Christmas: 4 festive recipes you must try at home

The Christmas weekend is here and so is the time to relish your favourite treats inspired by delicious festive flavours

BAKED CAMEMBERT

INGREDIENTS

•240gm Camembert

•100gm Hazelnut

•20gm Sherry vinegar

•60gm Honey

•1 piece Fresh fig

•50gm Caster sugar

•40gm Unsalted butter

•1 piece Thin slice bread

METHOD:

Place the camembert cheese on a baking tray and bake at 120 degrees for 12 minutes.

Roast the hazelnut in the oven or skillet until golden brown.

Mix the honey, vinegar, and toasted hazelnut together.

In a frying pan, melt the butter with the sugar.

Cut the figs in half and place on the butter and sugar mix at low heat until it caramelises.

RECOMMENDED PLATING:

On a flat plate place the baked cheese and top it with a scoop of the hazelnut mix.

Decorate with the figs and finish with the slice of bread previously toasted.

Rolled Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

•1 piece Turkey

•200gm Dried cranberry fruit

•50gm Caster sugar

•10gm Salt

•40gm Carrots

•20gm Honey

•200gm Unsalted butter

METHOD:

Place the whole turkey into the oven at 90 degrees Celsius.

Use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature until it is 65 degrees Celsius.

Once the temperature of the turkey breast is 65 degrees, remove it from the oven and rest for 2 to 3 hours.

In a saucepan, cook the dry cranberries with the sugar and 200ml of water.

Boil until cranberries are soft and the liquid is reduced by almost 50 per cent.

Add the salt.

In a frying pan place the carrot cut into batons, add 100ml of still water and the honey.

Cook the carrots until soft and the sauce is a thick texture.

Once the sauce has reduced add a tablespoon of butter and emulsify the caramel.

Once the turkey is cold, cover with 150gm of soft butter and set the oven to 220 degrees.

Put the turkey covered in butter inside the oven for 12 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.

RECOMMENDED PLATING:

Place the cranberry sauce on a plate.

Carve the turkey breast and place it on top of the sauce with the skin up.

Finish with the carrots and a spoonful of caramel on top of the turkey.

Salmon Wellington

INGREDIENTS:

•1 piece Puff pastry sheet

•1 piece Salmon fillet

For the Duxelle

•100gm Banana shallot

•30gm Garlic

•10gm Parsley

•500gm Mushroom

•40gm Unsalted butter

•10gm Salt

•20ml Sunflower oil

For the Sauce

•50gm Banana shallot

•50gm Unsalted butter

•200gm Cooking cream

•50gm Vinegar

METHOD:

Duxelle

Chop the shallot, garlic, and parsley into small pieces.

Chop the mushroom into small pieces.

In a frying pan melt the butter with the sunflower oil on medium heat.

Once the pan is hot place the shallot, garlic and stir until the vegetables are translucent.

Add the parsley once the vegetables are soft and continue cooking until it becomes a dry paste.

Leave to cool.

Sauce

Chop the shallot into small pieces.

In a frying pan place the butter with a bit of oil to melt.

Once it’s hot, add the shallot and cook until the vegetables become soft.

Add the vinegar and reduce by almost 90 per cent.

Once it’s reduced, add the cooking cream, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add salt and leave to rest.

Wellington

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin rectangular piece.

Place the cold duxelles in the centre of the pastry.

Put the fillet on top of the duxelles.

Close the roll using egg wash to stick the dough together.

Brush the top of the dough once it’s closed and bake for 10 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.

Once baked, remove from the oven and rest until cool.

RECOMMENDED PLATING:

On a plate place the sauce.

Put the wellington on top of the sauce and finish with some salt.

Use oil to drizzle over the sauce and make a design.

Spiced Red Pears

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 gm Pears

•1 Lt Vimto or Beetroot juice

•100 gm Caster sugar

•10 gm Star anis

•10 gm Cinnamon stick

•5 gm Whole peppercorn

•5 gm Whole cumin

•100 gm White chocolate

•100 gm Cooking cream

•150 gm Whipping cream

•50 gm Graham crackers

METHOD:

Put the litre of Vimto or beetroot juice in a pan with all the spices and boil it.

Peel the pears and place them into the Vimto or beetroot juice for about 1 hour on medium-low heat.

In another pan, heat the cooking cream, and simmer until almost at boil point.

In a mixing bowl, place the chocolate with hot cream and mix until the chocolate is completely melted.

Whisk the whipping cream until it’s hard and rest for 5 minutes.

Once the mix of chocolate and cream is cool, add the whipped cream and mix.

Place the chocolate mixture into the chiller to set.

RECOMMENDED PLATING:

In a bowl, place the chocolate mousse.

Take the pears and cut them in half.

Place the pears on top of the mousse.

Add a generous spoonful of the juice and finish with the crackers crumbled on top of the dish.

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