Innholdsfortegnelse for Dec-18 i Delicious UK

MAKES 15. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 60 MIN MAKE AHEAD The brandy snaps will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Make the cream filling and pipe just before serving. FOOD TEAM’S TIP If the brandy snaps become too hard to roll into cigars, gently reheat on the baking sheet until slightly softened, then continue with the recipe. FOR THE BRANDY SNAPS • 50g unsalted butter • 50g demerara sugar • 50g golden syrup • 50g plain flour • ½ tsp ground ginger • ½ tsp lemon juice FOR THE BAILEYS ESPRESSO MARTINI CREAM • 300ml double cream • 3 tbsp Baileys or similar cream liqueur • 2 tbsp Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur • Espresso powder and/or icing sugar to dust YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • 2…

SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR 30 MIN, PLUS SETTING AND COOLING MAKE AHEAD Keep the cooked, cooled meringue in an airtight container for up to 1 week (freeze for up to 1 month – defrost overnight). Chill the cooled syrup and orange segments in separate containers for up to 3 days. Toss the segments in extra juice to serve. • 3 large free-range egg whites • 75g caster sugar • 75g golden caster sugar • ½ tsp vanilla extract FOR THE DECORATION • 4 oranges • 100ml ready-made negroni (we like the Campari and Tesco brands) • 75g golden caster sugar • 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 400ml double cream • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 30g shelled unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted and chopped •…

Almond milk eggnog SERVES 2 • 200ml unsweetened almond milk • 100ml single cream • Split vanilla pod and its scraped seeds • 1 small cinnamon stick • A few gratings of nutmeg, plus extra • 1 medium free-range egg yolk • 50g caster sugar • 60ml good brandy • 60ml dark rum 1 Warm the almond milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon stick and nutmeg in a small pan over a low heat until steaming. 2 Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then pour in the warm milk mixture gradually, whisking. 3 Return the mixture to the small pan with the brandy and rum and warm gently, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until thickened. 4 Strain and leave to cool. Chill for at least…

SERVES 10. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 28-29 MIN, PLUS ABOUT 5 HOURS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Make the tart up to a day ahead; cover and chill. Make the sugared lime zest just before serving. FOOD TEAM’S TIP The technique for sugared lime zest also works with other citrus fruit if you want to mix up the colours and flavours. FOR THE PASTRY • 110g chilled unsalted butter, cubed • 60g caster sugar • 130g plain flour, plus extra to dust • 60g fine semolina • Finely grated zest 1 lime FOR THE CURD FILLING • Finely grated zest and juice 6 limes • 2 tbsp gin • 225g caster sugar • 4 medium free-range eggs, plus 2 yolks • 1 tbsp juniper berries, bashed in a pestle and…

MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, PLUS SETTING MAKE AHEAD Once set, the covered jellies will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Fifteen sheets may seem like a lot of gelatine, but that’s because the jelly contains a lot of alcohol, which impedes the set of a jelly. Even with this amount of gelatine, the jellies have a softer set than usual, so they’re best made and served in a glass, like a cocktail, rather than trying to turn them out onto a plate or into a bowl. We didn’t use any additional sugar so the jellies really do taste like a jelly version of a champagne cocktail. If you want to make your jellies a tad sweeter, add a couple of teaspoons of…

PHOTOGRAPHS: TOBY SCOTT, PAUL MITCHELL. RECIPE: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH.FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE It seems barely six months since I last wrote the editor’s letter for a Christmas issue – your biggest, most ideas-packed and (we hope) most inspiring magazine of the year. Our aim is to do the hard work for you, tasting, sifting out the dross and whittling down the vast array of products available in the shops and online. When you read about a gadget, gift or food item in delicious. it will have been prodded, tasted, tested and argued over. Nothing gains a place in our pages if it hasn’t punched above its weight. Then of course there are the recipes… We can’t actually cook them for you (sorry!) but we have planned, created, tested,…

TURKEY REARER TOM COPAS, COPAS TURKEYS Our eat-athon starts with a brunch of boiled eggs, ham, smoked salmon and bubbles while everyone helps with the canapés or veg or lighting the fires. There’s much chat about which flock the turkey was from before it’s carved. After lunch it’s a race to the sofa. On Collection Day at the farm (23 December), 5,000 people visit, so we’re all exhausted.I have a snooze before making a sandwich: turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, stuffing, salad, mayonnaise and black pepper. Order free-range, slow-grown turkeys from copasturkeys.co.uk  until 17 December STILTON MAKER BILLY KEVAN, COLSTON BASSETT DAIRY Christmas is the one day where I give all the staff a day off. I live on site, so it feels very quiet. After presents, we’ll head…

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES SPICE SKILLS My family came from Clarendon, a sugar-cane growing area in Jamaica; we were very poor. I was the youngest of six children and grew up with my grandfather and grandma, who was great with spices. They’re so intense in the Caribbean and it takes a lot of skill to get spicing right – use too much scotch bonnet and you have the difference between a great rice and peas and a dish you have to throw away. I never saw my grandma measure anything – it just came naturally from years of cooking. COOKING WITH GAS Each year one of us children would be sent to be with our parents, who’d set up home in the UK. I was the last to go, so when…

PHOTOGRAPH: STUART WEST…

• The last week at work has been so decadently ‘festive’ with parties and late nights that the last jam-packed train journey home feels like a blessed relief. • I skip along to my children’s school carol concert to smash out the classics (badly) that get me in the Christmas mood. • We buy the Radio Times for the only time during the whole year, just so we can draw circles around all the good telly. • My local pub is full of those dreadful Christmas jumpers. • I wake up on Christmas Eve to open my birthday cards (I was a Christmas Eve baby) and presents, only to be told I still have to make the tea first. • I’m sat at the dinner table after working all hours…

THE UNLIKELY RISE (AND RISE…) OF THE CHRISTMAS JUMPER Christmas jumpers have long since shrugged off their Gyles Brandreth/Noel Edmonds/ Val Doonican 1970s television presenter vibe and are now imbued with ironic Christmas cool. What changed? Ever since Colin Firth as Mark Darcy wore his reindeer sweater to a Boxing Day party in Bridget Jones’s Diary in 2001, the march of the festive statement knit has been unstoppable. Last year, George at Asda sold more than 600,000 Christmas jumpers and one in five of us wear one on Christmas Day. It’s become such a trend that fashion designers including Jil Sander, Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana have piled into the Christmas jumper game. But truthfully, who really wants a tasteful jumper? The kitsch-me-up sweater is the winter version…

In the 1840s an English confectioner returned from France to his London shop with an idea that would change our Christmases forever – French bon-bons (sugared almonds wrapped in twists of paper offered as Christmas treats). Ever the innovator, he added mottoes or romantic messages. One evening while sitting by the fire, a crackling log inspired him to add the bang, at which point his ‘cosaques’ – which quickly became known by their more informal name, ‘crackers’ – took off. When he died, his sons, Walter, Martin and Tom, took over the business and replaced the almonds with small gifts and the mottoes with jokes, puzzles and riddles. They added paper crowns too – perhaps a reference to the Twelfth Night tradition of electing a king or queen to oversee…

For the past 16 years, Jan Billington has been cultivating edible flowers at Maddocks Farm Organics near Cullompton in Devon. Now she’s using her art college training and the plants on her five-acre farm to create beautiful wreaths, some made using garlands of kitchen herbs, others festooned with eye-catching curly kale and cabbage roses. “Essentially, the idea came from my stomach,” explains Jan. “We love to eat everything we grow here at Maddocks Farm and Christmas is a time of feasting, too, so it’s nice to make wreaths that are a part of that. You sometimes see them made with chillies or apples, but they still use a base of boring – and inedible – holly and ivy. I thought it would be fun to use edible stuff like herbs…

The nibble Goat’s cheese and chicory crostini with balsamic pickled shallots The main (and vegan main) Clementine, thyme and bay roast turkey with zesty sausagemeat stuffing Miso mushroom, squash and chestnut wellington The sides Roast potatoes with polenta, balsamic and thyme Roast radicchio with lemon and parsley dressing Carrot, parsnip and mascarpone gratin Sprouts, sugar snaps and spring onions with orange, hazelnut and rosemary butter The sauces Clementine and Cointreau cranberry sauce Brown butter sourdough bread sauce The pud Sloe gin figgy Christmas pudding with limoncello butter…

PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE. THE 5 GOLDEN RULES 1 Choosing Aim for a variety of milk types, styles and origins – but give a nod to the time of year. All the cheeses in this selection taste great in mid-winter. 2 Size Buy fewer types but bigger pieces; the larger surface area means they won’t dry out as quickly. 3 Storing Keep cheese in the bottom of the fridge, wrapped in waxed paper, which allows it to breathe. 4 Serving Take the cheese out of the fridge to come to room temperature, which will improve its flavour. In a warm house, 20 minutes should be enough. 5 Cutting Slice from the centre to the rind to get the full range of flavours, or cut…

THE FREEZE-AHEAD CANAPÉ “So much festive joy is centred around food: fragrant, steaming mugfuls of mulled wine on a chilly evening; platters of cheese and Christmas chutneys around the fire with family; huge tins of chocolates, their sparkling wrappers crackling as you search for your favourite flavour... But on Christmas Day it’s all too easy for the cook to spend hours slogging away in the kitchen perfecting a feast for loved ones, rather than spending quality time with them. It doesn’t need to be that way and, to prove the point, I’ve created the ultimate prep-ahead, pared-back menu. If you’re cooking Christmas lunch and feel daunted at the prospect, this super-organised approached is a brilliant opportunity to give it a go.” OLIVIA SPURRELL, COOKERY ASSISTANT Spinach and pine nut palmiers…

“I adore this sandwich. It’s kind of wrong, but the rights far outweigh any of that. The combination of melted cheese, a tiny bit of truffle oil, excellent charcuterie, the sweetness of the onion marmalade and the crunch and acidity of gherkins make this a sandwich that satisfies the deepest recesses of the soul – especially at this time of year. Once this is on your plate, winter can do its worst… Light the fire, pour a glass of something special and sit down to enjoy this decadent treat. This makes one toastie, but it’s easy to scale up.” DHRUV BAKER PHOTOGRAPH: GARETH MORGANS. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH . STYLING: WEI TANG Christmas cheese toastie MAKES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN KNOWHOW Tunworth is a soft cheese (similar to camembert)…

• Aunt Vibeke’s way: just before serving, fold in a few spoonfuls of whipped cream (no sugar added). • Add chopped capers. • My father-in-law Leif’s way: add chopped pickled cucumber or gherkins. • Mix with a few chopped hard-boiled eggs and chopped pickled herring fillets for a smörgasbord. • Cube cooked carrot and potato and add to the beetroot along with red onions and capers to create what Danes call a Russian salad. • Replace the mayo with skyr or quark to make the dish a little lighter. • Add toasted, chopped walnuts for crunch. • Add a handful of chopped chives and some chopped dried apricots (soak in hot water for an hour first to plump them up). • Swap the mayo and crème fraîche for crumbled feta…

MEET OUR EXPERTS JEN BEDLOE Food editor SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH Deputy food editor OLIVIA SPURRELL Cookery assistant LUCAS HOLLWEG Chef and food writer THANE PRINCE Food writer, cook and queen of preserving CHEF’S STEP BY STEP p125 Pastry maestro Calum Franklin shows how to make his coronation chicken pie delicious. KITCHEN p120 How to barbecue a turkey, use up leftover sprouts, make 10-minute parmesan crisps and much more ULTIMATE VEG GRAVY p123 Now nobody has to miss out on the joy of roasties anointed with flavourful gravy…

• Avoid wild British or Irish smoked salmon: stocks are depleted and wild salmon is currently red-listed by the Marine Conservation Society. • Farmed Scottish salmon is a good choice: look for a good depth of smoke and minimal oiliness (the long slices are cut closer to the skin, so the fat is more obvious). • For something special, choose wild Pacific sockeye salmon. It’s dense, dry and ‘D-cut’ into short slices. CJ’S TIPS Open vac-packed smoked salmon 15 minutes before serving to let it breathe. My favourite smoked salmon is from St James Smokehouse – you can buy it from finescottish hampers.com. ADDITIONAL WORDS: REBECCA WOOLLARD. PHOTOGRAPHS: MAJA SMEND,JOE SARAH, EULANDA SHEAD, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES.…

Use your tin as a template and roll out the pastry wide enough to fit and line the tin: put the tin in the middle of the pastry, then tip it on its end and mark the pastry 5cm above where it falls [D]. If you don’t have all the spices in the ingredients list to hand, replace with the same quantity of a good curry powder instead. For more flavour and texture, add some toasted almonds to the mix in step 2; use flaked almonds or roughly chop whole toasted almonds. Before you pour in the jelly layer (step 10), use a skewer to make the hole in the pastry lid larger so the pie is easier and less messy to fill.…

OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE Yotam Ottolenghi and his crew have gone and cracked it. They’ve delivered the sophisticated, flavour-packed, hitting-all-the-right-notes dishes we’ve come to expect from a recipe bearing the name Ottolenghi – but without the lengthy shopping lists and long waits. The dishes are as cleverly conceived and alluring as ever. This is recipe nirvana for the time-poor. Ebury Press £25 THE NORDIC BAKING BOOK Certain to be at the top of the most-wanted list for Bake Off fans is Magnus Nilsson’s latest book (beware: it’s heavy enough to squash a small dog). Nilsson is the chef of Sweden’s ground-breaking restaurant Fäviken. Dip into this 576-page compendium and discover a rich vein of sweet and savoury bakes. You’ll be lost for days. Phaidon £29.95 GOAT: COOKING AND EATING Does goat seem…

ASHBURTON COOKERY SCHOOL, DEVON  ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk • CHRISTMAS CANAPÉS: 9, 15 & 22 Dec (£85) • CHRISTMAS BAKING: 9 & 15 Dec (£165) CAMBRIDGE COOKERY  cambridgecookery.com • FESTIVE CHOCOLATE PÂTISSERIE: 16 Dec (£150) THE COOKERY SCHOOL AT DAYLESFORD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE  daylesford.com/cookeryschool • THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TABLE: 15 Dec (£185) • EDIBLE TREE DECORATION: 21 Dec (£50) DEMUTHS (VEGAN) COOKERY SCHOOL, BATH  demuths.co.uk • VEGAN FESTIVE CHRISTMAS: 8 Dec (£180) EDINBURGH NEW TOWN COOKERY SCHOOL  entcs.co.uk • CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS BAKING: 20, 21 Dec (£45) • CHRISTMAS EASY ENTERTAINING: 22 Dec (£100) LUCKNAM PARK COOKERY SCHOOL, WILTSHIRE  lucknampark.co.uk • FESTIVE BAKING: 6, 15 & 22 Dec (£185) ROSEMARY SHRAGER’S COOKERY SCHOOL, KENT  rosemaryshrager.com • EDIBLE CHRISTMAS GIFTS: 14 Dec (£95) • PERFECT CHRISTMAS TABLE: 15 Dec (£165) SCHOOL OF ARTISAN FOOD, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE  schoolofartisanfood.org •…

1 How many bottles of champagne would you need to fill a 3-metre deep Olympic-size swimming pool? 2 In the Dickens story, A Christmas Carol, which food is described as being “twice the size of Tiny Tim”? 3 The chances of Christmas being a time of family togetherness were doomed forever when Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server. In which year? 4 In which Christmas movie, released in 1983, does Coleman utter the immortal line “Or beats them to it! Eggnog?” 5 In which European country might you enjoy turkey stuffed with truffles on Christmas Eve? 6 You’re likely to eat more than a few Vaccinium oxycoccos at Christmas. What are they? 7 Santa began to be depicted in red in the 19th century, but for years people believed…

SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 35-40 MIN MAKE AHEAD Make the crème brûlée to the end of step 3 up to a day ahead and keep in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and complete the recipe to serve. FOOD TEAM’S TIP If you have a jar of crystallised stem ginger to hand, chop up a few pieces and sprinkle over the brûlée before serving for an extra fiery hit. • 375ml bottle ginger beer • 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated • 5 tbsp dark rum • 130g caster sugar • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Finely grated zest 1 lime, plus extra to serve • 150ml semi-skimmed milk • 400ml double cream • 8 medium free-range egg yolks (save…

THE ART OF THE PARTY Throwing a good party should be enormous fun – for your guests and for you – says bon viveur and delicious. columnist Kay Plunkett-Hogge. Here’s her time-tested and trusted expert advice to help everything go with a swing PLANNING This is what it all comes down to. The more you can prepare ahead, the easier your party will be. For a start, you’ll be more relaxed and so will your friends. The problem is that so many of us suffer from performance anxiety when it comes to entertaining, and we shouldn’t. Everyone you’ve invited is meant to be a friend, so what can go wrong? MY GOLDEN RULES OF PARTY-GIVING I don’t want to state the obvious, but you’d be amazed how many stressful moments…

WHISKY It’s key in a hot toddy, but also great with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Choose a blended spirit over a single malt, as they’re more rounded. American whiskey is a good call, too. Good for… Whisky macs, old-fashioneds and manhattans. TRY Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon (£25, Waitrose) GIN The juniper that gives gin its distinctive taste is a punchy flavour with natural bitterness that’s good for winter cocktails. Also, the range of herbs and spices that flavour gin, such as bitter orange peel, star anise, lemon and cloves, are ideal flavours for Christmas. Good for… A negroni or classic bramble. Gin fizzes add sparkle to any party – or add champagne to gin for a fancy french 75. TRY Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin (about…

THE delicious.FAVOURITE Satsuma, cranberry and star anise cordial MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 1 HOUR MAKE AHEAD Make this booze-free festive cordial up to 3 days ahead and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. • Juice from 1kg satsumas • 500ml cranberry juice • 2 star anise • 3 bay leaves • 800g golden caster sugar 1 Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan with 200ml water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer for 1 hour until you have a light syrup. 2 Leave to cool, then strain through a fine sieve and bottle. The cordial will thicken a little as it cools. Serve with sparkling water.…

RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING THE FOOD TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS TOBY SCOTT STYLING OLIVIA WARDLE SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 10 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD At room temperature, the rolled sponge will keep for a few hours; the whipped cream will keep for a few hours, covered, in the fridge. Assemble just before eating. FOOD TEAM’S TIP To make curls, melt dark chocolate and spread in a thin layer over a clean, lightly greased baking sheet. Chill until set then, using the side of a palette knife, scrape towards you to form thin curls. Chill for a few hours until needed. FOR THE SPONGE • 3 medium free-range eggs • 80g caster sugar • 50g plain flour • 25g good quality cocoa powder (we used Green & Black’s…

MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, PLUS SETTING MAKE AHEAD Chill, covered, for up to 24 hours, then decorate with orange zest to serve. • 150g digestive biscuits • Finely grated zest 1 lime • 70g unsalted butter, melted • 180g full-fat cream cheese • 100g ricotta • 150ml double cream • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 6 tbsp icing sugar • Finely grated zest 1 small orange and thickly grated zest 2 small oranges • 2 tbsp orange liqueur (we used Cointreau) FOR THE COSMO JELLY LAYER • 3½ sheets fine leaf gelatine (we used Costa) • 200ml cranberry juice • Juice 1 lime • 2½ tbsp orange liqueur (we used Cointreau) • 2½ tbsp vodka YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • Loose-bottomed 12-hole muffin tin (we used the 12 hole…

People talk to you on the train Even good restaurants fall into the bad-Christmas-menu trap Everyone starts humming cheesy Christmas songs People lurch along the road in Christmas hats Frost glistens & leaves crackle underfoot PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETT.Y IMAGES, STUART WEST, PAUL MITCHELL Gaudy Christmas decorations appear in the office Going to a panto seems like the best night out (see p30) However organised you are, you end up wrapping presents at midnight…

STAR EMAIL SUBJECT: Follow the recipe? No thanks. I prefer creativity FROM : Tom Johnston Clare Finney cast a provocative fly on the water suggesting recipes MUST be followed [Nov, p146]. As a proud member of the ‘chuck it and chance it’ brigade, may I be first to rise to the bait? I started cooking in my early teens and, a few years on, graduated to Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The results were great – but you can’t say that about all recipes. Once, staying in a French household, I asked madame what was for lunch tomorrow. She explained it depended on what was good in the market. For me, much of the fun of cooking is improvising with what you have. Some of the finest…

SCOTLAND UNTIL 23 DEC St Enoch Square Christmas Market, Glasgow Grab a snack at one of the numerous street food stalls or pick up a festive gift for a loved one at an artisan gift shop. Mulled wine served all day. glasgowloveschristmas.com UNTIL 31 DEC George Square Christmas Market, Glasgow After browsing the Continental shops and taking fairground rides, settle down with the family to a cup of hot chocolate and watch street acts. glasgowloveschristmas.com UNTIL 5 JAN Christmas Market, Edinburgh The market at East Princes Street Gardens promises good food, free-flowing tipples and gifts to suit everyone. Browse the stalls for handmade gifts and gastronomic surprises, then savour mulled cider against a backdrop of fairground lights. edinburghschristmas.com ENGLAND UNTIL 23 DEC Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham Victoria Square hosts the…

LEFTOVERS TRADITIONS I’ve been watching Friends reruns on Netflix recently. The most recent episode was ‘The One With Ross’s Sandwich’ – which only served to remind me of what I like best about Christmas: the leftovers. The sandwich in question is made post-Thanksgiving and features Monica’s bespoke ‘moist-maker’ – an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle. Cold turkey, cold ham, cold stuffing… I’m writing this in November and the very thought has me drooling… I’m not sure this was quite what Annie Lennox meant, but sweet dreams are made of this. As exciting as leftovers sandwiches are, what really floats my Boxing Day boat is a pan of Yuletide bubble and squeak, the making of which is a long-standing Plunkett family tradition. In some ways it’s more important…

PHOTOGRAPHS: CRISTIAN BARNETT. FOOD STYLING: MILLIE SIMPSON. STYLING: POLLY WEBB-WILSON. PORTAIT: KATE WHITAKER. Baked croque madame with quail eggs SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 30-32 MIN MAKE AHEAD At the end of step 3, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature, then continue the recipe from step 4. • 225g stale bread (sourdough is best) • 3 free-range eggs, plus 2 yolks • 600ml milk • 100ml double cream • 1 tsp dijon mustard • 90g gruyère cheese, grated • 90g comté cheese, grated • Generous grating of nutmeg • Sea salt flakes • 2 tbsp butter • 200g good-quality cooked ham (or leftover Christmas ham), sliced • 6 quail eggs 1 Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas…

THE INSPIRATION: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Jack and his mother have little to their name, and their cow, Daisy, has stopped producing milk. Reluctantly, Jack takes her to market but on the way he trades her for a handful of ‘magic’ beans (which his mother angrily propels into the garden). It turns out Jack is no fool, climbing the beanstalk that grows and purloining gold and treasures from the giant in the sky… We’d have saved Jack the trouble and had the meat instead, roasted with a mustard crust for a full-on feast. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE HISTORY YOU MAY NOT KNOW... The story is thought to be around 5,000 years old and was probably told and passed down in now-extinct languages. It’s one of many folk tales featuring…

Tradition or habit? The crux is that a tradition is imbued with symbolic meaning; it reflects specific values, and is conveyed through rituals involving food, clothing, place and time. So, while lots of families eat dinner together on Friday nights, observing Shabbos/ Shabbat as a Jewish family might mean lighting candles, washing hands and reciting a blessing over wine and challah to honour God. It could also be considered a tradition if you called Fridays ‘Family Night’, always cooked Italian food or simply sat down to talk about your favourite moment from the week, as a bonding activity. Where do traditions come from? Some are rooted in religion and folklore, with origins based in ancient texts or oral history. Others are more recent: before the 20th century the giving of…

Jewelled mince pies with tahini pastry MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 15-18 MIN, PLUS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Once cool, keep the mince pies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. KNOWHOW Tahini adds a sweet/savoury nutty edge to the pastry and makes it beautifully crumbly. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Find a recipe for mincemeat at deliciousmagazine.co.uk, or use your favourite jar. FOR THE PASTRY • 180g plain flour, plus extra to dust • 75g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed • 1 tbsp golden caster sugar • 1 large free-range egg yolk • 3 tbsp tahini FOR THE MINCEMEAT • 200g mincemeat (see tip) • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 3 dried apricots, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish • 2 dried figs, finely chopped • 3…

1 Assemble your kit (see previous page), then gather greenery for the base. For herb wreaths, use rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender or bay; for larger wreaths, add in plants such as kale. 2 Edible berries, fruits and variegated sage add great colour. (Note: it’s best not to eat rose hips raw.) Use anything from crab apples to figs, cabbage roses and dried orange slices. 3 Twist one end of a reel of florist’s wire onto the frame to secure. Wind it around the frame, packing in hay as you go and pulling it taut to hold the hay in place. Secure wire to frame, then cut. 4 Attach a loop of florist’s wire to use for hanging the wreath. Tie your greenery into sprigs with wire, wrapping it around the…

This menu has been designed with sanity at its heart, so that when the big day comes you can serve all the elements together without collapsing in a heap. The key thing to remember is that the turkey will keep warm for 1-2 hours once it's cooked – just cover it loosely in its foil. That gives you ample time to whack up the oven, crisp the roasties and finish baking the wellington (if you're making that too) and gratin. IMPORTANT Look at The Prep information on each recipe as that tells you how far in advance you can make the recipes and what to do to get them ready to serve.…

BRILLAT-SAVARIN AFFINÉ A pasteurised cow’s milk cheese from the Burgundy region of France. It’s a ‘triple cream’ cheese, with extra cream added to boost the fat content. The texture is soft and the flavour light but with a rich butteriness. PERL LAS Its name means ‘blue pearl’ and it’s made by Caws Cenarth Cheese near Cardigan, Wales. It has deep savoury notes, balanced with the piquancy of the blue. TICKLEMORE A goat’s milk cheese made on the Sharpham Estate, which overlooks the River Dart in Totnes, south Devon. Made by hand using traditional methods and pasteurised milk, Ticklemore is matured for at least two months. It has a rich, clean flavour with fresh citrus notes. SHEPHERD’S STORE New to the artisan cheese world is this Pyrénées-style cheese by Cashel Farmhouse…

Herb-crusted cauliflower and leek ‘cheese’ “I’ve always loved Christmas and, growing up, my family made it very special. When I started cooking I took over the Christmas Day responsibilities, and it was a great feeling serving up my own food for the family. When I went vegan, I put in extra effort as I didn’t want them feeling they were missing out on anything.” My goal is to get as many people’s Christmas dinner tables to reflect that as possible. I hope these recipes will inspire you to share my goal and achieve it for yourself. GAZ OAKLEY SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 20-25 MIN “This is creamy and cheesy, thanks to the coconut milk, miso and nutritional yeast.” MAKE AHEAD Assemble the gratin up to a…

THE NEW CHEESE & PINEAPPLE STICKS Spiced paneer with quick-pickled cucumber MAKES ABOUT 24. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, PLUS MARINATING AND PICKLING MAKE AHEAD Marinate the paneer and make the dressing, then cover and chill for up to 2 days. Pickle the cucumber up to 4 hours ahead. Fry the paneer a couple of hours ahead, then warm through on a baking tray for 5 minutes in the oven and assemble. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Micro herbs are available from M&S or Ocado. If you can’t find any, use coriander leaves as a garnish. • 5 tbsp tikka masala paste • Grated zest and juice ½ lemon • 2 x 225g packs paneer, each cut into 12 cubes • 3 tbsp mango chutney (we used Geeta’s) • 1 tbsp olive oil…

“Food reconnects us through scents, tastes and deep memories of years gone by. In one bite, you’re back home – even if only for a brief moment. Scandinavia may be dark and bitterly cold at this time of year, but our hearts are some of the warmest you’ll ever find. These recipes were written by candlelight in my warm kitchen, with a never-ending scent of spice and festive music playing in the background, and all were tasted by the people I love.” BRONTË AURELL The Christmas lunch starter Salmon and prawn terrine SERVES 6-8 AS PART OF A SMÖRGASBORD. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, OVEN TIME 35-45 MIN, PLUS OVERNIGHT CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Make the terrine, cover and chill a day before. Make the dressing just before serving. FOOD…

“In Pinerolo, you don’t ask for a panettone, you ask for a Galup,” says Giuseppe Bernocco, owner of this “minor industrial” panettone producer some 50km outside Turin. Galup is a household name here – a Hoover, perhaps, for sweet-toothed Italians. Giuseppe bought the company in 2013, nostalgic for a time when Christmas simply meant gathering people for good food and games, without today’s commercial pressures. “Panettone unifies people around the idea of a real, old-fashioned Italian Christmas,” he says. Panettone, the golden, fruit-studded bread and traditional festive confection of Piedmont, has become a mainstay – not just across the boot-shaped country, but internationally, too. In the UK, Sainsbury’s confirms that sales have continued to rise year-on-year, and at London’s Selfridges, panettone outsold Christmas pudding by 2:1 in 2017 – perhaps…

Olive XXL A magnum (yes, you read that right) of Marqués de Valdueza extra-virgin olive oil made from a blend of four types of olive grown on the family’s Extremadura estate. Exceptional quality and a fine gift for someone who does a lot of drizzling. £58, themagnumcompany.com Bargain bling Do you have a friend whose hosting skills could rival Jay Gatsby? This hammered-finish bowl-bucket is big enough for six bottles of fizz on ice and is an absolute bargain. Champagne bowl, £14.99, online only at aldi.co.uk (pre-order from 9 Dec, available from 13 Dec) Sharp operator When The Courtyard Dairy (see p137) wanted a bespoke cheese knife, they called on Arthur Wright & Son. The result is this hand-forged, rosewood-handled knife with a tempered steel blade. £28.95, thecourtyarddairy.co.uk A cut above…

SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, PLUS FREEZING MAKE AHEAD The finished sorbet will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Adding a raw egg white to the sorbet gives it a lighter, fluffier texture and increases its volume. If you prefer not to include it, just whizz the sorbet in a processor once frozen: it will have an icier texture but will still be good. To make granita instead, remove from the freezer and rake the ice crystals with the tines of a fork every 2 hours, as the sorbet freezes. • 250g caster sugar • Juice 10 limes • 120ml cachaça (or white or golden rum) • 1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped • Large pinch sea salt flakes,…

Welcome to this special collection of cocktail-inspired puddings and bakes. All the recipes have been designed to elicit the wow factor and add a touch of glamour to your festive table. Cocktails and desserts are made for each other: both are crafted to have the right amount of sweet, sharp, zesty or creamy flavour. And with a cocktail pudding, you get that bonus kick of booze. It was difficult choosing just 10 puddings and bakes, but with this unique collection, Christmas and New Year will be well and truly covered. You’ll find crowdpleasers, such as a mulled cider spin on classic trifle, a gin cocktail-inspired twist on lemon tart and a negroni-drizzled pavlova wreath. If you haven’t made stollen before, I urge you to try our whisky mac version –…

1 BOSTON SHAKER A shaker in two halves – practise fitting the pieces together, shaking, then taking them apart without spilling anything. £4.99, drinkstuff.com 2 COCKTAIL STRAINER Fits over the shaker to strain out any pulp, fruit seeds or ice before pouring. £4, johnlewis.com 3 JIGGER Go for a Japanese-style jigger (see pic) – they’re often easier to use as you don’t fill to the top, and it’s good to have just one jigger rather than two separate ones. Double jigger, £4, johnlewis.com 4 JUICER The one-hand operated ‘Mexican elbow’ style juicer is easy to use and clean. OXO Good Grips citrus squeezer, £16, amazon.co.uk 5 LONG COCKTAIL SPOON Use for stirring cocktails and as a 1 tsp measure. £4, johnlewis.com…

• By all means provide flavoured fizzy drinks but have chilled sparkling and still water and a garnishes to hand, too. Mint, basil, cucumber slices and citrus segments all work well. • Try good-quality tonic with fresh lime and put out a bottle of Angostura bitters (it’s alcoholic but you only need a few drops). We like Fever-Tree Tonic Water, around £1.80 for 500ml, from larger supermarkets. • Try ChariTea Fairtrade iced teas, £1.49 for 330ml, from Ocado and specialist shops. They’re gently sweetened and so refreshing you can keep drinking them. • Give Seedlip a go. This ‘distilled non-alcoholic spirit’ makes the basis of enjoyable alcohol-free cocktails. Made in three styles: Garden 108, Spice 94 and Grove 42, all £27.99 for 70cl, from Waitrose.…

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF (14 SLICES). HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 35-40 MIN, PLUS PROVING MAKE AHEAD Make the marzipan up to 3 days ahead. Store in the fridge wrapped in cling film. • 225g dried mixed fruit and peel • 2 balls stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup • Finely grated zest and juice 1 orange • 4 tbsp whisky • 7g dried active yeast • 25g sugar • 125ml whole milk, plus a little extra • 275g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting • 1 tsp ground ginger • ½ tsp fine sea salt • 50g unsalted butter at room temperature • 1 medium free-range egg • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 50g blanched almonds, chopped • Olive…

SERVES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS SETTING AND CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Prepare to the end of step 4 up to 24 hours ahead, then chill until ready to finish. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Buy dried apple slices from supermarkets or make them yourself: thinly slice an eating apple, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a low oven for 1 hour or until dried and crisp. • 175g pack trifle sponge fingers • 400g ready-made madeira sponge cake, cut into fingers • 4 fine leaf gelatine sheets (we used Costa) FOR THE APPLES IN MULLED CIDER • 6 small eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges • 1 litre dry cider • 4 tbsp soft brown sugar • Pared zest and juice ½ unwaxed…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH.PHOTOGRAPH: STUART WEST. STYLING: WEI TANG Put 75g fresh or frozen cranberries in a small pan with 125g mixed frozen berries, 3 tbsp golden caster sugar and 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice. Gently heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have softened. Bring to a simmer and mash lightly to burst the berries. Taste and add more sugar or juice, if you like. Serve warm spooned over pancakes, topped with greek yogurt and sprinkled with toasted, chopped hazelnuts.…

“Presents! It is controversial, but it would be nice if the only Christmas gifts were stocking fillers. You’d still get to share small things but there’d be less pressure and expense” “Fruitcake” “I’d replace brussels sprouts with sprout tops. That’s it. Who’d want to change Christmas traditions?” “I wouldn’t have turkey, but the rest of my family wouldn’t let that happen” “We’ve never once listened to the Queen’s Speech” “I’d abolish presents as it’s all become too commercial. Or I’d issue a decree that everything has to be homemade or upcycled – and under £10” “I’d stop buying presents for adults. You can still enjoy Christmas without all the expense and headaches: a good Christmas dinner with family, then an afternoon wintry walk, preferably with snow, and a few board…

A group of women are making and baking cinnamon buns, enjoying a bit of banter as they put heart and soul into the doughy beauties, lost in the pleasure of the moment in a way they might never have known before. Open the door to this warm, spice-scented urban café and the air is buzzing with potential. The Luminary Bakery was founded three years ago by Alice Williams with the aim of bringing new focus and self-belief into the lives of women who have been through the hope-sapping situations of violent relationships, trafficking, homelessness and poverty. Baking in this safe space is their key to confidence, friendship, independence and employment. Nearly 90 per cent of Luminary’s graduates are in employment or further education. Some of the grads have gone on…

✧ THE HERO Played by a woman in Victorian times, the principal boy, or hero, is the courageous lead the audience are rooting for. He calls on the other characters to help him in his quest – usually to defeat the baddie and win the heart of a princess. Men and women, including Norman Wisdom, Cliff Richard and Cilla Black, have since performed this role. ✧ THE HEROINE Often the hero’s love interest, a princess or a leading lady such as Cinderella or Snow White. Another key female character is the fairy godmother or equivalent, who pops up to give fate a helping hand. ✧ THE BADDIE Boo! Hiss! Good has to prevail over evil, so there has to be a baddie. Recognisable by their evil ‘mwah-ha-ha’ laugh, he or…

• Write a cookbook Fill a notebook with important festive recipes from your family and add to it each year. Include an annual Christmas menu, with details of who made what. • Ditch the usual board game Buy a different game each year to play. It will be new to everyone, which levels the playing field and adds to the anticipation. • Deck the halls Make or buy a new ornament for the tree each year – add the date, discreetly, if you like. • Bake a day of it Adopt a Christmas baking day: make and ice gingerbread shapes for the tree, decorate the festive cake and make sweet treats for gifts (bonus points for having festive music playing in the background – see p13). • Clear out for…

JAN’S PRINCIPLES OF WREATH-MAKING Give it a theme “We theme our wreaths around traditional Christmas dinner courses, so we do one using sage, red onions and garlic bulbs (see p52) and a Christmas pudding wreath (right) decorated with dried orange, dried figs from the garden and cinnamon sticks. We make one just out of winter brassicas and another from root vegetables, and we also do small herb wreaths that people can hang in their kitchens over Christmas or use as a centrepiece on the dining table.” Make it personal “If I’m making a wreath for a friend who’s passionate about shooting, for example, I might include pheasant feathers and blown duck eggs.” Find the right finishing touches “The bow you choose can make or ruin a wreath. Pick a colour…

“It’s never going to be the easiest meal of the year, but is it possible to put together a Christmas lunch that shimmers with the best seasonal flavours – yet for the cook to maintain sense and sanity? That’s what the food team and I aimed to achieve with this prep-ahead menu, which riffs on traditional tastes with palate-pleasing new flavours and twists. The menu comes complete with the delicious. guarantee that everything has been tested rigorously. And there’s a bonus: the vegan alternative to the big roast is EPIC. Happy Christmas!” JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR The nibble for champagne Goat’s cheese and chicory crostini with balsamic pickled shallots MAKES ABOUT 20. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 10 MIN, PLUS SALTING AND COOLING THE PREP Make the…

“Brunkål is simply gorgeous. The literal translation is ‘brown cabbage’ which sounds less appealing, but it’s one of those beautifully simple, unassuming dishes that has the ability to envelop and soothe – perfect for the Christmas table. The cabbage is earthy and sweet, and cooking it is all about ritual. You can start it the day before, and you return time and time again to the roasting tray of slowly caramelising cabbage, stock, butter and syrup: basting and turning and turning and basting throughout the evening while you cook other, bigger, more showy things; pouring wine, chatting, laughing, playing Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, and relaxing into those long, magical Christmas cooking days. My Swedish best friend, Neneh Cherry, taught me this dish so long ago I…

Roast goose with black pudding, apples and sage “Geese can be cantankerous birds, but I still find them beautiful. What they lack in manners in the field they make up for in the kitchen. The meat is rich and full of flavour, but not overly strong or gamey. Then there’s the fat, which keeps the bird moist as it cooks and adds such flavour and character to the meat. To top it all off, there’s the salty, crisp, golden skin. Traditionally, the first geese of the season were eaten at Michaelmas in late September to mark the start of the new farming year, when tenants would pay some of their quarterly rent to their landlord in the form of a fattened bird. Turkey has since taken precedence at the…

To serve the terrine as canapés, cut slices of rye bread into pieces around 2cm x 3cm. Using a very sharp knife, cut the terrine into similar-size pieces and put on top of the bread. Peel and quarter a ripe avocado, then slice very finely and arrange on the terrine. Squeeze over a little lemon juice (to prevent the avocado discolouring). Top with crème fraîche, roe and fresh dill sprigs, then season well with sea salt flakes and black pepper.…

Salmon & ginger black rice bowl SERVES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Use plain yogurt or crème fraîche instead of soured cream, if you prefer. This recipe is easily scaled up to feed more people. • 1 medium free-range egg • ½ x 250g pouch ready-to-heat black rice (we used Riso Scotti from Ocado) • 3 tbsp soured cream • 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil • Finely grated zest and juice ½ lime • 75g smoked salmon, sliced • 5cm cucumber, sliced • ½ small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, or a handful of watercress leaves 1 Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Lower in the egg and cook for exactly…

1 Bring the turkey to room temperature. 2 Heat a gas barbecue to 180°C with the lid down. 3 Put the turkey breast-side down in a metal or foil roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, then add a glass of water to the tray. 4 Cook with the lid down, keeping the temperature at 180°C. 5 Halfway through the recommended cooking time (check the pack instructions; about 12-15 minutes per 500g), flip the bird over in the roasting tray and season again. Pierce a hole in the inside of each thigh and cook with the lid down. 6 Near the end of the cooking time, check the temperature by pushing a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone). I cook my turkeys to…

“The flavours in this pie are nostalgic for me. The inspiration was memories of Christmas leftovers that would be magically transformed into coronation turkey on Boxing Day. A pie needs jelly, I think, and the mango layer adds freshness here. Even if you’re not a jelly lover, give it a go.” Coronation chicken pie with mango jelly SERVES 10. HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS OVERNIGHT CHILLING AND 2 HOURS SETTING MAKE AHEAD Start this recipe the day before you want to eat it. The baked pie will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Wrap in cling film once sliced to keep it moist. FOOD TEAM’S TIP The size of the chicken legs and breasts will determine how much filling you end up with…

Wines and good times Hush Heath Estate in Kent produces award-winning English sparkling wine. An annual membership of its wine club offers discounts, tours and tastings, plus a chance to be involved in the harvest and blending in its state-of-the-art winery. Members receive 15 per cent off bottles from Hush Heath’s shop and at the estate’s five pubs around the South East. £150 per couple for an annual membership, hushheath.com/wine-club Growing concern Adopt an olive tree from a sustainable Italian grove for a friend and they’ll receive this striking olive cruet designed by ceramic artist Michelle Freemantle, plus tins of oil at intervals (the giver can choose the frequency) across the year. From £72, nudoadopt.com *JOHN LEWIS BLUEWATER, CAMBRIDGE, CHEADLE, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, GLASGOW, HIGHWYCOMBE, KINGSTON, LIVERPOOL, OXFORD STREET, TRAFFORD, WHITE…

• Be prepared. Make sure your battery is charged, you have a clean memory card and a lens cloth. Have any props ready to go in one bag. • Take time with portraits. Chat to your subject first so you’re both relaxed. Retake the shot if you think it’s at all necessary. • Think about what you want within your frame and where you want the focus to be sharp. Look for shape, texture and colours to enhance the photo. • Look for the light. Soft early morning or afternoon daylight is ideal for portraits and food pics. • If photographing foods such as a pie, add in a filling hint such as a few apples in the background.…

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO BUY Your store-by-store roundup of party drinks, wines for the Big Day and some special bottles to give as gifts MARKS & SPENCER BARGAIN BUYS WHITE Marks & Spencer Grillo 2017, Sicily, Italy (£7) A refreshing dry white laced with tangy lemon and lime and a subtle note of aniseed. A ‘house white’ for the holidays. RED Soleado Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Central Valley, Chile (£5 from 4 Dec) A bargain for parties with fresh cassis and mulberry flavours and an easy-going style. SOMETHING SPECIAL WHITE Florent Rouve Viré-Clessé 2016, Burgundy, France (£14) White burgundy is a Christmas classic, pairing well with the turkey and any seafood starters. This one tastes of apples and mandarins with a long, toasty finish. RED Kendal Lodge Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet…

LONDON UNTIL 30 DECEMBER AFTER DARK AT CHISWICK HOUSE, W4 This night walk in Chiswick Gardens will bring new life to the 18th-century architecture and grounds, with light installations and a curated soundtrack. Local traders will serve wintry food, or visitors can book at the Supper Club. Adult entry £16.50. chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk UNTIL 6 JANUARY HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND, W2 So much to fit in, including big wheels, rollercoasters, circus, comedy club, ice sculpting and the Bavarian village. Thor’s Tipi Bar will be serving food cooked on an outdoor barbecue while Bar Hütte has pizza and Christmas karaoke. Entry free; attraction prices vary. hydeparkwinterwonderland.com REST OF ENGLAND 8-9 DECEMBER VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS AT SPEKE HALL, LIVERPOOL At this ‘Tudor house with a Victorian personality’, families can sit under handmade garlands and learn…