8 minute read
FESTIVE FEASTING Christmas
Christmas with a twist
Festive dining in London brings flavours of the world together. We ask some of our favourite chefs for inventive recipes to try at home
GARAM MASALA CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Vivek Singh, chef and CEO at The Cinnamon Collection group of restaurants
This legendary pud has been a fixture on the Cinnamon Club Christmas menu for many years. Try it at home, or order yours this year at cinnamonclub.com, where a 1lb pud is £25
INGREDIENTS
100g dried apricots, chopped (to about the same size as the raisins) 100g dried figs, chopped (to about the same size as the raisins) 100g dried black currants 100g seedless raisins 100g sultanas 75g candied lemon and orange peel, finely chopped 50g almonds, finely chopped 50g walnuts, finely chopped 50g pecan nuts, finely chopped 50g pine nuts, finely chopped 50g hazelnuts, finely chopped 50g cashew nuts, finely chopped 1 tsp ground garam masala ½ tsp grated nutmeg 150ml dark rum 4 tbsp brandy 1 orange, zest and juice 1 lemon, zest and juice 225g salted butter 225g Muscovado sugar 3 free-range eggs 150g plain flour butter, for greasing pudding bowls
METHOD
Place all the dry fruits, peel, nuts and spices into a large bowl and mix together thoroughly.
Add the rum and brandy and mix together well with your hands. Cover and leave it overnight to soak in the flavours.
The next day, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing until all the eggs are incorporated into the mixture.
Fold in the flour and the soaked fruits and nuts.
Divide the mixture between two greased 1½ litre/2½ pint heatproof pudding bowls, filling almost to the rim, then smooth down the surface.
Cover each bowl with a large square of greaseproof paper, then cover that with a large square of aluminium foil. Tie the two sheets tightly into place under the rim with string, leaving long ends of excess string to make a handle. Loop one of the excess string lengths over the pudding basin and slide underneath the taut string holding the sheets in place on the other side. Bring up the string and firmly knot with the other piece of excess string, to form a secure handle to lift the pudding in and out of the water.
To cook, stand both puddings on a trivet in a large, deep, heavy-based pan (or each pudding in a separate pan). Pour boiling water into the pan(s), enough to come about halfway up the sides of the bowls.
Cover the pan(s) with a lid or a dome of foil and boil for seven hours. Check the water level regularly, topping it up with more boiling water as necessary to keep the bowls half submerged.
After seven hours, remove the bowls from the pan and leave to cool. Untie and remove the foil and greaseproof sheets and replace with clean, dry sheets of both greaseproof paper and foil.
Store in a cool, dry place. To reheat at Christmastime, return to a pan containing a few inches of boiling water, cover and steam for two hours, checking the water levels now and then, until it has completely heated through.
Serves 6
DUCK WITH PRUNES, CHESTNUTS AND PEDRO XIMENEZ SHERRY
Omar Allibhoy, chef and founder, Tapas Revolution, Westfield
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil 1 small whole duck (about 1.5kg), cleaned 8 garlic cloves, skin on but crushed A handful of peeled chestnuts 1 onion, thinly sliced 6 sprigs fresh thyme 12 prunes 125ml sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Heat the olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan or casserole dish over a medium heat. Season the duck with salt and pepper and pan-fry on all sides until golden. Help yourself with a pair of tongs. After ten minutes, remove the duck from the pan and set aside.
Add the garlic cloves, chestnuts and onion to the pan and fry for ten minutes. Add the thyme and prunes and cook for a further five minutes. Return the duck to the pan and flambé with the sherry.
To do this, slowly tilt the pan towards the flame until the sherry catches, or light with a match. Let the flames flare up then die down and then add 250ml water.
Put the pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave the duck in the oven for a further 20 minutes without opening the door. This should crisp up the skin and cook the duck to perfection as well as resting the meat. Serve as a centrepiece with some good bread or roasted new potatoes.
Serves 4
BRAMATA POLENTA WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, DUCK EGG AND PARMESAN
Ambra Papa, Petersham Nurseries
Bramata polenta is a rustic, stonemilled variety of cornmeal that’s also gluten free (find it at souschef.co.uk).
INGREDIENTS
500g mixed wild mushrooms (such as ceps, black trompette, chanterelle and girolle) 1 bay leaf 200ml olive oil 180g bramata polenta 1 garlic clove, crushed 20g thyme sprigs 4 duck eggs 100g Parmesan, grated
METHOD
Clean the mushrooms and cut away and discard any dried or dirty bits. Set aside.
In a pan, bring 1 litre water to a gentle boil with the bay leaf, 100ml olive oil and a pinch of salt. Slowly pour the bramata polenta into the boiling water and cook for 45 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth. Check the seasoning. Cover and keep hot. Put the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, and any liquid has reduced.
Stir the garlic and thyme sprigs into the mushrooms and cook for one minute or so. Check the seasoning. Just before serving, bring a large pan of water to a simmer. Spin the water using a spoon to create a whirlpool effect. Break a duck egg in a cup and slowly add to the water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach for five-six minutes, until the yolks are just starting to set. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and blot against a piece of kitchen paper to remove excess water. To assemble, divide the polenta between four shallow bowls and make a small well in the centre. Place some sautéed mushrooms into each well (removing the thyme sprigs), top with a poached egg and sprinkle over the Parmesan.
HAZELNUT PAVLOVA WITH SPICED ROAST FRUIT AND CHAI CREAM
Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison, Wild By Tart, Eccleston Yards
INGREDIENTS
A handful of the following: Plums, halved and destoned Figs, halved Dried apricots, halved Blackberries 1 vanilla bean 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 1 glass of white wine 1 tbsp brown sugar Juice of ½ lemon 6 egg whites 300g caster sugar 100g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped 600ml double cream 1 tbsp chai tea Pistachio nuts, to garnish
METHOD
Heat the oven to 200°C. Pour the wine and the sugar into a small pan and bring to a simmer, slice the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add to the wine, along with the pod itself and the lemon juice and simmer for another couple minutes. Place the fruit into an ovenproof dish, pour over the wine and place in the oven for about 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
Turn the oven down to 120°C. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk to soft peaks.Slowly add the sugar – a spoonful at a time until all combined.It should be thick with a good shine to it. Add the hazelnuts and carefully fold in with a metal spoon. Line a baking tray with parchment and spoon the meringue onto the tray – we like to make one large one, but you could make smaller ones if you wish. Place in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes – you want it to be crisp on the outside yet chewy in the middle. Place the chai tea in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Place the cream in a bowl and whisk till it’s beginning to thicken and add the chai powder, taste and add more if necessary. Whisk to soft peaks.
To assemble place the meringue on your serving platter, spoon over the cream then place the fruit on top and finish by sprinkling over chopped pistachios. L
