Cranberry Sauce

It’s a Nigel Slater unadulterated original, not too sweet, amazing colour, takes minutes, so easy you wonder why you haven’t done this for years.  Definitely a Christmas tradition to continue.

250g Cranberries

100g Sugar

100g White wine (last night’s cava)

6 ultra-thin shreds of Satsuma skin

Boil up for a few minutes – about 10, don’t stir too much.  Put in Jar.  Keep in the fridge, serve warm - much much nicer than Ocean Spray, and a very lovely colour. 

TIP.  Keep a few berries back so you can put them on the top of the Christmas pudding as our holly NEVER has any berries on it, and real cranberries are much bigger and better (and safer) than poisonous holly berries anyway. 

Excellent with turkey bread sauce, stuffing and sprouts, (and in Brevilles with the aforementioned) but also amazing all year round with chicken, ham, duck and cheese……  

Mushroom Stroganoff

Great when you feel that you have over indulged in meat, but need a tasty comforting meal, which isn’t too heavy.  Serve with green petit pois and creamy mash, the ultimate comfort food after a walk on the cliffs.  Quick to prepare, a good way to use up a mushroom situation (which is why I have recorded it!).

Olive oil, a glug

Onions, chopped, half small one per person

Fry the onions until softened, about 5 mins.  Add:

Mushrooms, handful per person, I use chestnut, sliced

Garlic, half a clove per person

Stock cube, chicken (or veggie), in turkey stock (or water)

White wine, a glug (or flat rose cava)

Tomato Puree, half a tablespoon per person

Lemon, small squeeze of the end

Boil for about 5 minutes, add:

Salt and pepper

Paprika, preferably smoked, a sprinkle to taste, approx. half tsp

Worcester Sauce, slosh, but not if doing veggie

Cornflour, 1 tsp, mixed into some cold water, stir in to thicken

Boil for a minute or so, and take off the heat.  Stir in:

Crème Fraiche, half table spoon per person

Sprinkle with:

Parsley, fresh and chopped

29^th December 2013

Mulled Wine with Caramelized Chili and Spices

Mulled Wine with Caramelized Chili and Spices:

This is the Olly/Jamie version where the sugar is caramelized and the spices are ‘fried’ in the sugar before adding the liquid.  Allow an hour to mull over.  Everyone likes the sweetness of this, but if I was making it just for myself, I would put 4 of sugar instead of 6.

6 heaped desert spoons of light soft brown sugar

1 chili, whole fresh, cut down centre and in half, use seeds’n’all

6 all spice balls

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into 3

2 nutmeg, whole

20 cloves

Fresh root ginger, 1 inch, sliced

Zest and juice of 2 oranges (use potato peeler for thin layer of zest, no pith)

400ml water

1 bottle red wine

Put sugar in the pan and heat.  As it starts to melt WATCH IT doesn’t burn, and add all the spices and orange zest.  ‘Fry’ spices for 5 minutes, adjust heat to stop any burning, stir occasionally.   Carefully add the water.   This will splutter, so be careful and the chili may burn your eyes if they are too close!  The sugar will set rock hard, but then re-dissolve back into the water, heat slowly.  Add wine and orange juice.  Do not boil.  Mull for about an hour, strain before serving.  Makes about 1.2L, 10 small glasses, 120ml.