Xmas Food and Wine, Enfield Next Door

Below are the wines and some recipes. All recipes are now below in the order we ate them - including the Indian ones.

Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad - €20.00
Matched with Wild Boar and Apple Sausage and a slice of Apple. Wild Boar sausages bought in O'Tooles Butcher, Terenure. Downeys Terenure also do Boar Sausages.


Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio, Turckheim, €15.99

Smoked Salmon Pate
Add 200g of Smoked Salmon to a food processor plus a tub of Mascarpone and 4-6 tablespoons of natural yoghurt and the juice of half a lemon. Blend briefly. You should be able to see small chunks of smoked salmon. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or yoghurt.

Alternatively use Philadelphia or other cream cheese and omit the yoghurt.


Knappstein 3 Gewurz, Riesling and Pinot Gris, €15.99
Torres Santa Digna Rose- €11.99

Cod in Spicy sauce with Fennel and Mustard Seeds
2 Thick Cod Steaks, skinned. (or any firm white fish)
1tsp Salt,. 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper, 1/4 tsp Turmeric
3tbs Sunflower Oil, 1 tsp Fennel Seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 sliced Onions, 2 chopped Cloves Garlic, 2 tsp Ground Cumin, 1 400g Tin Tomatoes, 1/2 tsp Whole Cumin Sees, 1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Pre-heat the oven to 180 Celsius / Gas 4. Mix half the salt, with the cayenne and turmeric and rub into both sides of the fish and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil and once hot add the mustard and fennel seeds. After a few seconds the mustard seeds will pop, add the onions and garlic. Stir and fry until the onions turn slightly brown. Add the ground cumin and the tin of tomatoes.

On a separate pan dry fry the whole cumin seeds without oil until toasted. Grind the roasted cumin seeds and add to the spicy tomatoes. NOTE: this step can be omitted without too much damage to the final flavours in the dish.

Simmer for the tomatoes 15 minutes and taste to adjust the seasoning (you may need a little more salt or cayenne).

Heat 1tbs of oil in a separate pan and fry the fish briefly so it is browned on each side but not cooked through. Add the fish to a baking dish and pour over the spicy tomato sauce. Cook at 180 Celsius (Gas 4) for 15 minutes


Tandoori Style Chicken
500g-1kg of Chicken Pieces. Use chicken breasts or whole pieces such as drumsticks or legs.
Mix 1 tsp of salt with the juice of 1 lemon and rub into the chicken (cut slashes if you are using whole pieces. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Add the following to a blender - 1 medium quartered onion, a green chilli pepper, 1sp Garam Masala, 3 peeled cloves of garlic, a peeled chopped 1 inch cube of fresh ginger and 400ml Natural Yoghurt. Blend until you have a smooth paste and pour over the chicken. Marinate for a further 30 minutes (or overnight). If you want the chicken to be the typical Tandoori chicken colour you need to mix 1tsp of yellow and 1tsp of red food colouring and brush over the chicken (or just add it to the yoghurt mix for a lighter effect).

Pre-heat the oven to its maximum temperature. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and add to a baking dish in one layer. Bake for 25 minutes until cooked (check the juices run clear). Serve with slices of lemon or lime.


Dom. de Bisconte, Cotes de Rousillion 2007 - €11.79
Goose Breast with Mango Bread Stuffing
Stuffing was simply made by blending fresh herbs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Fry an onion in butter until soft. Add the breadcrumbs and herbs to the pan plus a peeled and diced ripe mango. Scrape all the butter and onions and mango into an ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven for an hour.


Saint Clair Vicars Choice Pinot Noir, New Zealand €14.49
Roast Turkey


Taylors Late Bottled Vintage €22.50

Leslie's Granny's Christmas Pudding!
This recipe makes 2 puddings. The recipe is flexible so feel free to vary the ingredients to your taste.

1lb Raisins
1lb Sultanas (and/or Currants if you like them)
1/2 - 1lb Suet (I use closer to a half lb but feel free to use more)
1lb Brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Nutmeg
2-3 tsp Mixed spice
4oz mixed peel
1-2oz Glacé Cherries
5-6 Eggs (depending on size)
1/2 - 1 glass of whiskey
1/2 lb Flour
1/2 lb Breadcrumbs (or less if you wish)
Optional addition - Juice and Rind of a Lemon

Mix dry ingredients. Add Eggs and mix very well (5 minutes stirring recommended). Grease pudding bowls with butter and divide the mixture between the 2 bowls. Cover with greaseproof paper, then tinfoil, then more paper and tie with string. Place a saucer in a large pot and place the pudding on top. Add lots of boiling water (as close to the top as you can) and cover. Steam the puddings for 4 hours and allow to mature for as long as possible (you can add a little more brandy or whiskey as it matures to keep it moist - pour over the whiskey and poke with a skewer).

To heat for serving you can microwave it but a further boiling of an hour is a bit better.