Starter
Beetroot and orange chaat with mini poppadoms
Harissa trout rillettes with creme fraiche and horseradish
Main
A Christmas Bird: Capon
Leek nut roast tatin
Glazed baby potatoes with guanciale
Roast Brussel sprouts with orange and tarragon
Dessert
Pistachio Christmas bombe with brandy caramel
STARTER
Beetroot and orange chaat with mini poppadoms
This dish draws inspiration from chaat, a knockout Mumbai street snack featuring that popular South Asian spice mix, chaat masala. The result is a little bit sweet and spicy, a little bit funky and sour, and an altogether apt combination for many a celebratory get-together. Everything can be made a day ahead, too.
ingredients:
250g packet ready-cooked beetroot (not the vinegary kind), drained, patted dry and cut into roughly 1cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
Fine sea salt and black pepper
1 orange, 2 wide strips of zest pared off and thinly sliced, then juiced, to get 3 tbsp
10g ginger, peeled and finely grated (½ tsp)
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
250g Greek yoghurt
½ tsp chaat masala, plus extra to serve
65g mini poppadoms
75g pomegranate seeds (ie, from 1 small pomegranate)
10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
method:
- Put the beetroot, oil, a half-teaspoon of salt and a good crack of pepper in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat. Fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until lightly caramelised, then stir in the orange juice and ginger, and cook for another two minutes, until the liquid has completely evaporated.
- Take off the heat, stir in the pomegranate molasses, leave to cool for five to 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice.
- Mix the yoghurt, chaat masala and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a small bowl, then spoon it into the centre of a serving plate. Make a roughly 10cm-wide well in the middle, then pile the beetroot into it. Arrange the poppadoms around the edge of the yoghurt, then sprinkle the orange zest, pomegranate seeds, coriander and a few pinches of extra chaat masala all over the top.
Harissa trout rillettes with creme fraiche and horseradish
The key to a Christmas starter, if you’re having one, is for it to appear almost magically and without any faff. This one can be made a day or two in advance, then tucked away in the fridge until it’s needed, so it fits the brief perfectly. It’s essentially a mix, assemble and serve dish that can be whipped up in minutes. It’s also a great one to outsource to anyone who has offered to help, and it can easily be scaled up, too. Serve with a warm baguette and/or crunchy crudités.
ingredients:
100g creme fraiche
2 tsp creamed horseradish
50g cream cheese
3 tsp tomato puree
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tsp
2 tsp rose harissa
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
3 hot smoked trout (or salmon) fillets (250g), skin removed
1 tbsp capers, drained or rinsed, then roughly chopped
2 tsp creamed horseradish
50g cream cheese
3 tsp tomato puree
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tsp
2 tsp rose harissa
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
3 hot smoked trout (or salmon) fillets (250g), skin removed
1 tbsp capers, drained or rinsed, then roughly chopped
method:
- Put the creme fraiche and horseradish in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Spoon two thirds of the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
- Stir the cream cheese, tomato puree, parsley, lemon zest and juice, harissa, an eighth of a teaspoon of sea salt and a heavy grind of pepper into the remaining creme fraiche mix, then flake in the trout fillets, add the capers and gently stir together.
- Spoon the trout mixture into a serving bowl, dollop the remaining horseradish creme fraiche on top and serve (or chill for later).
MAIN : Roast Capon, leek nut roast tatin, glazed baby potatoes with guanciale, roast brussel sprouts with orange and tarragon
I will roast the bird early so that the oven is free for all the other delicious accompaniments! I won’t stuff it as the vegetarian Christmas centrepiece, the leek and nut tatin, sits somewhere between a nut roast as a main for vegetarians and a veggie stuffing as a side dish for those having the Christmas bird. If you like, you can cook this entirely ahead of time, in which case cover with foil and reheat gently in a low oven before serving. Any leftovers make great Boxing Day sandwiches, especially alongside big hunks of cheddar.
Ingredients:
For the leek nut roast tatin
2 medium-large leeks (400g), white parts only (save the greens for soup or stock), cut into 2cm-wide rings
70g unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Fine sea salt and black pepper
5g picked sage leaves
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (150g)
250g chestnut mushrooms, coarsely grated on a box grater
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated on a box grater (150g)
125g ready-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
100g mixed nuts (skin on or off), roughly chopped
125g halloumi, coarsely grated on a box grater
20g parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
120g sliced white bread (crusts left on), torn into roughly 4cm pieces
method:
- Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Line the base and sides of a 26cm low-sided round casserole dish or saute pan with greaseproof paper, measuring it carefully so the paper comes at least 5cm up the sides of the pan. Arrange as many of the sliced leeks as you can cut side down in a single layer in the bottom of the pan, then finely chop any remaining leeks and set aside. Top the leeks in the pan with a tablespoon of water, 30g of the butter, the pomegranate molasses, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the leeks are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Melt the remaining 40g butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for two to three minutes, until crisp and dark green. Using a spoon, transfer the fried sage to a small bowl.
- Stir the onion and any remaining chopped leeks into the hot butter left in the pan, add a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then sauté for eight minutes, until soft. Stir in the grated mushrooms and parsnip, and sauté for another six minutes, until fragrant and starting to take on some colour. Tip the mixture into a large bowl, leave to cool slightly, then mix in the chestnuts, nuts, halloumi, parsley, eggs and bread.
- Put the pan of roast leeks on a medium-high heat (leave the paper under the leeks – trust me, it won’t burn) and cook for about five minutes, until the sticky pomegranate glaze has reduced to a syrupy consistency; take care not to reduce the sauce too much. Take the pan off the heat, then spoon the nut mixture carefully on top of the leeks, scattering it around so it falls into and fills any spaces between the cooked leeks, but not pressing and compacting it so hard that the leeks lose their shape.
- Smooth the top of the nut mix evenly with the back of the spoon, again not pressing down too hard, then pop the lid on the pot and bake for 25 minutes. Take off the lid and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more, then take out of the oven and leave to cool a little and rest for five minutes.
- Put a platter that’s slightly larger than the pan on top, then carefully but quickly flip the pan to invert the nut roast on to the plate. Peel off and discard the greaseproof paper to reveal the pomegranate-glazed leek topping, then serve topped with the crisp sage leaves.
Ingredients for the potatoes
These are a play on a classic Scandinavian Christmas side dish, and work alongside (and often steal the show from) all sorts of mains: roast turkey, marinated sea bass, a squash pie. To get ahead, boil the potatoes the day before, then drain, cool and put in the fridge uncovered to dry out. Guanciale is a uniquely delicious cured meat made from the jowl of a pig, but if you can’t find any, use pancetta or streaky bacon instead.
500g baby potatoes
Fine sea salt
100g guanciale, or pancetta or streaky bacon, roughly diced
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (160g)
40g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter
½ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
10g dill, roughly chopped
10g chives, finely chopped
method:
- Put the potatoes in a pot of cold, heavily salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
- Put the guanciale in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the guanciale and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Stir the potatoes and onions into the hot fat and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until lightly browned, then spoon on to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Discard any remaining fat and wipe the pan clean.
- Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the base of the same frying pan and return it to a medium-high heat. Leave the sugar to melt, untouched and without stirring, and after about a minute, when it’s light brown and caramelised, add the butter and swirl the pan to incorporate it with the sugar. Return the potatoes and onions to the pan, season with a half-teaspoon of salt and cook for 10 minutes, occasionally rolling the potatoes around in the caramel so they’re evenly coated in the glaze. Add the white pepper and nutmeg, toss to combine, then take off the heat.
- Stir in the reserved crisp guanciale, dill and chives, then toss, spoon on to a platter and serve.
IIngredients:for the sprouts
750g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthways
90ml olive oil
Fine sea salt and black pepper
50g peeled pistachios, lightly crushed in a mortar
2 oranges, zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then juiced, to get 250ml
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
5g tarragon leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
method:
- Heat the oven to its highest setting – at least 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Toss the halved sprouts with the oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then spread out on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast for 10 minutes. Stir in the pistachios and roast for another 10 minutes, until the sprouts are nicely browned and the pistachios have toasted.
- Meanwhile, put the orange zest and juice, soy sauce and maple syrup in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat, and leave to cook for five to eight minutes, until the sauce has reduced by three-quarters and has turned syrupy.
- Once the sprouts are cooked, pour the syrup all over them, scatter over half the tarragon and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle over the remaining tarragon and serve.
DESSERT : Pistachio Christmas bombe with brandy caramel
Shop-bought ingredients make light work of this showstopping, make-ahead festive dessert. This can be made up to a week ahead, up to the point before the pistachio coating goes on; the pistachio mix can be added a couple of hours before serving, to retain its crunch. You will need a one-litre pudding mould.
ingredients:
Sunflower oil, or another neutral oil, for greasing
1 litre good-quality vanilla ice-cream
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, or of 2 satsumas
135g pistachio paste
3 ice-cream waffle cones or wafers, roughly broken up (40g)
80g shelled pistachios
200g shop-bought salted caramel sauce
3 tbsp brandy, or bourbon (optional)
1 litre good-quality vanilla ice-cream
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, or of 2 satsumas
135g pistachio paste
3 ice-cream waffle cones or wafers, roughly broken up (40g)
80g shelled pistachios
200g shop-bought salted caramel sauce
3 tbsp brandy, or bourbon (optional)
method:
- Lightly grease a one-litre pudding mould with some oil, then line the base of the mould with two long pieces of clingfilm crisscrossed over each other and with some overhang. Use a tea towel to press and shape the clingfilm to cover the mould, and leave any overhang to fold over the bombe later.
- Now start layering your bombe. Spoon about a quarter of the ice-cream into the bottom of the mould, then sprinkle with a quarter of the orange zest. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the ice-cream so it fills the base neatly, then spoon a thin layer of the pistachio paste over the top of it. Repeat these layers four more times, finishing with a layer of pistachio paste. Scatter the crushed waffle cones on top, pressing them into the paste, then fold over the overhanging clingfilm and freeze for at least an hour (and for up to two weeks).
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 170C (150C)/340F/gas 3½. Put the pistachios on a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, until toasted but retaining their colour. Remove, leave to cool, then chop coarsely and return to the tray.
- Lift the bombe from its mould, using the clingfilm to help you, then peel off the clingfilm and lay the bombe ice-cream side down on the tray of chopped pistachios. Using your hands, scoop the pistachios up and over the bombe, pressing them in, until it’s completely coated, then transfer the bombe to a suitable platter and freeze again until needed, and for up to two hours.
- Just before serving, put the caramel and brandy, if using, in a small saucepan on a medium heat, whisk until they come to a boil, then cook, whisking occasionally, for two or three minutes, until reduced and slightly thickened.
Cut the bombe into slices and serve with the hot caramel spooned on top.
