1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 2 strips of orange rind, removed with a peeler 6 pears, peeled but with the stalks left on 3 x 1.5g sheets Dr Oetker leaf gelatine Softly whipped cream, to serve
RACHEL ALLEN When it comes to festive food memories, for me it’s all about the smell of Christmas spices. We always have mulled wine in our house at this time of year, along with mulled apple juice – it’s lovely to have something festive for non-drinkers, and you make it in just the same way, with the same spices. Making mulled wine was what inspired my recipe for mulled port pears. Then, because I love using one thing to make something else, I thought it would be fun to mix the liquid with gelatine to make a jelly to serve with them. It’s a wonderful dessert for New Year’s Eve, to fnish the year of on a high note! Recipe from All Things Sweet, by Rachel Allen
Mulled port pears with port jelly SERVES 6 READY IN 1HR 20MINS PLUS SETTING PRICE PER SERVING 79p 225ml port 225g caster or granulated sugar 7 green cardamom pods, bashed
1 Put the port, sugar, spices and orange rind, plus 225ml water, in a pan large enough to just ft the pears. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved to form a syrup. Add the pears. Cut a disc of baking paper slightly larger than the pan and use to cover, then put the pan lid on top. Simmer for 20mins. Remove the lid and paper, turn the pears over, then cover again and cook for another 20-30mins, until the pears have softened. 2 Remove the pears and strain the syrup into a measuring jug. Add water to make it up to 475ml. Put the pears back into the pan, then pour 75ml of the syrup liquid over them and set aside. 3 Put the leaf gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 3-5mins to soften, then remove and squeeze out any excess water. Add the gelatine to the syrup liquid, stirring to dissolve. If the liquid has cooled too much to melt the gelatine, warm in a pan over a very low heat. 4 Divide the liquid jelly between 6 small glasses or moulds. Chill in the fridge for 3-4hrs or until it has completely set. 5 To serve, gently warm the pears and 75ml of syrup in the pan. Turn out the jellies on to plates. Place a pear on the side of each and drizzle over some of the syrup. Serve with softly whipped cream. The pears are also delicious cold. Each 227g serving contains: ENERGY
FAT
1,197kj Low 286kcal 0g 14% 0%
SATURATES SUGARS Low High
SALT Low
0g 56.8g 0g 0% 63% 0%
of your reference intake. Typical energy values per 100g: 531kJ/126kcal
74 | ASDA.COM/MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
MARY BERRY
This glazed ham is one of my favourite dishes to serve, hot or cold, on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. I decorate it the traditional way, with a diamond pattern, studded with cloves. The subtly spiced, fruity favours and cranberry relish make it that little bit special. Christmas for me is all about family getting together for fun and laughter and, of course, celebrating around the table with a festive feast. Recipe from Mary Berry Cooks The Perfect, by Mary Berry
Glazed ham with spiced cranberry relish SERVES 10 (PLUS LEFTOVERS) READY IN 3HRS 10MINS PLUS COOLING AND RESTING PRICE PER SERVING £2.11 FOR THE RELISH 2 oranges 8 heaped tbsp mango chutney 5 heaped tbsp cranberry sauce 1 /2 tsp fve-spice powder FOR THE HAM 1 unsmoked, dry-cured boneless gammon joint, about 2.4kg, tied with string 1L dry cider 500ml orange juice (carton) 2 cinnamon sticks 5 star anise TO DECORATE 4tbsp mango chutney About 30 whole cloves 1 Make the relish. Grate the rind of the oranges into a small bowl. Peel and segment, catching the juice in the bowl. Chop the segments and put in a medium pan with the rind and juice, plus the mango chutney, cranberry sauce and fve-spice powder.
2 Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium–high heat for about 5mins, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from the heat, add a generous pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper and pour into a small heatproof bowl. Leave to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until it’s time to serve the ham. 3 Preheat the oven to 160C/ 140C Fan/Gas 3. Place the gammon, skin-side up, in a large, lidded, ovenproof pan or fameproof casserole dish. Pour in the cider and 500ml of orange juice and top up with cold water so that the liquid covers the gammon (you’ll need about 750ml of water). Add the cinnamon and star anise, cover the pan and bring the liquid to the boil on the hob, then simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2hrs. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the joint over in the liquid. Set aside until lukewarm, turning over once or twice while it cools, then lift the meat out of the cooking liquid and place it on a large board. Discard the liquid. 4 To decorate, remove the string from the meat and strip of the skin, leaving the thin layer of fat in place. Discard the skin. Score the fat in a diamond pattern. Brush the mango chutney all over the fat, then stud with the cloves – put one in the middle of each diamond shape. 5 Reheat or turn the oven up to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Stand the joint on a rack in a roasting tin and roast for 25–30mins or until bubbling and a light golden colour. 6 Transfer the ham to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Allow to stand for 15–20mins before carving the meat – cut it into thick or thin slices, as you prefer. This resting time allows the juices to become more evenly distributed through the meat, so the fbres relax, making the ham easier to carve into neat slices. Serve hot, with the chilled relish on the side. Each 204g serving contains: ENERGY
FAT
SATURATES SUGARS Low
1,536kj Med High 367kcal 19.8g 6.5g 18% 28% 33%
9g 10%
SALT High
5.3g 88%
of your reference intake. Typical energy values per 100g: 754kJ/180kcal