5
