This Cheese, and Rosemary Christmas Tree is a terrific addition to any Christmas party, and best of all its quick and easy to make. Use it to form a centrepiece for your party table. Each branch of the ‘tree’ breaks off to become a cheese straw ready to be dipped into a suitable sauce. I like to use my Tomato and Chilli jam as a dip. But it could be anything you like.
Bacon and Avocado Wedges make an interesting party snack that is quick to both make, and serve.
Most people only think of avocado ether in a salad or as a support for prawns. They are much more versatile than that. This recipe makes use of classic flavours that marry well with avocado, bacon, garlic, lemon, and basil.
Try These Christmas Smoky Bacon and Maple Sprouts. The ubiquitous Brussel Sprout must be the largest topic of discussion at the Christmas dinner table. Love them or hate them they are here to stay so why not make them the biggest hit of the meal. Avoid the soggy wet sponges, or the green bullets so often served, and give this recipe a try.
There is a strong American influence here with the rich sweet smokiness of barbecue ribs, offsetting the slightly bitter sprouts.
All the preparation of the sprouts can be done the day before leaving only the cooking to be done ready to serve. Rather than drown the spouts in water, the cooking is done in a wok with the moisture been maintained by the addition of a little chicken stock.
The day before, take the sprouts and trim off a small part of the root and any loose or damaged leaves. Cut each sprout in half down though the root to make two equal halves. If the sprouts are on the large side, cut them into quarters.
This will allow the sprout to cook quickly avoiding undercooked centres. It will also allow the flavours to penetrate deep into the vegetable. Only wash the sprouts if muddy, but as they grow above ground, they should be clean. If you do wash them, do it before then are trimmed and halved.
Cover the sprouts with a sheet of damp kitchen paper then cling film the bowl and store in the fridge.
Place the wok over a medium to high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the bacon pieces and fry in the hot oil until crisp but not dehydrated. Use a perforated spoon to lift out the bacon onto kitchen paper to cool, leaving all the fat in the wok.
Add the sprouts, to the wok tossing them in the hot oil. Fry the sprouts until they have taken on a little colour, then add a splash of the chicken stock, the salt and mill pepper. Then place on the lid to let them steam-fry.
Turn the sprouts every minute of so, adding a dash of stock each time, remembering to replace the lid Continue this for roughly 12 minutes. Or when the sprouts are almost cooked.
Now remove the lid, and return the bacon to the pan. Add the chopped parsley, then drizzle the pan with the maple syrup.
Give the sprouts a mix then check of the seasoning, and you are ready to serve.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at ‘The Westcoaster.’
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
Make a Christmas Stollen this year and forgo the heavy Christmas cake!
The Stollen, is a German fruit bread made with yeast, and contains dried fruits, candied citrus peel, nuts and spices. Traditionary marzipan is folded into the dough before baking. If that’s not to your taste, it can easily be left out of the recipe.
Serve these Christmas Pudding Souffles to you guests and you will instantaneously be seen as a culinary genius. People are always impressed by a served a souffle, in fact they are a lot easier than people imagine.
Gratin Dauphinoise Potatoes are an absolute classic crowd pleaser, and so versatile. The lusciously rich creamy potato with a boost of garlic is a great accompaniment to both red and white meats. Its easy to make and can be made ahead and reheated if needed. I’m going to show you the correct method for making the gratin, so forget what you may have had in the past and try these out.
Try them out with the Christmas Turkey, they make a great alternative to the humble roast potato.
This is not the solid slab of potato with a hint of cream you may be familiar with but a soft, rich, flavourful potato you never tire of. Commonly grated cheese is sprinkled on top before baking, but it shouldn’t be needed.
The delicate flavour of a Dauphinoise is created by a reaction of the fat in the cream, the garlic, and the starch in the potatoes. Properly mix and cooked together the flavour will naturally develop to a luscious experience of garlic and cream . Cooking the potatoes on the hob releases the starch into the cream and starts the process off.
Restaurants often don’t cook Dauphinoise correctly (see below) and add a layer of cheese to catch up’.
Of course, if you like the cheese don’t let me stop you, just use a really good one!
When the gratin is made in a restaurant the chefs want a product that is easy to make, looks good and is easy to serve.
To that end most restaurants make the dish like this-
The garlic cream is made separately, then sliced potatoes are laid in a deep tray with a layer of cream poured between. When the tray is full a layer of cream and cheese is put on top then the whole thing is cooked in the oven.
When cooked a second tray is placed on top and weighted down. This compresses the potato which when cool provides a firm slab of potato which can be cut into shapes according to the presentation required. The shapes can then be refrigerated and re-heated as needed.
Hence the uninteresting dry, firm, block of potatoes you may have been served in the past.
Peel the garlic, remove any visible green shoot and chop. Sprinkle the salt onto the chopped garlic then use your cook’s knife to crush the garlic and salt to a paste.
Pour the cream or milk/cream mix into the pan and add the garlic. Mix the garlic well into the cream then bring the pan to the simmer. When simmering remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand. This is your garlic cream mix.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 …mm slices using a mandolin or food processor. If that’s not going to be possible to do safely, check out our alternative ideas below. Whatever you do, DO NOT RINSE THE POTATO, you will wash off the starch we need in the cream.
Return the pan to the heat and start to add the sliced potatoes. Don’t just add then all at once, add the slices as if you were dealing cards. This will ensure each slice is covered in cream.
Cook the potatoes and cream together carefully for about 10-15 minutes. Push the potatoes down gently so they stay below the surface. Check the bottom of the pan from time to time to check the potato is not burning.
When ready the starch will be released into the cream, thickening it, and forming a sauce. While the pan is cooking butter the inside of the baking dish to avoid sticking
Add a little milled black pepper and check the seasoning adding a dash of salt if needed. Chefs often use white pepper because they think if you see black bits in your potato, you will think its been burnt. Do that if you wish but for me its black pepper every time.
Be carful not to overdo the seasoning. The dish should taste just slightly under seasoned before going into the oven. As the cream evaporates in the oven the seasoning will catch up
Lift the contents of the pan into the baking dish trying to keep the layers of potato as flat as possible. Lightly press the potato to level everything up and keep a tin layer of cream on top.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The top should be golden brown and the potatoes tender.
The texture of the cooked dauphinoise should be not dissimilar to a ripe Brie cheese. Slightly oozing from the edges but not running all over the place.
If serving this at home, I let my guest help themselves directly from the serving dish.
If you do want to portion out the potato, I would recommend serving it as a side dish. It’s much easier and a lot quicker! Have a look at the alternatives below for another suggestion on how to cook and serve the potatoes.
This one is great for serving with well flavoured meats like game, and one for the cheese lovers.
Substitute 200g of potato in the recipe above for peeled and very thinly sliced celeriac. Cook on the hob as above then spoon half the mix into the baking dish. Sprinkle on 30g of parmesan cheese then add the balance of the potato mix.
Dust a further 30g of parmesan on top and bake in the over as before.
Great for serving with the Sunday roast. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of freshly grated horseradish to the garlic cream as it cooks, then bake as normal.
This really copies the idea of a Tartiflette, a French potato dish of cream, bacon, and cheese.
Take 200g of dry cured bacon pieces and fry then in a little olive oil until cooked. Proceed as for the main recipe up to the point of putting the potato mixture into the baking dish. Mix 60g of grated extra mature cheddar cheese and 60g of grated parmesan. Now start to fill the baking dish with the potato. Layering it up with a sprinkling of the cheese and bacon pieces. Top off with the remaining cheese and bake.
You may have used too rich a cream mixture, or more likely it has been baking at too high a temperature. Originally the dish was baked in a water bath to avoid overheating. With today’s modern accurate ovens, it shouldn’t be needed. If you are suspect your oven runs a little hot, reduce the cooking temperature.
There is an alternative, a little like a potato crumble, which is also very easy to serve.
Make the garlic cream as in the main recipe. Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes just over 1cm across. Cook the cubes in the cream been carful they don’t start to break up. Then spoon the mixture into butter heatproof ramekins. Cover the surface with some breadcrumbs and a little parmesan cheese then bake in the oven. They should only take 30-40 minutes. Serve the dish in the ramekins as a side dish.
No problem, simply mix 300ml double/heavy cream with 100ml of milk to bring the fat content down.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at ‘The Westcoaster.’
©John Webber. 2023
Christmas is really a once-a-year dinner party. And this is my guide to having a Successful Christmas Dinner, without all the stress.
Beautifully light Helston Pudding. It’s easy to make comfort food which makes a light alternative to Christmas Pudding. I have put in a couple of minor changes to make it even more Christmassy, and served it with an orange brandy sauce.
This Christmas ultimate chestnut stuffing goes right back to my younger days working at the Dorchester Hotel in park Lane. Christmas there was a grand affair with lobster, caviar and truffles featuring on menus. The main event was quite traditional with turkey and all the trimmings, and this was the stuffing served with the bird. Not a packet of Paxo in sight!
I resurrected the recipe for the family many years ago and it has always been a big hit. My youngest daughter craves it so much we have even sent it down to her if she can’t make it up to us at Christmas. It freezes well so it’s a good idea to make it well ahead, then simply bake it in the oven while the turkey is resting. And if you haven’t already read our post Cranberry and Whisky Luxury Mince Pies to complete the Christmas experience.
1 medium onion
450g skinned herby sausages
200g cooked fresh (see below) or tinned chestnuts
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp chopped flat parsley
½ tsp chopped fresh sage
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ bay leaf
180ml dark chicken stock or diluted low salt cube
salt (taste first)
mill pepper
130g white breadcrumbs (approx.)
Choose a pan that is wide enough to take the volume of stuffing you wish to make without been too deep. If the stuffing is cooked in a narrow deep pan, it will increase the chance of it burning on the bottom.
Peel and finely chop the onion and place into the pan with a dash of olive oil then gently fry the onion until soft and golden. When ready remove the pan from the heat a let it cool down a little then add the herb sausage meat. Don’t add any seasoning yet. Once the meat is cooked, we can adjust the seasoning
I have chosen to use finished sausages rather than buying a pack of sausage meat. I find the sausage meat sold for stuffing at Christmas can be inferior to actual sausages and it also gives you a better choice of quality and flavour.
Put the pan back onto a low heat and mix together with the side of a silicone spatula to break up the meat. You can then add a little stock to help smooth everything out. Don’t be tempted to fry the sausage meat or you will end up with meatballs not stuffing.
Work in the balance of the chicken stock, garlic and bay leaf and mix well bringing up to the simmer and pop on the lid. Now you can ether place the pan into a low oven to braise for 20 minutes or cook slowly on the hob keeping a close eye on the bottom of the pan. (During the braising process the sausage meat should be checked periodically and any excess fat removed from the surface with a small ladle or spoon).
Remove from the oven the pan from the oven and remove any fat floating on the surface. Fold in the chestnuts and two thirds of the breadcrumbs. Now’s the time to have a taste and add some mill pepper and salt if needed. If you have used a stock cube it may not need additional salt at all. Let the stuffing stand for five minutes to let the breadcrumbs thicken then check the consistency and add more breadcrumbs if needed. The stuffing should sit heaped on a spoon without falling off or been overly dry. Finally fold in the chopped herbs and if using at once, transfer the stuffing to a buttered covered oven proof container in readiness for serving. To serve bake the stuffing in a medium oven for 30-40 minutes before use
This mixture may be prepared the day before and carefully reheated in its casserole container. If doing this ensure the stuffing is heated right through to a core temperature of at least 70˚c. I normally make it a couple of weeks ahead, store it in tin foil containers and freeze to save time on the day.
¼ bay leaf
8 oz skinned chestnuts
20cm celery stick
sprig of thyme
6oz chicken or beef stock
If you want to go the whole hog, why not buy fresh chestnuts and cook them yourself? And don’t forget to buy a few extra and have some roast chestnuts with a glass of wine or two.
You will need a small sharp pointed knife and a great deal of care, it’s quite easy to cut yourself scoring through the skin. You can buy ‘knife safe’ gloves but if you’re not too confident with a knife, buy the pre-cooked ones.
Using just the tip of the knife score through the skin of the chestnut around the equator. Don’t go too deep, a scone on each side of the chestnut should be enough.
The chefy way, dip the chestnut into a deep fat fryer at 180˚c for about 30 seconds. Works a treat, but not recommended at home as the chestnuts can ‘pop’ spraying hot oil around plus the dangers of deep fat frying.
Microwave. Works well bit a bit of a nuisance if you have a hot to do. Soak the chestnuts in cold water for five minutes. Drain them and pass through the microwave for one minute, if the skins still resist try another minute. It’s a bit of trial and error according to your microwave.
Oven Roasting. Toss the chestnuts in a dash of oil and roast in a 185˚c oven for about 30 minutes. The chestnuts are cooked by the time they are ready and become more difficult to braise, but ideal if you just want to serve them with sprouts. The biggest problem though is I eat too many and are then short for the meal!
Blanching in water. The best option for making at home. Drop the chestnuts into a pan of boiling water for three to four minutes. Using a kitchen spider lift out five or six at a time and place them in a tea towel and the skins should come off easily. If you have a lot to do, blanch them in batches and take the pan off the heat while you are removing the pan from the heat. If tye chestnits become cold and dry out the skins are harder to remove. just popo them back in the water for a couple of minutes to warm through.
To braise the chestnuts, take a shallow pan and place the prepared chestnuts and the stock on to the stove to warm through. Make a bouquet garni by encasing the thyme, bay leaf between the halved celery stick and add to the chestnuts. Bring the pan cover with a disc of grease proof paper and cook in the oven until the chestnuts are tender but not disintegrating, about 15 minutes. Leave to cool. In the stock then drain, the remaining cooking liquid can be used as the stock to make the stuffing.
So what are you waiting for? Get ahead for Christmas.
Enjoy Life! – And Christmas
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
The festive period looms and it’s time to begin thinking about my Christmas Mince Pies and organising things to make the period as enjoyable and stress free as possible. And it’s particularly time for me to think about this year’s mince pies filled with cranberry and whisky mincemeat.