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deliciousmagazine.co.uk
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WINNER
Christmas pudding
CHRISTMAS
TASTE AWARDS
2021
welcome.
vember is... a month of looking forward. In an era of
PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL. FOOD PHOTOGRAPHS: MAJA SMEND, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
fe on demand, when events unfold at a pace on social media
laces we could have been, excitement we might have
issed), when a world of music is available at the touch
f a fingertip and we can, if we so choose, sit and watch
0 episodes of a series back to back, there’s something
missing: that charged, eager feeling of, yes, anticipation.
This is your chance to bring it back – an issue full of ideas
to make now or plan for later, sweet delicacies to bake… And
that first fragrant bite of Christmas: a mince pie, warm from
for Debora Robertson’s slow-cooked cherry mincemeat
r how to make the luscious pie on our cover.
sily pushed aside in the festive melee is that precious halfding. I suggest this: make Stanley Tucci’s Christmas cocktail
(p28), then get cosy and read Diana Henry’s outstanding interview with him;
find out what it’s like to cook for Paul McCartney (p95); then consider Sue
Quinn’s wise strategies to ease festive stress (p112). And if you fancy a
therapeutic task, earmark Stir-up Sunday (the 21st) for making Rick Stein’s
cake and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s pudding for the Christmas we’ve been
waiting two years for. I do believe there’s promise
or, delicious.
Follow me on Twitter and
Instagram @editorkarenb
My recipe of the month
Matt Tebbutt’s parmesan fritters (p71) are high on
my must-make list, but right at the top is food ed
Jen’s recipe for slow-roast spiced lamb with pilaf
(p36) — one of seven recipes where cranberries
make the difference... Roll on Sunday!
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 3
9
23
26
95
COVER RECIPE
Deep-filled mince
pies p106
PHOTOGRAPH:
KRIS KIRKHAM.
RECIPE:
JESS MEYER &
DEBORA ROBERTSON.
FOOD STYLING:
SEIKO HATFIELD.
STYLING:
TONY HUTCHINSON
112
136
140
142
148
153
56
delicious. world News,
views, dates and the
talking point – plus prizes!
A kir royale with Monica
Galetti A sip and a chat
Diana Henry meets... Actor
and cook Stanley Tucci
The time I cooked for... Paul
McCartney Catering for
a band on the run
How to say no to Christmas
stress You can, you know...
Jen’s kitchen Our food
editor’s tips, picks and
product tests
Food geek Thinking of
brining the turkey? Here’s
how the experts do it
DIY hot-smoked salmon Gill
Meller’s must-have guide
The 12 drinks of Christmas
Wine editor Susy Atkins
picks the best bottles
Festive three-star winners
Larder essentials from the
Great Taste Awards
Big-up the dishes everyone
loves with our giant versions
118
162 #Notforsharing A quick
coconut curry for one
102 The magical scent of baking
Cake tins at the ready for a
house full of heady aromas
Your Christmas
cookbook.
Make life simple.
32 Cranberries Enjoy them in
recipes savoury and sweet
46 Get ahead with Rick & Hugh
The boys’ trad cake and pud
52 New Christmas traditions
Is it time to celebrate big?
56 Go large! Super-size versions
of party favourites
67 Matt Tebbutt’s festive
feasting Versatile menu ideas
80 Roasts with the X-factor Fab
recipes if you’re tired of trad
88 Jamie’s family favourite A
tear-and-share garlic bread
92 British cheese Enjoy a blue
Christmas with stilton
96 Make one pudding Here’s
to G&T tart – cheers!
99 Sweetness & light Ravinder
Bhogal’s Diwali treat
Stock the freezer with
warming low ’n’ slow fare
EASY FOOD FOR BUSY NIGHTS
118 Slow-cooked to perfection
The hearty way to get ahead
126 Warmth in a bowl Whip up a
plant-based mushroom soup
128 Star sides Accompaniments
with standout appeal
132 Use it up Make the most of
your festive leftovers
134 The laid-back showstopper
A choc and popcorn trifle
Gift inspiration.
18
Your Christmas gift guide
Treats for food lovers
24 Cookbooks they’ll love The
most covetable volumes
147 Six of the best Advent
calendars
128
Side dishes worthy of
a place at any table
Get ready
for a season
of celebration
and joy
Other great stuff.
86
111
125
139
146
154
155
156
67
Matt Tebbutt’s menu for the
big days – or in-between days
26
Stanley Tucci on why food
feeds mind, body and soul
SUBSCRIBE and save up to
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THE 12 COMPETITIONS OF
CHRISTMAS Enter online to win!
SAVE ON A BAKING ESSENTIAL
A Tala loaf tin for less
JUST FOR YOU New online
cookery courses with delicious.
EXCLUSIVE Treat someone to
a book of delicious. recipes
Recipe index
Coming next month
Take five Brain teasers – our
food quiz and crossword
102
Get out the flour and
dust off your baking skills
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 5
The
manıfesto
The values underpinning everything we do and everything we are
Cooking is
for everyone
You can
trust us
Keeping
it simple
The planet
matters
Knowledge
is good!
If we could get
everyone in the world
cooking we would.
Food brings people
together – families,
friends, communities
– and it’s a pleasure.
Get children involved
in decorating the
gingerbread person
on p64, because
even baked
goods deserve a
Christmas jumper!
Every recipe is
rigorously tested by
our food team, at
least twice, using
domestic ovens, so
you can be confident
our recipes work
every time. When it
comes to reviews, we
only recommend gifts
for loved ones (see
p18) that we deem to
be good quality and
worth the price tag.
Eating locally and
seasonally, whenever
you can, really is a
no-brainer. We aim
to use easy-to-find
seasonal ingredients.
We’ll tell you where
to find unusual ones
or what to swap
them with. We aim to
cook smarter too, with
make-ahead meals
(p118) to get you
through the season.
We believe it’s wise
to eat more veg,
less meat and less
fish, and to ensure
the meat and fish
you do eat are
sustainably sourced.
Eating seasonal food
such as cranberries
(p32) is important
too, along with
cutting waste –
so always
Use It Up (p132).
We love to get you
trying new challenges
in the kitchen.
Learning and honing
skills makes cooking
rewarding... That’s
why you’ll find plenty
of tips, how-to guides
and videos for new
techniques. You’ll
always find bonus
information in
our Jen’s Kitchen
feature (p136).
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Phoebe Stone Feature writer
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DIGITAL DESK
Vic Grimshaw Head of digital,
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Fiona Logan Digital editor
and content producer
Thea Everett Content producer
Dorothy Kay Videographer
FOOD DESK
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Jess Meyer Acting deputy food editor
(maternity cover)
Sophie Austen-Smith Deputy food editor
Laura McLeish Shoot production manager
laura.mcleish@eyetoeyemedia.co.uk
Sue McMahon, Nicola Roberts, Amanda James
Recipe testers
Fiona Hunter Nutritionist
MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
Trinity Hislop Marketing executive
trinity.hislop@eyetoeyemedia.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS
Susy Atkins Wine editor
Diana Henry, Gill Meller, Sue Quinn,
Debora Robertson
With thanks to: Tina Betts, Stephanie Thomson
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world
NEWS
VIEWS
COOK & WIN
MEET THE READER
DIARY DATES
TALKING POINT
AND MORE...
This month: UK’s best Asian restaurants, feelgood things to do, win a flashy
microwave – and a call to slim down American recipes. Compiled by Phoebe Stone
twinkle,
TWINKLE
Bathe yourself in magical
illuminations at one of
the many gardens and
historic properties
hosting after-dark
light trails – and keep
hands warm with a hot
chocolate or mulled wine.
Visit mychristmastrails.co.
uk (pictured), ignitetrails.
co.uk and lightopiafestival.
com to find one near you.
Booking essential.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 9
Cockle-warming
WINTRY EVENTS
Feast…
Learn about the origins of festive foods with
historian Dr Annie Gray. She’s giving talks on her
new book At Christmas We Feast (Profile Books
£12.99, out 4 Nov) at The Lighthouse Centre, Ely,
on 3 Dec (toppingbooks.co.uk); The Spring Arts &
Heritage Centre, Hampshire on 7 Dec (thesprin
co.uk); and David’s Bookshop, Letchworth Gar
City on 9 Dec (davids-bookshops.co.uk).
Join…
Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad invite you
to a virtual event on 10 November, organised
by bookshop.org. They’ll share how to
transform staples
into wow-worthy
meals with new
book Ottolenghi
Test Kitchen: Shelf
Love (Ebury Press
£25). Tickets are
free when you
buy a copy at
bit.ly/Delicious
OttolenghiNov10.
10 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Sip…
joy gin fizz under
iant rockets on
0 November at
icester’s National
ace Centre. It’s
arking HG Wells’
Uplift…
...your spirits at Breast Cancer
Now’s Carols by Candlelight
service, 6 December at
St Paul’s, Knightsbridge.
You’ll be helping raise funds.
There’ll be readings by Dame
Jenni Murray and others, plus
wine and mince pies. Tickets
PHOTOGRAPHS: PUDDING IMAGE ADAPTED FROM AT CHRISTMAS WE FEAST.
TASTE OF LONDON BY GILES SMITH. OTTOLENGHI PORTRAIT: ELENA HEATHERWICK
Discover...
Taste of London’s
festive edition at
Tobacco Dock,
18-21 November,
has dishes from
top restaurants,
plus live music,
masterclasses
and Christmas
shopping with
artisan producers.
Tickets from £17,
london.taste
festivals.com
delicious. world.
And the Golden Chopsticks
Awards 2021 winners are…
Where’s the best East and Southeast Asian food
in the UK? Put these places on your hotlist
Nearly 50% off coffee
ff
lovers, says a poll,
would rather go
without than let
someone else
make it – and
14% believe
themselves to be
a brewing expert
BEST NEWCOMER
Woo Tan Scran, Liverpool
A vegan Chinese chippie. wootanscran.info
BEST RESTAURANTS
In Wales
Gigi Gao’s Favourite Authentic
Chinese, Swansea
Lesser-known Northern Chinese dishes and
old favourites. favouritechinese.co.uk
TURNING UP THE
HEAT ON SCHOOL
LUNCHES
Celeb chefs including
Tom Kerridge and
Prue Leith are
calling on people to
#GiveASausage
about school food and
elp fuel children’s
ures. The charity
s lobbying schools
nd government to
mprove standards
and investment.
isit chefsinschools.
g.uk/giveasausage
to get involved.
In Scotland
Harajuku Kitchen, Edinburgh
Japanese family recipes with Tokyo-inspired
flair. harajukukitchen.co.uk
In Northern Ireland
Bia Rebel Ramen, Belfast
The signature ramen takes two days
to prepare. biarebel.com
In England
The Little Viet Kitchen, London
Buy chef Thuy Diem Pham’s food UK-wide
as recipe kits. thelittlevietkitchen.com
BEST DUMPLING
Din Tai Fung, London,
It won last year too. dintaifung-uk.com
Find the full list of winners at thegcas.co.uk
18%
don’t trust their partner to
brew their morning coffee
and 16% are wary of their
boss making them a cup.
OVER
1/3
can’t start the day without
a brew, with most drinking
2-3 cups a day. Top choice?
Cappuccino followed by latte,
flat white and americano.
4 10
in
would rather make coffee at
home than buy it. 18% have
a bean-to-cup coffee machine,
while nearly three quarters use
instant coffee (shock horror!).
Follow us on social @deliciousmag
POLL OF 2,000 ADULTS BY ONEPOLL FOR DE’LONGHI
LEADING THE WAY
Insightful new book
The Female Chef by
Clare Finney
(Hoxton Mini Press
£28) aims to be
more than “yet
another women-infood listicle”.
Alongside recipes,
Judy Joo, Gizzi
Erskine, Nokx
Majozi and others
discuss their
perspective on the
industry. Well
worth a read.
delicious. world.
From the mailbox…
Star email
FROM THE delicious.
READER PANEL
ON FACEBOOK
From: Catherine Addison
…two boxes
of premium
red and white
Portuguese
wine worth
over £50, by
the experts
from The
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Prime). These
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FOR YOUR
CHANCE
TO WIN...
Let us know
your thoughts
on this
month’s issue
by emailing
us at info@
delicious
magazine.
co.uk *
12 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Subject: What about
plant-based products?
From: Sue Ward
Subject: Recipe for relaxation
From: Lisa Best
What a fantastic phrase Debora
Robertson used to finish her piece,
In Praise of the Weekend Breakfast
[Oct, p64]. I love the idea of being
‘fortified for idleness’. An early
afternoon fry-up (after a long lie-in)
is up there as one of my favourites;
another is my wife Bec’s gluten-free
pancakes with strawberries and
chocolate sauce. They always give me
that ‘no work required today’ feeling.
Subject: Cute cukes
From: Nicole
We used Gill Meller’s
cucumber pickle
recipe [Jun, p36] to
pickle our glut of
cucamelons. I hop
pe
ood
they’ll taste as go
as they look!
I found Sue Quinn’s
article on processed
food [Oct, p76]
thought-provoking. I
note that reconstituted
meat products are
given as an example of
ultra-processed food
but not plant-based
products; even those
trying to re-create meat
and dairy products for
the vegan market.
I can’t imagine the
amount of processing
required to produce
ersatz foods such as
vegan ‘bacon’. At least
the manufacturers are
honest when they use
the term ‘plant based’
– plant in this case
meaning factory!
We asked the panel what
recipes and ingredients
they’re excited about making
and cooking with during the
colder, darker months
Alison Ayres
“Different varieties of squash,
including spaghetti squash,
which I haven’t had
before. I’ve grown
mashed potato squash this
year, which is very good.”
Rachael Houghton
“Homemade steak and kidney
pie. I am drying the borlotti
beans I grew this year and
can’t wait to use them in
stews and soups.”
Hazel Rollins
“Shepherd’s pie, chilli,
seasonal soups... And parkin
for my birthday!”
HAVE YOUR SAY
Connect with other delicious.
cooks on our reader panel on
Facebook, where we post
ffood-related questions to help
us get to know you better.
F
From time to time, we’ll ask you
for your feedback on delicious.
magazine, our website and
social channels. Join at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
readerpanel
*LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR SPACE/CLARITY AND ARE PUBLISHED ON THE BASIS THAT CONTRIBUTORS HAVE THE AGREEMENT
OF ANYONE MENTIONED IN THEM FOR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED. PORTRAIT: SCOTT GRUMMETT
THIS
MONTH’S
STAR EMAIL
WINS...
I agree with Russell Norman (right) in
Talking Point [Oct, p17]. I have the Pasta
Grannies cookbook and every recipe I’ve
tried works. On holiday recently, my son
took us to a restaurant where the service
was impeccable but the tasting portions
were so minute; after each long explanation
the food was gone in a nano-second. I admired the artistry, but the
final straw was the cheese course: a matchbox slice of comté with
a sliver of quince jelly. There are so many great restaurants where
you can enjoy simple food without being told what to experience!
IT’S TEA TIME.
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delicious. world.
Meet the
reader
Originally
from the UK,
Heather Jane
Hetherington
now lives in
Georgetown in Ontario,
Canada, with husband Ian
Cook it like
)
!
n
i
w
d
n
a
delicious. (
In September you treated us to a battle of the bakes...
Food editor Jen Bedloe shares her verdict on your creations
And the winner is…
The runners-up
Cheer-up dish? Haddock,
chips and mushy peas.
I make it to bring a bit of
England into the house.
Favourite family recipe?
Venison stew with
gorgonzola scones.
Signature dish? I created
jolanabarandgrill.com
because I have too many
favourites and didn’t want
to forget any. I also have
an Instagram account
@jolana_bar_and_grill. I’m
big on local produce and
promoting local businesses.
*NOVEMBER’S WINNER WILL BE PUBLISHED IN OUR JANUARY 2022 ISSUE
Treasured food memory?
Lunch outside of Rome,
starting with breads and
olives, then mussels, roast
pork and fantastic wine.
Kitchen adventure? Having
14 people for Christmas
dinner. Nine of them didn’t
speak English, and trying to
explain turkey was amusing.
Thank goodness for charades!
Top tip? The curved edge of
a scalloped cookie cutter
easily removes fish scales.
Cooking disaster? Lemon
meringue pie gets me
every time.
Favourite condiment?
KATE HARDSTAFF’S
SPICED PLUM CAKE
Jen says “Your cake looks epic,
but it was your dog that made me
LOL – did he lick the bowl?”
MAHESH LAKHANI’S APRICOT TART
Mahesh’s tart wins a food-prep collection
designed by Emma Bridgewater for Russell
Hobbs worth £525.
Jen says “Your tart is superb, and the golden
colour and shine on the top is stunning. You get
the star baker badge this month.”
WIN!
Prize worth
£519
TO ENTER and
for Ts&Cs,
go to delicious
magazine.co.uk/
cooktherecipe
Mustard, especially
Colman’s. It’s so versatile.
Most-used cookbook? The
Food of Vietnam by Luke
Nguyen. I promised myself
to cook every meal in this
book. It’s fabulous.
NATASHA EDMONDS’
SPICED PLUM CAKE
Jen says “It looks like you live in
paradise – with the perfect food!”
Want to have a go?
Cook it like delicious. this month for
a chance to win a Panasonic 4-in-1
Combination Microwave Oven
S
ay hello to fast, fresh, gourmet cooking
at home. The Panasonic NN-CS89 4-in-1
Combination Microwave Oven features
powerful steam cooking, microwaving,
grilling and a combination oven in one sleek,
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enables cooks of all levels to enjoy healthy
cooking with ease. panasonic.com/uk
GET COOKING AND SHARE A PHOTO WITH US by 30 November 2021*
Follow us on social @deliciousmag
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 15
delicious. world.
The talking point
Why are American recipes
so flippin’ long?
As our cousins across the pond prepare their Thanksgiving
feasts (25 November this year), Katie Gatens bemoans an
online trait that’s testing the special relationship
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES
Have online
recipes become
bloated, or do you
like to wallow in a
good preamble?
Let us know
at info@
deliciousmagazine.
co.uk
W
hen you’re a Brit cooking from an
American recipe, things can get lost
in translation. Shrimp instead of prawn
I can live with; cilantro for coriander is also fair
enough (it’s the Spanish term). But eggplant?
It sounds childish – it’s like saying ‘red ball’ for
tomato. At least aubergine has a touch of class.
Not for nothing have the US and UK been
described as ‘two nations separated by a common
language’. When it comes to the
recipe preamble, though, it’s no
laughing matter.
The typical style of recipe on a
trad UK food website speaks volumes
about British culture. Instructions
are direct, comfort food a priority.
It’s all slow-cooker, storecupboard,
batch-cooking. Minimal faff, no-frills
– stiff upper lip essential (no emotion
please, we’re British). Stir; add the
flour; keep calm and carry on; serve.
In the US, it’s a different ball game. Take one of
my favourite sites (food-wise at least): squeakyclean wholefood blog Cookie and Kate. It features
Kate and her dog Cookie, from Kansas City by way
of Oklahoma (no F words in her kitchen). Optimism
abounds – which I appreciate in these troubled
times, but a recipe for pumpkin pecan
polvorones begins: “Fall is for
lovers. Everything about the
season seems rooted in
romance.” Cue eye roll…
At this point, I’m thinking:
just give me the recipe.
I’m not picking on
one person, by the way
– I could be talking
about any number of
16 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
American food blogs. With many of them, you have
to scroll through 500 words of fluff and waffle,
topped with lashings of the literary equivalent of
maple syrup (“I hope you love it too!”) before you
arrive, several years older – and a lot hungrier –
at the recipe for that delicious-looking cake
you’ve almost forgotten you wanted to cook.
I’m not saying I dislike a good yarn – give me an
Ottolenghi anecdote or carefully edited spiel from
Anna Jones any day. In my own
fantasy recipe book I might include
the story of Grandad’s celebrated
ham and pease pudding sandwiches,
or the passed-down recipe for
egg-fried rice I eat when I visit the
home of a Singaporean friend. But I
don’t want someone’s life story and
three generations of family tree
as a preface to a carrot cake
recipe, thank you very much.
I suspect the waffle is a cynical
ploy to help these blogs climb to the top of search
engine results, or to entice readers into spending
longer on the page. Or maybe American food
bloggers simply fit the stereotype of being
more open, outgoing and opinionated than
their reserved British counterparts.
Whatever the reason, most American
recipes are super-sized, over-inflated
and, to be frank, could do with
going on a diet. Some stories
may be worth telling, but
please – let’s not make
a meal of it.
“I don’t want
your life story
as a preface
to a carrot cake
recipe, thank you
very much”
Katie is digital travel
editor at The Times
and The Sunday Times
Follow us on social @deliciousmag
Cuvée Rosé, chosen by the best.
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
The Royal Albert Hall
MAISON FAMILIALE INDÉPENDANTE
champagnelaurentperrier www.laurent-perrier.com
Photo credit: Iris Velghe / Illustration credit: Quentin Blake / Conception Luma
Different
and special:
ideas for
everyone
We’ve tried, tasted, sipped and solved to seek out presents food lovers will adore and
1. Aperitivo hour
These sturdy but stylish
glasses would be ideal
for Italian-style spritzes.
The coloured tinted bases
add to their charm.
Colourful cocktail
glasses, £42 for four,
roseandgrey.co.uk
throws made from recycled
wool and fibres saved from
landfill (alongside luxe
lambswool and cashmere).
Opt for a gift box and add
a mug and cosy treats for
full comforting effect.
Recycled wool blanket, from
£40 (gift box items extra),
tartanblanketco.com
2. Hug in a box
The Tartan Blanket Co’s
contemporary takes on the
Scottish weave are good for
winter snuggles or spring
picnics. They include
are a beautiful finishing
touch. Hand-crafted in
aluminium and brass, the
nature-inspired range
includes citrus halves,
broccoli florets, sinuous
chillies and our favourite,
the peapod.
Cupboard handles, from £50
a pair (gift cards available),
yorkshirefoundry.com
3. What’s your handle?
For the interiors lover (or
a friend re-doing their
kitchen), Yorkshire
Foundry’s cabinet handles
4. Small, dark and
handsome
If they’re a liquorice lover,
Lakrids by Bülow’s chic
chocolate-coated spheres
are a must. Not a fan? You
might be surprised: the
flavour combos – coffee,
salty caramel, white
chocolate and passion fruit
– converted editor Karen.
Selection box, £33 for 375g,
lakridsbybulow.co.uk
5. Feed their minds
Kids and adults alike will
wonder at this illustrated
encyclopaedia of the world’s
food and ingredients. It has
entries for everything from
share the joy.
5
cherish – and you’ll be hungry to see them unwrap these
tropical fruit to types of
cheese, including plenty
of quirky facts.
Feast Your Eyes on Food
encyclopaedia, £20,
magiccatpublishing.co.uk
6. Future heirloom
The clock-meets-barometer
inventions from Bramwell
Brown are pricey, but
they’re kitchen-friendly
works of art (you can even
colour-match the frame to
the décor). Based on air
pressure changes, the
illustrated scenery shifts
to reveal one of five
forecasts: a whimsical way
to decide if dinner outdoors
is a goer. Check out the
tide clocks, too.
Weather clock, from £360,
bramwellbrown.com
Pact Coffee – is just the
ticket for an espresso
martini; the distillery’s
online shop has the full kit
with the gin, coffee, jigger
and garnish stencil (£48).
£28.50 for 70cl, Tesco,
Waitrose & sipsmith.com
taste premium and are
ready in 30 seconds after
a spell in the ice shaker.
Mix & match £7.50 each
(90-125ml) or get all eight
(pictured) for £59, uk.shop.
laibabeverages.com
9. Super servers
7. Full of beans
8. Party in a box
You can trust the experts
at Sipsmith to make a
quality flavoured gin. New
limited edition Sipspresso
– distilled using cinnamon,
vanilla and beans from
Created by award-winning
mixologist Michael Chen,
Laiba’s sophisticated bottled
cocktails are stocked in
hotels worldwide. Twists
on classics like the negroni
Great food deserves
something glamorous to
serve it with. Scoop up
this sleek gold-toned set
with subtle leaf motifs.
Esme serving set, £36,
anthropologie.com/en-gb →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 19
1. Greenhouse effect
2. A fitting gift
Replace wilting packets with
Hydro-herb’s simple growyour-own design. Housed
in a reused wine bottle, the
hydroponic kit comes with
an organic nutrient solution
and coconut coir. Add water
and soon the seeds (choose
from 10+ herbs) will turn into
thriving bunches and supply
herbs for around two years.
Hydro-herb kits, £20 each,
hydro-herb.co.uk
Traverse the world’s wine
regions from the comfort
of your sofa with Water &
Wines’ hand-illustrated
jigsaw puzzles. Founded by
a sommelier, the company’s
designs include France,
Italy, South Africa and Spain
– and their typical grapes.
£35, waterandwines.com
3. Pinch perfect
Sprinkle the chilli pepper
and sumac combo over
a
eggs;
froth the golden blend
e
in
nto a latte; pep up greens
with
the brassica mix…
w
Rooted Spices’ global
brunch-inspired set includes
single-origin spices too.
Serial Bruncher spice set,
£38.50, rootedspices.com
4. Go unplugged
The delicious. food team
rates KitchenAid’s new
cordless appliances for
cooking freedom. The hand
blender, mini chopper and
seven-speed hand mixer
are available in red, cream,
black or grey – and one
charger works for all.
From £129, kitchenaid.co.uk
5. Animal magic
From regal stags to loveable
COMPLIED BY: PHOEBE STONE
Gifts to eat,
sip, wear,
cook with
and grow
share the joy.
robins, Cherith Harrison’s
wildlife illustrations (on
mugs, oven gloves and
more) have a charming
liveliness. This Highland
cow apron with adjustable
neck strap caught our eye.
£21.95, cherithharrison.com
the sliced chillies in olive oil
(in fiery red and peppery
green) and chilli jam will add
verve to just about anything.
Gift tubes: £23 for chilli jam,
one jar of chillies, plus bowl;
£27 for both chillies, plus
bowl; pasqualespeppers.com
6. Hot stuff
7. Staycation souvenir
Serena Mariani launched
Pasquale’s Peppers to
honour her late grandfather’s
recipes. Made in Abruzzo,
Pay homage to a loved one’s
hometown or a favourite
family holiday with Town
Towel’s vintage travel tea
towels, celebrating the
UK’s urban landmarks and
country landscapes.
North Yorkshire, £14,
townteatowels.com
8. Dram-atic journey
Taste the story of whisky
with four themed flights of
five drams, including global
interpretations and bottles
that broke the mould.
Presented with two glasses
and tasting book.
20 Whiskies That Changed
The World, £160 for 20 x
3cl, thewhiskyexchange.com
9. Thank you very much!
What’s Christmas without
a tin of foiled-wrapped
treasures? Cadbury Roses
and Cath Kidston’s
collaboration tin can be
refilled with home bakes
once it’s been emptied.
£9.99 for 800g,
major retailers
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 21
THE OLIVE STORY
Experience 100% Spanish
Come and experience over 180 years of tradition that
goes into every bottle of La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
where you can explore your own bottle’s journey from the
tree to the table.
Scan the QR code or visit:
www.oliography.co.uk
www.laespanolaoliveoil.co.uk
voices in food.
A kir royale with
Monica Galetti
The MasterChef: The Professionals judge on family food ties,
her canine companions and the power of the chef’s jacket
My mum sacrificed so much to
provide for me and my siblings.
She was always the voice saying, “Travel
and see the world – when you settle
down, make sure you do it without any
regrets.” She had amazing taste in
food, too. She taught me how to make
mushroom ragout and simple pancake
batter, how to cook abalone – and
I never saw her waste a thing.
INTERVIEW: KERRY FOWLER
I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and
ready for adventure when I came to
the UK. I was 23 and it was meant to be
just for a year – here I am two decades
later. I wanted to discover the world,
and it was particularly exciting to be
able to access Europe easily, as New
Zealand is on its own. But we’ve lost
that thanks to Brexit.
I get homesick for family in New
Zealand around Christmas. Taste
conjures up memories of home: Marmite,
coconut buns, things my dad used to
make… a raw fish dish a bit like a coconut
ceviche from Samoa, where I spent my
early childhood. Here, our daughter
leads the way in choosing what we have
at Christmas. She also stops me and my
husband David talking about Mere, the
restaurant we run together, too much…
When I put on my chef’s jacket
it gives me a sense of pride – you
become game ready. As much as I love
that there are women chefs out there
doing their thing and killing it, for
me it’s how good you want to be that
matters – it’s not about gender.
MONICA’S RECIPE
FOR MERRIMENT
“I like to start Christmas
Day with a good bottle of
bubbles or, to make it even
more festive, a kir royale.
When I get together at
Christmas with family in
New Zealand, we have a
massive barbecue; when
we celebrate in the UK, as
an ode to those sunny
barbecue get-togethers,
I make a huge pavlova.”
Our dogs were our sanity during
lockdown. We have a french bulldog
called Cole and a boxer, Fynn.
Walking them with my daughter kept
us going. During lockdown I was home
for lunch and dinner; now we don’t
get more than two evenings a week
together as a family. Having time
with my husband and daughter was
very special, and I miss it.
It wasn’t in my game plan to be
well known. I don’t know many chefs
who set out to be the next Jamie Oliver
– but maybe there are a few. MasterChef
terrified me at first but I gave it a go.
When the food is good, it’s the best
thing – and I love seeing new talent
grow in confidence and flourish.
At Home: My Favourite Recipes For
Family & Friends (Aster £20) is out
now. Monica is chef-owner of Mere
in London: mere-restaurant.com
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 23
COOKBOOK GIFTS
they’ll love
Our pick of new titles for the bakers, cooks and kitchen-curious
Advent: Festive German bakes to
celebrate the coming of Christmas
In this jewel of a book, Anja Dunk shares
the rich assortment of biscuits baked to
create a festive German Bunter Teller
(colourful plate), plus other treats and
traditions. Her photos and linocuts of
cosy kitchens and snowy forests are magic: gift it early
to enjoy now and for years to come. Quadrille £25
THE RIVETING ONE
Sambal Shiok: The Malaysian Cookbook
Mandy Yin, owner of London’s Sambal
Shiok Laksa Bar, shares how to make
her signature curry laksa and chicken
satay burger, alongside recipes for
home-style dishes, snacks and sambals
– the key chilli condiment. Her delve
into Malaysian food’s history, coupled with personal
memories, make this a book to pore over. Quadrille £25
THE INVENTIVE ONE
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
Written with Noor Murad, the first in
a new series from Yotam Ottolenghi
and his test kitchen team draws on
the odd ends of a food lover’s kitchen,
from veg box to fridge and cupboard.
Transformative ideas (oat porridge
with ginger-garlic crumbs, chickpeas cacio e pepe)
are mostly veggie and Middle Eastern-inspired, with
suggested swaps and space for notes. Ebury Press £25
THE BOOZY ONE
Discover
our full
list of the
year’s best
cookbooks
at delicious
magazine.
co.uk/2021
cookbooks
Claridge’s: The Cocktail Book
The four bars at the art deco Mayfair
hotel serve almost 36,000 cocktails a
year, from classics to contemporary
creations. This compendium has more
than 500 recipes, garnished with
cocktail history, techniques and advice on creating your
own and hosting a party... Cheers! Mitchell Beazley £25
24 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
THE GAME-CHANGING ONE
Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast
Balancing these qualities is the
key to cooking intuitively, says
chef Selin Kiazim, owner of Turkish
restaurant Oklava in London.
You’ll find glazes, dressings and
toppings to enliven dishes, then
recipes like smoked haddock, leeks and sherry
caramel to put theory into practice. Quadrille £25
THE FERMENTING ONE
Sandor Katz’s Fermentation
Journeys Sandor’s 2012 book
The Art of Fermentation became
an essential guide for fans of the
food world’s biggest trend. In this
engaging travelogue with recipes,
Sandor meets enthusiasts around
the world and celebrates the diversity of fermenting
across cultures. Chelsea Green Publishing £30
THE BAKING ONE
One Tin Bakes Easy
Edd Kimber’s second book based
on one 23cm x 33cm tin includes
no-bake, five-ingredient and all-inone chapters, with gluten-free and
vegan recipes in the mix. The likes
of wagon wheel bars and espresso
caramel cake, lusciously photographed by Edd, will
entice all bakers into the kitchen – whether
beginners or Bake Off champs. Kyle Books £17.99
THE PERSONALISED ONE
Your own delicious. cookbook
Collect together our tried-andtested recipes for your loved
ones with this customisable
cookbook: choose the cover
and add a name to it as well as
a personal message inside, then pick recipes to suit.
From £21.99, delicious.mybespokegift.com
WORDS: PHOEBE STONE
THE FESTIVE ONE
Slow and steady
wins the taste
Charlie takes his time
with every dish he makes,
no matter how many times
he’s made it. And thanks to
that care and attention, they
taste deliciously homemade.
Find Charlie Bigham’s
delicious range in your
local supermarket
Obsession is my secret ingredient
Diana Henry meets...
Stanley
Tucci
Stanley Tucci has just
finished lunch. “An
omelette-frittata kind of
thing. I didn’t have much
time,” he explains. Made
with olive oil or, since he
now lives in England,
butter? I ask. “Both,” he
laughs. “But if I had to
choose between them, it would be olive oil.” Tucci’s
love of cooking and eating is intense. In his recent
memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food (Fig Tree £20),
he lists the contents of his school lunch box, packed
daily by his mother when he was growing up in
Katonah, a town 40 miles north of
Manhattan. It would usually be
leftovers from the previous night’s
dinner, so meatballs on Monday,
chicken cutlets on Italian bread on
Tuesday, a wedge of aubergine
parmigiana on Wednesday and so
on. These lunches were coveted by
the other kids and he would
sometimes swap with his friend,
Ricky, who had marshmallow fluff
on white bread every day.
The Tucci family have Calabrian
roots, and talking about food and
looking forward to food were the
norm, though the Tucci children loved peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches just as much as pasta with rapini.
There’s a lovely scene early in the memoir in which
young Stanley tries to get his mum to stop watching
a TV cooking show to make him a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich. The show ends and she makes him
the sandwich, which he eats ravenously. “Wow, you
were hungry,” she says. Stanley, mouth still full, nods
and says, “What are we having for dinner?”
Tucci already had a solid acting career when he
hit the big time with Big Night in 1996, the movie he
co-directed, co-wrote and starred in. It tells the
story of two Italian immigrant brothers, one a chef,
the other the business mind, trying to save their
restaurant. It dramatises the struggle between art
and commerce and became a cult classic for food
lovers. I’ve seen it a dozen times, just so I can enjoy
the spectacle of the timpano, a huge
drum of an Italian pie filled with
ragù, meatballs, eggs and pasta,
being made. Once it’s turned out
the brothers gaze at it, caress it,
even put their ears to it as if to check
its timbre. Timpano dominated
every Tucci family Christmas as
his parents spent an entire day
making it. It requires dedication.
Big Night is about perfectionism
and honouring culinary roots and
putting these ahead of making
money. But it’s also about the
pleasure cooks derive from
building a dish, bit by bit. Tucci tells me it was
inspired not just by the various restaurants he
worked in during his early acting career – but also
“When I was ill
I realised just
how much food
meant to me. It’s
domestic and
creative. It
anchors me —
gives me safety”
PORTRAITS: CHRIS TERRY, ALAMY
Charismatic, affable and an actor of extraordinary versatility:
these characteristics have won Stanley Tucci an ardent
following. He’s also developed a passion for cooking, cocktails
and enthusiastic eating – yet there have been times recently
when a sip of water was almost more than he could face
voices in food.
by Babette’s Feast, another food
lovers’ classic. In that film,
a French chef cooks a meal so
exquisite it confounds the values
of the sober Danish Lutheran
community in which she finds
herself. In Big Night, there’s
a different kind of religious
devotion. It comes from the
chef as he cooks with the love of
a disciple and experiences the
deep peace cooking can bring.
This is something Tucci
understands. His love of food was
made clear in the cruellest way
when, in 2017, a pain in his jaw
became so intense that he had
a wisdom tooth removed. It
didn’t stop the pain, so he saw a
consultant who told him he had
a huge tumour at the base of his
tongue and that it was probably
cancerous. The consultant was
right, but surgery was impossible
as it would have meant removing
such a large part of the tongue.
Tucci wouldn’t have been able to
eat or speak properly.
Instead, there followed a
regime of chemotherapy and
radiotherapy, something Tucci
had witnessed with his first wife,
Kate, before she died of breast
cancer. The treatment was brutal
and its effects devastating. “It was
worse than I could have imagined.
Food tasted terrible, it even smelt
terrible and eventually my mouth
was so sore that even
drinking water was
painful. It burnt like
battery acid. Ulcers
erupted and lasted
for months. I can
still get them; I have
to be careful with
acidic foods. Then all this dead
stuff came out of my mouth. It
started to look like a baby’s
mouth as my body shed the old
tissue and a new mouth formed.
I had morphine for the pain.”
Food and drink – and medication
– were taken through a tube in
his stomach. This was bad
enough, but he also developed →
“I felt as if I was a ghost
in my own life, like I was
watching it on a screen”
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 27
voices in food.
“Food not
only feeds
me, it enriches
me. All of me.
Mind, body
and soul. It
is nothing
more than
everything”
28 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
STANLEY TUCCI’S
Christmas
cocktail
Serves 1
• 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 50ml Ketel One vodka
• 25ml Cointreau
• 25ml cranberry juice
(sweetened or unsweetened –
your preference)
• 25ml pomegranate juice
• Ice
• 1 raspberry, 1 large mint leaf
and a fresh rosemary sprig to
garnish
Put the pomegranate seeds into
a shaker and muddle until
muddled.
Add the booze.
Add the juices.
Add the ice.
Shake it.
Strain into a coupe or
a martini glass.
Garnish with a raspberry
wrapped in a mint leaf and
skewered with a small stalk
of rosemary.
Drink it and have a happier
holiday. Cin cin!
PHOTOGRAPH: FACUNDO BUSTAMANTE. FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE
labyrinthitis, a kind of extreme vertigo, which meant
he had to lie in bed all the time.
His wife, Felicity, gave birth to their second child
during his treatment but Tucci couldn’t help her or
take much part in family life. “I was lying down 24
hours a day. I got depressed – I felt as if I was a ghost
in my own life, like I was watching it on a screen.”
Even when the feeding tube was removed, eating was
still challenging. “I couldn’t just pick up a bit of bread,
put salami on it and eat it. I didn’t have enough saliva.”
Two years ago I had breast cancer and, although
the treatment wasn’t as harsh, Tucci is desperate to
know whether my saliva glands – or anything else
about my tongue – have been damaged. We exchange
notes, talk about our constant need to drink water
and eat food that is ‘moist’, the pain of chillies on our
tongues. “During the illness I realised how much food
meant to me. It’s domestic and creative. It anchors
me – gives me safety – and takes me places too. I didn’t
think – years ago – that my passion for it would ever
eclipse acting. Acting and directing and cinema were
who I was. But that changed after my diagnosis.”
In turn, it changed his life. In 2020 he filmed a
culinary travel series for CNN – Stanley Tucci:
Searching for Italy – in which he sips aperitifs and sniffs
wheels of cheese with cooks and farmers and chews the
intellectual cud with scholars and food activists. The
programme is a fantasy of Italy made real, seasoned
with intelligence. As Tucci strolls round pretty villages,
charming and, ironically, glowing with
health, you get that feeling, a balance of
peace and excitement, that good food,
even watching good food, can bestow.
The series recently won an Emmy and
the filming of series two is underway,
with Tucci flying off to cook duck in
Venice and visit Friuli, up in the
northeast corner of Italy. “I’m drawn to
the northern areas,” he says. “Fall and
winter are my favourite seasons. I hate
being too hot. I like it up where there’s
not a tomato in sight.” When he’s
finished with Italy he’s going to start on
other countries, though he won’t stop
acting. “I have it all now!” he exclaims,
with the ‘I-can’t-believe-it’ joy of someone who has
dodged death and discovered the secret of life.
He still has problems with some ingredients. “Can
you eat ’nduja?” he asks. He was offered the chillirich Calabrian pork paste recently and found it was
okay on a scallop. “But then I bit into some bread
covered with it and it was just “F***! Too hot! The
pain!” Pain, yes, but he’s laughing. The illness was
hell, but it has brought rewards. As he writes in his
book, Taste, ‘Food not only feeds me, it enriches me.
All of me. Mind, body and soul. It is nothing more
than everything.’ A few of us can identify with that.
“This is my holiday version
of a Cosmopolitan”
Get excited.
For…
Christmas.
Planning gifts and treats. Mulling over menus.
PHOTOGRAPH: KRIS KIRKHAM
House-filling festive aromas. Happy times to come.
››
T he jewels of Christmas
“Delia is famous for
introducing these berries
to the UK’s Christmas
table, and I’ve used them
as inspiration for my star
seasonal recipes this
month. Their jewel-like
colour and tart flavour are the perfect foil
for slow-roast lamb, an addictively good
pork stuffing and your new favourite
tray-roast chicken” JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR
Cran
RECIPES & FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE.
PHOTOGRAPHS: MAJA SMEND. STYLING: SARAH BIRKS
star of the season.
Cranberry and
sausagemeat
stuffing balls
berries
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 33
Goat’s cheese
salad with
cranberry dressing
star of the season.
Roast lamb shoulder
with rice pilaf
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 35
star of the season.
T he refreshing
salad starter
Goat’s cheese salad
with cranberry dressing
Serves 2-3
Hands-on time 30 min
Prepare the croutons and
MAKE
AHEAD toast the walnuts up to
2 hours ahead and set
aside (separately) but don’t cover.
Prep the oranges, cover and set
aside (no need to chill). Make the
dressing ahead, too – it will keep
in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Sandwich-sized olive ciabatta
loaf, sliced
• 50g shelled walnuts
• Oil for frying
• 150g goat’s cheese log with
rind, cut into 1.5cm slices
• 2 oranges, peeled and cut into
segments, any juice reserved
• 80g bag watercress
For the dressing
• 3 tbsp cranberry sauce (see
recipe, p43)
• 1 tbsp syrupy balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
1 In a large dry frying pan, toast
the bread over a medium heat
until golden, then cut into
chunky croutons. In the same
pan, toast the walnuts, then
set aside and wipe out the pan.
2 Add the oil to the pan and heat
for 1 minute. Add the goat’s
cheese slices and fry (in batches
if necessary) for 2-3 minutes on
each side until golden and crisp.
3 Meanwhile, put all the dressing
36 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
ingredients, along with any
reserved juice from the oranges,
in a small jug. Season to taste,
adding a good grind of pepper,
and stir together, adding a splash
of water if need be.
4 Arrange the watercress and
orange segments on a serving
platter, then arrange the warm
goat’s cheese on top. Scatter
over the croutons and walnuts,
then drizzle over the dressing
and serve straightaway.
Per serving (for 3) 696kcals,
45.7g fat (13.2g saturated),
22.4g protein, 45.3g carbs (14.2g
sugars), 1.4g salt, 5.1g fibre
T he easiest main
course traybake
Chicken cosmopolitan
Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 15 min
Oven time 50 min
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 1 large orange, sliced
• 4 rosemary sprigs, plus
extra to serve
• A few thyme sprigs
• 6 large free-range chicken
thighs, skin-on and bone-in
• 4 tbsp cranberry sauce (see
p43), plus a handful fresh
cranberries if you have some
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 100ml vodka (or use gin)
1 Heat the oven to 180°C/gas 6.
Arrange the onions and orange
slices in a deep-sided roasting
tin, scatter over the herbs, then
nestle the chicken thighs on top.
Season, spoon over the cranberry
sauce/berries and balsamic, then
cover and roast for 25 minutes.
Add the vodka, then roast for 25
minutes more until the chicken is
cooked through. Sprinkle with
extra rosemary to serve.
Per serving (for 6) 214kcals,
5.3g fat (1.5g saturated), 22.1g
protein, 8.7g carbs (7.9g sugars),
0.2g salt, 1.7g fibre
T he showstopper
roast
Roast lamb shoulder
with rice pilaf
Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 30 min
Oven time 4½ hours
• Whole British lamb shoulder
on the bone (about 2kg)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried mint
• ½ tsp dried urfa chilli powder
(or other dried chilli powder)
• 4 tbsp date molasses/syrup
(from supermarkets and online)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200ml red wine
• 200ml orange juice
• 150g fresh/frozen cranberries
For the rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 300g basmati rice
• 600ml hot chicken stock
• 50g dried cranberries
• Large handful chopped parsley
• 30g ready-made crispy fried
onions
1 Heat the oven to 130°C fan/
gas 2. Put the lamb in a large
roasting tin. Mix the garlic, spices,
date molasses and oil with some
seasoning, then rub all over the
lamb. Pour in the wine and
orange juice, scatter over the
cranberries, then cover tightly
with foil and roast for 4 hours.
2 Uncover the tin, turn up the
oven to 180ºC/gas 6 and roast →
Chicken cosmopolitan
for 30 minutes more to reduce
the sauce and brown the meat.
3 Meanwhile, heat the oil and
butter in a large saucepan over
a medium heat until the butter
melts. Add the rice, stirring to
coat the grains. Add the hot stock
and bring up to a simmer. Cover
with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the
heat to very low and simmer for
10 minutes. Turn off the heat and
set aside for 10 minutes to allow
the grains to plump up fully.
4 Fluff up the rice with a fork to
separate the grains and check
the seasoning. Stir in the dried
cranberries and most of the
parsley and crispy onions, then
top with the remaining parsley
and crispy onions and serve
alongside the lamb.
Per serving (for 8) 671kcals,
29.1g fat (11.4g saturated), 51.8g
protein, 44.2g carbs (11.3g
sugars), 0.7g salt, 2.7g fibre
T he make-ahead
star pudding
Pavlova with cranberry
sauce and sorbet
Serves 12-14
Hands-on time 1 hour, plus
overnight chilling and freezing
Oven time 1½ hours, plus at
least 4 hours cooling
The sorbet will keep in
the freezer for up to 3
weeks. Make the pavlova
up to 24 hours ahead and store
somewhere cool and dry.
If you’re making the
EASY
SWAPS sorbet and don’t want to
include egg white, leave
it out. The texture might be
more icy and less scoop-able,
but it will still taste good.
We used pasteurised
KNOWegg whites to avoid
HOW
leftover egg yolks, but
they don’t hold stiff peaks in the
same way as fresh egg white.
Whisking over heat helps the
egg white and cornflour thicken
MAKE
AHEAD
38 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
and the sugar fully dissolve –
the result is a crisp exterior and
a soft, marshmallowy interior.
NOTE: The sorbet contains
raw egg (see Easy Swaps).
• 250g pasteurised egg whites
– we used Two Chicks Liquid
Egg White (equivalent to about
8 egg whites; see Know-how)
• 440g caster sugar
• 1½ tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 oranges, skin sliced off and
flesh sliced into rounds (reserve
any juice for the sorbet)
For the cranberry & rosé sorbet
• 250g cranberries (fresh or
frozen)
• 150g caster sugar
• Juice 1 large orange
• 125ml rosé wine
• 37.5g pasteurised egg whites
or 1 egg white, whisked until
frothy
To serve
• 600ml double cream, whipped
with a splash of vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp cranberry sauce (see
p43) or use a shop-bought
fresh cranberry sauce
1 Make the cranberry sorbet: put
the cranberries, sugar, orange
juice and 250ml water in a pan
over a medium heat. Bring to the
boil, then simmer for 3-4 minutes
until the berries begin to release
their juice. Set aside to cool, then
whizz with a stick blender or
transfer to a blender and purée.
Push the mixture through a wire
mesh sieve into a freezerproof,
lidded container. Stir in the rosé,
then freeze for 3-4 hours.
2 Remove the sorbet from the
freezer and whizz with a stick
blender (or electric hand mixer)
to break up the ice crystals.
Freeze again until semi-solid,
then whizz and freeze once
more. Once the sorbet has set
solid, take out of the freezer and
let it soften enough to break it
up with a spoon. Whizz again,
this time incorporating the frothy
egg white – it will become much
smoother in texture and look
almost creamy. Put back in the
freezer until set firm or you’re
ready to serve (see Make Ahead).
3 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Grease 2 baking trays, then
draw an 18cm diameter circle on
2 sheets of baking paper, flip so
the outline is on the underside
and use to line the baking trays.
4 For the pavlova, whisk the egg
whites with an electric mixer on
a low speed until frothy, then
increase the speed and whip to
soft peaks. Add the sugar, 1 tbsp
at a time, whisking after each
addition. Whisk in the cornflour
and vinegar. Put the bowl over a
pan of barely simmering water,
making sure it doesn’t touch the
water, then whisk 8-10 minutes
more until thick and glossy.
5 Divide the meringue evenly
between the 2 prepared trays
using the drawn circles as a
guide. Using a palette knife,
smooth the sides and the top
of the meringues.
6 Turn the oven to 110ºC fan/
gas ¾, then bake the meringues
for 1½ hours, swapping the trays
halfway through the cooking
time to ensure even baking.
Turn off the oven and let the
meringues cool in the oven for at
least 4 hours or overnight until
cooled completely.
7 To assemble, put one meringue
on a serving platter. Top with
half the whipped cream, then
the second meringue. Add more
cream, then arrange the orange
slices and scoops of sorbet on
top. Stir a splash of water into
the cranberry sauce and drizzle
it over to serve.
Per serving (for 14) 414kcals,
23.1g fat (14.3g saturated),
3.1g protein, 42.2g carbs (45.7g
sugars), 0.1g salt, 1g fibre
For more ways to use
pasteurised egg whites,
see Use It Up →
star of the season.
If ever there was a star
pudding, this is it: the perfect
counterpoint of sweet and
sharp to balance the rich
flavours of Christmas
Pavlova with
cranberry sauce
and sorbet
star of the season.
T he really useful
festive side
Roast sprouts,
cranberries & kale
Serves 6
Hands-on time 15 min
Oven time 25 min
• 500g sprouts, halved if large
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large handfuls sliced kale
• 100g fresh cranberries
• 50g pecans, roughly broken
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Toss the sprouts with the
oil on a lipped baking tray, then
season with salt and freshly
ground black pepper. Roast
for 15 minutes, then add the
kale, cranberries and nuts to
the tray and continue roasting
for a further 10 minutes.
2 Drizzle the maple syrup and
vinegar over the roasted veg,
add a little extra seasoning to
taste, then toss everything
together and serve.
Per serving 160kcals, 11.1g fat
(1.3g saturated), 4.7g protein, 7g
carbs (5.9g sugars), trace salt,
→
6.4g fibre
Have sprouts
ever looked so
tempting?
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 41
AVAILABLE IN SELECTED MORRISONS STORES AND ON OUR ONLINE SHOP.
star of the season.
T he most useful
festive sauce
Vodka and cranberry
sauce
Serves 8
Hands-on time 10 min, plus
cooling
The sauce will keep for
up to a week in a clean
jar in the fridge, or in
the freezer for up to 3 months.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 450g fresh or frozen
cranberries
• Finely grated zest and
juice 1 clementine
• 4 tbsp vodka
• 75g caster sugar (or to taste)
1 Put the cranberries, clementine
zest and juice in a pan along with
the vodka. Bring to the boil and
simmer for 5 minutes, stirring,
until the cranberries begin to
burst. Stir in the sugar, then set
aside to cool. Serve at room
temperature or chill until needed.
Per serving 69kcals, 0.1g fat
(trace saturated), 0.2g protein,
11.6g carbs (11.6g sugars),
→
trace salt, 2.3g fibre
This jewel-bright sauce is
the secret, flavour-packed
ingredient in several of these
recipes – or serve it on its own
in the traditional way
alongside the festive bird
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 43
star of the season.
Cranberry know-how
T he freeze-ahead
stuffing
Cranberry & sausagemeat
stuffing balls
Makes Roughly 24 balls
Hands-on time 20 min
Oven time 35 min
After cooking, cool, then
open-freeze on a tray.
Transfer to a food bag
and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge, then heat
through in a hot oven to serve.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 10 (667g) free-range pork
sausages, casings removed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 125g dried cranberries
• Good grating whole nutmeg
• Splash sherry (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves
picked and chopped
• Handful flatleaf parsley,
chopped
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs (from
about 1 slice of bread)
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Put all the ingredients
in a bowl and season. Using your
hands, scrunch the mixture
together until combined, then roll
into about 24 evenly sized balls.
2 Arrange the stuffing balls on
1-2 baking trays lined with
baking paper and bake for 35
minutes, turning halfway through
so they’re evenly browned. Keep
warm to serve with your roast.
Per ball 89kcals, 4.2g fat (1.5g
saturated), 4g protein, 8.6g
carbs (4.9g sugars), 0.3g salt,
0.5g fibre
44 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
How to tell if they’re fresh Cranberries should be
shiny-red, firm and rattle in their packaging – not
a trace of softness. They’ll keep well for at least two
weeks in the fridge.
Can you freeze them? Yes. Some advice will tell you to
open-freeze the berries (that’s where you spread them
out on trays so they’re not touching, freeze them, then
pack into bags, label and return to the freezer). The
aim of this method is to stop the fruit sticking
together during freezing, but with cranberries we’ve
found there’s no need. As long as they’re fresh, you
can freeze them in the box you buy them in and they
shouldn’t stick together (and even if they do, it doesn’t
matter). Like all berries, they soften a little as they
thaw, but they’ll work just as well in almost any recipe
– apart from being used to decorate a dessert (thawed
berries have a tendency to ooze a little juice).
Stir it up with
Rick & Hugh
Making the Christmas pudding and cake in plenty of time for the big day
puts two ticks on your to-do list. Now add Rick Stein’s and Hugh F-W’s
recipes to your family traditions and let the joy of anticipation begin
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHS: NASSIMA ROTHACKER. FOOD STYLING: PHIL MUNDY. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
Rick’s Christmas cake
Serves 12-16
Hands-on time 45 min, plus overnight
soaking and cooling – then, later,
overnight drying of the marzipan and icing
Oven time 4 hours 15-30 min
Specialist kit 20cm round deep-sided
cake tin, fully lined (see ‘how to line the
Christmas cake tin’ overleaf)
The cake will keep for several
weeks if you ‘feed’ it. Make the
marzipan and cover the cake at
least a day before icing.
The addition of glycerine to royal
KNOWicing prevents it setting rock hard
HOW
when dry. The optional blue food
colouring cancels out any yellow colour
in the icing, giving an extra-white finish.
If not eating the cake within a few
EASY
SWAPS days of icing, use pasteurised
egg whites instead of fresh in
the royal icing. You’ll find them in the
chilled aisle of larger supermarkets.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 175g sultanas
• 275g currants
• 175g raisins
• 50g glacé cherries, halved
• 50g mixed peel
• Grated zest 1 orange
• Grated zest 1 lemon
• 75ml brandy or sherry, or orange
juice if you prefer
• 225g butter, softened
• 225g dark muscovado sugar
• 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten
• 225g plain flour
• 60g chopped mixed nuts or ground
almonds
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Brandy, sherry, port or rum for
feeding (optional) →
get ahead.
Rick on cake and memories
“What I love about Christmas cake is feeding it with
booze. I prefer using fortified wine because brandy or
whisky are too strong, although last Christmas I used
vintage port and my wife claimed you could get tipsy just
from the smell of the cake. I’m a fan of proper marzipan
and royal icing too. In the early days of our restaurant,
I spent a winter on a cake-decorating course. I was the
only man and all the women were unbelievably skilled.
Why they were on the course, I don’t know. I still cringe
at the memory that I chose to make a square Christmas
cake, even though we all had turntables. As a beginner,
if you ever think of making a square cake, don’t.”
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 47
For the marzipan
• 250g ground almonds
• 125g icing sugar, plus
extra for dusting
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 medium free-range egg white
• 2-3 tbsp apricot jam,
warmed and sieved
For the royal icing
• 3 medium free-range
egg whites
• 675g icing sugar, sifted
• 1½ tsp glycerine
(see Know-how)
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 drop blue food
colouring (optional;
see Know-how)
1 The day before you make your
cake, mix the dried fruit, cherries
and peel with the citrus zest.
Stir in the brandy, sherry or
orange juice, cover and leave
to soak overnight.
2 Heat the oven to 120°C fan/
gas 1 and line your cake tin (see
box below right). Using a stand
mixer fitted with the beater or
electric hand mixer, beat
together the butter and sugar
until well combined and fluffy
(3-4 minutes). Add the beaten
eggs, a little at a time. If the
mixture starts to look as
though it’s curdling, add 1 tbsp
of the measured flour, then
continue to add the eggs.
Stir in the remaining flour,
chopped nuts, spices and the
soaked dried fruit along with
any unabsorbed liquid.
3 Spoon the mixture into the
prepared tin and flatten the
surface. Cover the top with
a double layer of baking paper
and cut a 4cm wide disc out
of the middle to allow steam to
escape. Bake the cake on the
lowest shelf of the oven for
4 hours and 15 minutes. Test
with a skewer pushed into the
middle of the cake; if it comes
out clean, remove the cake and
put it on a wire rack. If not, put
the cake back in the oven for
another 15 minutes and check
again – until a skewer comes out
clean (apart from any fruit). Take
the cake out of the tin and leave
to cool completely on a wire rack.
4 If you’re making the cake
weeks in advance, store in an
airtight container. To feed it,
several times a week, skewer
holes in the surface and add a
few teaspoons of brandy, sherry,
port or rum. If you’re not storing
it, you can cover the cake with
marzipan as soon as it’s cold.
5 Make the marzipan up to
2 days before icing: combine
all the ingredients, except the
jam, in a food processor and
pulse until combined. Turn out
on to a board dusted with
icing sugar and knead briefly
to form a dough, then wrap well
or store in a plastic box in the
fridge until ready to use.
6 To marzipan the cake, measure
up the side of the cake, across
the top and down the other side
to get a diameter for your disc of
marzipan. Roll it out on a board
dusted with icing sugar until
large enough to cover the cake.
Brush the cake all over with the
warmed apricot jam. Drape the
marzipan over a rolling pin and
line up the centre of the
marzipan with the centre of the
cake. Place the marzipan over
the cake and down the sides.
Smooth it over from the centre
outwards and trim off any
excess. Cover with a clean tea
towel and leave to dry out for
at least 24 hours and up to a
week in a cool dry place.
7 Next, make the icing: briefly
beat the 3 egg whites in a bowl
using an electric hand whisk
– they should be frothy, not stiff.
Add enough of the sifted icing
sugar, a little at a time, until
you have a thick paste (at least
500g, but you may not need
all the icing sugar). Whisk for
10 minutes or so until the
icing is whipped and shiny.
Add the glycerine, then 1 tsp
of the lemon juice and the
blue colouring, if using (see
Know-how). The icing should be
glossy and stand in stiff peaks.
Add a little more lemon juice if
it’s too stiff to work with.
8 Pile the icing on top of the
marzipanned cake and use
a palette knife to swirl over
the top and sides so it looks
like a rough snow scene – use
the palette knife or a fork to
create texture. Leave to dry
overnight, then add a ribbon
and any other festive
decorations you want to.
Per serving (for 16) 686kcals,
24.5g fat (8.7g saturated), 10.3g
protein, 102.6g carbs (87.9g
→
sugars), 0.4g salt, 1.8g fibre
HOW TO LINE THE CHRISTMAS CAKE TIN
Cut 2 discs of baking paper to fit the base, then cut a length
of baking paper 10cm longer than the circumference of
the tin and 5cm taller than the tin depth. Along the long
edge, fold over a strip 2cm wide, then snip along the folded
edge every 2cm. Butter the tin well and lay a disc of baking
paper in the base. Then line the sides of the tin with the long
strip of baking paper, fitting the snipped edge into the base so
it rests on the baking paper and pressing the fold into the
edges of the tin. Add the second disc to the base, covering
the snipped edges, then brush it all with a little vegetable
oil. The tin is now ready to use.
get ahead.
Hugh on pudding & an age-old tradition
“Stir-up Sunday – a tradition rooted in the church calendar and Victorian
custom – is the day to make your Christmas pudding. It refers to the custom
of stirring the mixture from east to west to signify the journey of the Three
Kings. The date falls on the last Sunday before Advent – this year 21 November
– and it’s the perfect opportunity to make the Christmas trilogy of pudding,
cake and mincemeat before the season takes over. My family loves to stir the
pudding because we love an occasion. I like a pud that’s lighter and zestier
than the classic black cannonball, and this recipe is fresh from my latest set
of tweaks. The citrus zest and apple give it a lift, and grated parsnip adds
lightness – but rest assured it’s still gloriously fruity and boozy.”
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 49
Hugh’s Christmas pudding
Serves 8-10 (makes 1 large or
2 smaller puddings)
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
overnight soaking and cooling
Simmering time 3 hours for the
first cook, plus 1½ hours to serve
Specialist kit 2.25 litre pudding
basin or 2 x 1.1 litre basins, lightly
buttered (you can use a slightly
larger basin, up to almost 3 litres)
If using a plastic basin,
cover with a double layer
of heat-resistant cling
film (instead of the paper and
foil) before adding the lid.
Use 45g mixed peel if
EASY
SWAPS you can’t find the lemon
and orange separately.
Any leftovers can be
HUGH’S fried in butter, stirred
TIP
into ice cream or added
to the base of a trifle. For more
ideas search ‘how to use up
leftover Christmas pudding’ at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk.
KNOWHOW
BOOKS BY
RICK & HUGH
Rick Stein at
Home (BBC
Books £26);
Christmas at
River Cottage
by Lucy Brazier
with Hugh
FearnleyWhittingstall
(Bloomsbury
Publishing £22)
For the booze-soaked fruit
• 100g pitted prunes or
unsulphured dried apricots,
roughly chopped
• 10g dried apples or pears,
roughly chopped
• 50g currants
• 100g raisins
• 50g natural glacé cherries,
halved, or dried cherries
• 75g preserved stem ginger,
chopped, plus 1 tbsp syrup
from the jar
• 30g candied orange peel
• 15g candied lemon peel
• 50g almonds, roughly chopped
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 100ml dry cider
• 150ml cider brandy, brandy or
rum, plus extra to ‘feed’ the
pudding and to flame it
For the pudding
• 100g self-raising wholemeal
flour (or fine wholemeal flour
plus 2 tsp baking powder)
• 1 tsp each ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
50 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• 150g shredded beef suet or
grated very cold butter
• 75g fresh wholemeal
breadcrumbs
• 50g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 50g dark treacle
• 2 pinches sea salt
• Finely grated zest 1 orange
• 1 eating apple, grated
• 100g grated parsnip
• Butter to grease
1 For the booze-soaked fruit, put
all the ingredients in a large bowl,
stir, then cover and leave to soak
overnight or, better still, for 24
hours, with a couple of good stirs.
2 The next day, sift the flour,
baking powder if using, and
spices into a large mixing bowl.
Rub in the suet or butter with
your fingertips, then stir in the
breadcrumbs and sugar. Beat in
the eggs, then stir in the soaked
fruit and the remaining pudding
ingredients except the butter.
Use to fill the prepared basin/s.
3 Cover the basin/s with a layer
of buttered baking paper, then
a layer of foil, both pleated in the
middle to allow for expansion. Tie
in place with string around the
rim, leaving an extra length as
a handle. Lower the basin into a
large saucepan with an upturned
plate in the bottom and pour in
boiling water to come halfway up
the sides. Put the lid on and bring
to the boil, then lower the heat
and simmer for 3 hours, topping
up the water as necessary (don’t
let the pan boil dry).
4 Lift out the basin and set aside
to cool. Once cold, replace the
baking paper and foil with fresh
coverings of the same. Store in
a cool larder or cupboard for
several weeks. If you want to
keep the pudding (or one of them)
for longer, you’ll need to ‘feed’ it
with brandy or rum. A few days
after cooking, prick the surface
of the pud with a skewer and
pour over 3 tbsp of your chosen
spirit. Re-cover and leave in a
cool dark place for up to a year.
5 On Christmas Day you’ll need
to steam the pudding(s) for a
further 1-1½ hours, depending
on size. Discard the paper and
foil covers. Cut a circle of baking
paper to lay on top of the pudding
and a second, twice the size, to
go over the basin with a pleat in
the middle. Cover with a piece of
pleated foil, secure around the
basin rim with string, then create
a string handle. Steam in a pan
half-filled with boiling water (as
above), regularly topping up.
6 Lift out the basin and turn
the pudding out onto a warmed
plate. Flame with warmed
brandy and serve with brandy
sauce (see below) or custard.
Per serving (for 10) 455kcals,
20.3g fat (8.7g saturated), 7.2g
protein, 50.3g carbs (32.5g
sugars), 0.8g salt, 3.3g fibre
Brandy sauce
Makes 800g/serves 16
Make this on the day or on Christmas Eve (cover the surface
with baking paper to prevent a skin forming). Melt 50g butter
in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in 50g plain flour and
cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Slowly pour in 600ml
whole milk and bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then lower
the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir in
40-50g sugar and 4 tbsp brandy. Pour into a jug to serve.
Per serving (50g) 77kcals, 4g fat (2.5g saturated), 1.6g
protein, 6.6g carbs (4.2g sugars), 0.1g salt, 0.1g fibre
PORTRAITS: JAMES MURPHY, MATT AUSTIN. ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
get ahead.
NAUGHTY,
NICE &
fes tive
SPICE
Looking for the perfect way to finish
Christmas dinner? Perfect an indulgent,
lightly spiced Chocolate & Salted Caramel
Leaf Cake that everyone will save room for!
and share at Oetker.co.uk
New Christmas
traditions
After last year’s muted
celebrations, Debora
Robertson is ready to
gather her nearest and
dearest and embrace
excess with abandonment
– but in a thoughtful way
52 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHS: NASSIMA ROTHACKER. FOOD STYLING: PHIL MUNDY. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
voices in food.
ast year, we experienced a Christmas
unlike any other. It was quieter,
simpler, more contemplative. We put
on a brave face, embraced Zoom and
the table only for those who lived
under the same roof. While for some it might have
been a secret relief to swerve the traditional excess
and potential for extended-family tensions, for many
it was a little too ascetic for our “waheeey, bring on
the tinsel” tastes. So while I imagine a lot of us
landed in January thinking we would be more
thoughtful, less extravagant in future, I suspect this
year we may not be able to resist the desire to go all
out with the full bacchanalian,
dancing-on-the-piano, eggnog-forbreakfast extravaganza, to make
up for the lost good times.
And after such a quiet and
gruelling year, why not embrace
excess? After all that tight, planned,
carefully choreographed fun, a great
many of us have a desire to loosen our
metaphorical stays, pour some double
measures, sing along enthusiastically
if tunelessly to Love Actually and
campaign zealously for Terry’s
Chocolate Oranges to be classified
as their own food group (where do
I sign?). We have been careful for so
long. We are still careful. But perhaps we can
be careful with jingle bells on?
While I’m very much for careening through
this festive season in a trolley-dash of pleasure,
I think one place we might cut back a little is on
gifts – or at least the sort of extravagant tick-box
gifts no one really wants but never really gets
around to exchanging in January. I did loads of
emotion-shopping this year (fancy steak knives,
a hot dog baker, ‘innovative’ inventions from
Kickstarter, anyone?) and I really don’t need
any more things. I suspect you may not either.
A few Christmases ago, my husband’s aunt called
us to say, “I have everything I want and need. Give
me something to eat.” A woman after my own heart.
So ever since then,
we’ve given her delicious
treats – panettoni, boxes of
biscuits, chocolates, cheese – which wrap up prettily
under the tree and are but crumbs by Twelfth Night.
This year, as part of The New Thoughtful, I’m
going to get down off the piano for long enough to
make edible Christmas presents. And it’s for this
reason I’m troubling you with these thoughts in
November. We need to allow ourself enough time to
get it right, instead of, as in previous years, having
good intentions in October and them vanishing into
anxiety and TK Maxx receipts by December 24.
We can make the process
a pleasure by starting now. I love
nothing better than cooking
shoulder-to-shoulder with friends.
I’ve honestly missed that more than
almost anything else, so I’m planning
on getting together with a couple of
best beloveds to have a day of making
things, celebrating the season in
a cloud of icing sugar and – possibly
– wine. I think it’s best to keep it
fairly simple (wine), to make one or
two wonderful things in a conveyor
belt of conversation and fun. On my
list of possibles are chutneys; pickles
and biscuits to go with cheese;
orangettes (which I’ll have to wrap up quickly
so as not to eat entirely myself); big jars of luxe
granola; shortbread; flavoured vodkas; fruity
cordials; seasoned salts; gingerbread for the tree;
and, of course, mince pies.
To give the gifts the biggest impact, it’s important
to pay attention to the packaging. There’s no need to
get all Martha about it or turn it into another source
of stress. A selection of bottles, jars and tins, some
pretty labels and a few miles of ribbon should do it.
I find trusty Lakeland, Ikea and Etsy to be a good
source of such things. All so soothing, so wholesome.
Now pour yourself a drink and get back on that piano.
“A great many
of us have a
desire to pour
some double
measures and
sing along
enthusiastically
if tunelessly to
Love Actually”
Turn the page for Debora’s special boozy
cherry mincemeat →
What
are your
Christmas
traditions?
Tell us at
info@delicious
magazine.co.uk
voices in food.
Cherry mincemeat
“I’m addicted to cherries and this year was a good one for them. Once the fresh
ones were over, I fed my desire with cherries preserved in syrup, spooning them
into yogurt and onto ice cream, baking them in cakes and tarts, folding them
into chocolate mousse and dropping them into cocktails. So when it came to
making my mincemeat this year, continuing that love affair felt like a natural
development. I always pepper my mince pies, Christmas puds and cakes with
more glacé cherries than is quite respectable, but for the purpose of this year’s
experiment, I decided to use their softer, juicier cousins in syrup, with kirsch in
place of my more usual brandy, to play up the cherry theme even further.
I prefer a mincemeat without suet because I think the flavour is brighter and
vegetarians can eat it too. The method for my mincemeat is inspired by River
Cottage’s Pam ‘The Jam’ Corbin, who uses plum purée. I use apple purée and
load up the cherries shamelessly. This makes around 1.7kg so you’ll need to
sterilise the jars and start the soaking the day before cooking.”
• 1.2kg bramley apples (about
5), peeled, cored and cut
roughly into 2cm pieces
• Juice and zest 3 oranges
(weigh the dried fruit and zest
the oranges directly onto it, so
you don’t lose any fragrant oils)
• 500g crisp eating apples
(about 3), such as russets or
braeburns, peeled, cored and
cut into 1cm cubes
• 400g jar good cherries in
syrup – use the precious syrup
too, don’t discard it, pour it
in there with the rest
• 200g currants
NEXT MONTH
Ice cream is not
just for summer
54 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
• 200g raisins
• 200g sultanas
• 150g blanched almonds,
roughly chopped
• 120g good cherry jam – I used
Bonne Maman Black Cherry
Conserve
• 125g demerara sugar
• 125g light muscovado sugar
• Juice 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• ½ nutmeg, grated
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 150ml kirsch
Tip the bramley apple pieces
into a pan with the orange juice
and cook gently for 15 minutes
until they form a silky purée
with a few small pieces left in
it. Pour the purée into a bowl
and stir in the rest of the
ingredients except for the booze.
Cover and leave everything to
macerate for 12 hours – I start
it off the day before I want
to make the mincemeat.
Heat the oven to 110ºC fan/
gas 1. Put the mincemeat on
a large baking tray and cook for
2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours
20 minutes, stirring once or
twice. The fruit should look
luscious and the mixture slightly
loose – it will firm up as it cools.
Stir in the kirsch and spoon into
warm sterilised jars. Seal and
store in a dark, cool place until
Christmas. Use within 12 months.
Per 50g serving 75kcals, 1.3g fat
(0.1g saturated), 0.9g protein,
13.5g carbs (13.4g sugars),
0.1g salt, 0.7g fibre
We think it should be nice and easy to make
healthier choices, especially during the week.
That’s why we’re all about super convenient,
seriously tasty veg-based meals that give
you more time to live the good life. Each one
is packed with flavoursome vegetables and
absolutely no artificial nasties. Just grab a box
from the freezer and enjoy a speedy midweek
meal you’ll love in 30 minutes or less.
Available in key retailers
goodlife co uk
Make.Eat.Share
GO LARGE
The sharing dish just got a whole lot more fun with a festive
selection of big, bigger, biggest ideas to make your gathering pop.
Dive in and help yourself to a generous portion of happiness
Party-size prawn
cocktail
together time.
Massive
mushroom
vol-au-vent
RECIPES: AMANDA JAMES, JESS MEYER & JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPHS: HANNAH HUGHES.
FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 57
Party-size prawn cocktail
Serves 6
Hands-on time 20 min
Oven time 10 min
Make the sauce up
to 2 days beforehand,
then cover and chill.
Swap prawns and
EASY
SWAPS langoustines for
crayfish, or use
sustainable frozen lobster tails
(you can buy them at Iceland).
MAKE
AHEAD
• 500g pack raw sustainable
langoustines
• 200g mayonnaise
• 100g crème fraîche
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• Juice 1 lime
• A few dashes Worcestershire
sauce
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 x 400g packs sustainable
cold-water cooked peeled
prawns, defrosted
• 1 radicchio di chioggia (or use
3 small red chicory)
• 80g bag wild rocket
• 2 avocados, stoned and diced
• 2 large salad onions, sliced
• 2-3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• Handful roughly chopped soft
herbs – coriander, dill, chives…
• Lemon/lime wedges and brown
bread and butter to serve
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Arrange the langoustines
on a baking tray and cook in the
oven for 8-10 minutes. Set aside
while you make the salad.
2 In a medium bowl, mix the
mayo, crème fraîche, ketchup,
lime juice, Worcestershire sauce
and cayenne with salt and
pepper. Stir in the prawns.
3 Arrange half the radicchio
58 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
leaves in a serving bowl (ideally
clear glass), then top with all the
rocket. Follow this layer with half
the prawns and sauce, then the
remaining radicchio leaves, the
avocados and the salad onions.
Top with the remaining prawns.
Arrange the cooked langoustines
around the bowl, drizzle with the
sweet chilli sauce, scatter with
the herbs and serve with lemon
or lime wedges and a stack
of well-buttered brown bread.
Per serving 543kcals, 40.5g fat
(8.3g saturated), 36.8g protein,
6.7g carbs (6g sugars), 2.9g salt,
2g fibre
Whopping one-pan
potato latke with
smoked salmon
Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 30 min
If the potatoes are
washed and blemishfree, you can skip
the peeling and grate them
skin and all.
Matzo meal is made from
ground matzo crackers. Find both
in the world food aisle of larger
supermarkets, or at Ocado.
KNOW
HOW
• 800g large starchy potatoes
(we used russets), coarsely
grated – see Know-how
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 3 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp matzo meal (or use
matzo crackers, whizzed in
a food processor until finely
ground; see KNow-how)
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• Small bunch chives, finely
chopped
• 1 tsp caraway or cumin seeds,
lightly crushed (optional)
• 4 tbsp light olive oil or
vegetable oil
• 200g sustainable cold-smoked
salmon slices to serve
• Sustainable salmon roe,
finely chopped spring onion,
dill sprigs and lemon wedges
to serve
For the herby crème fraîche
• 200g crème fraîche
• Small bunch chives, finely
chopped
• Small bunch dill, finely
chopped
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 Put the grated potatoes and
onion in a large bowl and sprinkle
over 2 tsp of the salt. Mix
thoroughly, then set aside for
15 minutes to draw out moisture.
2 Meanwhile, for the herby
crème fraîche, mix all the
ingredients together in a bowl
with some seasoning. Cover
and chill until ready to serve.
3 Transfer the potato mixture
to a clean tea towel or muslin
square (discard any liquid in
the bowl). Gather the edges
together, then squeeze over the
sink to remove as much moisture
as you can (the potatoes need
to be nice and dry so the latke
crisps up). Return the mixture
to the bowl and stir in the
remaining salt and the matzo
meal, egg, chives, caraway/cumin
(if using) and plenty of black
pepper. Mix to combine.
4 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large
frying pan (about 28cm) over
a medium heat. Add the potato
mixture to the skillet, pressing to
spread into an even layer. Don’t
worry if the edges are a little
ragged – they’ll turn extra crispy.
Cook for 4-6 minutes, then
carefully invert onto a plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan,
then slide the latke back in. Cook
for a further 4-6 minutes until
the other side is golden.
5 Turn the latke out onto a
serving board (or serve in the
pan). Slice into wedges, then
top with smoked salmon, herby
crème fraîche, salmon roe, spring
onion and dill sprigs, with lemon
wedges for squeezing.
Per serving (for 6) 441kcals,
26.1g fat (11.1g saturated),
13.7g protein, 36g carbs (3.9g
sugars), 2.3g salt, 3.9g fibre →
together time.
Do you like your
latke on the
large side?
Big cinnamon bun
Serves 8
Hands-on time 30 min,
plus cooling
Oven time 35-40 min
Specialist kit 23cm springform
cake tin, lined
• 100g unsalted butter,
softened, plus an extra knob
• 3 eating apples, chopped into
small cubes about 1cm
• 100g soft brown sugar or light
brown muscovado sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 x 350g 6-packs Jus-Rol
croissant dough
• 150g icing sugar
• Zest and juice 1 clementine
• Sugar sprinkles (optional)
60 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
1 Melt the knob of butter in a
non-stick frying pan, add the
apple cubes and fry for 4-5
minutes until golden brown,
stirring so they don’t catch.
2 Meanwhile, in a small bowl,
mix the sugar, vanilla and
cinnamon until combined.
3 Heat the oven to 160ºC fan/
gas 4. Unroll the dough onto the
worktop, then pinch together
the perforations but leave as
2 separate rectangles of dough.
4 Spread the butter over the 2
pieces of dough, to cover them,
then sprinkle with the cinnamon/
vanilla sugar. Divide the apple
between the dough rectangles,
scattering it over the sugar but
leaving a little border all around.
Roll each up from a long edge to
make a long sausage. Coil one
sausage of dough to make a swirl,
then transfer to the lined cake
tin base (unclipped). Arrange
the second sausage of dough
around the first coiled swirl,
then clip on the cake tin sides.
5 Put the tin on a baking tray,
then bake for 35-40 minutes.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes,
then unclip and cool on a rack.
6 To serve, mix the icing sugar
with a little of the orange juice
to make a thick, drizzly icing, then
spoon liberally over the bake.
Decorate with orange zest and,
if you like, sugar sprinkles.
Per serving 573kcals, 29.6g fat
(16.7g saturated), 7g protein,
68.4g carbs (43.9g sugars),
→
1.4g salt, 2.3g fibre
together time.
And the world
record for the
biggest, best éclair
goes to... you
Massive mushroom
vol-au-vent
Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 30 min,
plus chilling
Oven time 20-25 min
Brush the smaller pastry
disc with egg, cook with
the main pastry case and
serve with the vol-au-vent as a
pastry ‘hat’. Or use the uncooked
disc and other offcuts to make
palmiers or cheese straws.
Use any combo of
EASY
SWAPS mushrooms, swap the
shallot for onion or
spring onions, or add leftover
blue or goat’s cheese.
DON’T
WASTE
IT
• 500g block puff pastry, or 2
ready-rolled puff pastry sheets
• Plain flour for dusting
• 1 medium free-range egg,
beaten
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 500g mixed mushrooms, larger
ones thickly sliced, smaller
ones halved or quartered
• 200ml double cream
• 2-3 thyme sprigs, leaves
picked, plus extra to serve
• Grated zest and juice ½ lemon
• 50g parmesan or vegetarian
hard cheese, finely grated
• Salad leaves to serve
1 For the vol-au-vent case, roll
the pastry out on a lightly
floured surface into a rectangle
at least 40cm x 20cm. Using
a cake tin or 20cm plate as a
template, cut 2 x 20cm discs.
Put one on a lined baking tray,
then lightly brush the top with
egg. Using a cutter or knife, cut
an 18cm hole in the middle of the
other disc (see Don’t Waste It).
Position the ring on top of the
egg-brushed disc and brush with
more egg. Chill for 20 minutes.
2 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Use a sharp knife to score
the border of the chilled pastry,
then brush with more egg. Bake
for 20-25 minutes until puffed
and golden. Remove from the
oven and press the centre down
with the back of a spoon.
3 For the filling, melt the butter
in a large pan over a low-medium
heat. Add the shallot and a pinch
of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes
until beginning to soften. Add
the garlic and cook for 1 minute
more until fragrant.
4 Add the mushrooms, turn the
heat to medium and cook for
10-15 minutes until golden.
Remove from the heat and stir
in the cream, thyme and lemon
juice. Season.
5 Put the warm vol-au-vent on
a serving plate and fill with the
mushroom mix. Top with lemon
zest, extra thyme and grated
cheese. Serve with salad leaves.
Per serving (for 6) 628kcals,
48.1g fat (27.3g saturated),
12.6g protein, 34.7g carbs (1.8g
sugars), 1g salt, 2.7g fibre
can freeze the baked, cooled
choux pastry for up to 1 month.
Defrost at room temperature,
then refresh in a 150°C fan/gas
3½ oven for about 10 minutes.
Pipe any leftover choux
DON’T
WASTE paste into small balls on
IT
a lightly oiled tray. Bake
for 15-20 minutes until crisp
and golden. Cool completely,
then freeze in bags for up to
1 month for an easy last-minute
dessert or canapé.
Swap the Ferrero Rocher
EASY
SWAPS for Ferrero Raffaello,
then top with melted
white chocolate instead of
milk/dark and toasted coconut
for a white Christmas twist.
For the choux pastry
• 125g plain flour
• 90ml whole milk
• 80g unsalted butter, cut
into 1cm cubes
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 medium free-range eggs,
lightly beaten (you may need
an extra one)
For the filling
• 500ml double or whipping
cream
• 12 Ferrero Rocher balls,
roughly chopped
For the topping
• 100g milk or dark chocolate,
melted in a bowl set over a pan
of barely simmering water, or
in short bursts in a microwave
• 50g blanched hazelnuts,
toasted in a dry pan and
roughly chopped, to decorate
Giant Ferrero Rocher
éclair to share
Serves 8-10
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
cooling
Oven time 40-45 min
Specialist kit Large piping bag
MAKE
AHEAD
Once assembled the
éclair is best eaten
straightaway, but you
1 Heat the oven to 200ºC fan/
gas 7. Line a large baking sheet
with baking paper. Sift the flour
twice into a mixing bowl, then
set beside the hob. Put the milk,
butter, sugar, salt and 90ml
water in a small saucepan over
a low heat, stirring until the sugar
dissolves and the butter melts
(don’t let it bubble). Once the
together time.
butter is fully melted, turn the
heat up to high and bring to a
rolling boil. As soon as the butter
gathers in the middle of the pan,
remove from the heat and add all
the flour. Quickly stir the mixture
to fully incorporate the flour, then
return to a low heat and cook,
stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
2 Transfer the dough to a stand
mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, then mix on low
speed for 3-4 minutes until the
dough is no longer hot but still
warm to the touch. (Or beat with
an electric hand mixer or with a
wooden spoon and elbow grease.)
3 Add about half the beaten
eggs, then increase the mixer
speed to medium and beat until
fully incorporated. Gradually add
the remaining beaten eggs until
the mixture is thick and shiny
and drops off a spoon when
tapped lightly on the side of the
pan (you may not need all the
egg). If it clings, beat in another
lightly beaten egg, 1 tsp at a
time, to get the right consistency.
4 Scoop the choux paste into a
large piping bag, then snip the
end so you have a hole about
4cm in diameter. Pipe a long
sausage shape of choux onto
the prepared tray, about 35cm
long, then bake for 25 minutes.
Turn the temperature down to
170°C fan/gas 5 and bake for
15-20 minutes more until well
risen, golden and crisp. Set aside
to cool (see Make Ahead).
5 When ready to assemble,
whip the cream for the filling
to soft peaks, then stir in the
chopped Ferrero Rocher. Slice
the éclair in half horizontally
and fill the bottom half with
the cream mixture, then put
the top back on. Drizzle the
melted chocolate over the top
of the éclair, then sprinkle with
toasted hazelnuts to serve.
Per serving (for 10) 563kcals,
48.3g fat (25.8g saturated),
74.7g protein, 24.2g carbs (13.8g
sugars), 6.5g salt, 1.1g fibre
Espresso martini
for a crowd
Serves 6
Hands-on time 10 min
A few hours ahead,
combine the ingredients
in a large jug or pitcher
(no ice) and chill until needed.
Whizz the mixture in a blender
(or shake in a cocktail shaker in
batches over ice), then strain
into glasses to serve.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 300ml vodka
• 210ml coffee liqueur
such as Kahlúa, Tia Maria
or coffee tequila
• 150ml freshly brewed
espresso coffee
• A few handfuls ice
• Coffee beans to serve
(optional)
1 Put the vodka, coffee liqueur
and espresso in a large jug/
pitcher with the ice, then stir
with a long-handled spoon
to chill the mixture. Strain
the cocktail into a blender,
discarding the ice, then whizz
to create the all-important
frothy crema on top. Strain
into glasses and, if you like,
float 3 coffee beans on the
surface of each. →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 63
together time.
Huge dress-up
gingerbread person
Serves 8
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
chilling and cooling
Oven time 10-12 min
Specialist kit Several small
piping bags (depending on
colours for decorating)
GET OUR TEMPLATE To print
a template for the gingerbread
person and accessories, go
to deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
gingerbread-man-template
•
•
•
•
NEXT MONTH
Introducing
the Bridget
Jones-inspired
turkey buffet!
200g salted butter
120g golden syrup
75g dark brown sugar
75g dark brown muscovado
sugar
• 475g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 150g icing sugar, plus extra
for dusting
• Gel food colourings (optional)
1 Melt the butter, golden syrup
and sugars in a small pan over
a low heat, stirring until smooth.
Set aside to cool slightly.
2 Sift the flour, bicarb and
spices into a bowl, then pour in
the cooled butter/sugar mixture.
Mix until the dough comes
together – it will be sticky.
3 Dust a clean work surface
with icing sugar, then knead the
dough for a minute until it forms
a smooth ball. Roll between 2
sheets of baking paper to a large
rectangle 5mm thick. Chill for at
least 1 hour between the paper
sheets so it doesn’t dry out.
4 Heat the oven to 160°C fan/
gas 4 and line 2 baking trays
with baking paper. Use a template
or cut 1 large person free-hand
from the chilled dough using
a sharp knife (see Get Our
Template). Put onto a baking tray.
5 From the gingerbread off-cuts,
cut out boots, mittens and other
accessories, then space apart
on the other tray.
6 Bake both trays full of
gingerbread for 10-12 minutes
until firm around the edges for a
chewy finish (the gingerbread
will firm up more as it cools).
Cool on the trays for about
10 minutes, then transfer to a
cooling rack to cool completely.
7 For the icing, sift the 150g
icing sugar into a small bowl and
mix in 2-3 tbsp cold water to get
a thick, pipeable consistency.
Use the white icing or, if you
prefer, divide it into bowls and
colour with food colouring,
then decant into piping bags.
Decorate the gingerbread,
then set aside for at least
1 hour until the icing sets hard.
Per serving 603kcals, 21.5g fat
(13.3g saturated), 6.3g protein,
94.6g carbs (48.7g sugars),
0.9g salt, 3g fibre
menu.
Matt Tebbutt’s
festive feasting
Parmesan
fritters with
roquefort spinach
TURN THE PAGE FOR THE RECIPES ››
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 67
Every course is covered here,
with more options besides.
Serve the parmesan fritters or
the salad to start; serve the
salad on its own as a light lunch
or as part of a buffet on Boxing
Day; choose to go light for
pudding with a zesty granita
or more substantial with a
chocolate torte… TV presenter
and chef Matt’s wonderful
menu ideas will help clear the
decks of festive leftovers, too
T he starter or
lunch to share
For the dressing
• 60g roquefort cheese,
crumbled
• 3½ tbsp buttermilk, plus extra
if needed (use greek yogurt if
you can’t get buttermilk)
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Pinch ground cumin
• 1 red chicory (endive),
chopped
• 2 hard-boiled free-range eggs,
roughly chopped
• 1 cooked free-range chicken
breast, thinly sliced (or use
leftover turkey, if you like)
• 1 ripe avocado, chopped
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh
mixed herbs, such as tarragon,
chives and parsley
• 4 smoked streaky bacon
rashers, cooked until crisp,
then roughly chopped
For the salad
• ½ cos or romaine lettuce,
chopped
1 To make the dressing, whizz all
the ingredients in a processor or
blender (if doing by hand, mash
American-style
cobb salad
Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min
the cheese in a bowl, then add
the remaining ingredients and
whisk to blend). You may need
to add extra buttermilk or water
if the dressing is too thick – it
should have the consistency
of pouring cream.
2 Arrange the lettuce and chicory
around a large serving dish
or platter, then the remaining
ingredients in concentric circles,
finishing with a sprinkling of
herbs and chopped bacon.
3 Drizzle over the dressing to
serve. Mix well at the table just
before you dive in.
Per serving 357kcals, 25.2g fat
(8.1g saturated), 24.4g protein,
6.3g carbs (5.1g sugars),
→
1.5g salt, 3.7g fibre
“Ever popular, the cobb salad is pretty substantial
as salads go. Part of its appeal is in the way it’s displayed
in the bowl and mixed together at the table”
68 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
menu.
American-style
cobb salad
Chicken, ham hock
and jerusalem
artichoke pithivier
menu.
Matt’s pal Olly Smith’s cocktail to kick things off
“With a place assured
in the classic cocktail
pantheon, the brandy
crusta’s heritage goes
back to mid-1800s
New Orleans, where it was named
after its crusted rim of sugar.”
Starter or nibble
to serve with drinks
Buy simple syrup or make it
– combine equal weights of
caster sugar and hot water,
stir to dissolve, then leave to cool.
KNOWHOW
Brandy crusta
Parmesan fritters with
roquefort spinach
Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 30 min
Parmesan and roquefort
aren’t usually vegetarian.
You can sub in a hard
vegetarian grating cheese and
stilton if you need the fritters to
be vegetarian or use up whatever
cheese you have left over.
Serves 2
• Lemon wedge & twists to decorate
• 105ml brandy
• 15ml orange curaçao (or Cointreau)
• 15ml maraschino cherry liqueur
(or kirsch or cherry brandy)
• 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 15ml simple syrup (see Know-how)
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
it all the way around, then dip the
rim of the glass in a saucer of sugar.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add
all the ingredients except the twists,
shake vigorously to chill, then strain
into 2 chilled sugar-rimmed glasses.
Garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers!
For the sugar rims, push a lemon
wedge onto the rim of a glass, run
Recipe adapted from Home Cocktail
Bible by Olly Smith (Quadrille £20)
MAKE IT
VEGGIE
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 100ml whole milk
• 50g unsalted butter
• 125g plain flour
• 1 tsp English mustard
powder
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
• 280g parmesan, grated (see
Make It Veggie)
• 200g baby spinach
• 3½ tbsp crème fraîche
• 3½ tbsp double cream
• 100g roquefort cheese
• Good pinch freshly grated
nutmeg
1 Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer
to 180°C or half-fill a deep,
heavy-based pan with oil set
over a medium-high heat. The oil
is hot enough when a small cube
of bread dropped into the oil
turns golden in 40-50 seconds
(or you can test the temperature
using a probe thermometer).
2 Meanwhile, put the milk, butter
and 100ml water in a large pan
and bring to the boil. As soon as
it comes to the boil, add the
flour and mustard and beat with
a wooden spoon or large whisk
to make a thick paste. Take off
the heat and allow to cool slightly
(if you don’t cool it the mixture
may split). Gradually beat in the
eggs, thyme and 200g of the
grated parmesan. Use a
dessertspoon to gently drop
each fritter into the hot oil and
cook in batches for 4-5 minutes
in the fryer, turning frequently,
until crisp and golden. Remove
and drain on a plate lined with
kitchen paper and keep warm.
3 Next, heat a large wide pan over
a medium heat. Add the spinach
and cook until wilted down, then
add the crème fraîche, cream
and roquefort and cook until the
cheese has melted. Finish with
the freshly grated nutmeg.
4 To serve, spread the spinach
and cheese mixture onto a
serving plate, top with the
yummy fritters and sprinkle over
the remaining grated parmesan.
Per serving (for 6) 566kcals,
41.4g fat (23.4g saturated),
28.9g protein, 20.1g carbs (1.7g
sugars), 1.6g salt, 1.3g fibre →
“I love cheese (especially blue cheese) and I love fritters. The End!”
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 71
Spectacular
main course
Chicken, ham hock
and jerusalem
artichoke pithivier
Serves 4
Hands-on time 1 hour, plus
chilling
Oven time 20-25 min
Make the pithivier up to
the end of step 3 up to
a few hours ahead and
keep in the fridge. Decorate and
bake about half an hour before
you want to serve.
This is a good dish for
DON’T
WASTE using up leftover turkey
IT
leg meat or Christmas
ham instead of cooking the
chicken/ham from scratch.
Cook Jerusalem
KNOWartichokes as you would
HOW
potatoes in a pan of
salted water until tender to the
tip of a knife (about 15 minutes).
Blanching is when you add veg
to boiling water, let it come back
to the boil, then remove the veg
and refresh in a bowl of ice-cold
water to stop the cooking
process and preserve the colour
– here it also softens the
cabbage leaves for rolling.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 2 x 250g chicken legs, poached,
cooled, meat shredded into
chunks (see Don’t Waste It)
• 150g ham hock, poached and
cooled, meat chopped into
1cm chunks (keep 1-2 ladles of
the cooking liquor or use some
stock if you’re using leftover
ham – see Don’t Waste It)
• 1 tsp chopped tarragon
• 1 tsp chopped chervil (or use
more of the other herbs if you
can’t find any)
• 1 tsp chopped chives
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 banana shallot, finely
chopped
• 4 jerusalem artichokes, peeled
and cooked, then roughly
chopped (see Know-how)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 large outer leaves from
a dark green savoy cabbage,
blanched and refreshed
(see Know-how)
• 500g pack puff pastry,
preferably all butter, divided
into two pieces about
175g/325g – smaller piece
rolled out into a 20cm circle
and larger piece rolled out into
a 25-30cm circle
• 1 medium free-range egg,
beaten, for glazing
For the mustard cream sauce
• 150ml chicken stock
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 Start by putting the shredded
chicken, ham, chopped herbs
and shallot in a bowl. Season
with salt and pepper, add the
jerusalem artichokes and garlic
and mix well. Add a spoonful or
two of the ham cooking liquor
(or stock) to loosen the mixture
to a spoonable consistency.
2 Lay the blanched cabbage
leaves out in a large round on a
sheet of cling film big enough to
hold the leaves with some space
to spare. Spoon the filling on top
of the leaves, then pull up the
sides of the cling film to enclose
the leaves and filling, forming
a tight ball.
3 Once you’ve formed this tight
ball shape, remove the cling film
and lay the stuffed cabbage
leaves on top of the smaller
circle of puff pastry. Use a pastry
brush to brush around the edge
of the base circle with the
beaten egg. Top with the larger
pastry circle and push the edges
together gently to seal – crimp
the edges if you like. Brush the
top of the pithivier with the
remaining beaten egg. Carefully
transfer the pithivier to a baking
sheet lined with baking paper,
then chill for at least 30 minutes
(see Make Ahead).
4 Using the tip of a sharp knife,
lightly score a pattern in the
top, starting from the centre
and radiating outwards.
5 Heat the oven to 200°C fan/
gas 7. Transfer the chilled
pithivier, still on the baking
sheet, to the oven and bake
for 20-25 minutes or until the
pastry is puffed and golden.
6 Meanwhile, make the mustard
cream sauce: bring the chicken
stock to the boil in a saucepan
and whisk in the cream and both
types of mustard. Simmer for
5 minutes or until the mixture
coats the back of a spoon.
Season with salt and pepper,
then add the vinegar to taste.
Serve with the warm pithivier.
Per serving 941kcals, 60.7g fat
(30.6g saturated), 48g protein,
47.7g carbs (3.8g sugars), 2.4g
salt, 5.9g fibre →
“This pithivier, which is essentially a puff-pastry pie,
does require a bit of time and effort. But it’s a real
showstopper when you bring it to the table”
72 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
menu.
Pan-roasted carrots
with sticky sherry
dressing, toasted
almonds and manchego
menu.
“With a bit of time and effort, carrots can be
transformed into the stars of the show. The sherry caramel
will keep for a few weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge –
it’s great with roast scallops and celeriac purée”
T he side dish
Pan-roasted carrots with
sticky sherry dressing,
toasted almonds and
manchego
Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min
If your carrots haven’t
cooked through in the
pan, add 50ml water and
continue to cook until tender.
Manchego isn’t usually
vegetarian; use a veggie grating
cheese if need be or leave it out.
KNOWHOW
• 340g young carrots, scrubbed
well and dried, but not peeled
• 125g caster sugar
• 4 tbsp amontillado or fino
sherry
• 50g manchego cheese to
serve (see Know-how)
For the toasted almonds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g whole blanched almonds
• Pinch hot smoked paprika
For the dressing
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Heat a dry frying pan over
a medium heat and add the
carrots. Put another pan on
74 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
top, weighted down with tins of
food. Cook, turning occasionally,
for 6-8 minutes depending on
the thickness of the carrots.
When the carrots are just
cooked, turn off the heat and
keep them warm in the pan
(see Know-how).
2 Meanwhile, put the caster
sugar in a separate very clean
dry pan over a medium-high heat
and heat until it turns a golden
caramel colour all over – about
5-10 minutes. Tip the pan
carefully from side to side as
the sugar colours but don’t stir.
As soon as the sugar takes on
a uniform golden caramel
appearance, carefully pour in the
sherry. It will spit, splutter and
possibly ignite, so be very
careful and wear oven gloves.
When the spluttering calms
down, remove the pan from the
heat, keep warm and set aside.
3 To make the toasted almonds,
heat the olive oil in a small
frying pan, add the almonds
and toast until golden. Sprinkle
over a pinch of sea salt and
the smoked paprika. Set aside.
4 Whisk all the dressing
ingredients in a bowl, then
season with salt and pepper
to taste. Put the pan-roasted
carrots in a warmed serving
dish and drizzle over the sherry
caramel and the dressing.
Shave over the manchego
cheese and sprinkle with the
toasted almonds to serve.
Per serving 329kcals, 19.3g fat
(4.8g saturated), 5.2g protein,
26.9g carbs (26.3g sugars),
0.6g salt, 5.4g fibre
For more ways to use
amontillado, see Use It Up
T he sweet-treat
pudding
Hazelnut and raspberry
torte with chocolate
and almond cream
Serves 8–12
Hands-on time 20 min
Oven time 55-60 min
Specialist equipment 23cm
springform cake tin, lined and
greased with butter
Make the torte the day
before or a few hours
ahead. Leftover torte
will keep in the fridge, covered,
for 2-3 days.
If you’re coeliac or
KNOWfollowing a gluten-free
HOW
diet this recipe can be
made with gluten-free flour –
but do check the baking powder
and cocoa are gluten free too.
MAKE
AHEAD
For the torte
• 200g salted butter,
softened
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 80g hazelnuts, whizzed or
crushed to a crumb
consistency, plus 100g
hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 125g plain flour (see Know-how)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 3-4 tbsp whole milk
• 300g fresh raspberries
• 150g dark chocolate (70-80%
cocoa solids), broken into small
pieces →
“Rich chocolate and the crunchy bite
from the hazelnuts – this is a special dessert
to round off the evening”
menu.
For the chocolate cream
• 130g almond butter (from
most large supermarkets)
• 100g unsalted butter,
softened
• 130g icing sugar
• 80g cocoa
powder
• 1-5 tbsp whole milk to
loosen
NEXT MONTH
Christmas
with the stars:
a galaxy of
favourite cooks
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recipes
1 Heat the oven to 170°C fan/
gas 5. To make the torte, beat
the butter and sugar in a stand
mixer for about 10 minutes until
pale and soft (or use a large
mixing bowl and hand-held
electric mixer). Gradually add the
eggs, one by one, mixing after
each addition, then add the
80g hazelnut crumbs, flour and
baking powder and mix well. The
mixture should have a soft,
spoonable consistency. If
it’s a bit stiff, loosen with the
milk (you may not need it all).
2 Scatter half the fresh
raspberries over the bottom of
the cake tin (reserve the other
half to serve). Spoon the cake
mixture over the raspberries in
the base of the tin, then scatter
over the chocolate pieces and
the chopped hazelnuts. Bake for
55-60 min (or longer if needs be)
until a skewer pushed into the
centre comes out clean. Take
the torte out of the oven and
leave on a wire rack to cool.
3 Meanwhile, make the chocolate
cream: in a mixing bowl, use an
electric hand mixer to whisk the
almond butter with the butter
and icing sugar until well mixed.
Stir in the cocoa powder and just
enough milk to loosen to a
whipped cream consistency. Keep
somewhere cool (not the fridge)
until ready to serve. Slice the
torte and serve with the
chocolate cream and the
remaining fresh raspberries.
Per serving (for 12) 608kcals,
41.9g fat (17.2g saturated),
10.4g protein, 45.3g carbs
(34.9g sugars), 0.6g salt,
3.8g fibre
76 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
“A light and refreshing end to a good
dinner, bitter and sweet in equal measure.
It’s like an adult version of those
sorbets you used to get as a kid in
Mediterranean restaurants”
T he light, zesty
pudding
Orange and Campari
granita 70s-style
Serves 8
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
freezing time
Start this recipe the
day before you want to
serve it. The granita will
keep in the freezer at the end of
step 2 for 3 months.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 8 whole fresh oranges,
plus extra fresh orange
juice to make up the total
quantity of juice to 500ml
• 50g caster sugar
• 150ml Campari, plus extra
to serve
1 Cut the oranges in half. Using
a hand juicer, press and twist
the oranges to release the juice
and clean the insides. Pull and
scrape away any pith from the
orange halves, then freeze the
half shells. Strain and reserve
the juice, adding extra orange
juice to give 500ml in total.
2 Put the sugar and 3½ tbsp
water in a pan over a low heat
and stir for about 5 minutes until
the sugar is dissolved. Pour in
the Campari and the orange
juice, then tip the mixture into a
shallow baking tray and
transfer to the freezer. After
1-2 hours, take the granita out
of the freezer and scrape the
icy surface with a fork. Keep
doing this every hour or so for
6 hours or until the granita is set
and granular (see Make Ahead).
3 Take the granita out of the
freezer 5 minutes before serving
and fork through to create a
snow-like texture. Spoon into
the hollowed-out orange halves.
Pour a splash of Campari over
for an extra kick.
Per serving 97kcals, 0.1 fat
(no saturated), 0.6g protein,
13g carbs (13g sugars), no salt,
0.4g fibre
WEEKEND Eating at Home:
From Long Lazy Lunches
to Fast Family Fixes by
Matt Tebbutt (Quadrille £22)
PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRIS TERRY.
FOOD STYLING: MATT TEBBUTT
& MICHAELA BOWLES.
STYLING: FAYE WEARS
Orange and
Campari
granita
70s-style
Why does hen welfare matter?
What do the labels on eggs mean?
What is RSPCA Assured?
Find the answers at:
rspcaassured.org.uk
ROASTS
with the X-factor
Roast duck with spiced
apricot sauce
Looking to bring something new to the table? Whether you’re after
a showy, meaty centrepiece or a plant-based winner, try one of
these recipes for a feast with proper crowd-pleasing credentials
make.eat.share.
Roast beef and
yorkshire
puddings with
port sauce
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 81
make.eat.share.
• Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
• 160ml port
• 500-750ml quality beef stock
For the yorkshire puddings
• 250ml milk
• 4 medium free-range eggs
• 150g plain flour
• Vegetable oil to grease/drizzle
T he big trad roast
for a crowd
Roast beef and yorkshire
puddings with port sauce
Serves 10-12
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
cooling and resting
Oven time 1 hour 45 min
Specialist kit 12 hole yorkshire
pudding/muffin tin
This beef rib is called
a standing joint because
the meat is butchered
to sit upright on a platter. Unlike
some bone-in cuts, it’s also easy
to carve. Pre-order it from your
butcher, who will french trim and
tie it. Ask for some back fat tied
on to keep the meat succulent.
The number of ribs varies
(3.7kg-4kg will be 4-5 ribs).
Alternatively, order a boneless
joint that’s rolled and tied.
KNOWHOW
• 2 large onions, cut into chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 celery sticks, cut into large
chunks
• 1/2 bunch thyme, leaves picked
• 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 3.7kg-4kg beef rib standing
joint, french trimmed, fat
removed (see Know-how)
1 Heat the oven to 200°C fan/
gas 7. Scatter the chopped veg,
thyme and garlic in a hob-safe
roasting tin, then sit the beef on
top. Drizzle the veg and beef
with oil and season. Roast on
the bottom shelf of the oven for
1 hour 15 minutes (a digital
probe thermometer pushed into
the centre of the joint should
read 50°C for medium-rare).
Roast for up to 30 minutes
longer until cooked to your liking.
2 For the yorkshire puddings, put
the milk, eggs and flour in a jug
and whizz with a stick blender
(or use a worktop blender) until
just smooth and combined. Let
the mixture stand for 10-15
minutes to settle or chill for
longer, then briefly whisk again.
3 Remove the beef from the
oven and put the meat on a warm
serving platter (reserve the tin
with the veg in it). Cover the
meat loosely with foil and rest
for 30 minutes before carving.
4 Lightly grease the base and
sides of the yorkshire/muffin tin.
Drizzle enough oil into each hole
so you have 2mm in the base,
then put the tin on the top shelf
of the oven for 4-5 minutes until
very hot and the oil is smoking.
5 Divide the batter among the
tin holes, then bake for 18-25
minutes or until deep golden,
puffed and cooked through.
Remove the yorkies from the
tray, season and keep warm.
6 Meanwhile, put the beef
roasting tin (with the veg in it)
on the hob over a medium-high
heat. Add the port and let it
bubble until reduced by half. Stir
in the stock according to the
consistency you prefer, then
turn up the heat to bring to the
boil. Take the tin off the heat and
use a stick blender to whizz
until smooth (or decant into a
blender, taking care of the hot
mixture). Season to taste and
keep hot until ready to serve.
7 Serve the beef on a platter
with the yorkshire puddings
and port sauce on the side.
Per serving (for 12) 449kcals,
11.6g fat (4g saturated), 64.3g
protein, 16.7g carbs (6.3g
sugars), 0.7g salt, 2.6g fibre
T he vegan
centrepiece
Salt-baked celeriac with
tahini and zhoug
Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 30 min
Oven time 2 hours
The salt crust seasons
the celeriac, helping it
cook evenly. Serve the
celeriac in slices as is, or quickly
fry the slices in a little oil over
a high heat for 1-2 minutes on
each side to colour them.
Zhoug, a spicy herb paste, can
be found in larger supermarkets.
We used pre-cooked
EASY
SWAPS beluga lentils (from
supermarkets). You can
cook your own (you’ll need 250g
dry weight) or use pearl barley.
KNOWHOW
• 1 large whole celeriac, trimmed
and cleaned
• 1 tbsp zhoug paste (see
Know-how)
• 1 tbsp Belazu Tahini (see
overleaf)
• 500g plain flour
• 170g fine sea salt
• Large handful herbs, leaves
picked – we used rosemary,
thyme, marjoram and oregano
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
For the lentil salad
• 500g cooked beluga (black)
or puy lentils →
Salt-baked
celeriac with
tahini and zhoug
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 83
make.eat.share.
Love roast
duck? Don’t
miss Michel
Roux Jr’s
extra-special
recipe with
pears
• 3 tbsp zhoug paste (see
Know-how), plus extra to serve
• Glug olive oil
• 80g mixed baby salad leaves
(we used rocket and sorrel)
• 2-3 spring onions, finely
chopped
• Small bunch each mint, dill
(or coriander) and flatleaf
parsley, leaves picked
• 3-4 tbsp pomegranate
seeds
• Lemon wedges to serve
(optional)
STAR
INGREDIENT
Belazu Tahini
The sesame
seeds are
roasted and
double ground
to release a rich,
nutty flavour
and creamy
texture. It goes
beautifully with
the zingy lentils
and earthy
celeriac in
your vegan
centrepiece.
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH BELAZU
For the tahini dressing
• 4 tbsp Belazu Tahini (see left)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 small garlic clove,
crushed
• 2 tsp olive oil
1 Heat the oven to 160°C fan/
gas 4. Rub the celeriac with the
1 tbsp each zhoug and tahini.
Combine the flour, salt, herbs
and cumin seeds in a food
processor and whizz until the
herbs are finely chopped. With
the motor running, pour in
enough cold water to form a firm
dough (about 200ml). Briefly
knead the salt dough on a work
surface, then roll out into a disc
large enough to fully wrap the
celeriac. (To make the dough by
hand, finely chop the herbs, then
mix in a large bowl with the flour,
salt and cumin seeds. Add the
water and mix until the dough
comes together.)
2 Wrap the celeriac in the salt
dough, pinching the dough
together underneath to fully
enclose it. Put on a baking tray,
then bake for 2 hours.
3 Meanwhile, make the tahini
dressing. Put all the ingredients
84 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
in a small bowl, then
whisk to combine. Add
enough cold water to thin
the sauce to a drizzling
consistency, then season
with salt and more lemon to
taste. Cover and set aside.
4 For the lentil salad, mix
the lentils and zhoug in a large
bowl with a good glug of olive
oil. Toss the leaves, spring
onions, herbs and pomegranate
seeds with the lentils and set
aside until ready to serve.
5 Remove the celeriac from the
oven and use a serrated knife
to cut away the salt dough (use
oven gloves as it will be hot).
Discard the dough, then slice
the celeriac into wedges and
serve with the lentil salad, tahini
dressing, a squeeze of lemon
and, if you like, more zhoug.
Per serving (for 6) 426kcals,
15.4g fat (2.1g saturated),
12.3g protein, 50.4g carbs (6.9g
sugars), 2.4g salt, 17g fibre
T he luxury feast
Roast duck with spiced
apricot sauce
Serves 3-4
Hands-on time 45 min, plus
cooling, resting and 2 days
drying
Oven time 1 hour 5 min
Start the recipe 2 days
ahead of time to allow
time for the duck skin
to dry out properly so it crisps
up during cooking. The apricot
sauce can be made 2-3 days
ahead. Cover and store in the
fridge until needed.
MAKE
AHEAD
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1.5kg whole free-range duck
411g tin apricot halves in juice
70g caster sugar
50ml cider vinegar
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, lightly
crushed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Trim away excess fat from
inside and outside the duck
cavity, keeping the neck,
parson’s nose and winglets
intact. Put on a wire rack/grill in
the sink and pour over a kettle
of boiling water. Pat dry with
kitchen paper, then season
with salt inside the cavity. Chill
on a lipped tray, uncovered, for
2 days to let the skin dry out.
2 On the day you want to cook,
take the duck out of the fridge
2 hours ahead to let it come to
room temperature. Combine the
apricot halves and juice, sugar,
vinegar and spices in a pan over
a medium heat. Cook, stirring
occasionally, for 20-25 minutes
until the sauce is reduced and
syrupy and the apricots are very
soft. Set aside to cool.
3 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Put the duck, breast-side
up, on a wire rack set in a
roasting tin. Brush with the olive
oil, season with salt, then roast
for 45 minutes until the skin is
starting to brown. Pour away any
fat from the tin (strain and store
in a jar for roasting potatoes).
4 Increase the heat to 220°C
fan/gas 9 and roast the duck
for 20 minutes more. The juices
should run clear when you pierce
the thickest part of the leg
(a digital probe thermometer
should read 65-70°C when you
push it into the breast). Rest the
duck for 20 minutes, then carve
and divide into portions. Serve
with the spiced apricot sauce.
Per serving (for 4) 680kcals,
36.6g fat (11.4g saturated),
62g protein, 25.8g carbs (25.8g
sugars), 0.6g salt, 1.2g fibre
ROAST DUCK PHOTOGRAPH: BEN DEARNLEY. ADAPTED FROM A RECIPE BY: PHOEBE WOOD. STYLING: KRISTEN JENKINS. ROAST BEEF PHOTOGRAPH: BRETT STEVENS. ADAPTED FROM RECIPE BY:
COLIN FASSNIDGE & ANTHONY PUHARICH. STYLING: KRISTEN JENKINS. CELERIAC PHOTOGRAPH: CLAIRE WINFIELD. RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE
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deliciousmagazine.co.uk 87
Jamie’s
family
favourite
“Who doesn’t love garlic
bread? And this tear-andshare style is always a
winner. I’ve written the
recipe for 36 rolls because
it’s an easier quantity of
dough to work with. What
I like to do is make up two
trays of rolls, then whack
one in the freezer, ready
to bake another day –
you won’t regret it.”
BRITISH FOOD LEGEND JAMIE OLIVER
crowdpleaser.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 89
Scrumptious garlic bread
Makes 36 rolls; serves 12
Hands-on time 35 min, plus
rising/proving
Oven time 20 min
You can make the dough
the day before and let it
prove (have its final rise)
in the fridge overnight.
With the second tray of garlic
bread, shape and prove for 45
minutes, then cover and freeze
until needed. Simply bake from
frozen for 25 minutes.
MAKE
AHEAD
“Being with loved ones has never felt so important,
and great food is the perfect excuse to get together”
• 325ml tepid water
• 7g sachet dried yeast
• 500g strong bread flour, plus
extra for dusting
• 50g white or wholemeal bread
• Olive oil to grease
• 1 big bunch flatleaf parsley
(about 60g)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 200g light cream cheese
• Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
1 Pour the tepid water into a
large bowl. Add the yeast and
mix with a fork for 2 minutes.
Pour in the flour and a good
pinch of sea salt, then use a fork
to mix until you can’t move it any
more. Now, get your clean hands
in there and bring it together as
a ball of dough, adding more
flour, if needed, to stop your
hands and the dough sticking.
Knead on a flour-dusted surface
for 5 minutes or until silky and
elastic. Shape into a rough ball,
place in a lightly oiled bowl,
cover with a clean, damp tea
towel and prove in a warm place
for 1 hour or until doubled in size
(see pic, top left).
2 Meanwhile, lightly grease
2 baking trays (about 20cm x
30cm). Tear the bread into a
food processor or blender and
whizz into crumbs. Evenly scatter
the breadcrumbs over the trays.
Tear the leafy top half of the
parsley into the blender. Peel
and add the garlic, then whizz
crowdpleaser.
Together by
Jamie Oliver
is published
by Penguin
Random
House ©
Jamie Oliver
Enterprises
Limited (2021
Together).
Photography:
David Loftus.
until fine. Halve the lemon and
squeeze in the juice, add the
cream cheese, whizz again until
smooth, then season to
perfection, tasting and tweaking.
3 Knock the air out of the dough
by punching it with your fist,
then divide into two. One piece
at a time, pull and stretch out on
an oiled surface until it’s roughly
30cm x 50cm (see pictures, left).
Spread over half the cream
cheese mixture, leaving a 5cm
border along the longer side
that’s farthest away from you.
Now, take your time to roll up
the dough, starting in front of
you, so you end up with a long
swiss roll shape. With a sharp
knife, cut each roll into about
18 pieces, then place in the trays,
swirl-side up, arranging them
fairly close together. Cover and
leave to prove somewhere warm
for 45 minutes, or until doubled
in size. Or cover and leave in the
fridge to prove overnight. See
Make Ahead for the freezing
instructions for the second tray.
4 When ready to cook, heat
the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/
gas 7. Uncover and bake on the
top shelf for 20 minutes or until
golden. Drizzle with a little
extra-virgin olive oil to serve.
Per roll 64kcals, 1.2g fat
(0.5g saturated), 2.3g protein,
12.5g carbs (0.6g sugars),
0.2g salt, 0.6g fibre
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 91
Dreaming of a
blue Christmas?
Stilton is the go-to cheese at this time of year and
it’s a beauty – but could it be time to broaden your
blue horizons? Patrick McGuigan has the low-down on
the East Midlands’ finest, along with stilton-alikes,
offbeat blues and your festive bonus: stilton biscuits
BLUE VELVET
Stilton, the
king of
cheeses
HUNTING THE BIG FIVE
Long Clawson and Tuxford &
Tebbutt (Leics) are the country’s
biggest stilton houses, making
thousands of tonnes a year. They
make a lot of supermarket
own-label stiltons, which tend to
be sold young at 8-10 weeks when
crumbly and tangy – they can
also be slightly bitter or metallic.
The smallest stilton maker is
Hartington Creamery (Derbys),
which makes a lighter, fresher style
of cheese, aged for nine weeks.
In between are Cropwell Bishop
and Colston Bassett (Notts), which
typically mature their stiltons a
little longer. Cropwell’s classic and
organic stiltons are aged for up to
12 weeks, developing a creamy
texture and spicy notes, while its
non-veggie ‘traditional rennet’
cheese is aged for 15 weeks to be
even more buttery and complex.
Colston Bassett hand-ladles the
curds for a silky-smooth texture.
DON’T CALL ME STILTON
Other British blues are made to
the same recipe as stilton, but
aren’t permitted to use the name
because of its protected status.
The most famous is stichelton,
made in Nottinghamshire in a
traditional style but with raw
milk. The cheese changes from
batch to batch, but it’s often sweet
and toasty with good umami.
Other stilton-style cheeses to look
out for include sparkenhoe blue
from Leicestershire, Belfast’s
young buck and bath blue.
92 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
INTO THE BLUE BEYOND
British cheesemakers are an
inventive lot, so there are plenty
of other shades of blue to choose
from. Gorgonzola-esque beauvale
(made by Cropwell Bishop)
and the brie-style cote hill blue
are gorgeously gooey, while
harbourne blue, a roquefort-style
cheese made with goat’s milk, is
tinged with caramel and floral
notes. There’s even a creamy
buffalo blue, made in Yorkshire
using milk from a British herd of
water buffaloes. Can you cope with
the untraditional-ness of it all?
WHERE TO BUY
Long Clawson
Tesco, Waitrose,
Sainsbury’s, Morrisons
Tuxford & Tebbutt
Asda, Aldi
Cropwell Bishop Waitrose
Hartington
hartingtoncreamery.co.uk
Colston Bassett,
stichelton, harbourne blue
nealsyarddairy.co.uk.
Young buck, sparkenhoe
blue, cote hill blue
thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
Bath blue, buffalo blue
thecheesegeek.com
RECIPE: NICOLA ROBERTS. PHOTOGRAPHS: NASSIMA ROTHACKER. FOOD STYLING: PHIL MUNDY.
STYLING: LAUREN MILLER. CHEESE PHOTOGRAPH: CROPWELL BISHOP
Christmas is a key time for stilton
makers, with some selling a hefty
40% of their annual production
– they’re busy in late summer so
the cheese can mature in time.
The protected cheese can only be
made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire
and Nottinghamshire using
pasteurised cow’s milk – and only
five companies still make it today.
british cheese.
Seeded stilton biscuits
Makes about 40 small biscuits
Hands-on time 15 min, plus
chilling and cooling
Oven time 12-14 min
Open-freeze the
sliced uncooked
biscuits on trays, then
pack into sealable bags. Store in
the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cook from frozen, adding
1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Try adding 1 tbsp
NEXT
chopped
thyme
TIME
leaves to the dough
along with the flour in step 1.
Lightly whisk the egg
DON’T
WASTE white with a pinch of
IT
sugar and freeze. Use
for meringue/chocolate mousse.
MAKE
AHEAD
NEXT MONTH
The great British
cheeseboard – but
not as you know it
• 150g plain flour
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 80g stilton or other blue
cheese, crumbled
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 medium free-range egg yolk
• 4 tbsp black sesame, poppy
or nigella seeds
1 Pulse the flour, salt, blue
cheese and butter in a food
processor until the mixture
resembles breadcrumbs.
With the motor running, add
the egg yolk and continue
to whizz until a ball of dough
forms. Alternatively, rub the
flour, salt, stilton and butter
between your fingertips
until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs, then add the
egg yolk and briefly knead
until you have a soft dough.
2 Divide the mixture in 2 and
roll each piece into an even
sausage shape about 2.5-3cm
in diameter. Scatter the seeds
onto a small baking tray and
roll the pieces of dough in the
seeds until evenly coated. Chill
for 1 hour or until firm.
3 Heat the oven to 160ºC fan/
gas 4. Slice the chilled dough
into 7-8mm thick rounds. Put
the biscuits on a large, lined
baking tray, then bake for 12-14
minutes until pale and golden.
Leave to cool completely.
Per biscuit 52kcals, 3.8g fat
(2g saturated), 1.3g protein,
2.9g carbs (0.1 sugars),
0.1g salt, 0.3g fibre
made in France
CULTIVATE YOUR FLAVOURS
FRESH ALL YEAR ROUND
EFFORTLESSLY!
LED
Low consumption
horticultural lighting
INDEPENDENT
Automatic silent
irrigation
LINGOT®
Refill ready to use
(seeds + substrate + nutrients)
EFFECTIVE
Rapid Growth
Generous Harvest
100% NATURAL
No Pesticides
No GMO
• Designed and made in France
• Available in four Lingot or two Lingot gardens
• Automatic watering and LED lighting system
• Automatic reminder when the water tank is empty
• Discover over 70 different herbs, greens, baby vegetables, small fruits, - - - - - edible flowers and Asian flavours - our Lingot
• Grow fresh and healthy produce in your kitchen, all year round
• Bringing natural colour, originality and refinement to your food
EXKY
Adapted in size to fit those smaller spaces
and households, allowing you to grow up
to two different Lingots at the same time.
For stockist details:
inthehaus.co.uk
As seen at the RHS Chelsea flower show 2021
voices in food.
T he time I cooked for...
Paul McCartney
What goes on tour stays on tour, but food writer Annie Rigg is happy to spill the beans
about her crazy year in the catering band – and the music legend’s love of curries
During the 1990s I was lucky enough
to cook for some of the world’s most
famous rock bands, including a
12-month, 19-country tour with Paul
McCartney. It was like being part of a travelling
circus and an incredible feat of organisation – in
those days, everything was done by phone or fax.
There were four chefs catering for a crew of
126, including Paul and his wife Linda. We’d
produce three meals a day, plus snacks for the
mammoth overnight bus journeys. This was
long before the internet and
I couldn’t lug my cookbooks
with me, so I wrote down
every recipe in a notebook.
When we arrived for the
next concert, enormous
trucks would roll up with
everything to build a kitchen behind the scenes
– vast fridge freezers, cases of kit and tableware,
even washing machines for the kitchen linen.
Everything would be unpacked in a couple of
hours and we’d be ready to go.
search of great places between concerts – the
best seafood restaurant in Sydney or the fish
market in Tokyo. Sometimes we’d order pizzas
for the entire crew from a local pizzeria: they’d
close the restaurant to fulfil our order and deliver
as we got on the buses to our next destination.
The McCartneys were very much part of the
team. At mealtimes, Paul would plonk himself
down wherever there was space and have a chat,
and Linda would wander around with her camera
taking photos. She was always popping into the
kitchen to see what we were
making and made us mix
tapes to play while cooking.
SHE WAS
A DAY
TRIPPER...
Annie on
down-time
in Mexico;
one of
the tour
buses she
practically
lived on in
1993; Paul
in action
INTERVIEW: SHARON PARSONS. PORTRAIT OF ANNIE: ©2017 NASSIMA ROTHACKER.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES
“There was horse
riding in Argentina,
fun on a yacht in
the Bahamas...”
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE
Paul and Linda weren’t picky, but naturally they
insisted it was a vegetarian kitchen, which
could be a challenge in some parts of the world
back then. We got around it with lots of variety.
We’d have themed Indian or Italian nights,
which Paul especially enjoyed. The British boys
loved a Sunday roast too, so we’d do the works
without the meat: roasties, Yorkshire puds and
gravy, followed by apple pie.
The crew were real foodies, and we’d go in
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
We’d have dinner ready for
everyone before the concert,
then sometimes watch from the wings. I’ll never
forget hearing those huge, happy audiences
singing Band on the Run or Hey Jude...
We’d have a few days off when we arrived
somewhere new, and I remember horse riding
with gauchos in Argentina, a few days on a yacht
in the Bahamas and lots of amazing parties!
I wouldn’t recommend going straight to work
from a nightclub now, but I was only 23 then.
The tour ended just before Christmas in
Santiago, Chile. We celebrated with a big
Christmas dinner (minus the turkey) and after
the last concert we had a farewell party; it was
so sad to say goodbye to my wonderful travelling
family. It was hard work, but I just remember
all the camaraderie, fun and excitement – it
was a melting pot of craziness.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 95
If you make
one pudding...
Gin & tonic tart with
candied lemons
Serves 12
Hands-on time 45 min, plus
chilling and cooling
Oven time 30 min
Specialist kit 22cm springform
cake tin, greased and lined
Prepare the tart and
candied lemons a day
ahead, then cover and
chill. Assemble before serving.
Freeze egg whites,
DON’T
WASTE labelled, for up to 3
IT
months. Defrost to use.
MAKE
AHEAD
For the curd
• 300g caster sugar
• 8 medium free-range eggs,
plus 4 yolks (see Don’t Waste It)
• 250g unsalted butter, chopped
• Finely grated zest and juice 3
lemons and 1 lime, plus 1 extra
lime, thinly sliced, to serve
• 2 tsp juniper berries
• 2 gelatine leaves (platinum
grade)
For the almond pastry
• 50g ground almonds
• 185g plain flour
• 40g icing sugar, sifted
• 125g chilled unsalted butter,
cubed
• 1 medium free-range egg yolk,
plus 1 whole egg for glazing
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1-2 tbsp tonic water, chilled
96 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
For the candied lemons
• 330g caster sugar
• 250ml tonic water, chilled
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 60ml gin
1 To make the curd, put the 300g
sugar, eggs and yolks, butter,
lemon and lime zest and juice,
and juniper in a large heatproof
bowl and whisk to combine. Put
over a pan of gently simmering
water (don’t let the bowl touch
the water) and cook, whisking,
for 6-8 minutes until thickened.
2 Meanwhile, soak the gelatine
leaves in a small bowl of cold
water for 5 minutes to soften.
Remove the thickened curd from
the heat, squeeze any excess
water from the gelatine and
whisk the leaves into the hot
curd. Strain into a clean bowl,
discarding any solids. Cover the
surface with cling film and chill
for 2 hours or until thickened.
3 Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas
4. For the pastry, put the ground
almonds, flour, icing sugar and
butter in a food processor and
whizz to form a coarse crumb.
With the motor running, add the
egg yolk and vanilla, then add
the tonic water, a little at a time,
until the pastry comes together.
(Or rub the almonds, flour and
sugar into the butter, then mix in
the egg, vanilla and tonic water
by hand.) Press the pastry into
the cake tin to form a 3mm thick
base and sides. You don’t have
to be neat – it will be trimmed.
Chill for 30 minutes.
4 Trim the sides of the chilled
tart case to about 3.5cm deep.
Using a fork, prick holes in the
base, then line with baking paper
and baking beans or uncooked
rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then
remove the beans/rice and
baking paper. Beat the remaining
egg and brush over the inside of
the case. Return the tin to the
oven for 10 minutes more or
until golden and cooked through.
Set aside until cool, then remove
from the tin. Fill the tart case
with the curd and chill for 4
hours or overnight until firm.
5 Meanwhile, make the candied
lemons. Put the 330g sugar and
tonic in a pan over a medium
heat. Bring to a simmer, then
turn the heat to low and add the
lemon slices. Cook, stirring now
and then, for 40-50 minutes or
until soft, then remove the lemon
and spread over a wire rack to
cool. Cool the syrup slightly, add
the gin, then cool completely.
6 To serve, top the tart with the
candied lemons and extra lime
slices, then drizzle with the syrup
(use any leftovers in cocktails).
Per serving 644kcals, 34.7g fat
(18.4g saturated), 10g protein,
69.9g carbs (57.9g sugars),
0.2g salt, 0.6g fibre
RECIPE: WARREN MENDES. PHOTOGRAPH: MARK ROPER. STYLING: KIRSTEN JENKINS
Soft, sweet-sharp curd, nutty crumbly pastry and sticky citrus segments,
all flavoured with the refreshing sharpness of juniper – and gin. Cheers!
glamour dessert.
Ham and cheese croquettes
Makes 14
Hands-on time 20 min, plus cooling
Oven time 20 min
Crispmas
crackers
With a little help from Crisp ‘n Dry, your dishes
will make spirits bright this festive season
I
t’s the time to eat, drink and
be merry, and whether you’re
hosting a large Christmas Day
feast, the ultimate Boxing Day
buffet or are simply making the
most of the season with dinner
parties galore, Crisp ‘n Dry is
here to help.
Made from 100% rapeseed oil,
this unsung hero of the British
kitchen is as perfect for roasting
and frying as it is for basting and
browning. Suitable for both vegan
and vegetarian diets, rapeseed oil
is high in omega 3 and is lower in
saturated fat than sunflower,
olive and coconut oil. It’s also free
from artificial trans fats and
genetically modified ingredients
or recognised allergens – because
who wants those in their cooking?
Crisp ‘n Dry has even designed
a non-drip, easy pour bottle
to avoid any of those accidental
‘oil overload’ moments. Plus,
the bottles are made from more
than 50% recycled plastic and are
fully recyclable.
While traditions are often
cherished at Christmas, it can
also be a great time to get a little
more creative in the kitchen
and try something new. These
succulent ham and cheese
croquettes are a great pr
dinner party starter and
also make a moreish add
your buffet table.
For more delectable recipe
inspiration, visit crispndry.co.uk
• 500g potatoes, peeled and cut
into chunks (or use leftover mash)
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 3 litres Crisp ‘n Dry (or enough for
a deep-fat fryer)
• 100g cooked ham, finely chopped
• 100g cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 75g panko breadcrumbs
TO SERVE
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• ½ red chilli, very finely chopped
• Small handful fresh parsley
leaves, chopped
1 Boil the potatoes in salted water for
10-15 minutes, until tender, then drain and
mash. Season with a generous pinch of sea
salt and the nutmeg. If using leftover mash,
add the same seasoning along with a tbsp
of boiling water to loosen slightly.
2 Fry the spring onions in 1 tsp Crisp ‘n Dry,
then stir into the potatoes. Leave for 10
minutes, or until cool enough to handle,
then mix in the ham and cheese. Divide
the potato mixture into 14 pieces and form
each into a short, cylinder shape. Chill for
30 minutes.
3 Pour the beaten egg into a shallow bowl
and the breadcrumbs into another. Heat
the remaining oil in a deep-fat fryer set
to 170°C. Dip the croquettes into the egg,
then roll in the crumbs. Place a few
croquettes at a time into the fryer basket
and carefully lower into the oil. Fry for
4-5 minutes until crunchy and golden. Drain
n paper while you cook the rest.
e mayonnaise to a small bowl
tter over the chopped chilli
sley. Serve with the croquettes.
voices in food.
Sweetness & light
The shining outlook of Diwali is all about coming together,
says food writer and restaurateur Ravinder Bhogal – so what
better way to celebrate than to combine some of the
world’s great food traditions in a harmonious treat
Turn the
page for
Ravinder’s
recipe →
I grew up in Kenya. Our
family was neither small
nor quiet. There were six
in my nuclear clan, but
the tradition of living
with extended relations
meant there was both
the cosiness and chaos
of anywhere between
15 and 25 people in our
house at any one time.
Solitude was impossible,
even in the family
prayer room where the
discordant crank of
my grandmother’s
harmonium never ceased. She was social and
ritualistic in equal measure so our home played host
to a multitude of religious gatherings, my favourite
of which was Diwali.
For a child, the festivities were particularly
alluring because while they had religious significance
for both Hindus and Sikhs, they also allowed for
unabashed consumerism. We dressed in shiny new
clothes, gave and received gifts and lit up the house
with colourful diyas (oil lamps) made from cotton
wool swabs dampened with ghee. We set off fireworks
that went on late into the night, making the poor
neighbourhood dogs howl with anxiety. Mostly,
though, we ate. The dining table creaked with
the weight of all manner of good things – especially
mithai (Indian sweets).
The symbolism of Diwali – the triumph of light
over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, hope over
despair, bringing liberation – seems particularly apt
now, after a year in which a pandemic disrupted our
lives beyond recognition and brought such grief and
loss across the world. Last year, social distancing
meant Diwali looked markedly different from our
previous celebrations. This year I intend to celebrate
and feel gratitude for all the things I previously took
for granted – to acknowledge that, thanks to the
many bright lights in our communities, the darkness
of the pandemic didn’t engulf us. It’s important to
celebrate festivals in times of uncertainty because it
gives us hope and a distraction from the world’s woes.
But spiritual beliefs aside, Diwali, along with
festivals such as Christmas, Eid or Vaisakhi, gives
us a chance for societal unification. It brings
communities together in religious and cultural
co-existence – whether that’s in a haze of religious
goodwill or just joyous indulgence! Religious
festivities should be shared and not hoarded –
especially where food is concerned. It’s with sharing
cultures in mind that I’ve created this delicious cake,
which combines the rich flavours of Indian thandai –
a traditional Diwali nut and milk-based drink – with
Italian semifreddo and Australian pavlova.
PHOTOGRAPHS: NASSIMA ROTHACKER. FOOD STYLING: PHIL MUNDY. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
“It’s important to
celebrate festivals in
times of uncertainty
because it gives hope”
voices in food.
Frozen thandai
semifreddo
meringue cake
Serves 12
Hands-on time 50 min, plus
overnight soaking and freezing
Oven time 2 hours, plus at least
5 hours cooling
Specialist kit 22cm springform
or loose-bottomed cake tin, lined
Start the recipe at least
1 day ahead of serving.
The assembled cake will
keep for up to a week in the
freezer, well wrapped. Decorate
just before serving.
Thandai is a cold
KNOWmilk-based drink popular
HOW
in the northern regions
of India, flavoured with a mix
of nuts, seeds, spices and
sometimes rose petals.
Buy pashmak (Persian candy
floss) in Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean stores or find it
online at foratasteofpersia.co.uk
or Amazon.
MAKE
AHEAD
For the meringues
• 6 large free-range egg
whites (save the yolks
for the semifreddo)
• 330g golden caster sugar
• 1½ tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp good quality rosewater
For the thandai semifreddo
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
• 15g whole almonds
• 15g pistachios
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 5 black peppercorns
• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 6 large free-range egg yolks
• 35g golden caster sugar
• ½ tsp saffron strands, soaked
in 50ml warm water for 1 hour
• 300ml double cream
• 150g soured cream
• 400g white chocolate,
chopped and melted in a bowl
set over a pan of barely
simmering water (don’t let the
bowl touch the water)
To assemble
• 400ml double cream
• 2 tsp good quality rosewater
• Pashmak and dried rose petals
to decorate (optional – see
Know-how)
1 Heat the oven to 130°C fan/
gas 2. Draw an 18cm diameter
circle on 2 pieces of baking
paper, then put pencil-side
down on 2 oiled baking trays.
2 For the meringues, whisk the
egg whites and a pinch of salt
with an electric mixer to soft
peaks (that flop over when you
lift out the whisk). With the
motor running on medium, add
the sugar gradually and whisk
until firm and glossy. Whisk in
the vinegar, then gently fold in
the cornflour and rosewater
using a large metal spoon.
3 Spread a third of the meringue
within one of the traced circles,
smoothing the top with a palette
knife, then pile the remaining
meringue in the other circle,
forming peaks and swirls on top.
Transfer both trays to the oven
(lower shelves), then reduce the
temperature to 110°C fan/gas 1
and bake for 2 hours until crisp
and the meringues feel firm and
dry. Turn off the oven and leave
the meringues inside with the
door closed to cool completely
(at least 5 hours or overnight).
4 For the thandai semifreddo,
make a thandai paste: put the
sunflower seeds, poppy seeds,
almonds, pistachios, cardamom
and peppercorns in a small bowl.
Add the boiling water so
everything is submerged, then
cover the bowl and leave at room
temperature for the nuts and
seeds to soften overnight. The
next day, whizz to a fine paste in
a food processor.
5 For the semifreddo base, set
a heatproof bowl over a pan of
simmering water (don’t let the
base touch the water). Put the
egg yolks, sugar, saffron and its
soaking water in the bowl. Using
an electric mixer, whisk together
for 5-6 minutes until the mixture
is thick and pale, and holds a
thick ribbon on the surface when
you lift out the beaters. Remove
from the heat and continue
whisking until the mixture has
cooled to room temperature.
6 In a separate bowl, whisk the
300ml cream to soft peaks. Fold
the soured cream, melted white
chocolate and thandai paste into
the beaten egg mixture, then the
whipped cream.
7 To assemble the cake, put the
smaller meringue in the base
of the prepared cake tin. Spread
the thandai semifreddo on top,
then cover with the large
meringue (don’t worry if the
meringues crack). Wrap well,
then freeze overnight or until
ready to serve (see Make Ahead).
8 About 30 minutes before
serving, transfer the cake to the
fridge to make it easier to cut
and serve. Unmould the cake
onto a serving plate. Whip the
remaining 400ml double cream
to soft peaks, adding rosewater
to taste. Pile the whipped cream
on top of the meringue cake,
then decorate and serve
immediately. I like to add a few
sparklers for festive glam.
Per serving 691kcals, 49.7g fat
(28.4g saturated), 9.5g protein,
51.4g carbs (50.4g sugars),
0.3g salt, 0.1g fibre
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 101
The
magical
scent
of baking
“I know the countdown
has started when those
Christmassy aromas from
the oven fill the house. Make
these reimagined classics
part of your new repertoire”
JESS MEYER, ACTING DEPUTY FOOD ED
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER.
PHOTOGRAPHS: CLARE WINFIELD. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE
festive treats.
Stollen
muffins
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 103
Chocolate Baileys cake
Serves 16-24
Hands-on time 45 min, plus
cooling and chilling
Oven time 30-40 min
Specialist kit 2 x 20cm round
cake tins, greased with butter
and lined
The white chocolate
sponges can be made
well in advance. Wrap
well and freeze for up to
3 months. Defrost at room
temperature before assembling.
For the buttercream, the
KNOWbutter and mascarpone
HOW
need to be at room
temperature before whipping or
the buttercream will split. If it
does, warm a small portion of
the mixture (about 4 tbsp) in
a small pan, then mix back into
the main mixture, whisking until
the buttercream emulsifies. It’s
best made just before using as
it will harden if you chill it.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 250g good quality white
chocolate, finely chopped
• 200g unsalted butter,
diced
• 150ml whole milk
• 50ml Baileys Original Irish
Cream (or another Irish cream
liqueur)
• 220g caster sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 medium free-range eggs,
lightly beaten
• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• Gold leaf, white, milk and dark
chocolate Lindor balls and
edible gold pearls to decorate
(optional)
For the ganache
• 400g good quality milk
chocolate, finely
chopped
• 200ml double cream
• 4 tbsp Baileys Original Irish
Cream (or another Irish
cream liqueur)
104 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
For the mascarpone
buttercream
• 370g unsalted butter, cut into
2cm cubes, at room
temperature
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 500g mascarpone, at room
temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp espresso powder,
dissolved in 1½ tbsp boiling
water, cooled
1 Heat the oven to 160°C fan/
gas 4. For the cake, put the
white chocolate, butter, milk and
Baileys in a pan and warm over a
medium heat, stirring until melted
and smooth. Add the sugar,
vanilla and a pinch of salt. Use
a balloon whisk to combine, then
pour into a large mixing bowl and
set aside to cool.
2 Add the eggs to the cooled
chocolate mixture, then whisk
until combined. Sift in the flour,
baking powder and nutmeg, then
stir until just combined. Divide
the batter evenly between the
prepared cake tins, then bake for
30-40 minutes until well risen,
golden and a skewer pushed
into the middle comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the tins for
10 minutes, then turn out onto a
cooling rack and cool completely.
3 Make the ganache. Put the
chopped chocolate in a large
bowl. Combine the cream and
Baileys in a small pan and bring
to a simmer over a medium heat.
Pour the hot cream mix over the
chocolate, leave for 5 minutes,
then stir gently until smooth.
Cover and set aside to cool.
4 When ready to assemble the
cake, make the mascarpone
buttercream. In a large bowl,
beat the softened butter and
icing sugar together until pale
and fluffy. Add the mascarpone
and vanilla, then mix on a low
speed until just combined.
5 To assemble, slice the cakes
horizontally with a bread knife so
you have 4 equal rounds. Secure
one round on a cake board or
serving plate with a little
buttercream. Top with a third of
the ganache, then repeat with
the remaining cake rounds and
ganache. Spread the cake top
and sides with a thin layer of
plain buttercream. Use a cake
scraper or spatula to smooth,
then chill the cake for 20 minutes
to firm up (this is the crumb coat).
6 Divide the remaining
buttercream into 3-4 small
bowls. Leave one portion plain,
then add some of the espresso
liquid to the other portions so
you have varying shades of
coffee colour from light to dark
brown. Starting with the darkest
portion of buttercream, cover
the cake from the bottom up,
finishing with the plain
buttercream at the top. Smooth
with a cake scraper to create an
ombre effect where one colour
blends into the next. If you like,
decorate the sides with some
gold leaf, and top with Lindor
balls and edible gold balls.
Per serving (for 24) 649kcals,
43.3g fat (27.1g saturated), 6.2g
protein, 56.9g carbs 46.9g
sugars), 0.3g salt, 0.9g fibre
For more ways to use
espresso powder, see Use It Up
Stollen muffins
Makes 12
Hands-on time 15 min, plus
cooling
Oven time 20-25 min
Specialist kit 12-hole muffin
tray, greased with butter and
lined with paper cases (or use
silicone moulds and skip the
paper and greasing) →
festive treats.
Can you resist
chocolate
Baileys cake?
The muffins will keep for
2-3 days in an airtight
container, or unglazed in
the freezer for 3 months. Defrost
at room temperature, refresh in
a low oven for 5 minutes, then
glaze and serve.
Soak the dried fruit in 2-3
MAKE IT
BOOZY tbsp whisky, brandy or
rum a day before baking.
MAKE
AHEAD
LOVE
MINCE
PIES?
Activate
the QR
code for
more pie
inspiration
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
200g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
150g mixed dried fruit and
peel (we used raisins, cherries,
apricots, and orange and
lemon peel)
100g golden marzipan, cut into
1cm chunks
50g flaked almonds, toasted
50g crystallised ginger, plus
extra to decorate
Finely grated zest 1 orange
(reserve the juice for a glaze)
125g unsalted butter
150g full-fat natural yogurt or
buttermilk
2 medium free-range eggs
1 tsp almond extract
Cinnamon pearl sugar to
decorate (optional; from Ocado
or souschef.co.uk)
For the icing
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (or use
the leftover orange juice)
1 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. In a large bowl, mix the
flour, sugar, ground almonds,
baking powder, bicarb and
ground spices. Add the mixed
fruit/peel, marzipan, flaked
almonds, crystallised ginger and
orange zest, then stir to combine.
2 Melt the butter in a small pan
over a medium heat, swirling until
it foams and browns (it will smell
nutty and toasted). Pour into a
jug and leave to cool for 10
minutes. Whisk the yogurt/
buttermilk, eggs and almond
extract into the cooled butter,
then pour it all into the dry
ingredients, stirring until just
combined (try not to overmix).
3 Divide the mixture among the
muffin cases, then bake for
20-25 minutes until well risen,
golden and a skewer pushed into
the middle comes out clean. Cool
for 10 minutes in the tin, then
turn out the muffins onto a wire
rack and cool completely.
4 Mix the icing sugar with
enough lemon/orange juice to
get a thick pouring consistency.
Drizzle the cooled muffins with
the icing, then sprinkle with
extra crystallised ginger and, if
you like, cinnamon pearl sugar.
Per muffin 398kcals, 15.9g fat
(6.5g saturated), 6.7g protein,
56.5g carbs (42.9g sugars),
0.4g salt, 1.2g fibre
★ COVER RECIPE
Deep-filled mince pies
Makes 16
Hands-on time 45 min,
plus chilling
Oven time 25 min
Specialist kit 2 x deep sided
muffin tins; 10cm cookie cutter
The pastry will keep in
the fridge for up to 2
days or in the freezer for
3 months. Defrost overnight in
the fridge, then roll. The baked
mince pies can be stored in an
airtight container for 3-4 days.
The key to a short pastry
KNOWis to use cold dough.
HOW
Roll and shape the pies
in batches and, if the pastry
gets soft, chill it again between
rolling and shaping.
To make the pastry by hand,
rub together the flour and butter
in a large bowl until the mix looks
like breadcrumbs. Mix in the
sugar, salt and orange zest, then
quickly stir in the egg/water
mixture. Add a little more cold
water if needed to bring the
pastry together into a ball.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 375g plain flour
• 250g cold unsalted butter,
cubed
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
(optional)
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 1 tbsp chilled water, plus
1-2 tsp
• 1kg cherry mincemeat (see
recipe on p54 or use good
quality ready-made)
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• Icing sugar to serve (optional)
1 For the pastry, pulse the flour,
butter, sugar, salt and orange
zest (if using) in a food processor
until the mixture resembles fine
breadcrumbs. Mix 1 egg with
1 tbsp chilled water. With the
motor running, add the mixture
to the dough and pulse a few
times until the mix comes
together. If there are still dry bits,
add another 1-2 tsp chilled water
and pulse again to combine.
2 Turn out the pastry onto the
worktop and bring together into
a ball (don’t overwork it). Flatten
into a disc, wrap well and chill
for 1 hour or until firm.
3 Roll out the pastry on a lightly
floured surface to about 3mm
thick. Use the cookie cutter to
stamp out 16 rounds, re-rolling
offcuts as needed. Put a round
into each muffin hole, pressing
gently so the pastry comes a
little higher than the edge, then
fill each with 60-65g mincemeat.
4 Bring the remaining pasty into
a ball, then roll out to roughly
2mm thick (see Know-how). Use
a sharp knife or fluted pastry
cutter to cut thin strips, about
7-8mm wide. Lay 4 pastry strips
over each fruit mince pie in a
lattice, then press at the ends to
seal. (For a closed-top finish like
the pie on our cover, use a round
cookie cutter to stamp out discs
just larger than the muffin holes,
then press to seal.) Trim the
excess pastry, then chill for at
least 30 minutes until firm. →
festive treats.
Feast your
mincers
on these
beauties
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 107
Need mince pies for special diets?
MAKE THEM GLUTEN FREE
Replace the flour with plain gluten-free
flour and 1 tsp xanthan gum. Gluten-free
flour mixes sometimes need a little more
liquid to come together. If the pastry
looks dry, add more chilled water, 1 tsp
at a time, to bring it together.
MAKE THEM VEGAN
Replace the butter with a plant-based
butter alternative (Vegan Block, Flora Plant
B+tter...). Omit the egg and add 2 tbsp
chilled cider vinegar. Continue as in the
main recipe. Brush the assembled pies with
oat or almond milk instead of egg.
5 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Put 2 large baking sheets
in the middle of the oven to
heat up. Whisk the remaining
egg with a splash of water,
then brush over the pastry
tops. Sprinkle each pie with
a little demerara sugar, then
put the tins on the hot baking
sheets and cook for 25 minutes.
If the tops begin to brown too
quickly, loosely cover with a
sheet of foil.
6 Cool the pies in the tins for
15 minutes, then carefully
remove from the tins and put on
a cooling rack to cool. Dust with
icing sugar to serve, if you like.
Per mince pie 340kcals, 15.5g
fat (8.6g saturated), 4.5g
protein, 43.2g carbs (25.2g
sugars), 0.4g salt, 1.8g fibre
Savoury babka loaf
Makes 1 large loaf (serves 6-8)
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
rising, proving and cooling
Oven time 35-45 min
Specialist kit 900g (2lb) loaf tin,
about 25cm x 13cm x 6cm deep,
greased and lined
If you prefer, swap the
truffle pesto for a chilli,
tomato or classic pesto,
and play around with the herbs.
To make the bread without a
KNOWHOW
108 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
stand mixer, combine all the dry
ingredients in a large bowl. Make
a well in the centre and pour in
the egg, oil and water. Mix with
a round-bladed knife until the
dough comes together, then
turn out onto a lightly floured
surface and knead for 10-12
minutes until smooth and bouncy.
• 400g strong white bread flour,
plus extra for dusting
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1½ tsp salt
• 7g fast-action dried yeast
• 50ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus
extra for the bowl
• 1 medium free-range egg,
lightly beaten
• 180ml lukewarm water
• 1-2 tbsp whole milk to glaze
• Salt flakes to sprinkle
For the filling
• 165g jar Belazu Truffle &
Artichoke Pesto (from large
supermarkets – see below
right)
• 200g pitted queen olives
(such as gordal), roughly
chopped
• Large handful mixed herbs,
finely chopped (we used
parsley, thyme and rosemary)
• 50g ricotta salata or pecorino
cheese, finely grated
• 50g pine nuts, toasted in a dry
pan (optional)
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon
(optional)
1 In a stand mixer fitted with a
dough hook, combine the flour,
sugar, salt and yeast. In a jug,
whisk the oil, egg and water. Add
the wet mixture to the dry and
mix on a low speed until the
dough comes together (about
3 minutes). If there are still dry
bits visible, add a little more
water, 1 tbsp at a time, to form
a soft but not sticky dough. Turn
the speed to medium and knead
for 8-10 minutes until the dough
comes away from the sides of
the bowl and is smooth and
springy. Turn out onto a lightly
floured surface and form a ball.
Lightly oil the mixing bowl, then
return the dough to the bowl.
Cover with a large plate and set
aside in a warm place for 1 hour
or until doubled in size.
2 Turn the risen dough out onto
a lightly floured surface and
briefly knead 2-3 times to
remove any large air pockets.
Roll out to a rectangle roughly
40cm x 25cm. Spread the pesto
over the dough, leaving a 1-2cm
border along each long edge.
Sprinkle the remaining filling
ingredients evenly over the
pesto. Starting from one of the
long edges, roll up the dough
into a tight sausage, pressing
gently to seal the seam.
3 Cut the sausage in half
lengthways, then twist the
2 pieces together to form a swirl
or rope twist (don’t worry if it’s a
bit messy). Carefully transfer the
twisted babka to the prepared
tin, tucking the ends underneath.
Cover with a damp cloth and set
aside to prove for 40 minutes or
until almost doubled in size.
4 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Brush the top of the loaf
with a little milk. Sprinkle the top
with a little salt, then bake the
babka for 35-45 minutes. Check
after 25 minutes – if it’s
browning quickly, cover loosely
with foil. Cool in the tin for
10 minutes, then turn out onto
a rack to cool. Slice to serve.
Per serving (for 8) 400kcals,
21.4g fat (3.3g saturated), 9.8g
protein, 40.8g carbs (2.7g sugars),
2.3g salt, 2.6g fibre →
STAR INGREDIENT
Belazu Truffle &
Artichoke Pesto
It’s an umami-ish
blend of artichokes,
black truffles and
parmesan.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH BELAZU
festive treats.
A moreish
Boxing Day
treat
festive treats.
• 100g dried fruit (raisins,
cherries, cranberries etc)
• 50g pistachios, roughly
chopped (or lightly roasted
hazelnuts, almonds or
macadamia nuts)
For the topping
• 200g milk chocolate, finely
chopped
• 100g white chocolate, finely
chopped
• 25g pistachios, roughly
chopped
• Edible glitter and sprinkles
(optional)
Little squares
of joy
Chocolate and
pistachio tiffin
Makes 25 squares
Hands-on time 15 min,
plus chilling
Specialist kit 20cm loosebottomed brownie tin, lined
NEXT MONTH
Anja Dunk’s
Advent bakes
to make, wrap
and give – or
keep and enjoy!
MAKE
AHEAD
EASY
SWAPS
110 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
The tiffin will keep for up
to a week in an airtight
container in a cool place.
Swap the biscuits for
wafers or shortbread,
add orange zest or finely
chopped stem ginger, or use
mincemeat instead of dried fruit.
For a professional finish,
KNOWuse a hot knife to slice
HOW
into neat squares.
•
•
•
•
125g unsalted butter, diced
4 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
100g milk chocolate, finely
chopped
• 200g biscuits (rich tea,
digestive, gingernut), roughly
chopped into 2-3cm pieces
1 Put the butter, syrup and
cocoa powder in a pan over a
medium heat, stirring until the
butter has melted. Remove from
the heat and stir in the milk
chocolate until melted. Add the
biscuits, dried fruit and nuts,
then stir until everything is well
combined and evenly coated in
the chocolate mixture.
2 Pour the biscuit mixture into
the prepared tin, then press into
an even layer using the back of
a spoon. Chill for at least 1 hour
or until firm.
3 For the topping, melt the milk
chocolate, either in a bowl set
over a pot of barely simmering
water (don’t let the bowl touch
the water) or in the microwave in
short bursts of 10 seconds at a
time. Pour the melted chocolate
over the biscuit mixture, tipping
the tin so the chocolate forms
an even layer. Return to the
fridge for 20 minutes to set.
4 Remove the tiffin from the tin.
Melt the white chocolate (in a
bowl as described above – don’t
stir), then drizzle over the top
of the tiffin. Decorate with the
25g chopped pistachios and,
if you like, edible glitter and/or
edible sprinkles. Cut into small
squares to serve.
Per square 200kcals, 12.4g fat
(6.5g saturated), 2.8g protein,
18.8g carbs (15g sugars), 0.2g
salt, 0.9g fibre
COMPETITION
Harvey Nichols
hampers (left)
worth £240 each
KitchenAid
stand mixer
in a colour
of your choice
Gin hampers
worth £259 each
from Cotswolds
Distillery
*TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. COMPETITIONS CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT ON 12 DECEMBER
Pipers Farm
goodies
worth £110
(+£390 vouchers!)
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deliciousmagazine.co.uk 111
Christmas stress?
How to
say no!
What are your plans for the festivities? Have you
had the tinsel out for months, preparing to go big
after last year’s restrictions? Or did you relish
spending Christmas Day in your pyjamas last
year, with no travelling or cooking for a
crowd? The most important thing, says Sue
Quinn, is to decide what’s right for YOU
112 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
health.
egardless of whether your Christmas is
shaping up to be hectic or relaxed, solitary
or social, one thing is certain: each of us
needs to look after our mental wellbeing
this year. The pandemic touched us all in
some way: losing loved ones, illness,
financial problems, loneliness, the
pressure of home schooling. As a
consequence, say experts, we’re more
vulnerable than ever to Christmas stress.
“Mental health has been significantly
affected during the pandemic, with some
suffering from anxiety and depression for
the first time and others with a history
of mental health issues relapsing,”
says Somia Zaman, a psychotherapist
registered with the British Association
for Behavioural and Cognitive
Psychotherapies (BABCP). “I’m seeing
people who are very anxious about the
idea of returning to normality.”
Emma Cullinan, a psychotherapist
registered with the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy
(BACP), agrees: “It’s been an
existential moment,” she says.
“We’ve been forced to look at
our lives in the present and
wonder what the future might
hold. The pandemic has elicited
difficult emotions.”
GOLDEN RULES TO EASE
THE OVERLOAD
We asked our experts to give
their professional advice on how
to enjoy Christmas and reduce
the stress commonly associated
with it – much of it created by
our own feelings of responsibility
for the happiness of others and
our unreal expectations of what
perfection looks like…
1
closest to you, that’s perfectly okay too.
“Think about what makes you
comfortable and be honest with family and
friends about your concerns,” says Zaman.
“They will probably accept your reasoning
in good grace. It would be a positive
pandemic legacy if people felt able to say
they were having a quiet, no-fuss holiday
season – if that’s what they’d prefer.”
Because it isn’t always simple to turn
down a Christmas invitation, consider
striking a balance that suits everyone.
“Putting boundaries in place can help,”
Zaman says. “Saying what time you’d like
to go somewhere and how long you’d like
to stay will help you feel in control – and
more likely to make Christmas one you
actually want.”
2
Compromise. Christmas doesn’t have
to be all or nothing. You can still see
people without the burden of
attending or hosting a big occasion
– perhaps, suggests Zaman,
Christmas dinner at home with
immediate family, then walks
with other family and friends.
“And remember you can still do
remote meet-ups like last year,
when so many people got together
on Zoom or Skype.”
Cook a feast
for a crowd
if it makes
you happy,
but if you’d
prefer a
quiet day at
home with
those closest
to you, that’s
okay too
Celebrate in a way that feels right
for you. That might mean cooking
a feast for a crowd (if that makes you
happy, great) but if you’d prefer to
enjoy a quiet day at home with those
3
Practise saying no. If you feel
strongly that attending or
hosting a big occasion isn’t what
you want to do, don’t stress about
letting people down. Cullinan
advises using “I” statements
rather than “you” when telling
loved ones you won’t be joining
them for Christmas. For example,
say something like, ‘I’m feeling the need to
take time out’ or ‘I’m not sure I can face a
lot of people at the moment.’ That way,
says, Cullinan, you’re not accusing anyone
of anything and aren’t giving them
something to defend themselves against. →
health.
4
5
6
Build in rest time afterwards.
Enough said.
Be yourself. Don’t struggle to be the
life and soul of the party if you’re
feeling low – it’s exhausting. And don’t
feel you need to avoid social occasions in
case you bring the mood down. “We all
need to be compassionate with ourselves
and others, recognising what we’ve been
through,” Cullinan says. “Never think you
have to avoid people if you’re feeling low…
True friends and favourite family will
accept you as you are.”
7
Ask for support if you need it.
“Christmas can be hard for people
who’ve lost loved ones and are heartbroken
at the thought of the empty space at the
table,” Zaman says. If the year’s been tough,
be honest about how you’re feeling and
ask for support from people closest to you.
Need advice?
GOING LARGE
“I start planning
a year ahead in
the January sales”
Kimberley Johnson lives in
East Sussex with her husband.
A blended family, they have six
children between them, aged
four to 16. Christmas will be
bigger than ever this year.
“In the January sales I pick up
bargains, planning my theme... By
Bonfire Night I have most gifts
bought and events booked, and
the presents are wrapped by the
start of December. I spend a lot of
December in the kitchen with the
children making treats.
I‘m a control freak about
Christmas. I don’t like delegating
because I want everyone else to
relax and enjoy it. I love watching
other people enjoy the things
I’ve organised. Christmas Day
is timed to the minute, so
I can stay on track. Most things on
the day are cooked from scratch,
although I do cheat with pudding.
When things don’t go to plan
I find it incredibly stressful. My
husband gets frustrated with the
level of organisation but generally
goes along with it because he
knows it makes me happy.”
• To find a counsellor or therapist in your area visit the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy (bacp.co.uk) or the British
Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (babcp.com)
• To contact Emma Cullinan visit kentishtowncounselling.com
• To contact Somia Zaman visit cbttherapyuk.com
114 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
GOING SMALL
“Those close to us
understand we
need to have a quiet,
calm Christmas”
Karen Mooney, founder of dating
agency Sara Eden, lives in Surrey.
She’ll be spending a quiet
Christmas at home with her
24-year-old son Cameron.
“Last Christmas we were due
to have friends and family at
our house but that all changed
because of the virus so we had
a quiet time at home. It was
lovely, actually, as I’d been
working seven days a week.
This year I’m planning on having
another quiet one, with less stress
and with time to relax – especially
as (fingers crossed) our home
renovations should be finished at
last. After the trauma and stress
of the past 18 months, those close
to us understand we need to have
a quiet, calm Christmas. The most
stressful part will be cooking two
different Christmas dinners as my
son is vegan.
I’ve always loved Christmas and
used to go to town with food,
having people round on
Christmas Eve, then again the
next day with party games and so
on, but we’ve all been through so
much with the pandemic… It’s
important to spend the time in
a way that’s right for you. We all
need to focus on what makes us
happy, not on how we can make
others happy, which I’ve always
done in the past.”
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Announce that, this year, you won’t
be competing with Claridges for
perfection. If you’re planning to host
Christmas with all the festive bells and
whistles, try to keep things in perspective
and remind yourself that no one will
think less of you for hosting a more
relaxed event. “Understand that last year
it was people you missed, rather than
a perfectly laid table and lots of food…
Beware of attaching your sense of identity
to Christmas dinner,” says Cullinan.
“Announce in advance that this year
you won’t be competing for the mostresplendent-Christmas prize. Maybe even
(whisper it) ask guests to bring courses…
Festive
gold
Crispy roast potatoes
Serves 4
Hands-on time 10 min
Oven time 1 hour
Flora has been a kitchen staple for more than
50 years, so let it help perfect your family
favourites this Christmas – and beyond
W
hether it’s spread
on oven-fresh
bread or generously
spooned on top of fluffy new
potatoes, there are plenty of
reasons why Flora 100% Natural
Ingredients has been loved by
generations, for generations.
Not only is it naturally filled
with the goodness of omega 3,
but this wonderfully creamy
spread also contains less
saturated fat than butter for a
happier, healthier heart, while its
smooth, creamy flavour ensures
it’s a treat for the taste buds, too.
Of course, if there was ever
a time to let your love of food
and passion for cooking flourish,
the festive season is it. That’s why
Flora has put together a special
selection of recipes that the
whole family can enjoy. From
vegan-friendly Christmas cake
and Yorkshire puddings, to
sautéed buttery sprouts and
roasted root veggies, you’re sure
to find plenty of ways to spread
the cheer this Christmas.
Here’s a simple – but incredibly
mouthwatering – roast potato
recipe to get you started…
For more delectable recipes that the
whole family can enjoy, visit flora.com
• 1kg maris piper potatoes, peeled
and halved
• 4 tbsp Flora 100% Natural Ingredients
• A few garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• Handful fresh herbs, such as rosemary
and thyme, chopped
1 Heat the oven to 190°C fan/gas 6 and
put a roasting tin inside. Add the potatoes
to a pan of cold, salted water, then bring
to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.
2 Drain the potatoes and shake them in
the pan to roughen the edges. Carefully
remove the hot roasting tin from the oven
and add the Flora until it turns into liquid.
Tip in the potatoes and toss in the Flora.
Season well with salt and pepper.
3 Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes, or
until lightly golden. Remove from the oven
and scatter over the garlic and herbs. Toss
the potatoes again and return to the oven
for around 20 minutes or until golden and
crisp on the outside.
CHANGE THE
WORLD
FROM YOUR KITCHEN TABLE
“CRAFTED BY OUR
FAMILY FOR YOURS”
Tammy
30 years ago we started making meat from plants. People really did think we were crazy!
We were on a mission to change the world from our kitchen table. And now, we’d love for
you to join us and enjoy delicious plant-based meals from your own kitchen table.
FRY’S CHICKEN-STYLE BURGERS AVAILABLE AT TESCO, SAINSBURY’S, ICELAND AND OCADO.
– 2nd Gen Fry Family
Make.
Life.
Simple.
Easy food for busy days. Family friendly recipes.
PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT
Goodies stashed in the freezer. Leftovers all used up.
››
Slow-cooked
to perfection
Cheesy beef
bourguignon pie
Get organised and save crucial time with this slow-cook
collection. You can stash any of these hearty, warming dishes in the
freezer, then whip them out for an easy meal when things get busy
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING: ESTHER CLARK. PHOTOGRAPHS: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
simple.
’Nduja
meatballs
119
deliciousmagazine.co.uk
a
simple.
Braised sausages
with lemon, fennel
and flageolet beans
120 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
BA
ATC
T H
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a ng more
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eze
e sto
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g b x s
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n eas
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ns. Orr
as
ble whole dis
i
s u as p es
s in
freeze
z rproo
of ove
v n
dis
i hes,
s r d
to bake sttra
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freezer.
r
Low ’n’ slow
chicken
puttanesca
simple.
Slow-cooked chickpeas
with harissa and crispy
halloumi
Serves 4
Hands-on time 10 min
Simmering time 1 hour 20 min
Cook the chickpeas and
freeze for up to 3 months,
then defrost and reheat.
Fry the halloumi to order.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• 1 large red pepper, sliced
122 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
•
•
•
•
•
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g tins chickpeas,
drained (don’t rinse)
• 2-3 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa
Paste (see opposite page)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• Large pinch sugar
• 220g block halloumi, cubed
• Cornflour (optional)
• Flatbreads, parsley and/or dill
and greek yogurt to serve
1 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a
hob-safe casserole (with a tight
lid). Add the onions and fry over
a medium heat for 15 minutes or
until starting to brown. Add the
pepper and fry for 5 minutes,
then stir in the garlic and spices
and fry for 2 minutes.
2 Add the tomatoes, chickpeas,
harissa, tomato purée, vinegar,
a large pinch of sugar and some
salt. Cover and cook gently for
1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3 Toss the halloumi in cornflour
in a bowl if you want it extra
crispy. Heat the remaining oil in
a non-stick frying pan, then fry
the halloumi over a medium heat
until golden and crisp on all
sides. Use a slotted spoon to
transfer to a kitchen paper-lined
plate to drain.
4 Spoon the chickpeas among
warmed flatbreads, then top
with the crispy halloumi, torn
herbs and greek yogurt.
Per serving 519kcals, 29.7g fat
(11.3g saturated), 25.1g protein,
31.6g carbs (11.8g sugars), 2.1g
salt, 12.1g fibre
Braised sausages with
lemon, fennel and
flageolet beans
Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min
Oven time 1 hour 15 min
For a hands-off meal,
put everything in a slow
cooker in the morning.
Reduce the total liquid (wine and
stock) to 300ml and cook on low
for 6 hours. Brown the sausages
at the end under a hot grill.
Freeze for up to 3 months,
defrost in the fridge overnight
and reheat on the hob or in
a medium oven until piping hot.
MAKE
AHEAD
•
•
•
•
•
70g smoked pancetta, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
8 good quality pork sausages
150ml white wine
2 small fennel bulbs, each cut
into 6 wedges
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 500ml hot chicken stock
• 2 x 400g tins flageolet beans,
rinsed
• ½ bunch thyme, leaves
stripped from the sprigs
• Juice ½ large lemon
• Crusty bread to serve
1 Heat the oven to 160°C fan/
gas 4. Heat a non-stick frying
pan over a medium heat. Add the
pancetta and fry for 5 minutes
or until beginning to turn golden
and crispy. Transfer to a roasting
tin. Add the oil to the same
frying pan and fry the sausages
over a medium heat for
5 minutes, turning often, until
evenly browned. Transfer the
sausages to the roasting tin.
2 Add the wine to the frying pan
and bubble, scraping the pan to
remove any stuck-on tasty bits,
then pour into the roasting tin.
3 Nestle the wedges of fennel
around the sausages in the tin,
then add the fennel seeds,
stock, beans and thyme. Cover
the tin tightly with foil and bake
for 1 hour, then remove the foil
and cook uncovered for a further
15 minutes to further brown the
sausages and reduce the liquid.
4 Season with salt and pepper,
then stir in the lemon juice to
taste. Serve in shallow warmed
bowls with hunks of crusty
bread to mop up the juices.
Per serving 594kcals, 33.8g fat
(11.6g saturated), 40.8g protein,
20.3g carbs (3.1g sugars), 2g salt,
9.2g fibre
Low ’n’ slow chicken
puttanesca
Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min
Oven time 1 hour 15 min
MAKE
AHEAD
Cook the recipe, then
strip the chicken from
the bones and freeze
in portions, covered with the
sauce (or use boneless thighs).
To make in a slow cooker, cook
for 6 hours on low. Use 1 tin of
tomatoes so there’s less liquid.
•
•
•
•
•
•
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 x 400g tins chopped
tomatoes
• 120g pitted black olives
• 6 anchovy fillets, finely
chopped
• 2 tsp capers, rinsed
• 8 skin-on, bone-in free-range
chicken thighs
• Small bunch parsley, finely
chopped
• Creamy mashed potatoes or
cheesy polenta to serve
1 Heat the oven to 150°C fan/
gas 3½. To make the puttanesca
sauce, heat 2 tbsp of the oil
in a hob-safe casserole (with
a lid). Add the onion and a pinch
of salt, then fry over a medium
heat for 10 minutes or until soft.
Add the garlic, chilli flakes and
oregano, then fry for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, olives,
anchovies and capers. Cover
and cook for 5 minutes, then
season. Keep warm.
2 Heat the remaining oil in
a large non-stick frying pan.
Season the chicken skin with
salt and fry skin-side down for
5-7 minutes over a medium-high
heat or until golden brown and
crisp. Nestle the chicken skinside up into the puttanesca
sauce in the casserole. Put the lid
on or cover tightly with foil, cook
in the oven for 1 hour, then
remove the lid/foil and cook for
15 minutes to reduce the sauce.
Scatter with chopped parsley
and serve with creamy mashed
potatoes or cheesy polenta.
Per serving 443kcals, 25g fat
(4.7g saturated), 36.5g protein,
16.1g carbs (9.5g sugars),
→
1.7g salt, 3.5g fibre
STAR
INGREDIENT
Belazu Rose
Harissa
This versatile
chilli paste
is a blend of
over 13 spices
with a floral
character and
balanced heat.
Experiment by
adding more for
a hit of flavour
or less to give
depth and a
subtle spice
undertone.
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH BELAZU
simple.
NEXT MONTH
Clodagh
McKenna’s
speedy
weeknight
recipes
Cheesy beef
bourguignon pie
Serves 6
Hands-on time 20 min
Oven time 2-2½ hours
Assemble as 1 large or
6 individual pies, wrap
well, then freeze for up
to 3 months. Defrost overnight,
then heat in a medium oven for
20-30 minutes until golden and
bubbling, or bake from frozen,
adding an extra 30 minutes.
To make the bourguignon (step
1) in a slow cooker, reduce the
liquid to 100ml stock and 200ml
wine and cook on low for 6 hours.
Use ready-made puff
EASY
SWAPS pastry instead of the
mash topping.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 800g beef shin or cheek, diced
into 5cm pieces
• 120g unsmoked bacon lardons
• 100g shallots, peeled and
halved
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100g button mushrooms
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 250ml beef stock
• 600ml red wine
• 1 bay leaf and ½ bunch
thyme, tied together to make
a bouquet garni
• Buttered greens to serve
hob-safe casserole (with a tight
lid). Season the beef with salt,
then fry in 2 batches over a
medium-high heat, turning with
tongs, until a deep brown. Return
all the beef to the casserole, stir
in the lardons, shallots, garlic
and mushrooms, then cook for
2 minutes. Add the plain flour
and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the
tomato purée, then slowly add
the beef stock and wine. Add the
tied herbs, season, cover and
cook in the oven for 2-2½ hours
or until the meat is very tender.
2 Put the potatoes in a large pan
of cold salted water. Cover, bring
to a simmer, then cook gently for
10 minutes or until tender to the
tip of a dinner knife. Drain and
leave to steam dry in the pan for
10 minutes. Mash or use a ricer,
then beat in the butter, milk,
mustard and two thirds of the
cheese. Season to taste.
3 To assemble, spoon the mash
on top the bourguignon in the
casserole, sprinkle with the
rest of the cheese, then grill for
5 minutes until the cheese is
golden and melted (or see Make
Ahead). Serve with greens.
Per serving 597kcals, 19.6g fat
(7.9g saturated), 40.1g protein,
43.8g carbs (4.2g sugars),
1.2g salt, 5.4g fibre
’Nduja meatballs
For the topping
• 1.2 kg maris piper potatoes
• 40g unsalted butter
• 60ml whole milk
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 50g mature cheddar or gruyère
1 Heat the oven to 150°C fan/
gas 3½. Heat the oil in a large
124 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Serves 5
Hands-on time 20 min
Simmering time 50 min
Cook the sauce and
meatballs, then portion
and freeze for up to 3
months. Reheat until piping hot
and serve with the pasta or rice.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 500g free-range pork mince
• 100g soft white breadcrumbs
• 70g ’nduja, chopped (from
Waitrose, M&S, Ocado or good
delis) – or use chorizo
• ½ small bunch parsley, finely
chopped
• 1 medium free-range egg yolk
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 3 x 400g tins chopped
tomatoes, whizzed in a food
processor or use crushed
tomatoes
• 150ml whole milk
• Pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle or
your choice), grated parmesan
and basil leaves to serve
1 Put the mince in a large mixing
bowl with the breadcrumbs,
’nduja, parsley, egg yolk and salt.
Squish together with your hands
until well combined. Divide the
mixture into 15 balls, setting
aside on a plate, or cover and
chill until needed.
2 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a
hob-safe casserole (with a lid)
over a low heat, add the onion
and a pinch of salt, then fry for
10-12 minutes or until softened
and translucent. Add the garlic
and cook for 2 more minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes with a large
pinch of sugar, cover and cook for
10 minutes over a low heat, then
stir in the milk. Season to taste.
3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining
oil in a frying pan. Add the
meatballs and fry over a medium
heat for 5 minutes, turning often,
until evenly browned. Transfer
the meatballs to the pan of
tomato sauce. Put the lid on and
simmer gently for 40 minutes.
4 Serve the meatballs tossed
with cooked pasta, topping with
grated parmesan, basil leaves
and a drizzle of oil to finish.
Per serving (without pasta)
455kcals, 26.2g fat (8.8g
saturated), 28.6g protein,
25.1g carbs (11g sugars),
1.2g salt, 2.2g fibre
READER
OFFER
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everything from a classic loaf cake to a
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deliciousmagazine.co.uk 125
simple.
T he plant-based recipe
Warmth in a bowl
When it’s dark, wet and windy outside, a bubbling pot
of soup makes everything okay. This one’s speedy too –
just add crusty bread for comfort-food heaven
Serves 3-4 as a starter or 2-3 for lunch
Hands-on time 15 min
Simmering time 15 min
Use dry sherry, port or red
vermouth instead of madeira –
or leave it out if you prefer.
Plant-based crème fraîche and
KNOWcream substitutes are available in
HOW
larger supermarkets, health food
stores and online from ocado.co.uk.
EASY
SWAPS
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stick, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp madeira (see Easy Swaps)
• 600ml mushroom stock (from a cube
or stock pot)
• 200ml plant-based cream (we used Oatly!
Creamy Oat Fraiche – or use crème
fraîche if you don’t need it to be vegan)
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• Small handful flatleaf parsley,
leaves picked, to serve
• Toasted focaccia or crusty
bread to serve
1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium
heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic and
celery, then cook, stirring regularly, for
10 minutes until the mushrooms are
tender and taking on some colour.
Add the madeira and cook for a minute.
Remove a few mushrooms and set aside.
2 Add the stock, bring to the boil,
then reduce the heat and simmer for
15 minutes. Whizz to a smooth purée
using a stick blender (or cool slightly and
blend in a food processor). Stir in 150ml
of the cream and lemon juice to taste.
3 Gently reheat the soup, then serve
garnished with the reserved mushrooms,
remaining cream and parsley. Enjoy with
focaccia/bread on the side if you like.
Per serving (for 4) 184kcals, 13.3g fat
(4.2g saturated), 6.3g protein, 6.3g carbs
(3.6g sugars), 0.2g salt, 0.8g fibre
RECIPE: JESS MEYER. PHOTOGRAPH: JEROEN VAN DER SPEK.
FOOD STYLING: VICTOR DE LAUNAY. STYLING: CYN FERDINANDUS
Creamy mushroom soup
with madeira
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 127
Star sides
Show some love for the veg and your meal will have
standout appeal – for the big day or any other day
Chicory gratin
Serves 5-6 as a side
Hands-on time 40 min
Simmering time 20 min
Assemble the gratin a
few hours ahead. Cool,
then cover and chill.
Bake in a 160ºC fan/gas 4 oven
for 30-40 minutes until piping
hot and golden.
Chaource is a soft French
KNOWwhite-rind cheese. Buy it
HOW
from cheesemongers
and larger supermarkets. If you
can’t find it, use another similar
cheese such as brie. Chaource
isn’t vegetarian but British
brie-style cheeses such as
Somerset brie often are.
Use another white dessert wine
such as monbazillac if you prefer.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 600ml whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 70g unsalted butter
• 800g chicory (red, white
or a mix), halved lengthways
• 8 shallots, peeled and halved
• 6 tbsp muscatel wine (see
Know-how)
• 50g plain flour
• Whole (250g) chaource, or
veggie equivalent if it needs to
be, sliced – see Know-how
1 Put the milk, bay, thyme and
garlic in a pan over a medium
heat. Bring to a simmer, then
remove from the heat and set
aside to infuse and cool.
2 Melt 20g of the butter in
a pan over a medium heat. Add
the chicory, shallots, muscatel
and a splash of water. Season
with salt, then reduce the heat
to low. Cover the pan with a lid
and braise the chicory for
25-30 minutes until tender.
3 To make the béchamel, melt
the remaining 50g butter in
a pan over medium heat. Add
the flour and cook, stirring, for
2 minutes. Remove from the
heat and add the infused milk
a little at a time, mixing well
between additions until smooth.
Return the sauce to the heat
and bring to the boil, stirring all
the time. Cook for 2-3 minutes
until thick and glossy. Season
the sauce with some salt, then
remove the bay and thyme.
4 Heat the grill to the highest
setting. Drain any liquid from the
chicory and shallots, then divide
among 5 x 12-15cm oven dishes
(or arrange in one large baking
dish to serve 5-6). Pour over the
béchamel, then top with the
chaource. Grill for 5-7 minutes
until bubbling and golden.
Per serving (for 6) 352kcals,
23.6g fat (14.6g saturated), 14.4g
protein, 16.5g carbs (7.3g sugars),
→
0.8g salt, 2.6g fibre
simple.
Rich and
creamy
chicory gratin
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 129
Stir-fried red cabbage
with pear and five spice
Serves 4-6 as a side
Hands-on time 15 min
Stir-frying the cabbage
keeps it firmer and
crisper than braising. If
you like your cabbage very soft,
at the end of step 2, put a lid
on the wok and turn the heat to
low, then cook for another 10-15
minutes until soft.
KNOWHOW
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, finely
sliced
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely
chopped
• 1 small red cabbage, shredded
• 2 firm pears, cored and thinly
sliced
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider
vinegar)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 1½ tsp chinese five-spice
• Juice 1 orange, plus 1 tsp
finely grated zest
• Sesame seeds, toasted in a
dry pan, to serve
RECIPES: JESS MEYER,
KIRSTEN ECKHART,
MERIJN TOL.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
FACUNDO BUSTAMANTE,
JEROEN VAN DER SPEK,
ERNIE ENKELAAR.
FOOD STYLING: JESS
MEYER, VICTOR DE
LAUNAY, JESSICA LEK.
STYLING: VICTORIA
ELDRIDGE, MAAIKE
KOORMAN, ESTHER
DE MUNNIK.
1 Heat the oil in a wok or large
frying pan over a high heat. Add
the onion and ginger and stir-fry
for 1-2 minutes until the onion
has softened and the ginger is
taking on a little colour. Add the
red cabbage and a pinch of salt,
then continue to cook, tossing
the cabbage regularly, for about
3-4 minutes until softened.
2 Turn the heat to medium, then
add the rest of the ingredients
except the sesame seeds.
Continue to cook, stir-frying,
until the red cabbage is tender
and glossy (about 4-5 minutes).
3 Taste and season with a pinch
more salt and/or vinegar if you
like, then sprinkle with sesame
seeds to serve.
Per serving (for 6) 122kcals,
4.2g fat (0.3g saturated), 2.1g
protein,16.1g carbs (15g sugars),
0.7g salt, 5.8g fibre
Red cabbage
gets the stir-fry
treatment
Duchess potatoes
with kohlrabi
Serves 6-12 as a side; makes
12 rosettes of potato
Hands-on time 40 min
Oven time 25 min
Specialist kit Piping bag fitted
with a large star nozzle (or snip
off the end of a disposable bag)
Pipe the rosettes and put
the tray in the freezer
for 2-3 hours until frozen
solid. Pack into freezer bags, label
and freeze for 1-2 months. Cook
from frozen after brushing with
beaten egg, adding 10 minutes
to the cooking time.
A smooth mash is best,
KNOWbut don’t be tempted to
HOW
use a processor as that
will give you a gluey mash.
Replace the kohlrabi
EASY
SWAPS with swede if you
prefer.
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium free-range egg,
separated
• 75g unsalted butter
• 2 small garlic cloves,
crushed
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted in
a dry pan and lightly crushed
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Small bunch chives, finely
chopped
MAKE
AHEAD
• 650g floury potatoes such as
maris piper, cut into large even
pieces
• 350g kohlrabi, peeled, cut into
large pieces (see Easy Swaps)
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Put the potatoes, kohlrabi
and onion in large pan of salted
water and bring to the boil,
reduce to a simmer, cover and
cook for 15-20 minutes until
tender. Drain, then set aside for
5 minutes to steam dry.
2 While the vegetables are still
hot, pass the mixture through a
potato ricer or push through
a sieve to make a very smooth
purée (or mash very well – see
Know-how). Beat in the egg yolk,
butter, garlic and fennel seeds.
Season with nutmeg and some
salt and black pepper, then fold
in the chives.
3 Put the purée in the piping bag
simple.
Roasties with
a zingy Indianstyle sauce
Duchess
potatoes
are back!
and pipe 12 rosettes onto the
prepared tray. Lightly beat the
egg white, then brush it over the
rosettes and bake for 20-25
minutes until golden and crisp
around the edges.
Per serving (for 6) 225kcals,
11.4g fat (6.8g saturated), 7g
protein, 23.8g carbs (4g sugars),
0.1g salt, 4.3g fibre
Ghee roast potatoes with
fresh coriander chutney
Serves 4-6 as a side
Hands-on time 15 min
Oven time 45-50 min
You can make the
chutney up to 1 day
ahead. Cover and store
in the fridge until ready to use.
Ghee is a clarified butter
KNOWwith a high smoking
HOW
(burning) point. You’ll
find it in the global food section
of most supermarkets.
If the potatoes are clean and
blemish-free, you can leave
the skins on. They’ll crisp up
and give extra texture to
the roast potatoes.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 1kg floury potatoes such as
maris piper, chopped into large
even chunks (see Know-how)
• 6 tbsp ghee
• Sea salt flakes
For the fresh coriander chutney
• 50g coriander, leaves and
stalks roughly chopped, plus
extra to serve
• 20g mint, leaves picked, plus
extra to serve
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 2cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• Juice 2 limes, plus zest 1 lime
• 1-2 green chillies (remove the
seeds if you like them milder)
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 50g unsweetened coconut
flakes (or use fresh coconut)
1 Put the potatoes in a large pan
of boiling salted water and cook
for 10-15 minutes until just
becoming tender – they should
still have some resistance when
pierced with the tip of a sharp
knife. Drain in a colander, then
set aside to dry for 5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile heat the oven to
200ºC fan/gas 7. Put the ghee in
a large roasting tin and put in
the oven to heat up.
3 Toss the potatoes in the
colander to rough them up, then
carefully remove the roasting
tin from the oven and tip the
potatoes into the hot fat, turning
to coat in the ghee. Season with
a good pinch of salt flakes, then
return to the oven and roast for
45-50 minutes until crisp and
golden, turning halfway to make
sure they’re evenly crisp.
4 Meanwhile, make the chutney.
Put all the ingredients in a food
processor with a good pinch of
salt and 3-4 tbsp water. Whizz
until smooth, adding a little extra
water if needed to loosen (or
finely chop by hand and mix in
a bowl). Season to taste, adding
more lime juice if it needs it.
Serve the potatoes with the
chutney, extra salt flakes and
a scattering of chopped herbs.
Per serving (for 6) 315kcals,
17.9g fat (11.4g saturated), 4g
protein, 32.3tg carbs (2.3g
sugars), 0.1g salt, 4.5g fibre
For more ways to use ghee,
see Use It Up
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 131
Use it up
festive special
The laid-back
showstopper
Chocolate and caramel
popcorn trifle
Serves 8
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
cooling and 3 hours chilling
Make the trifle to the
end of step 5 up to
6 hours ahead and chill
the base. Top with the whipped
cream and popcorn praline
before serving. Leftovers will
keep, covered and chilled, for
1-2 days, although the crispy
chocolate layer will soften.
Don’t fancy making
EASY
SWAPS praline (step 5)? Use a
caramel popcorn instead.
Whisk the unused egg
DON’T
WASTE whites with a pinch of
IT
sugar/salt and freeze in
a labelled airtight container for
up to 3 months.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150g Rice Krispies or cornflakes
(check they’re gluten free if you
need them to be)
• Butter for greasing
• 220g caster sugar
• 80g sweet popcorn
• 300ml double cream
For the chocolate custard
• 300ml whole milk
• 100g dark chocolate, grated
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 medium free-range egg
yolks (see Don’t Waste It)
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 250g mascarpone
1 First make the custard: heat
the milk in a pan over a medium
heat until steaming but not
boiling. Take off the heat and
add the 100g grated chocolate,
stirring to help it melt and blend
into the milk.
2 In a medium mixing bowl, use a
balloon whisk to whisk the sugar
and egg yolks, then sprinkle over
the cornflour and mix until
smooth. Slowly pour in the
chocolate milk, whisking to
incorporate, then transfer the
mixture back to the pan. Cook
over a medium heat, stirring all
the time, until the custard
thickens. Take off the heat, leave
to cool a little, then stir in the
mascarpone. Lay a piece of
damp baking paper on the
surface to stop a skin forming,
then chill for 30 minutes.
3 Melt the 150g chocolate in
a bowl set over a pan of barely
simmering water (don’t let the
bowl touch the water), stirring
until smooth. Add the Rice
Krispies/cornflakes, then fold
them through the chocolate to
fully coat. Spread the mixture on
a baking tray lined with baking
paper, then chill in the fridge
for 30 minutes until set hard.
4 Put half the chocolate custard
in a 20cm trifle dish. Add two
thirds of the chocolate Krispies/
cornflakes, then spoon the
remaining custard on top and
smooth the surface. Cover and
chill for 2 hours so the custard
sets fully (see Make Ahead).
5 To make the popcorn praline,
line a baking tray with foil and
lightly grease. Put the sugar
in a heavy-based frying pan
over a high heat. Cook, shaking
the pan occasionally, for 6-7
minutes until a dark caramel
forms. Stir in the popcorn,
remove from the heat and pour
onto the tray. Cool, then break
into shards. If you like, whizz half
the praline in a processor to
make coarse crumbs.
6 Just before serving, whip the
cream until it holds its shape,
then spoon the cream onto the
trifle. Top with the popcorn and
any crumbs, along with the rest
of the chocolate Krispies/
cornflakes, and serve.
Per serving 780kcals, 48.8g fat
(29.3g saturated), 7.2g protein,
76.9g carbs (58.9g sugars),
0.4g salt, 1.8g fibre
RECIPE: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. FOOD STYLING: ESTHER CLARK. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
A trifle can be an epic undertaking, but this crunchy chocolatey wonder,
despite being made from scratch, needs only half an hour of your time
simple.
NEXT MONTH
More festive
chocolate
recipes
incoming, folks
Spectacular,
but making it is
a mere trifle
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 135
Our food editor reveals the
best new products she’s tried,
rates a great (or should that
be grate?) bit of kit and shares
essential Christmas knowhow, expert recipes and tips
Follow Jen on Instagram @jenbedloe
Jen’s
k
Online butchers
If you don’t have a local butcher,
check out our guide to where to buy
online. Don’t forget to check the last
order date for Christmas deliveries.
Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
best-online-meat-delivery-services
Wh
THE N W MICROPLANE BOWL GRATER
What it’s
Making light work of slaws and
fuelling my obsession with grated
cheese on everything, plus it’s a
handy tool for turning cauliflower
florets into ‘rice’. You can use it
over any 16cm diameter bowl
– where it will anchor safely for
non-slip grating – or put it at
an angle in a larger bowl and let
the non-slip end hold it steady.
Smaller, neater and much easier
to clean than a box grater.
The bonus?
Microplane graters are made with
ultra-sharp, long-lasting stainless
steel blades so they can cope with
any hard veg or fruit – even frozen
butter for making flaky pastry.
Buy it £19.95 from John Lewis
What I’m loving on the shelves
JUST FOR THE CRACK
WHO ATE ALL THE PIES?
PLANT-BASED MUST-TRY
You can’t beat Peter’s Yard sourdough
crackers for snap or taste, and there’s
now a variety to suit every cheese
– pick up a selection box to cover all
the bases, including Original, Rye &
Charcoal and Poppy Seed flavours.
Peter’s Yard Sourdough Cracker
Selection, £5.99, Waitrose, Ocado,
Amazon and independent retailers
Piemaster Calum Franklin has teamed
up with pie makers Dickinson & Morris
to celebrate their 170 years of pie
making with this showstopper. The
giant pork, turkey and ham pie serves
16, Calum’s signature pastry work is
stunning, and it keeps well in the fridge.
Dickinson & Morris Limited Edition Pork
Pie, £25, Selfridges and porkpie.co.uk
Good vegan-filled pasta is a rare find,
but clever White Rabbit has created
a great version with a tasty porcini
mushroom filling. Use as is or tart it
up with a drizzle of truffle oil and
some micro herbs. It’s gluten free, too.
White Rabbit Vegan Porcini
Mushroom Ravioli, £3 for 250g,
Sainsbury’s, Ocado and good delis
136 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
the knowledge.
Roasting a turkey:
the golden rules
If it’s the big bird you’re planning for Christmas Day (fingers crossed
you can get hold of one), here’s my trusted method for success
BUYING GUIDE
Allow 500g meat on the bone per
person – this will give enough for
the meal and leftovers:
For 3-5, a 2.7-3.5kg turkey
For 6-8, a 4-5kg turkey
For 10-12, a 5-6kg turkey
Invest in a quality free-range bird
as the flavour is incomparable. Try
to avoid frozen turkeys and order
ahead fresh from the butcher or
supermarket – especially important
this year, with warnings that stocks
are lower due to a lack of pluckers.
THE PREP
• Take the turkey out of the fridge
a couple of hours before cooking to
take a bit of the chill off. Save the
giblets, neck and wing tips if you
want to make gravy (see overleaf).
• Insert your fingers/hand through
the neck cavity and loosen the skin
over the breast, then smear plenty
of softened butter under the skin
and all over the bird. Season well.
• Don’t truss the legs together – you
want air to circulate while cooking.
• If you’re stuffing, only stuff the
neck cavity – I avoid it and cook the
stuffing as balls or in an oven dish
– and remember to add the weight
of the stuffing to the turkey weight
to calculate cooking time.
THE TIN
Put the turkey on a trivet made
from chunks of veg (carrots,
parsnips, celery and onion) in a
large, deep hob-safe roasting tin.
The veg will stop the bird catching
on the bottom of the tin and will
also help flavour the gravy.
ROASTING
• Add a cup each of wine and water
to the tin, then cover the tin and
bird with a tent of foil, scrunching it
around the edge of the tin to seal.
• Heat the oven to 170ºC fan/gas 5.
For larger birds, allow 20 minutes
per kg, plus 90 minutes
For birds weighing less than 4kg
or turkey crowns, allow 20 minutes
per kg, plus 70 minutes
• Remove the foil for the last 30
minutes to brown the skin.
IS IT DONE?
A digital probe thermometer should
read 65-70ºC in a couple of places
at the breast and thigh. If the bird’s
not quite done, roast for an extra
15 minutes or so, basting with the
cooking juices. Keep checking, as
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
HOW TO MAKE BREAD SAUCE
1 In a pan, heat 500ml whole milk with 6 black
peppercorns, a fresh bay leaf, a good grating of nu
and 2 large shallots studded with 6 cloves.
2 Bring almost to the boil, then set aside to infuse
minutes. After infusing, strain the milk into a jug and
the aromatics, then clean the pan and return the mil
3 Stir in 200g fresh breadcrumbs (we like sourdou
extra flavour) and season well. Simmer for 5 minute
thickened. Stir in a large knob of butter, then seaso
→
taste. Keep warm and serve with the bird.
the temperature will rise quickly
and continues to rise after taking
the turkey out of the oven.
RESTING
Make sure you give the bird at least
30 minutes to 1 hour resting time
for the most tender result. The
turkey will keep warm – uncarved,
loosely covered – for 2 hours. This
leaves you plenty of time to get the
rest of the dinner cooked, including
whacking up the oven temperature
to get your roasties extra crunchy,
cooking the parsnips and so on.
Transfer the bird to a carving board/
platter and keep the roasting tin to
hand to make the gravy.
the knowledge.
Chef’s secret
Luke Stuart, founder and director
of WhitePepper Chef Academy,
shares his game-changer
condiment for Christmas 2021.
Enjoy it with a roast, or cold
meats and cheeses
r Chef Academy’s
ginger relish
troot, peeled and coarsely grated
le, cored and coarsely grated
n, finely chopped
nd ginger or 30g fresh, grated
My timesaver tip
Don’t like carving under
pressure? Do it ahead of
time. Arrange the carved
meat in a roasting tin and
pour in just enough water
or stock to form a film on
the bottom of the tray.
Cover with foil, then
warm through in a hot
oven just before serving.
n sugar
negar
1 Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.
Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stop cooking and take the pan off the heat when the
majority of the liquid has evaporated.
2 Decant while hot into sterilised jars, cool, then seal
and store somewhere cool. It will keep for months.
Want to learn more with Luke?
See p139 for more details…
How to make proper turkey gravy
While the turkey cooks, make a giblet stock:
1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add
the turkey giblets and fry for 4-5 minutes until browned.
2 If you haven’t used vegetables as a trivet for the
turkey, add 1 small chopped onion 1 lar e cho ed
carrot and 2 chopped celery
8-10 minutes until softening
3 Add 2 bay leaves, 6 black
water to the pan, bring to th
and simmer, uncovered, for
45 minutes or until you
have 600ml stock.
While the turkey rests,
make the gravy:
1 Mix together 25g each
softened butter and plain fl
138 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
make a paste (known as a beurre manié), then set aside.
2 Pour the giblet stock into the roasting tin, stirring, to
combine with the cooking juices (if you didn’t make any
giblet stock, use 600ml good quality stock).
3 Put the tin on the hob over a medium heat. Bring to
ttom with a wooden spoon
sed goodness.
with a slotted spoon (discard
t, whizz with some cooled
k to add body to the gravy),
en gradually whisk in the
eurre manié until the gravy
hickens over the heat. Simmer
a further 5 minutes until glossy
ickened to your liking. Season
, then serve.
READER
OFFER
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Online cookery
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These learn-at-home classes
make an ideal Christmas
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and brush up on your skills.
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courses to choose from...
PLUS
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information, head to
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COOKING FOR FRIENDS WITH TV
STAR LESLEY WATERS (£45) Special
guest tutor Lesley takes you through
a laid-back menu of prep-ahead genius.
Please visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
whitepepper for more information
about our partnership
BUY ALL
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FOR JUST £135
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 139
n
i
i
n
r
B g
Food geek
At this time of
year, there’s
always talk of
brining the
Christmas bird
– but does it
really make
a difference
to the meat or
should we take
such advice
with a pinch
of salt?
Food writer (and
self-confessed
food obsessive)
Lucas Hollweg
140 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
“Brining is used to
produce juicier, more
flavourful pork, as these
days pigs are bred to be
leaner and their meat
can dry out easily in the
pan or oven – as indeed
can large birds like
turkeys. Red meat
doesn’t benefit so much
from brining as it’s often
marbled with fat that
keeps it juicy.”
As well as salt
and water,
lso
the knowledge.
The science-y bit
1
What is brining?
Originally a Scandinavian
technique, brining involves
submerging poultry, pork
or fish in a salty liquid (containing
about 3-5% salt), which seasons
all the parts of the meat it comes
in contact with and helps keep it
juicy and tender as it cooks.
How does brining work?
The brine dissolves
some of the protein
structure of the meat
fibres, so they contract less
during cooking, keeping things
tender. Food scientists have
worked out that the chloride ions
in the salt act on the meat fibres,
opening them up so the brine can
pass into the meat. The process
involved is not osmosis, as many
think, but diffusion – moving
from high to low concentration.
But it also means the meat
absorbs moisture, so during
brining it increases in weight by
about 10%. Although the brined
meat still loses about 20% of its
weight as it cooks, the extra
moisture it has absorbed means
that, in effect, it loses half as
much moisture as non-brined
meat. The same changes mean it
also absorbs flavourings such as
herbs and spices more readily.
How do you make
a brine?
All you need is salt and
water: an all-purpose
brine might contain 50g (4 tbsp)
salt flakes per litre of water. You
can also add other flavouring
ingredients, such as brown sugar
(particularly good with pork),
herbs, spices, onions or garlic.
You can even substitute some
of the water for liquids such as
buttermilk or fruit juice. Sugar
and spices need to be heated
briefly with the water and salt
so the flavours get to know each
other, dissolve and infuse.
NB For safety reasons, you
should always cool and chill
heated brines before adding the
meat. To speed up cooling, heat
the added ingredients in a
quarter of the water to combine
the flavours, then add the
remaining cold water, including
some ice cubes if possible.
How long do I brine for?
As a rough guide, aim
for 1 hour per 500g of
poultry and meat, less
for fish. If you go longer, the meat
risks becoming too salty. Slightly
over-brined meat can be soaked
in water to reduce the salt, but
beyond a certain point the brine
will turn the meat mushy.
Try the following timings:
• Chicken portions 30-60 min
• Fish fillets 10-30 min
• Whole fish 1-2 hours
• Whole chicken 4-8 hours
• Whole turkey 12-24 hours
• Pork chops 30 min-1 hour
• Pork fillet 1 hour
• Whole loin of pork 2-8 hours
You can also make a dry brine,
which dispenses with the water. This is
essentially just salt (and flavourings),
which draws out juices, then combines
with them to make a concentrated brine,
which is absorbed in the same way as a
wet brine. This method can be simpler
to apply than a liquid brine,
particularly when you’re dealing
with huge pieces of meat or
poultry (such as a Christmas
turkey), as finding a big
enough container can be
tricky. For dry brines,
use about 1 tbsp salt per kg
of meat and rub it into the
skin and flesh.
WHAT CAN I COOK?
Spice-brined pork chops
Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min, plus
cooling and 1 hour brining
Oven time 8-10 min
• 4 thick pork chops (about
250-300g each)
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4 tbsp salt flakes
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• ½ garlic bulb (cut
horizontally in half)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 15 black peppercorns
• 15 juniper berries
1 Put everything apart from the
chops and oil in a large pan with
250ml water and bring to the
boil, stirring. Remove from the
heat, add 750ml cold water,
then leave to cool completely.
2 Add the chops to the cooled
brine so they’re covered by the
liquid, then chill for 1 hour.
3 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Remove the chops from
the brine and pat dry (discard
the brine). Heat an ovenproof
griddle/frying pan over a mediumhigh heat. Rub the chops with oil
all over, brown for 4-5 minutes
on each side, then upend on the
skin for 1-2 minutes. Put in the
oven for 8-10 minutes more until
cooked through. Allow to rest
for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Per serving 607kcals, 25.2g fat
(9.2
1.2g carbs (1.2g sugars), 1.7g
salt, no fibre
EXT
MONTH
It’s all about
th
he gravy
Christmas project
DIY
hot-smoked
trout
Gill Meller fires up the barbecue to show
how to create an outdoorsy festive treat
for friends or family: a nice big fillet of
trout or salmon, cured and smoked by
you, then served in an open sandwich
RECIPE AND STYLING: GILL MELLER.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW MONTGOMERY
The oily flesh of
trout or salmon
is perfect for
absorbing any
smoky flavours
142 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
the knowledge.
“I’ve cooked in lots of
fantastic kitchens but
cooking outside over
wood or charcoal is
something far more
engaging. It allows you to
forge a connection with
the food you eat that you
could never make using a
fan-assisted oven inside
a house or restaurant.”
NEXT MONTH
Wheel the barbie
out again –
this time it’s
for the turkey
the knowledge.
Hot-smoked trout on
rye toasts with beets,
soft-boiled eggs and
mustard & dill sauce
Serves 4-6 as a starter
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
45 min curing and lighting/
heating the barbecue
Simmering time 6½ min
Specialist kit Charcoal BBQ;
sustainable smoking chips/
chunks (hickory, oak or apple)
The fish can be cured up
to 12 hours ahead. Rinse
and dry, then store
uncovered in the fridge. The
outer surface will develop a
firmer texture and absorb more
smoky flavour. Cover leftover fish
and keep chilled for up to 2 days.
Soaking the wood chips
KNOWin water for 30 minutes
HOW
or so will make them give
off more smoke when burning.
Curing the fish firms the flesh
and adds flavour (like an extreme
form of brining – see p140).
You’ll get a smokier, juicier fish
if you put the coals on one side
of the barbecue, then smoke the
fish on the other – over indirect
heat, lid down, for 20-30 minutes.
MAKE
AHEAD
• 750g-1kg sustainable trout
or wild salmon fillet (or in
2 fillets), skin on, pin-boned
– see above right
For the cure
• 5 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1½ tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp black peppercorns,
crushed
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
For the sauce
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 tsp mustard (any you like)
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• Bunch dill, half finely chopped
To serve
• 3 medium free-range eggs at
room temperature
• 6 slices dark rye bread
• Butter for spreading
• 3-4 small ready-cooked
beetroot
1 Combine all the ingredients for
the cure in a small bowl. Scatter
a third of the cure onto a large
platter or plate. Lay the fish fillet
skin-side down on the cure, then
scatter over the rest of the
mixture. You’ll need to add more
cure to the thicker areas of the
fish. Leave the fillet to cure for
45 minutes (see Know-how).
2 Rinse the cure off the fish, pat
dry with kitchen paper and put on
a clean plate. Leave the fish in
the fridge, uncovered, until you’re
ready to cook (see Make Ahead).
3 Meanwhile put the eggs in a
small pan and cover with water.
Set the pan over a high heat and
bring to a simmer. Cook for 6½
minutes, drain and refresh under
cold running water. Peel the
eggs and set aside.
4 For the mustard sauce, combine
the crème fraîche, mustard,
golden caster sugar and vinegar
with a good twist of black pepper,
a pinch of salt and the chopped
dill. Mix well and set aside.
5 Light your barbecue and, when
the flames have died back and
you have some lovely hot coals
glowing white, you’ll be ready to
cook. Add a few small pieces of
hardwood or hardwood chips to
your fire so it begins to really
smoke (see Know-how).
6 Lay the fish flesh-side down
over the smoky fire and cook for
6-8 minutes or until it’s almost
cooked. If your barbecue has a
lid, close it – it’ll help keep the
smoke in and will mean you
won’t need to turn the fish during
cooking. If it doesn’t have a lid,
turn the fish over and cook for
a minute or so on the other side
(or see Gill’s method, right).
The exact cooking time will
depend on how hot the barbecue
is and how far away the fish is
from the heat. Either way, you
WHERE TO BUY YOUR FISH
If, unlike Gill, you’re not lucky enough
to have great suppliers down the
road, you can buy large sustainable
trout fillets from chalkstreamfoods.
co.uk. Ocado sells 450g fillets of
Leap wild sockeye salmon – two of
those are ideal for this project.
can tell when the fish is cooked;
the flakes of flesh will separate
with the point of your knife.
7 Toast the bread over the hot
coals until it’s beginning to crisp
round its edges. Arrange the
toasts over a platter or board.
Spread each toast with a little
butter, then flake the fish over
the top in chunks. Quarter the
soft-boiled eggs and arrange
over the fish. Cut the beetroot
into wedges and arrange over
the toasts too. Spoon over a few
generous dots of the mustardy
dressing and scatter over the
remaining dill fronds. Season
with a touch of salt and black
pepper, then serve.
Per serving (for 6) 491kcals,
29.3g fat (8.9g saturated), 32.8g
protein, 23.7g carbs (5.1g
sugars), 1.9g salt, 1g fibre
Gill makes a smoker
out of large enamel
bowl and a fire
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 145
READER
OFFER
Makes
a great
gift
CREATE A UNIQUE
cookbook for a friend
A gorgeous present for someone special in your life
MAKE IT THEIR OWN Choose from themed
chapters and select the delicious. recipes they’ll love
PLUS... Make it even more special with their name on
the front cover and a personal message from you inside
ORDER To create a delicious. cookbook for someone special or for
NOW your own kitchen, go to delicious.mybespokegift.com
146 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
the knowledge.
WORDS: PHOEBE STONE. *12-DAY VERSION, £27.50, PLAYINCHOC.COM
1. TONY’S CHOCOLONELY
COUNTDOWN CALENDAR
A jumbo Advent calendar with
25 ‘Tiny Tony’s’ from the company
that pays higher prices for traceable
cocoa beans and aims to end slavery
in the chocolate industry.
Taste credentials Dark milk pretzel
toffee and milk caramel sea salt are
among the 10 creamy flavours.
Best thing Positive daily messages
include a QR code to a cocoa
documentary and a prompt to help
others with Christmas shopping.
£12.99, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose,
Ocado, Booths, Oxfam, John
Lewis, independent retailers
and tonyschocolonely.com
2. LAKELAND LIGHT-UP
ADVENT NATIVITY SCENE
This reusable wooden
calendar’s Christmas story
design is a reminder of
the religious significance
of Advent.
Taste credentials They’re up to you!
Fill the 24 drawers with your own
treats, festive jokes or toys.
Best thing Great for starting a new
Christmas tradition – and it lights up
with the help of three AAA batteries.
£49.99, lakeland.co.uk
3. BIRD & BLEND
TEA ADVENT CALENDAR
A calendar of quirky tea blends with
plastic-free compostable teabags.
Taste credentials Flavours such
as mulled cider, salted caramel
lebkuchen and ‘Fairytale of NY’ (a riff
on Irish coffee) bring festive vibes.
Each day has a kindness mission too.
Best thing There are two teabags
each day, so you can enjoy your
cuppa with a partner or friend.
£38, birdandblendtea.com
6
of the best
Advent
calendars
Our top picks look the part,
deliver on flavour – and
each has a bonus
thoughtful touch
5. WHITTARD COFFEE ADVENT
CALENDAR FOR TWO
Opening this pretty box for morning
coffee is a jolly way to start the day
– and with two cups’ worth in each
drawer, you can share and compare.
Taste credentials Includes six blends
and six single-origin ground coffees,
all in compostable coffee bags.
Best thing The coffee bags work like
a teabag, so all you need is a kettle.
£60, whittard.co.uk
2.
1.
3.
4.
5.
4. PLAYIN CHOC ADVENT CALENDAR
Organic chocolate with card
characters to assemble and display.
Replace the drawers back-to-front to
reveal a picture by Christmas Eve.
Best thing Made from cacao, coconut
and vanilla, the vegan choc is free
from dairy, nuts, soy and gluten.
Taste credentials Single-origin,
ethically sourced Peruvian chocolate
may not sound like kids’ fare, but
why not? The smooth squares
pleased our under-10 testers.
£55*, playinchoc.com
6.
6. LOVE COCOA LUXURY TRUFFLE
CHARITY ADVENT CALENDAR
This kind-hearted calendar pays
tribute to British icons such as Mary
Berry and Marcus Rashford alongside
NHS staff. Filled with sustainably
sourced, single-origin chocolate.
Taste credentials Includes a crowdpleasing hazelnut praline, a dark
chocolate ganache, a rocher and a
nutty gianduja square, with bigger
treats for 24 and 25 December.
Best thing All the profits (a decent
chunk of the price) will be donated
to NHS Charities Together,
supporting NHS staff and volunteers.
£25, lovecocoa.com
Find more Advent ideas at delicious
magazine.co.uk/adventcalendars
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 147
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1
Hill-Smith Estate Chardonnay 2020, Eden Valley, Australia 13% Finely poised
chardonnay from a premium Aussie region with enough ripe citrus and pineapple
ripeness, but fresh, not over-oaky. Just the white that’s needed for smoked
salmon and roast turkey. £11.99, Waitrose
THE POSH WHITE
Le Manoir du Baron Viognier, Vin de France 13% is a brilliant bargain and perfect
for parties. A fresh, aromatic viognier, it has an appealing apricot and orange flavour
and finishes on a juicy but dry note. £4.70, Asda
Adnam’s Pecorino 2020, Terre di Chieti, Italy 13% has a hedgerow blossom scent
and hint of almond over peachy fruit. It’s whistle-clean, light and bound to be
popular with a crowd. A sophisticated white for the price. £7.99, adnams.co.uk
– minimum order six bottles
Marks & Spencer Classics No.7 Vinho Verde 2020, Portugal 10% is a sprightly,
lime-soused dry white made from a blend of northern Portugal’s grape varieties
and delivering a really refreshing pour. Note it’s relatively low in alcohol, too. £7
THE PARTY WHITES
Our drinks editor Susy Atkins has been writing about
wine for 25 years. A familar face on TV, she’s also the
Sunday Telegraph wine columnist. Here she chooses her
true loves out of the many drinks she’s tasted for this
year’s festive season, guaranteed to get ladies dancing
and lords a-leaping. Pipers and drummers: music, please!
of Christmas
THE 12 DRINKS
3
4
5
6
Trans Douro Express Douro Superior Tinto 2019, Mateus Nicolau de Almeda,
Portugal 13.5% Red wine from port country, aromatic and expressive with
plum, blackcurrant and mulberry fruit, perfect with roast red meat. Brought to
the UK by sailboat, so green credentials shining. £21.95, xistowines.co.uk →
THE POSH RED
Taste the Difference Gaillac Rouge 2019, France 13.5% A soft, easy-going
red from a great-value corner of southwest France. There’s plenty of
blackberry and cooked strawberry with a little spice. Could take on savoury
party snacks. £8 (down to £6.75 until 14 Dec), Sainsbury’s.
Irresistible Valle del Bio Bio Malbec 2019, Chile 13.5% is fresh and fruity,
packed with ripe black cherries. It’s not as heavy and oaky as some malbecs
and could be enjoyed on its own. £8 (down to £7 until 30 Nov), The Co-op
Sorcova Pinot Noir 2020, Romania 13% is a light, juicy pinot noir that’s perfect
for parties. Chill it slightly to emphasise its refreshing qualities – a compote of
red plum, raspberry and mulberry. £7.99 (down to £6.39 until 30 Nov), Waitrose
THE PARTY REDS
Louis Pommery England Brut NV, Hampshire 12% Champagne house
Pommery now has an English sparkling wine, and it’s a star – crisp and light
with a white blossom whiff, green apple bite and softer nuances of fresh bread
and biscuits. £35.99 (or £26.99 as part of a mixed six), Majestic; £34.95,
leaandsandeman.co.uk; £39.99, Ocado
THE POSH FIZZ
Castellore Organic Prosecco Rosé 2020, Italy 11.5% is a cut above many
proseccos. It has delicate red berry fruit and lots of lively bubbles – and it’s
not too sweet. An appealing, fairly light party pop. £8.49, Aldi
Waitrose No.1 Castillo Perelada Cava Brut NV, Spain 11.5% If you’re after
decent fizz, don’t overlook premium cava such as this one. It has tangy green
apple peel and a little light savouriness that makes it work well with pastry
canapés and other party snacks. £10.99 (down to £7.99 until 2 Nov)
Domaine des Hauts Perrays Crémant de Loire Brut NV, France 12% A fine
crémant that knocks the socks off many cheap champagnes, has apple and
citrus freshness and pure mineral quality. It’s made mainly from chenin blanc
grapes in the cool Loire Valley. £14.50, leaandsandeman.co.uk
THE PARTY FIZZ
the knowledge.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 149
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150 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
Domaine de Tariquet VSOP Armagnac, France 40% Armagnac,
from southwest France, is a serious treat (do leave a nip for Father
Christmas). This brandy is aromatic and lively with rich oranges,
smooth caramel and just a hint of wood spice. £37/70cl, Majestic
THE LATE-NIGHT BRANDY
High Point Ruby Aperitif, Cornwall, England 0%
New no-alc drink made from local botanicals, tea and Cornish
spring water. Scented, herbal and bittersweet, it works a treat
in place of red vermouth in cocktails/mocktails, or topped up
with chilled tonic. £19.99/70cl, highpointdrinks.co.uk
THE GROWN-UP SOFTIE
Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, France 16.5%
A few drops of this French liqueur turn prosecco or cava instantly
into a bright, sparkling cocktail. Made from honey and cognac as
well as raspberries, it comes in a suitably festive-looking little
bottle. £7.50/20cl, Asda; £8, Sainsbury’s
THE FIZZ PIMPER-UPPER
Hattiers Egremont Premium Reserve Rum, Devon, England 40%
A gorgeous spirit made with rums hailing from South America and
the Caribbean, blended in Devon. It’s sweet but balanced, with
raisins, toffee, cinnamon and spiced orange notes. Great gift, too.
£36.90/70cl, masterofmalt.com; £40, Waitrose
THE RUM
Finest 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal 20%
Tawny ports are aged for longer in oak barrels than red ones,
emerging smooth and soft with nutty, raisiny character. Here’s
a good value one to match with Christmas pud or a slice of cheddar.
£12/75cl, Tesco
THE PORT
Domecq Manzanilla, Sanlúcar, Andalucia, Spain 15%
A cool glass of this dry, pale manzanilla wakes up the
taste buds – the ultimate aperitif. Expect flavours of lemons
and yeast with a salty dab on the finish. Keep it in the fridge.
£10.75/75cl, thewhiskyexchange.com
THE SHERRY
A juicy medium-dry cider
makes a star pairing for cold
Boxing Day turkey and ham,
cheeses, salads and chutneys.
LEFTOVERS
+
CIDER
Lighter than port or spirits,
sweet asti from northwest Italy
cuts through the richness with
its fresh, sugared green grape
flavour and crisp bubbles.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
+
ASTI
It’s not for everyone but this
off-dry sparkling red has a
pepperiness that chimes in
with the sausages and bacon
rolls, as well as the bird.
TURKEY OR GOOSE
+
SPARKLING SHIRAZ
Amber, medium sherries such as
amontillado and oloroso, as well
as the darker sweeter madeiras,
have a savoury nutty quality
that’s a wow with salty stilton.
STILTON
+
SHERRY OR MADEIRA
A wonderful marriage of rich,
sweet, lingering flavours. Rum
has the power to take on even
quite bitter chocolate.
DARK CHOCOLATE
+
DARK RUM
Festive food and
drink matches
the knowledge.
Be a
Secret Santa
for a vulnerable child
Help us reach the thousands
of children who face Christmas
without food, warmth and love.
You could give a child a hot meal,
a present, or a safe place to sleep.
iamsanta.org.uk/delicious
Registered charity nos. 1097940/SC038092. Company no. 04764232. © Action for Children 2021. 1735.
the knowledge.
Festive
three-star winners
These products all won the coveted three Great Taste stars in
the 2021 awards... Can your Christmas larder do without them?
2.
1.
1. CHEESE ACCOMPANIMENT
Damson fruit cheese, Rosebud Preserves
What the judges said This Yorkshire-made paste
was hailed for its warm, deep plum aromas, smooth
texture and well balanced sweet and tart flavours,
making it “a fabulous addition to any cheeseboard”.
£5.50/113g, rosebudreserves.co.uk
salmon is cured with sea salt
and demerara sugar, and gently
smoked over scotch whisky cask
chippings. The tasters deemed
it “totally delicious”.
£30 (minimum weight 900g),
shop.scottishsalmon.com
2. PANETTONE PLUS
Tenuta Marmorelle limoncello panettone
What the judges said From the “sunny yellow
crumb” and light-yet-chewy texture to
the rich butter flavour of the cake
contrasting with the tangy
limoncello cream running
through, everything about
this panettone charmed
the tasting panel.
£14.35/500g,
tenutamarmorelle.com
and farmshops
5. CHRISTMAS EVE PUD
Burtree Puddings sticky
toffee pudding
What the judges said This dark
treacle-coloured pudding from
County Durham has an airy yet
full-flavoured sponge covered in
a rich, buttery sauce that “almost
defies description”. The judges’
verdict? “Perfection on a plate.”
£4.95/245g, burtreepuddings.
co.uk
4.
5.
7.
6.
3. CHEESEBOARD
WONDER
Leeds blue
What the judges
said Fresh, nutty,
acidic and slightly
piquant flavours
balance with the
creamy sweetness
of the ewe’s milk in
this “high achieving”
blue cheese, the
creation of an Italian
living in West Yorkshire.
£8.50/200g,
thecourtyarddairy.co.uk;
find more recommended
blue cheeses on p88
4. SENSATIONAL
SMOKED SALMON
Harris & Lewis smoked Scottish salmon,
Scottish Salmon Company
What the judges said This “beautifully prepared”
6. FIRESIDE BEER
Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask
What the judges said With its
dark, silky appearance, attractive
aromas and flavours of coffee,
vanilla and dark chocolate, this
barrel-aged oatmeal stout from
Perth was praised as “beautifully
sweet yet refined”.
£34.99/24 x 330ml bottles,
innisandgunn.com (available
from mid-November)
7. ALTERNATIVE ROAST
PGI 35 day dry-aged Topside,
Martins Meats
What the judges said West
Country beef from a Cotswolds
farm is dry-aged on the bone
in the producer’s Himalayan
salt-lined fridge for 35 days. The
process delivers moist, tender
meat with “well distributed fat
and deeply beefy umami flavour”.
£15.95/1kg, martinsmeats.com
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 153
the knowledge.
NEED-TO-KNOW INFO
Our symbols explained
46
STARTERS, SIDES AND NIBBLES
• American-style cobb salad
68
• Chicory gratin
128
• Cranberry and sausagemeat stuffing
balls
44
• Creamy mushroom soup with madeira
126
• Duchess potatoes with kohlrabi
130
• Ghee roast potatoes with fresh coriander
chutney
131
• Goat’s cheese salad with cranberry
dressing
36
• Hot-smoked trout on rye toasts
with beets, soft-boiled eggs and
mustard & dill sauce 145
• Pan-roasted carrots with sticky
sherry dressing, toasted almonds
and manchego
74
• Parmesan fritters with roquefort
spinach 71
• Party-size prawn cocktail 58
• Roast sprouts, cranberries and
kale
41
• Savoury babka loaf 108
• Scrumptious garlic bread
90
• Seeded stilton biscuits
93
• Stir-fried red cabbage with pear and
five spice
130
• Whopping one-pan potato latke with
smoked salmon 58
MAIN COURSES
• Braised sausages with lemon, fennel
and flageolet beans
123
• Cheesy beef bourguignon pie
124
• Chicken cosmopolitan
36
• Chicken, ham hock & jerusalem
artichoke pithivier 72
• Low ’n’ slow chicken puttanesca
123
• Massive mushroom vol-au-vent
62
• ’Nduja meatballs
124
• Roast beef and yorkshire puddings
with port sauce 82
• Roast duck with spiced apricot
sauce
84
• Roast lamb shoulder with rice pilaf 36
• Salt-baked celeriac with tahini and
zhoug
82
• Slow-cooked chickpeas with harissa
and crispy halloumi
122
• Spice-brined pork chops
141
• Spiced coconut salmon
162
SWEET THINGS
• Big cinnamon bun
60
• Chocolate & caramel popcorn trifle
134
• Chocolate and pistachio tiffin
110
• Chocolate Baileys cake
104
• Deep-filled mince pies
106
• Frozen thandai semifreddo meringue
cake
101
• Giant Ferrero Rocher éclair to share
62
• Gin & tonic tart with candied lemons 96
• Hazelnut & raspberry torte with chocolate
& almond cream
74
• Huge dress-up gingerbread person
64
• Hugh’s Christmas pudding
50
• Pavlova with cranberry sauce and
sorbet
38
• Rick’s Christmas cake
46
• Stollen muffins
104
OTHER
Beetroot and ginger relish
138
Brandy crusta cocktail
71
Brandy sauce
50
Bread sauce
137
Cherry mincemeat
54
Espresso martini for a crowd
63
Orange and Campari granita
70s-style
76
• Proper turkey gravy 138
• Stanley Tucci’s Christmas
cocktail
28
• Vodka and cranberry sauce
43
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You can freeze all or most
of the recipe. Unless stated,
freeze the finished dish for up
to 3 months. Defrost and heat
until piping hot throughout.
Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy free
Gluten free
Recipes with the above symbols
are suitable for special diets
provided you choose appropriate
ingredients – always check the
label. Other recipes can easily be
adapted for special diets – see our
Know-how and Easy Swaps tips.
Standard kit
Our recipes assume cooks will have
a food processor/blender/stick
blender, an electric stand mixer/
hand mixer and a selection of pans,
tins and casserole dishes, as well
as compostable baking paper and
kitchen paper. We give alternative
methods for combining ingredients
if possible, and specify the size of
dish/tin needed if it’s relevant.
We also think a digital probe
thermometer is helpful for cooking
meat, making preserves and so on.
Prep and cooking times
All our timings include prep.
Hands-on time is when
you’re chopping, stirring,
assembling or frying.
Oven/simmering time is when you
can leave the dish unattended in
the oven or on the hob.
Nutritional information
Recipes are analysed for nutritional
content by an expert nutritionist.
Calculations may vary, depending
on your choice of ingredients, and
include listed ingredients only.
Our suppliers
Fresh eggs for our recipe-testing
are supplied by Clarence Court
(clarencecourt.co.uk); meat is from
The Ginger Pig (thegingerpig.co.uk)
Prices
These are checked and correct at
time of going to press.
Oven temperatures
We give fan oven and gas mark
temperatures in our recipes. For
conventional ovens without a fan,
add 20°C to the fan temperature.
OUR GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS 1. All information forms part of the terms and conditions. 2. Competitions open to UK residents aged 18 and over, except employees (and their families) of
Eye to Eye Media Ltd or any other associated company. 3. Prizes are as offered. No cash alternatives. Subject to availability. 4. To enter, unless otherwise stated, visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
promotions and follow the instructions. No purchase necessary. One entry per household. 5. Unless specified otherwise, entry to competitions ends 30 November 2021. 6. Entries received after
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154 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
delicious.
Make.Eat.Share
Join us next issue for
Christmas with the stars…
Mix ’n’ match dishes
from Michel Roux Jr,
Rick Stein, José
Pizarro and more
Diana Henry meets…
legend Nigel Slater
Marcus Wareing’s
vegetarian winners
Author Sebastian
Faulks on what’s in
his fridge
Asma Khan on cooking
for Paul Rudd
Puddings made from
Christmas chocolates
Every (good) way to
cook a roastie
How to cook a turkey
on the barbie
Boxing Day über-buffet
ON SALE
1 DECEMBER
puzzles.
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THE delicious. FOOD QUIZ
44
44
10 TEASERS BY QUIZ-MEISTER HUGH THOMPSON
6
1
44
Which Italian region
produces the spicy
spreadable salami ’nduja?
44
a) Campania
b) Sicilia
c) Calabria
8
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11
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PRIZE CROSSWORD NO. 34
44
Complete the puzzle, take a picture and email it to
info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk for a chance to win*
CROSSWORD PRIZE
Win a Carr’s Flour Bread Baking
Bundle worth £50 Carr’s Flour is
giving away all you need to start
becoming a master bread baker.
The bundle includes bread mixes,
premium flours, a bread bag, bread
knife and apron. carrsflour.co.uk
Across
1 A bottle that holds 3 litres of wine (4 regular bottles) is called a... (8)
7 American candy made by stretching flavoured boiled sugar (5)
8 Kitchen gadget that produces smooth purées (5)
9 A more modern version of 2 down, maybe used for wine or ale (6)
10 Sometimes called a wolfberry, from China, Korea and Japan (10)
12 The US term for whole, unhusked corncobs (4)
14 Sweet white wine from Bordeaux, not sauternes (6)
17 Koshari (lentil/pasta/rice dish) is a staple in this country (5)
18 Guanciale is an Italian cured meat from this part of a pig (5)
19 Familiar-looking fruit that’s often fried and eaten as a vegetable (8)
Down
1 Orange named after the port from which it was first exported (5)
2 Ancient Greek drinking horn, often decorated with an animal (6)
3 To cover with bacon to prevent drying out in the oven (4)
4 Smoky dried chilli pepper (called poblano when fresh) (5)
5 A slang name for a strong, reviving alcoholic drink (9)
6 On 21 November, it’s traditional to make a special one (9)
11 Finely ground powder of special tea leaves, popular in Japan (6)
13 This type of icing might grace 6 down (at this time of year) (5)
15 Even more modern version of 2 down, but very much for beer (5)
16 ____ mess: dessert of meringue, cream and strawberries (4)
ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD NO. 32: ACROSS 1 Venison 6 Enoki 7 Game pie 9 Penne
10 Sorrel 13 Mixers 15 Wurst 17 Banquet 18 Links 19 Parsley DOWN 1 Vagus 2 Sippet
3 Neep 4 Cointreau 5 Pinet 8 Margarine 11 Wiener 12 Swill 14 Satay 16 Tbsp
156 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
2
3
Name four key styles
of port wine
The novel Cakes and Ale
was written by...
a) Stella Gibbons
b) Somerset Maugham
c) Virginia Woolf
4
What was the first
food eaten in space?
a) Beef & liver pâté
b) Corned beef sandwich
c) Apple sauce
5
How many segments are
inside most oranges?
a) 8
b) 10
c) 12
6
What ingredient do you
need to add to béchamel
to turn it into mornay sauce?
7
Casablanca Valley is in
which wine country?
a) Chile
b) Morocco
c) Australia
8
Who said he survived on
pigeons taken from the
Luxembourg Gardens, Paris?
a) George Orwell
b) Victor Hugo
c) Ernest Hemingway
9
What caused the death
of chef François Vatel
in 1671 in Chantilly, France?
a) Overdose of chantilly cream
b) Killed himself as all the fish
he ordered didn’t arrive
c) Food poisoning from oysters
10
Nietzsche, Mark Twain
or Jonathan Swift –
who said what?
a) “Cauliflower is nothing but
a cabbage with an education”
b) “Promises are like pie
crusts, made to be broken”
c) “The belly is the reason
why man does not mistake
himself for a god”
ANSWERS 1) c 2) Tawny, Ruby, Vintage, White (other styles: Late Bottled Vintage, Reserve, Single
Quinta Vintage, Aged Tawny, Crusted, Colheita, Pink/Rosé) 3) b (published in 1930, the book
highlighted the social snobbery and moral hypocrisy of its time) 4) a (by Yuri Gagarin in 1961; US
astronaut John Glenn ate apple sauce from a tube in 1962; in 1965 another US astronaut, John
Young, smuggled a corned beef sandwich into space) 5) b 6) Cheese (often gruyère, emmental or
cheddar) 7) a (Casablanca Valley is 100km northwest of the country’s capital, Santiago, and known
for its white wines) 8) c (He claimed he hid the bodies in his son’s pram and fed his wife and child
on them in the 1920s not everyone believes him) 9) b (he was credited with inventing chantilly
cream, but probably didn’t; he was in charge of a magnificent feast for King Louis XIV and felt that
his reputation would be irreparably damaged by not having a suitable fish course) 10) a – Mark
Twain; b – Jonathan Swift popularised the phrase; c – Nietzsche
44
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GIFT CA
RD
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,
with your name, full UK address and phone number,
to info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk by 30 November 2021*.
Solution to September’s clue: portobello
CROSSWORD BY HUGH THOMPSON. CRYPTIC CLUE BY LES DUNN. *FOR TS&CS, SEE P154
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There are prizes to be won and foodie fun
to be had with our page of brain teasers
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generations to come.
TO ORDER ONE OF THESE GREAT COPPER COOKWARE
SETS SIMPLY VISIT OUR WEBSITE.
THE WORLD’S FINEST COPPER COOKWARE
www.falkculinair.co.uk/xmas
FREEPHONE 0800 133 7560
To advertise please call Alex on 020 7150 5614
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Retailer of the World’s Best Knife Sharpener
Sharpens any steel blade including some scissors (Dependent on model of sharpener).
A suction based knife sharpener that is loved by chefs, cooks and outdoor types alike..Simple to use and 100% effective, you really cannot afford to not have one.
They start at just £15.00 and make an ideal gift.
To order visit: www.theknifesharpenerguy.co.uk or email: steph@theknifesharpenerguy.co.uk
To advertise please call Alex on 020 7150 5614
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FlavourSpices25
20% OFF WITH PROMO CODE DEL-1121. VALID UNTIL 30.11. 21
SPICESontheWEB.co.uk
To advertise please call Alex on 020 7150 5614
meal for one.
#notforsharing
Skip the takeaway and make yourself
a speedy coconut curry instead
Spiced coconut salmon
Serves 1
Hands-on time 20 min
Simmering time 5 min
½ small red onion, sliced
Juice ½ lemon
1 tsp coconut or veg oil
1 sustainable salmon
fillet with skin
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1.5cm piece ginger,
finely grated
• 1½ tsp curry powder
(mild or hot)
• ½ tsp tamarind paste
(or juice ½ lime)
• 200ml coconut milk
• ½ tsp sugar (optional)
• ½-1 red chilli, sliced
• ½ small bunch coriander,
leaves picked
• ½ tsp nigella seeds
• Steamed basmati or
jasmine rice to serve
1 Mix the onion and lemon juice in a
small bowl with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2 Heat half the oil in a small frying pan
over a high heat. Fry the salmon
skin-side down for 2 minutes, then flip
and cook for a minute more. Set aside.
3 Mix the garlic, ginger, curry powder,
tamarind/lime juice and a pinch of salt
in a small bowl to make a thick paste.
Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper,
then put back over a medium heat. Add
the remaining oil, then fry the spice
paste for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, bring to a gentle
simmer, then cook for 5 minutes. Gently
put the salmon fillet skin-side up in the
sauce and cook for 1 minute more or
162 deliciousmagazine.co.uk
until cooked to your liking. Taste the
sauce – you might want to add a pinch
of sugar to balance the flavours.
4 Meanwhile, squeeze the onion to
remove most of the liquid (discard), then
combine the onion with the chilli and
coriander. Serve the salmon in the
sauce, topped with the onion and
coriander salad and sprinkled with the
nigella, with basmati or jasmine rice.
Per serving 703kcals, 53g fat
(35.1g saturated), 37.8g protein,
16.5g carbs (10.5g sugars), 0.3g salt,
4.7g fibre
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Introducing
the hangover
cheese toastie
RECIPE: NICOLA ROBERTS. PHOTOGRAPH: NASSIMA ROTHACKER.
FOOD STYLING: PHIL MUNDY. STYLING: LAUREN MILLER
•
•
•
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Vegan dumpli
handmade p
NO CHICKEN G
£5
Made with pea protein
NO PORK BBQ BON BONS
£5
Prices may vary and are correct at time of print. Products are subject to availability.
Comes with a ta
burger sauce for
D
BALL TEAR ‘N’ SHAR
£10
tangy
for dipping
HARE
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CHRISTMAS
ESSENTIALS
£2.50
Must-try savoury
twist on mince pies
SLOW COOKED DUCK
MINCE PIES
£5
Find us
all in the
freezer
COLLECTION MINCE PIES
(6 MINCE PIES)
£12
RICH GOLDEN BLOND CHOCOLATE
FLAVOUR CREAM LIQUEUR
£10
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PANETTONE
£5
Collection mild &
delicate smoked
salmon
CHRISTMAS MAGIC
STARTS HERE...
New spiced
sugar plum
flavour
Light-up bottle
with edible
gold leaf!
£20
Light-up snow globe
gin liqueurs