Yes, it’s that time of the year again and we have been asked for a few recipes for this much loved occasion also at this time of year when we spend so much on gifts and store bought foods we think that homemade Christmas foods taste better and can save you money, the whole family can get involved in making Christmas puddings, mince pies or our mincemeat palmiers.
Homemade chocolates and candy can make lovely gifts along with soup mixes, attractive bottles of fruits in brandy, or homemade fruit flavoured bottles of vodka, friends and relatives will be pleased to receive a gift that you have made yourself won’t they?.
Whether you choose to spend your Christmas solemn and contemplative or festive, Santa and child focused, or maybe a bit of both?
We are certain that for lots of you as well as us, Christmas is one of the most special times of the year.
We bake special foods, give loads and receive lots of presents and maybe even go to church a time or two, but no matter where you are and however you enjoy yourself, we hope you have a good one.
Our recipes for this time of year on this blog are just some of our favourites and we hope that they will become yours.
Soups, Starters, and Salads
| Baby Cos and Beetroot Salad with Soft Boiled Egg A light tasty start to any meal a modern variation on egg mayonnaise |
| A great traditional British dish perfect for a snack or starter, try our version of deep frying succulent Dublin bay prawns coated with a light beer batter deep fried to a golden colour, serve with a garlic mayonnaise to dip |
| Jo Pratt's Potted Prawns and Crab These little pots of juicy prawns and sweet crabmeat in a delicate, dill-flavoured butter are perfect for a Christmas starter. Spread over some rye or crusty bread for a light, tasty nibble |
| This recipe just rather evolved back in about 1992 we use/used American bacon for this recipe as it does cook nice and crisp we have used pancetta and it is really tasty. We have made it with quail’s eggs to use as a starter for a few dinner parties. |
| Mussels In Cream with Fresh Herbs Plump succulent fresh mussels served in a bowl with plenty of crusty bread to mop it up with. |
Main Courses
| Classic Roast Turkey with all The Trimmings Keep Christmas straightforward this year, with this timeless recipe a succulent golden roasted turkey with all the trimmings |
| This exquisite, classic dish isn't as rich and fattening as it sounds and it is terrifically yummy, we get our guinea fowl from Sainsbury’s when they have them on special offer at less than £5 per bird. Waitrose also have some very nice guinea fowl on their meat counter, more expensive but theirs is free range from the Loire valley. Your local butcher should be able to get guinea fowl for you and there are lots of on-line suppliers of game birds etc.. |
| At times, a ham just isn't a ham unless you have cooked it yourself! Enjoy a timeless British dish, gammon joints come smoked or unsmoked, the taste is somewhat distinct moreover both tastes good using this recipe |
| Pan Fried Breast of Partridge with Black Pudding This is one of our favourite ways to cook partridge and pheasant with creamed leeks although I really like it with creamed or buttered cabbage and rosti potatoes. |
| At Lodge Hill, Kimber cottage, and Wilton Lodge this was a popular dinner party dish served with all the trimmings during the late autumn and winter months. |
Potatoes
| Crispy and Fluffy Roast Potatoes The flawless roast potato is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Forget the intricate creations of top chefs, if you can perfect the roast potato you will be deemed a culinary specialist by friends and family. At the end of the day, who doesn’t love a good roast potato? No matter where in the world we have cooked them we always made almost double the amount needed they were so popular and believe me Lord Hanson being the Yorkshire man He was loved having roasties with a roast joint or bird. |
| This is a Swedish recipe called hasselbackspotatis - Hasselback Potatoes. It is a very easy way to bake potatoes in the oven. Goes very well with steak of any kind or chicken |
| Pommes de Terre Anna (Anna Potatoes) Crispy golden outside and rich buttery and creamy on the inside Anna potatoes are a classic French dish. |
| Scalloped Potatoes with Goats Cheese and Herbes De Provence A wonderful complement to a beef or lamb roast, the mix of dried herbs known as herbes de Provence usually consists of basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano. On occasion lavender is also included, which adds a flavour that is the most reminiscent of Provence. |
VEGETABLES and SIDE DISHES
| A tasty easy stuffing to make and ideal for chicken and pork, and what’s more it tastes so much better than that packet stuff especially if you grow your own herbs. This recipe is almost the same as the recipe I first learnt to make in 1968 when in the Army Catering Corps some things have been left out like pork or goose dripping and brown stock as what I wanted to create was a light tasty stuffing. |
| Buttered Swede With Crispy Bacon Creamy, orange-fleshed swede has a wonderful nutty, sweet flavour that is perfect with the Sunday roast. |
| Chantenay Carrots Glazed With Butter A bright and scrumptious way to dish up carrots shimmering in butter and dazzling green parsley, a Chantenay carrot is a small, sweet variety of carrot with a crisp, orange flesh and a sweet texture. |
| Thyme and Honey Roasted Carrots Carrots are a delightful complement to roasts of any kind beef, pork, lamb, or poultry, and this recipe is a delicious way to serve carrots, and if you’ve got the oven on for a roast, why not stick the carrots in as well |
DESERTS, BISCUITS, PUDDINGS
| Christmas Pudding (Our Best Ever) A wonderful rich pudding, with a light texture and a unique depth of flavour |
| An easier and fruitier alternative to mince pies, We first started making these last year after seeing Gordon Ramsey making them, we have of course tweaked them since then with the addition of cranberries, apple and brandy and we think they are superb. |
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