The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, it's that time of year again!

For anyone who has not already had the pleasure, the annual Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles read along is a real time annual MN tradition.

The Christmas Chronicles (Notes, stories and 100 essential recipes for midwinter) book begins on 1st November, however there are 25 pages of Introduction. That's why I start the thread one now; to allow time to prepare and fully appreciate Nigel in All His Splendour come 1st November.

Some regulars to the thread already have the book. For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. Vinted has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is always a bonus. Don't forget, you can also listen along to Nigel's dulcet tones via Audible.

I shall post daily and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the days recipes, sentiments and indeed Dear Nigel himself. Observations of nature and the seasons are also very welcome.

So welcome to old friends and new, and don't forget that reading by candle light is particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nige's candles of choice, but it's somewhat pricey. We don't discriminate against other less expensive brands - even if they are NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, light a candle, grab a cosy blanket and join in!

Hmmm today's stuffing recipe could be a contender to be cooked - think DS would love it - has anyone actually found lardo or substituted successfully with anything else? Not many Italian Deli's here in Cornwall!!! A yucky wet grey day here today x

The best I could come up with last year was going to the supermarket / deli and picking the fattiest slices of prosciutto I could find. Ones with mostly all white fat and only the tiniest bit of meat (which you could remove and use for something else). I think that's as close as you can get. The texture is very close as they are both cured, both made from back fat and very soft.

I read "the dark is rising" every December (and "I capture the castle" every Spring).

Yes that's what I do - really good fatty prosciutto (I got a nice one from LIDL once, made properly in Italy) and add the relevant herbs/spices to the dish.

Ah, I read I Capture the Castle every Summer! I read The Secret Garden in the Spring.

I love the Dark is Rising - I remember reading it when I was ten and being obsessed with the series. Did you catch the BBC adaptation for radio a couple of years ago? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dq61g9

I also love I capture the castle and the secret garden. I moved to london when I was ten and devoured the local library as we didn't have one where I was from in Ireland. Such an amazing resource for a poor kid!

@onceuponatimeinneverland Did you find your CC book? My spare one is sitting here doing nothing, so don't be without. Happy to send it to you completely free of charge. I'd rather it was used by someone tbh.

It's been a very grey day here and it's a very wet evening. But I have candles on and a cake in the oven - really fancied something sweet today and the only thing in the cupboards was the Christmas cake and lots of stray ingredients, so a cherry loaf cake will be appearing soon.

I loved the Secret Garden as a kid and was surprised by how dark it is (especially the beginning) when I listened to an audiobook of it a couple of years ago.

And stuffing! I'm sure we're meant to snigger at that title... I have bought lardo before, but I think it was from an Italian deli online. A few times I've been cooking Christmas dinner just for me and I've gone for stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast veg and potatoes, and not bothered about the meat. Plenty of gravy, of course!

The last few lines of the first chapter of The Secret Garden are dark indeed -

“Poor little kid!” he said. “There is nobody left to come.”

It was in that strange and sudden way that Mary found out that she had neither father nor mother left; that they had died and been carried away in the night, and that the few native servants who had not died also had left the house as quickly as they could get out of it, none of them even remembering that there was a Missie Sahib. That was why the place was so quiet. It was true that there was no one in the bungalow but herself and the little rustling snake.'

Walked the long way home after work to soak up the last of the light - I’m currently reading through a book about Life on Svalbard and the wonder that is Polar Night. It’s inspired me to fully appreciate the changing of the seasons. The idea of 3 months of darkness appeals to me.

Currently on my sofa with the Netflix Fire roaring away and Nigella’s Sticky Gingerbread baking in the oven. It’s a tradition I started when my kids were little - and as teenagers they still request it.

Plan to settle down later with Nigel and his stuffing, and then start The Bear and The Nightingale. Might even sample a slice of gingerbread.

I also loved The Secret Garden as a child. It was one of the first Audible books I downloaded, but I've not actually listened to it. It never really occurred to me that it was so dark (as a child) but then, I was watching Hammer House of Horror around age 9, and reading Stephen King novels by the age of 10. I also used to read really graphic True Crime magazines. I suppose developing brains will always seek out gory stuff. I think we blame a lot on social media / the Internet for today's generation and their issues, but I grew up watching The Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre far too young. Not to mention The Omen, Carrie, and Poltergeist. No wonder I used to have regular nightmares!

Anyway, on a more gentle note, I have had a sort through my candles.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I absolutely love horror films; I don't think they've ever scared me. My friends joke that I should watch a romance on Halloween.
The Secret Garden is a fabulous story and I also really like the film from the 90s.

I dripped my cooked apples and quinces as for jelly but then had a brainwave and simmered the liquid with some mulled wine spices - it's beautiful, pink and delicious.

I saw a book advertised today @TaupeRaven I think it was called Tales for the sunless solstice -a collection of spooky Christmas stories for dark
nights-and thought that Might do you? I’m going to get it I think.
im another who reads the dark is rising at Christmas-as far as possible in real time. And I too love The Secret Garden.
For various reasons I’ve walked 20,000 steps on the farm today. I am exhausted. Going to go to bed shortly and listen to the new episode of Uncanny and have a little read of the new Philippa Gregory. (Load of old toot historically but her books are my guilty pleasure).

I discovered The Dark is Rising a couple of years ago and read it every Christmas alon
g with a couple of Miss Read Christmas classics. I have read 3 of the TDIR books now and they are wonderful.
Baking day for me tomorrow. Thank you for the lardo ideas, I am off to Lidl in the morning.

Oh now that is a good find! Love The Dark Is Rising.

I am v fond of The Box of Delights too - there was a tv adaptation in the 80s which we LOVED as kids. The soundtrack too - A Carol Symphony. Bloody brilliant!

Busy day and evening finally sat in front of the fire relaxing and catching up with the thread. I'm intrigued by The Secret Garden will have to download it. Thank you for the lardo sub ideas will investigate Lidls for prosciutto at the weekend inspired to do some baking soon too haven't done any in ages! Nigellas sticky gingerbread sounds delish - reminds me this time last year I experimented a lot with flapjack additions crystallised ginger and allspice was a really successful one will have to make that again soon. Can't wait for the weekend now and some nice relaxing kitchen time.

lol, we have two! One upstairs which we wheel into the en suite in winter and it really dries off the colder wall quickly, alongside the extractor. One downstairs mostly used alongside the heated clothes airer but often just on. We have those slidey vents on some of the windows and I usually have some windows cracked open a tiny bit throughout winter.

Thank you all for your kindness - I’m incredibly touched and grateful. It’s been a difficult few days.

I feel like I discovered this corner of mindfulness and appreciation (& lovely lovely people) at just the moment I most needed something calming, meditative, fire and food based in my life. Despite having various iterations of Nigel on my kitchen shelves, I’ve never really connected with his writing before, but right now, it’s exactly what I need.

In a break from my (bad) usual “ work right through from. 8.30-6 without stopping when wfh” habit, I surprised myself and the dog with an unscheduled walk around the local city farm when a meeting ended early this afternoon. The sky was amazing, the calves cute and fluffy and the dog always enjoys going nose to nose with the miniature donkeys.

Turkey stuffing balls, sans lardo, were a success. I mean, how could I not cook the recipe, when I had home-made cranberry sauce in the fridge and frozen cranberries in the freezer?! I love fennel. And I adore stuffing. Best part of the meal. I added a couple of eggs to the mix, lightly ground the fennel after the dry roast and popped in a tablespoon of oil to compensate for the lack of fat in the lardo. Absolutely delicious- will definitely make again.

Sympathy for everyone living with building dust and chaos. I had completely forgotten that work was starting in our house today. DD2’s bedroom ceiling has been on the verge of collapse for some time, and we have finally taken steps. It’s essential, but oh my word, the mess and the dust! It’s only going to be a few weeks, and it’s only one room, so nowhere near as bad as others are living with, but not fun.

5 November

Fire and baked pears

We have been lighting fires around this time for centuries. Since ancient times, Celtic people have gathered around bonfires on October 31 and November 1 to celebrate Samhain, the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. We burn candles in hollowed out pumpkins on All Hallows, and since 1605 we have celebrated the failure of Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up the House of Lords and the protestant King James by lighting fires and setting off fireworks.

Pic: Sausage and beans

Morning all, I listened to Nigel in the car yesterday, my mouth was watering with the descriptions of stuffing. I find the only problem with the audio version is that Nigel’s voice is so soothing my mind sometimes wanders a bit then I realise I’m several chapters ahead.

Re The Dark is Rising - I’ve never read it, DD had to read it for school and hated it she moaned and moaned (sci fi / mythology / fantasy / horror are her genres of choice, how she got through A level Eng Lit later I do not know). But it put me off. Maybe I should give it a try. Apart from Nigel I am in a little lull between audio books at the moment, I often find I need a little break after a book before launching into another. I get decision paralysis on audible too. I have got an actual book for bedtime but need another audio for travel.

Good morning everyone. I can't quite believe we are at Guy Fawkes already! It's absolutely galloping along!

A note about the sausage and beans recipe from todays chapter; there has been an overwhelming consensus in the past that it is very watery. My advice is, don't add the water. You can always add a little at the end, if need be, but of course you can't take it away. The dish is Plenty Moist Enough with the vegetable stock and really doesn't need watering down IMO.

I see he used this recipe in his Observer column from Sunday

observer.co.uk/style/food/article/nigel-slaters-kitchen-diary-haricot-beans-and-sausages

@EnchantingDecorations Yes, me too. I was listening to the intro on Audible last week whilst cleaning. Before I knew it, I heard Nigel say "The Fifth of November..." and I had to rudely cut him off in his prime!

Good morning all. I agree with RZW, the leeks and beans don't need liquid. I find a very small dash of cream is a nice addition.

@Fillybusteryour stuffing balls sound delicious. Did you serve them on their own or with something else?

Have a lovely day, everyone.

I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that yesterday was 4th. I’ve been patting my CC in passing, flicking through the recipes, waiting for 4th, and failed to realise there was something to read yesterday!
However I am ahead with the beans and leak recipe.

For anyone who hasn’t made it, personal observation- it lacked oomph. I would add garlic, maybe lemon juice, and make sure the sausages pack a punch. Ours was bland. Also <whispers> he made it more complicated than it needed to be.

Still, it’s on the repertoire now and ready for excellent sausage, whenever they should arrive.

Tonight we will have the turkey/fennel stuffing. I’m unsure whether to sacrifice the last of my redcurrant sauce that I froze for Christmas, or go without. Time will tell. Maybe I could use some quince purée instead.