FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
Flavours of Christmas
festive
Baked brie with roasted cranberries
Photographs: Huw Jones
If you’re cooking a festive feast this year, it may be on a smaller scale than usual. However, that doesn’t mean Christmas lunch has to be watered down. Be inspired to try something different this year with tasty ideas from Flavours of England.
Flavours of England is a 12-part series of cookbooks by York-based Cordon Bleu chef, Gilli Davies, which celebrates the history of home cooking. England boasts a top-drawer culinary culture with many chefs and cooks celebrating the diverse range of homegrown ingredients
within their recipes.
Gilli combines fantastic local produce with traditional recipes that have retained their popularity for centuries. The 12 books include 100 recipes and cover all types of meals from puddings and pastries to suppers and snacks.
Roast Pheasant from the Peak District
Ingredients Serves 4
350g fresh cranberries, with some extra for garnish
2 tablespoons caster sugar 1 wheel of Brie cheese 1 orange, grated rind Fresh rosemary sprigs
Raise your game this Christmas by swapping traditional turkey for
pheasant. It is quick and easy to cook and its smaller size means it is a great alternative for reduced numbers around your festive dinner table.
One of the finest flavoured game birds, this is only accentuated by the fruity sweet gravy. This version is served with game chips would work just as well with roast potatoes and winter veg.
Ingredients Serves 6 25g butter
2 pheasants (preferably hens) 8-10 rashers smoked streaky bacon Salt and ground black pepper For the game chips: 375g potatoes
Sunflower oil for deep frying For the gravy: 100ml red wine 50ml ruby port
2 crushed juniper berries 1 sprig fresh thyme
76
aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
What says a cosy Christmas night in better than the smell of melted cheese, cranberries and orange. This would make the perfect festive appetiser for your covid bubble or a late night supper while you watch a Christmas classic on TV.
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas 5.
2 Spread the cranberries out in a single layer in a baking dish. Scatter over the sugar and toss to coat. 3 Roast for about 15-20 minutes until the cranberries are starting to burst. 4 Put the Brie in a small baking dish. Top with the roasted cranberries, add the grated rind of the orange and bake for about 7 minutes, just until the cheese is runny. 5 Garnish with some rosemary sprigs and a few raw cranberries, then serve right away with crackers or a sliced baguette.
Method Gas 4.
1 Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F/
2 Spread the butter over the pheasants, season with salt and pepper and arrange the bacon rashers across the pheasant breasts. Roast for about 75 minutes. Test to see whether they are cooked by piercing a leg at the point where it joins the body – if the juices run clear, it is ready. Remove from the oven, cover and keep warm. 3 For the chips, cut the potatoes into thin slices. Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. Cook the potatoes for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Drain and place on several layers of kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and keep warm. 4 For the gravy, spoon out the fat from the roasting tin and add the wine, port, juniper berries and thyme. On a high heat, and stirring well, quickly cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one third. Taste and season if necessary.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
