Wassail - mulled ale or cider

The word wassail comes from the Anglo-Saxon toast “be thou hale” – which translates as: “to your health.” In feudal times, peasants would go “a-wassailing” (also known as caroling) door to door in hopes of scoring snacks such as figgy pudding and alcoholic drinks such as mulled wine and wassail.

What commonly passes for wassail today is just mulled cider, the original recipe was actually made with ale. Hence these lyrics to the Christmas carol classic “Gloucestershire Wassail”:

Wassail! Wassail! All over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown

Yep, that’s it: brown ale and toast. Putting spiced toast in cocktails was quite the thing back in the day. In fact, it’s where the phrase “proposing a toast” comes from: both were thought to add flavor to a drink.

Originally, wassail was topped with toasted slices of white bread, which soaks up the ale and gets pleasantly soggy and bittersweet. Here, it’s garnished with a slice of toasted baguette, which adventurous guests can dunk in the ale and eat (it tastes a lot better than it sounds). Traditional recipes also call for adding roasted apples, but in this simpler version, apple slices are cooked right in the ale.

Traditional Wassail

Ingredients

6 bottles of brown ale (I used Newcastle)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup sweet cream sherry
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
1 baguette
Ground cinnamon

Method

Combine ale, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, sherry and apples in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until apples become soft.

Use a spoon to remove the cloves so your guests don’t choke on them. However, no need to remove the cinnamon sticks until the last of the ale has been served. (Note: Cinnamon sticks are dear. Once the wassail is done, wash off your cinnamon sticks, let them air-dry, then put them back in their jar and reuse.)

Cut 12 slices from the baguette, then cut a V-shaped wedge from the edge of each piece to the center so the slice will fit over the edge of each cup or mug without breaking once toasted.

Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil for 2 minutes or until toasted on one side, then flip the slices over and broil for an additional minute or until golden brown.

Ladle wassail (including apple slices) into each cup, sprinkling cinnamon on top and garnishing with a toasted baguette slice.

Serves 12

Jamie Oliver has just launched his Christmas mini-site, with a delectable choice of four different Christmas menus. There’s the straight-forward parsnip soup and turkey main combination or a helpful vegetarian plan for those unused to catering for non-meat eaters. For those of us struggling in the current financial climate, Jamie also does a “credit-crunch” menu which follows a fairly traditional pattern that will be familiar to many home cooks. It’s also easier and cheaper than his first foray into budget food in “Jamie’s School Dinners”.

Check out Jamie’s countdown to Christmas – it’s a culinary advent calendar which starts on 10th December (click here).

On his Christmas site, you can also buy gifts and food including flapjack and various chutneys (the chutney page has a full-on video with the makers waxing lyrical about chutney jars). There’s also the Jamie Oliver ham with jerk seasoning (£60) and his Christmas pudding (£15) – which both have free delivery before 31st December. You have to allow 5-7 working days so get your kit ordered before 16th December to be certain of receiving it in time for Christmas.

Jamie is going to be on TV at the following times over Christmas to help you turn out the perfect Christmas recipes:

• Jamie Cooks Christmas 18th Dec 2008 21:00 Channel 4
• Jamie at Home Christmas Special 19th Dec 2008 20:00 Channel 4
• Jamie Cooks Christmas 24th Dec 2008 20:30 Channel 4
• Jamie at Home Christmas Special 7th Dec 2008 20:00 More4
• Jamie Cooks Christmas 21st Dec 2008 20:00 More4
• Jamie at Home Christmas Special 24th Dec 2008 16:40 More4

Pheasant in the Garden: Not for Lunch!

Multi-bird roasts are one of those special one-off extravagances that people tackle at Christmas. With more protein than even Michael Phelps could handle, these feats of culinery expertise are a true centrepiece for the year’s celebrations.

Goose

This year, our butcher has sent a list including turkey, guinea fowl, capon, pheasant, duck and goose. To save the effort of stuffing there’s also the choice of sage or chestnut pork sausagemeat. This carnivorous carnival presents something of a dilemma to the prospective cook, but do not be dissuaded, the multi-bird roast can be done. Here are the basics:

Step 1: Bone your birds

Start with the smallest birds so that you’re pretty good by the time it gets to the largest bird (the visible one). Take the skin off all except the outer bird. Leave the wing tips and legs on the outer birds to make it easier to tie it together at the end. You can ask your butcher to do this step for you.

Capon

Step 2: Stuff your birds

Fit the birds inside one another, smearing stuffing in between each layer.

Step 3: Tie up

Tie up your outer bird using twine or string.

Step: 4: Cook it

Lightly season the outer bird and cover with foil.

Pheasant

Check the weights of your birds to calculate the cooking time. The Food Standards Agency does a handy cooking guide – just click here – although it doesn’t allow for multiple stuffings. Brian Turner allows 4 hours at (180ºC or Gas Mark 4) for his Royal Roast (goose, chicken, pheasant and stuffing). The meat is cooked when a skewer inserted in the side lets the juices run clear.

Roast in a pre-heated oven and baste at intervals throughout cooking. Cook uncovered for the final 20 – 40 minutes to allow the skin to brown. Stand for at 40 minutes to an hour to allow the juices to seep back into the meat, and the meat itself to firm up, making it easier to carve.

Guinea Fowl

Recipes

These are just the basics. The choice of birds, stuffing and juices are all up to you. Send us your recipes in the comments box below (you don’t have to leave your e-mail address or real name). We’d love to hear of any wacky combinations – ostrich anyone?

Buying Online

You can buy chicken, turkey and duck online from Asda and Tescos - cut out the dreaded run to the supermarkets and reduce your stress by letting the friendly staff bring it straight to your door. I use Tesco deliveries in a remote area. The staff are impeccable. I have had a couple of mouldy pieces of veg out of a year’s worth of weekly deliveries, which isn’t too bad and they do tend to substitute one or two items per order depending upon availability. I have never used Asda online but they are definitely very cheap instore and have a special Christmas dinner section on their website. You just have to check whether either of these retailers will deliver to your area by doing the postcode check and then find a delivery slot which suits you.

Buffets

In the place of pork pies, cocktails sausages and bacon quiche, try from this wonderful selection of vegetarian and vegan pick-me-ups:

• 

  Vegetable Spring Rolls

  Falafel- a baked lentil mixture – a Middle Eastern recipe.

• Stuffed Vine Leaves – Greek recipe, can be served with minted yoghurt or lemon juice.
• Vodka Cherry Tomatoes.
• Houmous & Pita – an old favourite, now very cheap in the supermarkets but always tastiest home made. Pitas can be easily warmed up in the toaster.
• Mediterranean Vegetables (vegan) – just roast any from the following in olive oil at a high heat: peppers, courgettes, aubergines, red onion, pumpkin or squash, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
• Vegetable Kebabs (vegan) – pick from any of the med veg, cover in oil and cajun spice, BBQ or roast.
• Onion Bhajis – make your own or buy cheap from the supermarket freezer.
• Vegetable Spring Rolls (vegan) – make your own or buy cheap from the supermarket freezer.
• Vegetable Samosas (vegan) – make your own or buy cheap from the supermarket freezer.
• Deep fried camembert and cranberry sauce – from the supermarket freezer, done in 15 minutes in the oven.
• Breaded Garlic Mushrooms – deep fried, sauteed or baked and also available from the supermarket.
• All sorts of Indian curries are vegetarian and can be easily made in large batches. Most people, vegetarian or not, have had a vegetarian curry at some point. They are easily ladled out from large pots and can be served with rice, pita, naan or even toast!
• Olives – buy in most shops or grow your own.
• Couscous – make from packets available at the supermarket.
• 

  Vegetarian Chilli

  Vegetarian Chilli – can be served with rice, tacos, tortilla (add cheese, lettuce and salsa) or on its own. For finger food, try spooning a small amount of the chilli onto doritos (or similar) then covering with salsa, cheese and grilling for two minutes until cheese has melted. A great hot snack. Recipe: make as normal chilli con carne but substitute the meat for any beans, pulses or other veg such as peppers, celery, mushrooms etc…

• Cheeses
• Fruit (such as strawberries, pineapple and grapes on a cocktail stick).
• Sushi

Christmas Dinner

Starters

Most starters are, in fact, vegetarian so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a veggie starter which suits you all.

• 

  Mushroom Pate

  Garlic Mushrooms

• Mushroom pate – available in all large supermarkets and a personal favourite of Santa’s Little Helper.
• Stuffed Mushrooms -  cut out the stalks, chop them, mix them with garlic, breadcrumbs, salt & pepper then cover in oil and bake for 20 minutes
• Potato wedges – roughly chop potatoes with skins on, cover in oil and season, place on baking tray and leave until golden brown.
• Melon – scoop out in balls and serve with a berry or two for garnish. Also good for clearing the palate between courses.
• Soup – there are a million vegetarian soups out there both hot and cold.
• Poached pear salad (add duck for the meat eaters)
• 

  Insalate Tricoloure

  Goat’s cheese tarlet

• Sun-dried tomato pate – available in big supermarkets and specialist delis.
• Spinach and ricotta pate – available in big supermarkets and specialist delis.
• Tapenade with olive oil and bread – available in big supermarkets and specialist delis.
• Tomato, mozzarella and avocado – drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle fresh basil over and voila! Insalate Tricolore
• Melted blue cheese over avocado (plus smoked salmon for the meat-eaters).

Mains

This is where things can get awkward. If the vegetarian or vegan is averse to eating vegetables or gravy that have been cooked in meat juices, then is it probably best to just go with a completely separate meal (M&S do some great vegetarian ready meals). Ones cooked all at once, or all in advance are best. Think casseroles, pot roasts and lasagnes. Otherwise, just serve up the usual but with a substitute for the meat. Have a look at these options:

• 

  Nut Roast

  Meat substitutes.

• Cottage Pie – Delia Smith’s recipe but using quorn and olive oil in the mash For the vegan version cut out the cheese. For a gluten and lactose free version, use normal mince and ewe or goat’s cheese on top. Olive oil in the mash and leeks fried in olive oil (instead of butter).
• Nut roast (check whether it is vegan) – most vegetarians will be used to have this as a substitute. There’s also a tomato version and most meat-eaters enjoy it too. Serves as an expensive stuffing.
• Stuffed red pepper (vegan)
• Vegetarian lasagne
• Moussaka without the lamb (can be substituted with Quorn)
• Stuffed Aubergine (vegan).
• Falafel (vegan)
• 

  Cheese and Parsnip Roulade

  Chestnut bourgignon pie

• Vegetarian haggis
• Squash & Pepper stacks (can be vegan).
• Smoked Bean Curd Medallions with Shiitake & Walnut Stuffing (vegan)
• Recipes from the Good Housekeeping Forum.
• Spinach Filo Tarte. Often available in the freezer department of most supermarkets.
• Cheese and parsnip roulade with sage and onion stuffing (Delia Smith).
• Mushroom Stroganoff with Mustard and Chive Mash.

Dessert

Most vegetarians won’t eat gelatine (found in the jelly in the trifle) or animal suet (found in mince pies and Christmas pudding). There are plenty of substitutes for these annual desserts.

• 

  Chocolate Roulade

  Toffee pudding

• Chocolate roulade
• Exotic Christmas Pud
• Orange liqueur pudding (vegan option)
• Straight-forward Vegetarian Christmas Pudding.

Eggnog

Eggnog originated in Europe, probably England, before the 18th century. It was an upper class drink, owing to the value and rarity of fresh milk and eggs. It is a warm, alcoholic drink consumed in Winter to ward off the cold. There is debate over which spirit should properly be added to it, but cognac is the most likely original ingredient.

Most British kids will recall drinking “snowballs” with grandparents at Christmas. That’s just a cocktail of advocaat and lemonade. For these purposes, it’s probably only worth using the bought stuff – don’t ruin homemade eggnog with a fizzy drink. Royal Dutch Advocaat £7.99 through The Wine Blokes. They also have the more upmarket Warnicks at £18.72 for 70cl.

There are loads of different recipes for Eggnog, or its thicker Dutch counterpart, Advocaat (which means “lawyer”, from “advocate”, I suppose). Here’s a basic one to start with. There are many other non-alcoholic and even egg-free versions available. To make it into more of an advocaat, use egg yolks only in double quantities.

Ingredients

4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk or cream
2 cups good-quality cognac, brandewijn or dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Put a large pan or casserole dish on a very, very, low heat. Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture turns a smooth, pale yellow colour. Add the alcohol and vanilla slowly and keep whisking non-stop. Pour in half of the whole milk. Keep whisking for a few minutes until warm.

Whisk in the rest of the milk or cream. Pour into a heatproof serving bowl and ladle into mugs or latte glasses. Add a flourish of whipped cream or grated nutmeg for added effect.

Eggnog and Advocaat will also be available at the plethora of German markets which spring up around this time of year. There’s definitely going to be one at Millenium Square in Leeds.

Brandy butter

Brandy Butter really sets off a Christmas Pudding, or plate of mince pies perfectly. Even better, you can prepare it a fortnight before Christmas and put it in the fridge (just make sure you don’t eat it all in advance!) – so you can ’set it and forget it’. Here we show you how to make your own Brandy Butter.

Brandy Butter Ingredients

There are very few ingredients to Brandy Butter, the main two being fairly obvious, too!

• 6 Tablespoons Brandy;
• 175g Unsalted Butter – leave at room temperature (or flash through a microwave if chilled) for simpler mixing;
• 175g Soft Dark Brown Sugar

That’s it!

Brandy Butter Method

The simplest way to make brandy butter is to use a motorised or electric whisk, or a food processor, but you can do it the good old-fashioned way with a wooden spoon, a mixing bowl, and some elbow grease! The method is as follows:

• Blend together the butter and suger until it is a consistent and smooth, creamy paste.
• Add brandy bit by bit, all the while mixing, until the mixture has achieved your favoured level of potency (in my family this is usually something approaching knock-out material, but take your own sensible approach).

That’s it – then simply put it in a nice bowl and cover it – pop it in the fridge, ready for Christmas.

Steamed Christmas Pudding

Ever wanted to make your own Christmas Pudding? We know that Christmas pudding is often quite cheap from the shops, but there’s nothing better than serving up a home-prepared dish on the big day, and this is one thing that benefits from early preparation – ticking one job off the list nice and early. Here we’ll show you how.

Puddings should be prepared at least 2 months before Christmas, and you should pour a little more alcohol to the completed pudding every week or so – this lets all the flavours develop into an incredibly rich Christmas pudding, and one that all your guests will remark upon.

The puddings serve 6-8 people (rich puddings can stretch round, though, so if you’ve 10 guests coming you should be alright) so make extra for 10 or more guests.

Christmas Pudding Ingredients

• 340g Sultanas;
• 340g Raisins;
• 225g Currants;
• 225g Golden Caster Sugar – TESCO do a good own brand of this for little money;
• 225g Vegetarian Suet;
• 110g Chopped Candied Peel;
• 110g Plain Flour;
• 110g White Breadcrumbs – make your own using a food processor and some old-ish bread;
• 55g Flaked Almonds;
• Zest of 1 Lemon;
• 5 Eggs – Break and beat in a bowl;
• 1 teaspoon (level) ground cinnamon;
• 1 teaspoon (level) mixed spice;
• 1 teaspoon (level) grated/ground nutmeg;
• Pinch of Salt;
• 150ml Brandy.

Christmas Pudding Method

• Grease your Pudding dishes – this recipe will make enough for either 4×1 pint (600ml) or 2×2 Pint (1.2 Litre) pudding basins – you can increase or reduce the recipe as necessary for more/less.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together in your mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs and brandy and mix well – making sure to get all the dry ingredients coated fully.
• Spoon out the mixture into your pudding dishes and cover with baking paper and foil – secure this tightly with string.
• Steam the puddings for 5-6 hours – you will need to use either a steamer, or a large pan for this. Most people don’t have a steamer, so find a pan big enough to take the pudding basin and still replace the lid (you might have to have to do a couple of puddings at a time) and turn a saucer upside down at the bottom for each pudding to sit on. Fill with boiling water to 1 third up the puddings, and place the lid on top. Boil for 5-6 hours.
• Remove puddings from steamer, and change the baking paper and foil – retie – and leave to cool. Then store the pudding in a cool place until Christmas.
• Remember to add a little more brandy each week.

Serving your Christmas Puddings

Serving these Christmas Puddings on the big day itself is quite simple:

• Steam for two hours as before, and serve with either:
  • Brandy Butter (see recipe by clicking here);
  • Rum sauce (see recipe here);
  • Double Cream;
  • Custard (see recipe here).

There you have it – a Christmas Pudding that you can be proud of. However, make sure you will have enough cooker space to steam the pudding on the day! You could even use a small camping gas cooker or similar, as the pudding just needs to simmer away for a couple of hours, and be kept topped up with water.

1 bottle red wine 2 lemons
3 ozs caster sugar fresh nutmeg
2 inch cinnamon stick 8 fl ozs water

1. Heat the wine, water, sugar and cinnamon with the thinly pared rind of 1 lemon until simmering, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar.
2. Pull pan off the heat, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and rind.
3. Slice lemons.
4. Serve topped with sliced lemon and grated nutmeg.
5. Serves 4.

10 ozs Plain flour The grated rind of half a lemon
1 oz ground almonds 1 egg yolk
6 ozs butter 3 tablespoons of milk
3 ozs caster sugar

1. Mix flour and almonds.
2. Add butter cut into bits, and rub in (or mix in a food processor)
3. Add sugar and lemon rind
4. Bind with egg yolk and milk to make a stiff paste.
5. Allow to rest in the fridge for 20 mins, then roll out and make mince pies, making two small cuts in the lids. I think these work best in shallow tins.
6. Bake at Gas mark 6, or 175 degrees Centigrade, for 15 – 20 minutes, and allow to cool. These freeze well.
7. I think they are best left plain, not glazed on top with egg or milk. Cook to a light colour, then dust with sieved icing sugar when cold.

If you warm some up later for serving, try drizzling a few drops of brandy in through the cuts in the lids.
**STAR IDEA -for Christmas walks, take a Christmas picnic – mince pies, Christmas cake, and a flask of hot chocolate or coffee with Brandy, Tia Maria or Bailey’s in it. It can all be guilt free if you have had a bracing walk in the cold.

• One and a half pounds of dried fruit 2 eggs
• 4 ozs quartered glace cherries 2 tbsp marmalade
• 4 ozs butter
• three quarters of a cup of brown sugar 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 cup plain flour
• half a cup of water a quarter teaspoon of salt
• half a cup of sherry

1. Put fruit, butter, sugar, spice and water in a pan,
2. Stir over a low heat and bring to the boil. Boil uncovered for 3 minutes.
3. Allow to cool
4. Add sherry, eggs and marmalade and mix well
5. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well
6. Bake in a 7 inch tin, greased and lined, at Gas mark 2-3, 150 degrees Centigrade, for two, to two and a half hours.
7. Cake is done when the top springs back when lightly pressed, or when a skewer placed in the middle comes out cleanly
For a spectacular tasting cake, make it with the following dried fruits instead of ordinary mixed fruit;
Chopped dried figs, prunes, apricots and dates – fantastic, and so easy!!!