Christmas Starters
Christmas dinner is for most of us the most important meal of the year but remarkably few people bother with a starter other than the obvious such as melon or smoked salmon.
Here are 5 fairly easy starters. All work with sparkling wine – Champagne if you can afford it (my current favourites are: Laurent Perrier Rosé, Pol Roger White Foil and Louis Roderer Non Vintage). Serve Cava, Aussie Sparkling or Prosecco if you are on a budget.
Scallops and Artichoke Hearts
First source a jar of artichoke hearts in oil from a good deli and some good scallops from a fish monger. Briefly fry the scallops (4-6 per person) in butter until carmelised on the outside but still uncooked in the centre. Arrange in the centre of a plate and surround with artichoke hearts.
Foie Gras
No better luxury starter. Buy a jar of foie gras entier from Mortons in Ranelagh, Terroirs in Donnybrook or your favourite high end deli. Spread on triangles of toast or brioche and devour.
Grilled Buttered Oysters
2-4 Oysters per person. Open the oysters and discard the top shell. Loosen each oyster in the shell and leave about 1 teaspoon of juice. On each oyster place one teaspoon of cream followed by one teaspoon of grated parmesan or cheddar. Drizzle with melted butter and grill for 3-5 minutes until sizzling.
Marinated Tuna Cubes
200g of Fresh Tuna, trimmed, cubed and marinated overnight (or as long as possible) in 50ml soy sauce, 20ml sake (or dry sherry or vodka), 20ml rice vinegar, half a teaspoon of minced ginger, juice of half a lime, squirt of wasabi paste. Toss the cubes in the marinade and leave in the fridge. Thread the cubes on wooden skewers and sprinkle with more soy sauce.
Smoked Salmon and Shallot Quiche (adapted from Sophie Grigson)
Pastry: (bought short crust can be used)
200g plain flour
100g butter
1 small egg.
Filling:
100g shallots, sliced
30g butter
3 medium egg yolks
225ml Crème Fraîche (1 tub)
1tbs chopped dill
Finely grated zest of 1 large or 2 small organic lemons
Salt and Pepper
100g Smoked Salmon cut in strips
Pastry: Whiz the flour and chilled butter in a food processor for 15 seconds and add the egg. Continue to blend for around 40 seconds until the pastry has formed a ball. Remove, wrap in cling film and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Pre heat the oven to Gas 6, 200C. Line a greased 8 inch tart tin with the pastry, prick all over with a fork, cover with tinfoil and weight down with old beans or rice. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove the tinfoil and beans/rice and replace in the oven for a further 5 minutes to allow the pastry to dry. Allow to cool until lukewarm. Turn the oven down to Gas 4, 180C.
Gently sauté the shallots in the butter until soft and translucent. Beat the egg yolks with the crème fraîche, dill, zest and salt and pepper. Spread the shallots and smoked salmon around the pastry base, pour on the cream, egg, dill mixture and bake in the oven at Gas 4, 180C for around 35 minutes until the quiche has set. Serve hot or lukewarm as preferred.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The following appeared in Monday's Evening Herald and the dishes below were shown (and eaten!) on TV3's Midday show on Tuesday 9th Dec. 2008. The Herald Article can be viewed here:
http://www.herald.ie/lifestyle/christmas/homemade-gifts-get-cookin-1567259.html
Nothing demonstrates love like a well chosen gift, and a gift you have made yourself with time and care, will demonstrate this far better than any amount of money in an envelope or a voucher from Argos.
A charity goat present from Bóthar is indeed a worthy gift to give, but is often a little bit of a let down for the recipient – something easily softened by a box of home made chocolate truffles.
The gifts suggested below are mostly inexpensive to make, but could never be called cheap. The bowls, jars and bottles are re-cycled from my garage or from charity shops, and the ribbons, cloth and crepe paper were found in the house or bought from Euro shops. If do not keep empty jars, ask your mum as I'll bet she does.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Pâté seems to evoke Christmas and this is a good solid flavoured one to be spread liberally on toasted crusty bread. Small ramekins of pâté covered with melted butter and decorated with some herbs make an atttractive present. The bowls in the picture were bought for small change in charity shops and in Dunnes Stores.
500g Chicken Livers, trimmed of any green or stringy bits
1 large shallot, finely chopped
100g Butter
2 tbs Brandy, Port (or both)
Pinch Allspice, Cinnamon or Mixed Spice
Salt and Pepper
Pink Peppercorns (for decoration)
Melt 50g of butter in a pan and cook the shallot until translucent. Add the livers and sauté until they have changed colour and are firm to the touch (ideally they should still be a little pink inside). Add to a food processor with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, the spices and the brandy/port. Blend until smooth and using a spatula scrape into ramekins. Once cool, melt some butter and pour over the pâté, add some herbs and pink peppercorns before the butter has set.
Country Pâté
This recipe also works as a large terrine. Star Anise can be found in ethnic shops and is well worth seeking out. The butchers on Moore St. are the easiest place to source pork belly and chicken livers.
300g Onions, finely chopped
500g Pork Steak (or Chicken thighs)
1kg Pork Belly, boned and skinned
500g Chicken Liver (trimmed of green and stringy bits)
4 large Eggs
2tbs Salt, Black Pepper, Star Anise, Allspice, Cinnamon (as much as you dare).
Heat Oven to 180 C. Fry the onions in a little butter until they are soft and add to a large mixing bowl. Cut the meat into chunks, removing any bones or hard fat from the belly (the soft fat is essential to the taste of the pâté). Blend the meat in batches in a food processor (or better still with a hand mincer) and use the eggs to assist in getting a smooth paste. Add the seasoning to a pestle and mortar and crush thoroughly (or omit the star anise and use extra allspice) and add to the bowl. Stir the pâté mix well and fry a teaspoon to check the seasoning. Spoon into earthenware bowls or dishes and cover with tinfoil. Place each in a large baking tray and fill with water so that the water comes half-way up the dishes. Bake in the oven for two hours at 180 C, checking the water levels occasionally. Once out of the oven place a weight on top of each dish (e.g. a tin of beans) and allow the pâté to cool. If the pâté has come away from the side of the dishes push with your fingers so that all gaps are filled. Melt some butter and pour over each dish and decorate with herbs and pepper corns. Wrapped in clingfilm this will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Chocolate Truffles
The finer the chocolate, the finer the taste of the truffles. Search in your cupboards and you are bound to find an old gift box which you can cover in gold paper, line with tissue paper and tie with a festive bow.
400g Chocolate (min 55% Cocoa)
225ml Cream
2 tbs of Brandy, Whiskey, Rum, Grand Marnier, Very Strong Coffee etc.
Cocoa Powder, Chocolate Sprinkles, Finely Chopped Nuts.
Place a glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to make a bain marie. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in the bowl with the cream, brandy/whiskey and stir until the mix is completely smooth. Scrape into a clean chilled bowl to speed the cooling process and once cool, chill for at least an hour in the fridge. Roll teaspoons of the mixture into small balls and then roll in cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles or nuts. The truffles will keep fresh for at least a couple of weeks but it is doubtful they will last that long.
.
40 Day Olives
This recipe can be found in Kevin Gould's bonkers but excellent cookery book Loving and Cooking With Reckless Abandon. All olives are improved by this preservation method but you must use un-dyed olives with their stones intact. They are best after 40 days but taste pretty damn good after seven. Asian shops are a good bet if you want to save some money on olives. The better oil, the better result - Don Carlos or Aldi Extra Virgin both work well. Once the olives are eaten save the oil for salads or dips.
Quantity of Black and Green un-stoned Olives
1 lemon
1 bunch of Fresh Mint
Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Jam as many olives into a clean jar as will fit. Pour on boiling water and leave the olives to swell for 10 minutes. Pour off the water and push in some mint leaves and thin slices of lemon. Top with olive oil, seal and leave to sit in a cool place (not the fridge) for 40 days.
Lemonade
This lemonade (or lemon cordial) is very refreshing and a good alternative for designated drivers. When giving this as a present I bottle it in old Oil or Grolsch bottles. This is an old family recipe from an Aunt in Youghal and once opened will keep in the fridge for a couple of months.
3 Large Lemons, Juice and Rind
3 Pints of Water
3 lb Sugar
2 oz Citric Acid (buy or order from your local pharmacy)
Heat the water and sugar until dissolved. Grate in the zest from three lemons, then squeeze in the juice, followed by the citric acid. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Strain into sterilized bottles and store in a cool place. Dilute with sparkling or still water.
Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are a crucial ingredient of Middle Eastern and North African Cookery. Any Claudia Roden cookery book will have lots of recipes. Use them chopped when marinating lamb – particularly for the Barbecue – use in Lamb Stews, Tagines, with Cous Cous, Bulgar Wheat and with fish. Roast some courgettes, peppers and root veg in the oven with olive oil and mix in a chopped preserved lemon to literally taste the Mediterranean. You need to preserve the lemons unopened for at least 30 days but they keep for a year or two once opened.
Lemons (small ones work best)
Crystallized Sea Salt (Sel de Guerande if you can find it)
Large Jam Jars
Unless you are using organic give each lemon a good scrub to remove the wax. Cut each lemon in four but not all the way through. Open out and sprinkle in lots of sea salt and push into a large sterilized jar.– feel free to cut some in half to help you fill gaps. After one week, top up the jar with lemon juice and leave for a further three weeks. After one month the skin should have softened considerably and there should be little acid taste.
Cranberry Sauce
The sharp tang of cranberry sauce will lift the flavour of bland turkey like no other condiment. Most commercial jars of Cranberry sauce taste like strawberry jam and thus miss the point. Feel free to scale this recipe up or down- the quantity below will fill 3-4 small jars.
700g Cranberries
100ml Water (or water and fresh squeezed Orange Juice)
150g Sugar (or more if you wish)
Dash of Port, Grand Marnier, Brandy or Kirsch (optional)
Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the cranberries and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries pop and soften. Stir in the alcohol and add more sugar if required. Spoon into sterilized jars.
Mango and Apricot Chutney
This fruity, sour-sweet chutney keeps for months and works as well with a toasted sandwich or boiled bacon as it does with Indian food. The chutney keeps for a couple of years so I recommend making a large quantity. The recipe below makes approx. 2.5 litres but feel free to halve the quantities.
3 Fresh Mangos, peeled and cut in chunks
500g Dried Apricots
1750g Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
300g Sultanas
10 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and mashed
100g Ginger, peeled and grated
1kg Sugar
900ml White Wine Vinegar
4tsp Salt
1 tsp Chilli Powder (or more if you like heat)
Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and cook vigorously for 60-90 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir more frequently as the apples melt and the chutney thickens. When a spoonful on a cool saucer will set easily, the chutney is cooked. Allow to cool a little, then spoon into sterilized jars.
http://www.herald.ie/lifestyle/christmas/homemade-gifts-get-cookin-1567259.html
Nothing demonstrates love like a well chosen gift, and a gift you have made yourself with time and care, will demonstrate this far better than any amount of money in an envelope or a voucher from Argos.
A charity goat present from Bóthar is indeed a worthy gift to give, but is often a little bit of a let down for the recipient – something easily softened by a box of home made chocolate truffles.
The gifts suggested below are mostly inexpensive to make, but could never be called cheap. The bowls, jars and bottles are re-cycled from my garage or from charity shops, and the ribbons, cloth and crepe paper were found in the house or bought from Euro shops. If do not keep empty jars, ask your mum as I'll bet she does.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Pâté seems to evoke Christmas and this is a good solid flavoured one to be spread liberally on toasted crusty bread. Small ramekins of pâté covered with melted butter and decorated with some herbs make an atttractive present. The bowls in the picture were bought for small change in charity shops and in Dunnes Stores.
500g Chicken Livers, trimmed of any green or stringy bits
1 large shallot, finely chopped
100g Butter
2 tbs Brandy, Port (or both)
Pinch Allspice, Cinnamon or Mixed Spice
Salt and Pepper
Pink Peppercorns (for decoration)
Melt 50g of butter in a pan and cook the shallot until translucent. Add the livers and sauté until they have changed colour and are firm to the touch (ideally they should still be a little pink inside). Add to a food processor with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, the spices and the brandy/port. Blend until smooth and using a spatula scrape into ramekins. Once cool, melt some butter and pour over the pâté, add some herbs and pink peppercorns before the butter has set.
Country Pâté
This recipe also works as a large terrine. Star Anise can be found in ethnic shops and is well worth seeking out. The butchers on Moore St. are the easiest place to source pork belly and chicken livers.
300g Onions, finely chopped
500g Pork Steak (or Chicken thighs)
1kg Pork Belly, boned and skinned
500g Chicken Liver (trimmed of green and stringy bits)
4 large Eggs
2tbs Salt, Black Pepper, Star Anise, Allspice, Cinnamon (as much as you dare).
Heat Oven to 180 C. Fry the onions in a little butter until they are soft and add to a large mixing bowl. Cut the meat into chunks, removing any bones or hard fat from the belly (the soft fat is essential to the taste of the pâté). Blend the meat in batches in a food processor (or better still with a hand mincer) and use the eggs to assist in getting a smooth paste. Add the seasoning to a pestle and mortar and crush thoroughly (or omit the star anise and use extra allspice) and add to the bowl. Stir the pâté mix well and fry a teaspoon to check the seasoning. Spoon into earthenware bowls or dishes and cover with tinfoil. Place each in a large baking tray and fill with water so that the water comes half-way up the dishes. Bake in the oven for two hours at 180 C, checking the water levels occasionally. Once out of the oven place a weight on top of each dish (e.g. a tin of beans) and allow the pâté to cool. If the pâté has come away from the side of the dishes push with your fingers so that all gaps are filled. Melt some butter and pour over each dish and decorate with herbs and pepper corns. Wrapped in clingfilm this will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Chocolate Truffles
The finer the chocolate, the finer the taste of the truffles. Search in your cupboards and you are bound to find an old gift box which you can cover in gold paper, line with tissue paper and tie with a festive bow.
400g Chocolate (min 55% Cocoa)
225ml Cream
2 tbs of Brandy, Whiskey, Rum, Grand Marnier, Very Strong Coffee etc.
Cocoa Powder, Chocolate Sprinkles, Finely Chopped Nuts.
Place a glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to make a bain marie. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in the bowl with the cream, brandy/whiskey and stir until the mix is completely smooth. Scrape into a clean chilled bowl to speed the cooling process and once cool, chill for at least an hour in the fridge. Roll teaspoons of the mixture into small balls and then roll in cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles or nuts. The truffles will keep fresh for at least a couple of weeks but it is doubtful they will last that long.
.
40 Day Olives
This recipe can be found in Kevin Gould's bonkers but excellent cookery book Loving and Cooking With Reckless Abandon. All olives are improved by this preservation method but you must use un-dyed olives with their stones intact. They are best after 40 days but taste pretty damn good after seven. Asian shops are a good bet if you want to save some money on olives. The better oil, the better result - Don Carlos or Aldi Extra Virgin both work well. Once the olives are eaten save the oil for salads or dips.
Quantity of Black and Green un-stoned Olives
1 lemon
1 bunch of Fresh Mint
Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Jam as many olives into a clean jar as will fit. Pour on boiling water and leave the olives to swell for 10 minutes. Pour off the water and push in some mint leaves and thin slices of lemon. Top with olive oil, seal and leave to sit in a cool place (not the fridge) for 40 days.
Lemonade
This lemonade (or lemon cordial) is very refreshing and a good alternative for designated drivers. When giving this as a present I bottle it in old Oil or Grolsch bottles. This is an old family recipe from an Aunt in Youghal and once opened will keep in the fridge for a couple of months.
3 Large Lemons, Juice and Rind
3 Pints of Water
3 lb Sugar
2 oz Citric Acid (buy or order from your local pharmacy)
Heat the water and sugar until dissolved. Grate in the zest from three lemons, then squeeze in the juice, followed by the citric acid. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Strain into sterilized bottles and store in a cool place. Dilute with sparkling or still water.
Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are a crucial ingredient of Middle Eastern and North African Cookery. Any Claudia Roden cookery book will have lots of recipes. Use them chopped when marinating lamb – particularly for the Barbecue – use in Lamb Stews, Tagines, with Cous Cous, Bulgar Wheat and with fish. Roast some courgettes, peppers and root veg in the oven with olive oil and mix in a chopped preserved lemon to literally taste the Mediterranean. You need to preserve the lemons unopened for at least 30 days but they keep for a year or two once opened.
Lemons (small ones work best)
Crystallized Sea Salt (Sel de Guerande if you can find it)
Large Jam Jars
Unless you are using organic give each lemon a good scrub to remove the wax. Cut each lemon in four but not all the way through. Open out and sprinkle in lots of sea salt and push into a large sterilized jar.– feel free to cut some in half to help you fill gaps. After one week, top up the jar with lemon juice and leave for a further three weeks. After one month the skin should have softened considerably and there should be little acid taste.
Cranberry Sauce
The sharp tang of cranberry sauce will lift the flavour of bland turkey like no other condiment. Most commercial jars of Cranberry sauce taste like strawberry jam and thus miss the point. Feel free to scale this recipe up or down- the quantity below will fill 3-4 small jars.
700g Cranberries
100ml Water (or water and fresh squeezed Orange Juice)
150g Sugar (or more if you wish)
Dash of Port, Grand Marnier, Brandy or Kirsch (optional)
Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the cranberries and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries pop and soften. Stir in the alcohol and add more sugar if required. Spoon into sterilized jars.
Mango and Apricot Chutney
This fruity, sour-sweet chutney keeps for months and works as well with a toasted sandwich or boiled bacon as it does with Indian food. The chutney keeps for a couple of years so I recommend making a large quantity. The recipe below makes approx. 2.5 litres but feel free to halve the quantities.
3 Fresh Mangos, peeled and cut in chunks
500g Dried Apricots
1750g Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
300g Sultanas
10 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and mashed
100g Ginger, peeled and grated
1kg Sugar
900ml White Wine Vinegar
4tsp Salt
1 tsp Chilli Powder (or more if you like heat)
Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and cook vigorously for 60-90 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir more frequently as the apples melt and the chutney thickens. When a spoonful on a cool saucer will set easily, the chutney is cooked. Allow to cool a little, then spoon into sterilized jars.
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