Christmas Chronicles Recipe Thread 2023 - Partner to the Read-along thread!

[YuletideSolace]

Welcome one and all to the thread where I will list all of Nigel's recipes for easy reference.

May we all be Yet More Nigel this year!

I hadn't realised there was a companion recipe thread, marking my spot and will catch up later. Looking forward to it.

Hi @ExpensiveDecorations and welcome!

Ohhh those all sound good.

Sorry can't help on source but if you find it please let me know as I would like to make some too!

🎄6 DECEMBER 🎄

A tale of two polentas

Pork chops, spinach polenta (serves 4):
Pork chops, 4 x 300g
Oil
For the polenta:
Spinach, 250g (weight with stalks)
Water, 500ml plus a few tablespoons for the spinach
Milk, 500ml
Fine polenta, 125g
Double cream, 100ml
Butter, 50g
Parmesan, 50g, finely grated

Soft cheese polenta with roast onions (serves 4):
For the onions:
Onions, medium, 4
Olive oil, 50ml
Butter, 50g, a thick slice
Thyme sprigs, 10
For the polenta:
Water, 500ml
Full cream milk, 500ml
Fine polenta, 150g
Butter, 50g
Parmesan, 100g, finely grated
Soft cheese to finish, 200g

🎄7 DECEMBER 🎄

A cracker, a quacker and a Danish charm

Roast duck with pearl barley and red cabbage (serves 4):
Pearl barley, 200g
Chesnut mushrooms, 300g
Olive oil, 4 tablespoons
Garlic, 3 cloves
Chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons
Thyme leaves, 3 tablespoons
Mirin or dry sherry, 4 tablespoons
Finely grated zest of a lemon
A duck, oven ready, 2.5kg
Red cabbage, 400g
Greens such as cabbage or Brussels sprouts, 200g
Red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons
Redcurrant jelly, 2 tablespoons

Rice with cream, almonds and scarlet fruits (serves 4):
Pudding or Arborio rice, 95g
Water, 320ml
Full cream milk, 320ml
Half a lemon
A star anise
A vanilla pod
Caster sugar, 4 tablespoons
Flaked almonds, 50g
Double cream, 150ml
For the compote:
Frozen cherries, lingonberries or cranberries, 250g
Caster sugar, 50g
A star anise

🎄8 DECEMBER 🎄

Spice, crumbs and cream

Lebkuchen chocolate cream (serves 4):
Double cream, 250g
Lebkuchen or other spiced ginger biscuits, 200g
Dark chocolate, 90g

🎄9 DECEMBER 🎄

The Christmas card

Passionfruit cream bun with lemon thyme (makes 8):
For the buns:
Water, 125ml
Butter, 50g
Strong flour, 75g
Salt, a pinch
Eggs, beaten, 2
For the filling:
Double cream, 250ml
Passion fruit or lemon curd, 75g
To finish:
Caster sugar, 2 tablespoons
Lemon thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon
White chocolate, 200g

🎄11 DECEMBER 🎄

Decorating the tree, and a lamb roast

Roast lamb with coriander seeds and rosemary (serves 6):
Shoulder of lamb, bone in, 2kg
Garlic, 3 cloves
Rosemary, 3 bushy sprigs
Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon
Olive oil, 80ml
Stock or dry white vermouth, 200ml

Creamed butter beans and spinach (serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a main course):
Spinach, 750g
Butter beans, 2 x 400g tins
For the sauce:
Milk, 500ml
Half an onion
Cloves, 3
Bay leaves, 2
Black peppercorns, 6
Butter, 40g
Plain flour, 40g
A nutmeg, for grating

🎄12 DECEMBER 🎄

A fine and fruity chutney

Apricot and tomato chutney (makes 2 large jars):
A red onion
A yellow onion
Olive oil, 4 tablespoons
Dried apricots, 450g
Root ginger, 25g, a thumb-sized lump
A lemon
Golden caster sugar, 200g
Cider vinegar, 250ml
Bramley or other sharp apples, 2 large
Yellow or orange cherry tomatoes, 200g
A pomegranate

🎄13 DECEMBER 🎄

Broth and bones. Coming in from the cold

Oxtail with butter beans and sherry (serves 4):
Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Oxtail, prepared, 1.5kg
Onions, 4 medium
Celery, 2 ribs
Bay leaves, 3
Dry sherry, 300ml
Beef stock, 500ml
Thyme sprigs, 8
Butter beans, jarred or tinned, 2 x 400g tins
To serve:
Chard, spinach or cabbage, steamed

🎄14 DECEMBER 🎄

Pickled quinces and a Christmas Stocking

Pickled quinces (makes 2 large jars):
Red wine vinegar, 500ml
Granulated sugar, 350g
Juniper berries, 2 teaspoons
Coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon
Bay leaves, 3
Black peppercorns, 12
Quinces, 3
A lemon

Sweet potato and kale bubble and squeak (serves 2):
Sweet potatoes, 1kg
Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon
Dried chilli flakes, a pinch
Sweet, mild paprika, 1/2 teaspoon
Butter, 50g
Kale, 150g
To finish:
A little extra butter

🎄16 DECEMBER 🎄

Pickles, pruning and a baked apple

Pickled rhubarb and salmon (serves 2):
White wine vinegar, 150ml
Golden caster sugar, 1 tablespoon
Black peppercorns, 10
White peppercorns, 6
Coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon
Rhubarb, 100g
Peashoots, 2 handfuls
Samphire, watercress or other shoots, 50g
Salmon, 300g

Baked apple mascarpone fool (serves 4):
Sharp apples such as Bramley, 850g
Caster sugar, 100g
Double cream, 250ml
Sweet Marsala, 4 tablespoons
Mascarpone, 125g

Hello everyone! Checking to see if I can still add comments under this username. 🎄🎄🎄

Yay!

Ok will try to add a couple of recipes per day.

🎄🎄🎄 17 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Panettone ice cream (serves 6)

Panettone 250g
Milk 300ml
Single cream 300ml
A fat vanilla pod
Egg yolks 6
Caster sugar 150g

To finish:

a thick slice of panettone, toasted

Panettone passion fruit cake (serves 6)

Passion fruit 6, lightly wrinkled and heavy for their size
Oranges 3
Caster sugar 4 tablespoons
Panettone 500g

For the filling:

Mascarpone 500g
Passion fruit or lemon curd 250g
Passion fruit 2

To decorate:

Sugared rose petals 8
Golden sugar 2 tablespoons

🎄🎄🎄 18 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Making the Paste (Marzipan)

to cover a 20-22cm cake generously

Icing sugar 250g
Ground almonds 500g
A large egg
Lemon juice 2-3 tablespoons

🎄🎄🎄 19 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Pickled figs with fennel seeds and allspice, to go with plates of cheese and prosciutto

makes 1 medium kilner jar

White wine vinegar 500ml
White sugar 300g
Fennel seeds 1 teaspoon
Allspice berries 6
White peppercorns 8
Black peppercorns 6
Bay leaves 3
Small figs 400g

Roast cauliflower, carrot hummus (serves 4 as a main dish)

A small cauliflower
Olive oil 4 tablespoons

For the hummus:

Onions 3 medium
Carrots 300g
Olive oil 125ml plus 4 tablespoons
Half a pomegranate
Chickpeas 2 x 400g tins
Mint leaves 8
Green olives, stoned 150g

🎄🎄🎄 21 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Pork and partridge pie (serves 6)

Partridges 3
Bay leaves 3
A small yellow onion
Red onions 2
Carrots 3 medium
Celery 2 ribs
Olive oil 6 tablespoons
Butter 20g
Smoked streaky bacon 8 rashers
Thyme 8 sprigs
Rosemary 2 bushy sprigs
Garlic 2 cloves
Herby butchers' sausages 8
Ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
Ground mace 1/2 teaspoon
Puff pastry 500g
Eggs 2

You will need a 24cm round tart tin base

Sauce for the pie:

A clementine or small orange
Dried cranberries 50g
Dry Marsala 150ml
Redcurrant jelly 4 tablespoons

White icing for the Christmas cake

Egg whites 4
Icing sugar, golden or white 850g
Lemon juice 4 teaspoons

Mulled wine (serves 6)

Vodka 200ml
Cloves 6
Cinnamon stick
Star anise 3
Cardamom pods 10
An orange
A lemon
Fruity red wine 750ml bottle
Flaked almonds a handful

🎄🎄🎄 22 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Pig's cheek and prune terrine (serves 8-10)

Stoned, dried prunes 200g
Marsala 100ml
The juice of an orange
A medium onion
Butter 30g
Garlic 2 cloves
Minced pork 500g
Smoked streaky bacon 200g
Pork cheeks 300g
Tarragon leaves 3 tablespoons, chopped
Juniper berries, a handful

You will need a 1 litre capacity high sided baking dish or terrine

Terrine of pork, smoked bacon and cranberries (serves 8)

A medium onion
Butter 30g
Thyme leaves 2 teaspoons
Rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon
Smoked bacon 250g
Minced pork 400g
Ground mace 1/2 teaspoon
Juniper berries 12
Dried apricots 80g
Fresh cranberries 60g
Marsala or Brandy 2 tablespoons

To finish:

Bacon 2 rashers
Bay leaves 4
Juniper berries 12
Fresh cranberries 6

You will need 2 small (500ml) ovenproof preserving jars or a suitable earthenware terrine

Herb-flecked, sprout-studded custards (makes 4, serves 2)

Pumpkin or butternut squash 500g peeled weight
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
Dried chilli flakes 2 teaspoons
Brussels sprouts 200g
Eggs 3
Double cream 250ml
Rosemary, finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Parsley, finely chopped 2 tablespoons
Butter, a little for the ramekins

You will need 4 ramekins or small ovenproof dishes approximately 9cm x 4-5cm deep

🎄🎄🎄 23 DECEMBER 🎄🎄🎄

Rhubarb (or apple) trifle (makes 8 servings)

For the sponge:

Butter 100g
Golden caster sugar 100g
Eggs 2
Self-raising flour 100g
An orange

For the rhubarb:

Rhubarb 750g trimmed weight
Oranges 2 (100ml juice)
Caster sugar 3 tablespoons

For the cream:

Mascarpone 500g
Eggs 2, separated
Caster sugar 2 tablespoons
Vanilla extract, a few drops
Double cream 200ml

To decorate:

Sugared rose petals

You will need a shallow 20cm round sponge tin, lined on the base with parchment paper

Thanks for the updates @YuletideSolace This is really handy when I'm out and about and it pops into my mind to cook something from the book. I come on here and have a quick search for what ingredients I need to pick up (rather than guessing and forgetting something and having to go back out again which happens a lot)

You're welcome!

I think I'll add everything up to NY this week, and then I'll probably leave it there. That way everyone can have recipes for the festive period proper easily to hand. 🎄🎄🎄