• Home
  • About Leathams
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Newsletter

Chefs' Blog

~ culinary adventures from Leathams' food team

Chefs' Blog

Tag Archives: Christmas

Spiced Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing

19 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

affordable Christmas, Chestnut, Chestnut recipe, Christmas, christmas chestnut recipes, Christmas day, christmas dinner, Christmas food, christmas recipes, Christmas stuffing, festive food, festive recipes, Merchant Gourmet, Merchant Gourmet Chestnuts, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, Merchant Gourmet Polenta, stuffing, turkey stuffing

 

Preparation time – 10 mins

Cooking time – 30-40 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 700g best quality sausage meat
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 200g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
  • 100g, Merchant Gourmet One Minute Polenta or fine breadcrumbs
  • 150g dried cranberries
  • 5 large sprigs of rosemary, spikes only, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or if you can find it Mauritius Masalle)
  • 2 large egg yolks

Chestnut stuffing

Method

Prep ahead – You can make the stuffing at least a day ahead before cooking or stuffing your bird.

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 upper middle shelf.
  2. Mix the sausage meat together with the chopped onions, Merchant Gourmet Chestnuts and Polenta, dried cranberries, rosemary, mixed spice, egg yolks and a heaped teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
  3. If you are stuffing a turkey, lift the flap of skin at the top of the turkey breasts. Loosely push about 1/3 of the stuffing underneath. Fold the flap of skin back over so that it holds the stuffing in, but make sure that it is not too tightly packed or the skin will split as it roasts. Truss the turkey, making sure that you leave the skin slightly loose, but secure the neck flap well. If you don’t have a trussing needle, use a wooden skewer to do this.
  4. Separate the remaining stuffing into 16 pieces, dust your hands with polenta if the stuffing is sticky and roll the 16 pieces into balls. Put them in the fridge until you need them.
  5. Bake the stuffing balls for 20 minutes
  6. Alternatively, spoon the leftover mixture into an ovenproof dish, brush with olive oil and place in the oven 180C /Gas 4 for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it on top.

Roast Kelly Bronze Turkey®, Onion & Chestnut Filo Parcels, and Sweet, Sour Roquito® Sauce

15 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alternative christmas recipes, Chestnut, Chestnut recipe, Chestnut recipes, Chestnuts, Christmas, christmas chestnut recipes, Christmas food, Christmas indulgence, Christmas Menu, festival, festive food, filo, Kelly Bronze Turkey, Merchant Gourmet, Merchant Gourmet Chestnuts, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, merchant gourmet whole chestnuts, moroccan christmas, Moroccan Cuisine, Moroccan ingredients, Roquito, turkey

 

Preparation time –  35 mins

Cooking time – 1 hr

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 80g unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp Raz-el-hanout
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little to oil the tray for the parcels and chestnut slices
  • 1 large Kelly Bronze turkey breast, approx. 1kg
  • 3 red onions, peeled and quartered
  • 200g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts, separated, finely sliced
  • 120g good quality onion chutney
  • 2 sheets filo pastry
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tsp milk
  • 250ml orange juice
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 80g dried apricots, diced 1cm
  • 28 Roquito® Chilli Pepper Pearls
  • Zest of 1 lemon & juice of half (2 tbsp max)
  • 4 tbsp sliced mint
  • Salt & caster sugar
  • 8 tbsp yoghurt

IMG_5046

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190c /Gas 5/Position upper middle shelf

2. Mix the butter and 1/2 tsp raz-el-hanout together. Season with salt.

3. Season the turkey breast with salt and raz-el-hanout (use this as you would pepper) the butter all over the flesh side of the breast.

4. Next, heat the vegetable oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Fry the turkey breast, skin side down, and the quartered red onions, cut side down, over a medium to high heat for 1-2 minutes until both are golden. Turn the onion. Put the pan in the oven and roast, with the turkey still skin side down for 33-35 minutes (The breast should be around 65c which takes it to around 70c after a good rest, use a meat probe thermometer, for the best results)

5. Once the breast is cooked, remove it from the oven. Brush the breast and the onions all over with the melted butter in the pan. Put the breast onto a cooling rack skin side up, put the rack over the pan with the onions, cover very loosely with foil. Leave in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes or up to about 20. Turn the oven up to 230c/gas 8

6. While the breast roasts, make the parcels. Mix half of the sliced chestnuts together with the onion chutney. Unroll the filo pastry, peel off 2 sheets, lay them on your work surface. Brush one with eggwash and then put the second on top. Brush this with the eggwash. Cut the filo into 4 strips widthways. Spoon a quarter of the chestnut mixture onto the bottom of each leaving a 2cm border.

7. Take the right corner of the filo then fold diagonally to your left, enclosing the filling and forming a triangle. Press down to seal the edges. Turn the filo back over the opposite way. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Keep folding in this way until you reach the end of the filo strip. Brush the outer surface with more egg. Put the parcels on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Take the tray out of the oven, scatter the sliced chestnuts in a single layer over the other half of the baking sheet. Brush them with vegetable oil. Bake for 5 more minutes until the parcels are golden and the chestnut slices crisp.

8. To make the sauce, get a medium sized sauce pan. Add the orange juice, honey, garlic, ginger and 1/2 tsp raz-el-hanout. Put the pan on a high heat. Bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute or until the mixture is just thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, dried apricots, Roquito® Chili Pepper Pearls®, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and sugar. Add the sliced mint at the last minute.

9. To serve, slice the turkey breast and put it onto a large platter with the onions. Spoon the turkey’s cooking juices and melted butter over the top. Spoon the sauce over and around the turkey. Put the parcels to one side. Scatter the sliced chestnuts over everything. Serve with the yoghurt.

Molten Chocolate, Chestnut, & Dulce de Leche Mousse

10 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brandy, chestnut puree, Chestnuts, Chocolate, Chocolate Sauce, Christmas, christmas chocolate, Dessert, Dulce de Leche, Ice Cream, melting chocolate, Merchant Gourmet, merchant gourmet chestnut puree, Merchant Gourmet Chestnuts, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, merchant gourmet dulce de leche, molten chocolate, sweet, Winter, winter recipe, winter warmer

 

Preparation time – 20 mins

Cooking time – 10 mins

Serves 6

Ingredients 

160g 70% chocolate
75g unsalted butter, diced
3 large eggs, separated
50g caster sugar

For the chestnut mixture

207g (half a tin) Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Puree
75ml double cream
25g unsweetened cocoa powder

For the moulds

40g unsalted butter
50g Demerara sugar
6 heaped tbsp Merchant Gourmet Dulce de Leche

To serve

6 balls vanilla ice cream
6 tbsp Brandy or rum

Optional for Christmas

Dried Cranberries
Zest of 1 orange removed with a zester
Four mint leaves finely sliced
Icing sugar for dusting

IMG_4634

Method

Prep ahead

The mousse can be prepared at least a full day ahead then stored in the fridge. If you do this, add 2 minutes to the total cooking time as they’ll be a lot colder from the fridge.

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4/ Position.
  2. Melt the chocolate and diced unsalted butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, or on low in the microwave. Stir from time to time.
  3. While the chocolate melts, make the chestnut mixture. Get a small food processor. Add the chestnut puree and cocoa powder. Blend for about a minute until it is completely smooth. Add the cream and blend for 30 seconds or so until it is totally incorporated. Add the egg yolks. Pulse until they are combined.
  4. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks and slowly add the sugar, whisking the whites until they are firm and glossy.
  5. Mix the beaten egg whites together with the chestnut mixture.
  6. Add 1 third of this mixture to the chocolate. Stir in quickly so that it doesn’t set. Briskly fold in the remaining egg white mixture.
  7. Line 6 ouef sur plat moulds first with soft butter then with Demerara sugar.
    Spoon 2 tbsp of dulce de leche into the centre of each. Distribute the chocolate mixture over the top. Flatten it slightly.
  8. Bake for 7 minutes, the top and outsides should be just set and the centre soft and molten. It should wobble a little as you take it out.
  9. Scoop the ice cream into the centres then spoon the brandy over the top (If you’re being festive, sprinkle the dried cranberries, orange zest and mint leaves over the top. Finish with a little dusting of icing sugar.)

Festive Mince Pie Toppings

03 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alternative christmas recipes, basil and citrus, chestnut puree, Chestnut recipes, Christmas, christmas chestnut recipes, Christmas indulgence, christmas recipes, Christmas time, christmas twist, Dulce de Leche, festive food, Festive recipe, Jewelled, Merchant Gourmet, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, merchant gourmet dulce de leche, mince pies, mincemeat, pomegranate

Some tempting ideas for original, pretty and delicious goodies to go on our chestnut frangipane mince pies, or even your own recipe.

 

Variations

Jewelled

  • 1 tsp icing sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 40g dried cranberries
  • 5 dried apricots, chopped to the same size as the cranberries
  • 40g shelled pistachio nuts

Pomegranate

  • 1 Pomegranate

Basil and citrus sugar

  • Zest of 1/4 grapefruit, 1/4 lemon and 1/4 orange (or just one of the fruits)
  • 20 basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Dulce de Leche

  • 24 tsp Merchant Gourmet Dulce de Leche

Orange zest, dried cranberry and mint

  • 72 dried cranberries
  • Zest of 2 oranges
  • 4 large leaves of mint, finely slice

IMG_4555

Method

Jewelled

Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together. Add the other ingredients and toss gently until they are glazed. Spoon the jewels over the top of the cooked mince pies.

Pomegranate

Break the pomegranate open and separate the seeds from their white chambers over a bowl. Use the prettiest seeds to top your mince pies then eat the rest with their juice and some yoghurt for breakfast.

Basil and Citrus

Grind together in a mortar and pestle or small food processor.

Dulce de leche

Spoon the dulce de leche on top of the pies.

Orange zest, dried cranberry and mint

Put 3 cranberries on top of each pie. Sprinkle the zest and mint over the top.

2014 Festive Food Trends

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by Leathams in Blog

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3 bird roast, affordable Christmas, american food, authentic Asian flavours, Beetroot and horseradish relish, Chocolate, Christmas, Christmas breakfasts, Christmas cake, Christmas conserves, Christmas day, Christmas decadence, Christmas food, Christmas food binge, Christmas Food Trends, Christmas indulgence, Christmas party, Christmas Recipe, coquilles St Jacques, earthy, Edamame Bean, edible gold, Elizabethan pork noix, European cuisine, figgy pudding stuffed turkey, Foraged, Fortnum & Mason, Gefilte fish, glitz and glamour, gourmet American dude food, Gravadlax, Gyoza, Hannukah, Heston, home pickling, Hot Dogs, Italian Feast of Seven fishes, Lapsang tea smoked salmon, Lidl, lobster, luxury lines, M&S, meat, Middle Eastern flavour, mince pies, Morrison’, nostalgia, panettone, Party food, party food category, party food fusion, pickled herring, prawn cocktail, prawn platters, premium lines, preserving techniques, reindeer carpaccio, restaurant industry, retailers, retro eating, revamping vintage, rose water spiced mince pies, Salted caramel and Bourbon glazed ham, Scandi trend, Scandinavian simplicity, sliders, smoked duck breast, smoked meats, smoked salmon, smoked venison patè, steamed dim sum, Stolen, street food revolution, Tastes of South America, Tesco, Turducken, ultimate chocolate bar, Victorian favourite, Waitrose

With the month of December officially upon us, even the most obstinate of scrooges would permit us to start getting excited about the coming festivities. Whilst the fait accompli of maxed out credit cards, drunken office party blunders, and stretching waistlines is an inescapable certainty of the holiday period, the food and drink marathon that is Christmas remains one of the gloriously gluttonous highlights of our year. Mountains of mince pies, stockings full of chocolate, and mounds of festive nibbles serve as a mere warm up for the colossal excesses of Christmas day, that on average weighs in at above 7000 calories of pure indulgence.  With the British public set to spend £5.3 billion on food and drink this year, retailers are set to fight it out for their piece of the Christmas cake. So what have they got on offer for us this year?*

IMG_4573

Looking across the industry there are a number of key trends that are being used to lure in customers to spend their sizeable Christmas budgets. The wider trend for Scandinavian simplicity in the restaurant industry is taking hold across the retailers, with a real focus on bringing products with simple and natural flavours of the outdoors into our homes. With smoked salmon the undisputed champion of the Christmas breakfasts, the trend for clean flavours has seen the rise in Gravadlax across the retailers, with treacle cured salmon a firm favourite in recipe books this year. Foraged and earthy flavoured ingredients are seen as a natural accompaniment to Scandinavian simplicity with a particularly delicious Beetroot and horseradish relish from Bay Tree widely on offer. To go alongside salmon, a range of innovative cured and smoked meats give a true taste of nature. Lidl’s smoked and cured reindeer carpaccio is sure to get any Christmas party talking (good or bad), however, Waitrose’s smoked duck breast and smoked venison patè offer a safer bet, but equally as delicious for your guests. Natural preserving techniques are a big part of the Scandi trend, and the rise in home pickling on offer at retailers is indicative of this. With the northern European Christmas favourite, pickled herring, said to be a coming trend for Christmas food, inspiration from pickled herring is growing. With alternative Christmas dinners like the Italian Feast of Seven fishes seeing modern re-workings in restaurants and online,  retailers are increasingly including them in their festive food ranges. With numerous supermarket versions of coquilles St Jacques, bountiful arrays of Stolen and Panettone, as well a Hannukah party food fusion of Gefilte fish balls in M&S, retailers are looking to Christmas around the world for inspiration.

posh piggies

It’s not just European cuisine however, as food retailers are look past boring spring rolls and samosas, to more exotic and obscure global cuisines. Heston for Waitrose’s Lapsang tea smoked salmon is a clear indicator of a global fusion trend taking hold, particularly in party food. Gyoza’s, steamed dim sum, edamame bean straws, and Indonesian prawn platters can be found in the likes of Tesco, M&S and Morrison’s, as they strive for more authentic Asian flavours. Tastes of South America can be seen in Tesco, and the highly trendy Middle Eastern flavour profile is seen widely, even in Waitrose’s rose water spiced mince pies. Whilst retailers are looking to Christmas around the world for inspiration, gourmet American dude food dominates the party food category. Motivated by the street food revolution, gutsy flavour packed foods can be seen, with a strong emphasis on regional distinctions and, of course, meat. posh sliders and hot dogs are ever-present across the retailers, however, M&S’ pulled pork stacks, pork belly squares, and BBQ bacon lollipops represent the most innovative miniature twists on stateside specialities. With Morrison’s offering a Salted caramel and Bourbon glazed ham it’s clear this trend is not only confined to party food.

Christmas Pannetone

With American food hot on everyone’s lips this Christmas, why not embrace what our American cousins have termed the ‘Turducken’?  Also fondly known as the 3 bird roast, we appear to have outdone our gluttonous American counterparts, with 4 and even 5 bird roasts to be found at all big supermarket chains this Christmas. This ubiquitous Christmas decadence has also entered the food to go market, with both M&S and Waitrose offering sandwiches and flatbreads of a kind. This concept is not, however, an American import, but an old Victorian favourite, which in itself reveals one of the clearest trends in the Christmas retail food market this year. Supermarkets have looked to the ghosts of Christmas dinners past this year, and are offering a number of classically inspired festive products to excite. Waitrose’s figgy pudding stuffed turkey, and Elizabethan pork noix (veal stuffed pork) are two that stand out as a true taste of the past. Looking to more recent decades, retailers are also taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane. With Heston’s prawn cocktail making a return this year, the trend for retro eating and revamping vintage recipes is continuing across retailers. However, Waitrose are clearly taking the lead with it’s show stopping ultimate chocolate bar. Heston’s reminiscent ode to the age old Christmas chocolate bar is loaded with layers of milk chocolate caramel mousse, crunchy chocolate biscuit, caramel ganache, almond and hazelnut mousse, and finished with a cocoa glaze.

TRIO OF SWEET CANAPE amend

Rivalling Heston’s vintage centre piece, M&S’ 5 gold rings Chocolate praline brownie Christmas cake is an equally striking spectacle of Christmas indulgence. Visually stunning, and correspondingly delicious, the addition of glitz and glamour to food this Christmas is widespread with use of edible gold, silver, and glitter more common. With Fortnum & Mason leading the way with their collection of Christmas conserves like Strawberry Starburst with edible glitter and Buck Fizz Marmalade with edible silver, you wouldn’t be foolish for thinking that this kind of indulgence should be reserved for those on a larger budget. This is not, however, the case, as budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl seek to make a luxury Christmas more affordable. Adding another 55 products to their newly substantial premium lines, luxury indulgences such as scallops in garlic butter are within reach. Seeking to position itself alongside the luxury lines of the big boys this Christmas, Lidl is offering whole lobsters at rock bottom price of £5.99.

IMG_5185

For budgets big and small there is clearly more on offer than ever this year, and with the Christmas food binge almost upon us it’s nearly time to stock up and settle in for our annual festive food coma. With all these delectable seasonal treats on offer though, the trickiest part of Christmas this year may just be deciding. But one thing is for certain, you better dig those elasticated trousers out the cupboard, because you’ll definitely be needing them this year.

Author: Jack Cliffe, Marketing & NPD Assistant

Chestnut Frangipane Mince Pies

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Chestnut, Chestnut recipes, Christmas, Christmas Menu, Christmas party, Christmas Recipe, Festive recipe, festive recipes, frangipane, holiday recipes, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, mince pies, mincemeat, traditional christmas, traditional christmas recipes, traditional festive recipes

This is a mince pie carnival by Alex Mackay, who has used brown sugar pastry with a sensual waft of vanilla to give this recipe a luxury twist. Check out his mincemeat recipe below to make fully authentic homemade mince pies.

 

Ingredients

The Pastry

  • 350g plain flour
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 120g butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 24 tbsp (approx 480g), either homemade, or shop bought mincemeat

Chestnut Frangipane

  • 1, 200g pack of Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
  • 80g icing sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
  • 80g soft unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp brandy or rum (optional)
  • 1 large egg yolk

IMG_4540

Method

Prep ahead You can make the pies up to the point of adding the chestnut frangipane and then freeze them uncooked, in their tins, a month or so in advance. You then defrost them overnight, top them with the chestnut frangipane then continue as below.

1. Preheat your oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

2. To make the pastry, put the flour and brown sugar into your food processor. Add the butter and pulse just enough for the mixture to become grainy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla essence and water. Pulse until the pastry is just combined. Tip it onto your work surface (get all of the pastry out, but there is no need to wash the bowl of your food processor before the next step) then knead the pastry briefly until it is smooth.

3. Put the pastry onto a large piece of floured cling film. Pat the pastry to flatten it into a 30cm square. Wrap and then refrigerate for 30 minutes; just enough to make the pastry firm rather than hard.

4. Next, make the chestnut frangipane. Remove the 6 biggest and prettiest whole chestnuts, cut them in quarters then set aside. Put the remaining chestnuts and the icing sugar into the bowl of the food processor that you used for your pastry. Blend for 1 minute. Add the butter and egg yolk then blend until combined. Set aside.

5. Dust the pastry with flour. Roll out to a 50x40cm rectangle between two layers of floured clingfilm. Lift off the top layer of clingfilm. Cut out 24 circles with the 7cm pastry cutter, lift off the trimmings then squash them together. Wrap the trimmings in clingfilm and store for another batch.

6. Gently push the pastry circles into the bottoms of the bun tins.

7. Spoon a heaped dessertspoon (roughly 1 tbsp) of mincemeat into each pie. Cover with 1 heaped teaspoon frangipane. Smooth over with a small palette knife. Push a chestnut quarter into the centre of each pie. Dust with icing sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

 

 

Image

Christmas Chestnut Mincemeat

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

Tags

alternative christmas recipes, Chestnut, Chestnut recipe, Chestnut recipes, Christmas, Christmas Menu, Christmas party, Christmas Recipe, christmas recipes, Christmas time, holiday reecipes, Merchant Gourmet Christmas, merchant gourmet whole chestnuts, seasonal ingredients, seasonal recipe, xmas, xmas recipes

This mincemeat, created by Alex Mackay, is inspired by some of the ingredients from the famous 13 Christmas desserts of Provence, and made exotic by the addition of balsamic vinegar glaze in place of Brandy.

 

Ingredients

  • 100g dried cranberries
  • 200g cooked Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts, chopped to the size of the cranberries
  • 120g dried figs, tips trimmed then chopped to the size of the cranberries
  • 100g dates, chopped to the size of the cranberries
  • 100g prunes, chopped to the size of the cranberries
  • 100g suet, or vegetable suet, depending on your preference/dietary requirements
  • 100g candied peel
  • 1 & 1/4 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Grated zest and juice of 3 large tangerines or oranges
  • 150g dark brown sugar
  • 1 large Bramley apple, unpeeled, coarsely grated
  • 5 tablespoons Merchant Gourmet Vinegar Glaze or brandy or rum

Makes approximately 1.2kg, enough to fill about 80, 7cm mince pies

meat

Method

Prep ahead – The cooked mincemeat will keep almost indefinitely, so feel free to double the recipe or just scale the recipe up to use all of the dried fruit from whichever your size your packets come in. The uncooked mincemeat will keep for at least a couple of weeks.

1. Preheat your oven to 120C/Fan 100C/Gas 1/2
2. Get an oven proof bowl or baking dish with raised sides. Add all of the mincemeat ingredients. Mix them together. (If you are doing the uncooked version, just mix and put in the fridge) Cover with foil. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 2 hours.
3. If you are putting the mincemeat in jars, do so while it is hot, you will then have a thin layer of suet that rises to the top, which will effectively seal the mincemeat inside the jars.
4. If you are using the mincemeat in the near future just leave it to cool in the baking dish, give it a good stir, then cover it with cling film and put in the fridge.

Posted by Leathams | Filed under Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Video

Mushroom & chestnut wellington with porcini sauce

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alex Mackay, British cuisine, Chestnut recipe, Chestnuts, Christmas, Christmas Recipe, Comfort food, festive recipes, French Cuisine, Merchant Gourmet, mushroom recipe, porcini mushrooms, Puy Lentils, rustic recipe, seasonal recipe, wellington, winter recipes

Serves 4

Prep / Cooking 30-35 mins
Active Time 20-25 mins

Full Ingredients:

325-375g pack pre-rolled puff pastry (butter puff if possible)
8 large mushrooms, each maximum 7-8cm diameter
250g pouch of ready to eat Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils
200g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts, separated, 8 cut into quarters, the rest finely diced
20g (average supermarket size) bunch of chives, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
250g tub crème fraiche (half fat if you prefer)
egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp milk
25g pack of Merchant Gourmet Dried Porcini Mushrooms soaked in 250ml boiling water for 5 minutes
Salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220c / 425f / Gas 7 Upper Middle Shelf. Boil your kettle.

2. Start with the puff pastry. Unroll it carefully. Cut the pastry into 4 even sized (approx. 17cm x 13cm) rectangles. Put the pastry in the coldest part of your fridge, it is much easier to work with when it is cold.

3. Next, prepare the mushrooms. Get a baking tray and a large bowl. Put the mushrooms, round side down on the tray. Pull out their stalks. Chop the stalks into lentil size pieces. Put them in the bowl. Add the lentils, the chopped (but not the quartered) chestnuts, 4 tbsp crème fraiche, 6 tbsp sliced chives and the garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Mix half the of crème fraiche with the lentil mixture then put an eighth of the mixture in each mushroom and squash them down. Turn one mushroom on top of the other, quickly so that the lentils don’t fall out, to make four sandwiches.

5. Next make the egg wash. Get a small bowl. Add the egg yolk and milk. Mix together with a fork.

6. Get the puff pastry rectangles out of the fridge. Brush them with egg wash. With the egg washed side facing down, put the pastry rectangles over the top of the mushrooms. Cup your hands over the top, mould the pastry around the mushrooms, the main thing is that you cover the joint; depending on the size of the mushrooms, you may need to stretch the pastry slightly on the thinner side of the rectangles. Brush the pastry generously all over with egg wash. Bake the mushrooms for 18-20 minutes in the pre-heated oven until the pastry is golden.

7. Make the porcini sauce while the mushrooms bake. Rehydrate, as per pack instructions. Once rehydrated, lift the porcini out of the water, pour the residual stock carefully into a small saucepan, there may be a little grit near the bottom, throw this away. Chop the porcini as finely as you can. Add the chopped porcini to the pan. Put the pan onto a high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce by 1/3. Take the pan off the heat.

8. When the pies are ready and golden, stir the remaining crème fraiche (you’ll have about 130g) and sliced chives into the sauce. Warm the sauce through but don’t boil it. Season to taste. Serve with the mushroom wellingtons.

Christmas pan-fried duck breast with bacon, chestnuts and cranberries

20 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Chestnuts, chestnuts and cranberries, Christmas, cranberries, Festive recipe, lardons, Merchant Gourmet, pan-fried duck breast with bacon

Duck breast with chestnuts

Cook time: 20 mins
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 duck breasts
  • 100g bacon lardons (or sliced bacon)
  • 200g pack Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
  • 50g dried cranberries
  • 50ml port or Madeira
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • salt and pepper

How to cook it:

  1. Score the skin side of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, and rub them with salt.
  2. Heat a non-stick frying pan then lay the duck breasts skin side down into the pan. You do not need to add any oil as the fat in the duck breasts will do the job. Pan fry the duck breast on a low heat for 10 mins then turn it over and finish for 5 mins on the other side.
  3. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 10 mins in a warm oven
  4. To make the sauce, pour out the oil and set aside. Add the bacon and chestnuts to the pan. Fry on a low heat for 5 mins or until the bacon and Chestnuts have gone golden and begin to crisp. Add the cranberries, port and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the liquid by half then season with salt and pepper to taste
  5. Slice the duck breasts then pour over the sauce. This is delicious served with celeriac mash and your favourite green vegetable

Christmas mince pie selection

19 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Leathams in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christmas, Festive recipe, mince pies, recipe

Leathams-7386

Serves 24:

The Mincemeat

  • 100g sultanas or dried cranberries
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 120g dried figs, tips trimmed then chopped to the size of the sultanas
  • 100g dates, chopped to the size of the sultanas
  • 100g prunes, chopped to the size of the sultanas
  • 100g suet, or vegetable suet, depending on your preference
  • 100g candied peel
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Grated zest and juice of 3 tangerines
  • 150g dark brown sugar
  • 1 large Bramley apple, unpeeled, grated
  • 5 tablespoons vinegar glaze

The Pastry

  • 350g plain flour
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 120g butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of water
  • 2 tablespoons milk, for glazing the pies
  • 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar for sprinkling (optional)
  • Chestnut Frangipane
  • 1, 200g pack of Merchant Gourmet whole cooked chestnuts
  • 60g icing sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
  • 30g soft unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • Ginger Crumble
  • 60g soft unsalted butter
  • 60g demerara sugar
  • 2 heaped teaspoons grated ginger
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 50g flour

Jewelled

  • 1 teaspoon icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 80g dried cranberries
  • 10 dried apricots, chopped to the same size as the cranberries
  • 80g pistachio nuts

Leathams-7363

The Mince Pies

  1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and brown sugar into your food processor. Add the butter and pulse just enough for the mixture to become grainy, it’ll look a bit like giant couscous. Add the egg yolk, vanilla essence and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse until the pastry is just barely combined. Tip it onto your work surface then knead briefly until the pastry is smooth.
  2. Next, cut the pastry in half. Put each half onto a large piece of floured cling film. Pat to flatten into 15cm squares, wrap and then refrigerate for 30 minutes; just enough to make the pastry firm rather than hard.
  3. Preheat your oven to 200C/Gas 6. Dust one of the pieces of pastry with flour then roll out to a 40x 20cm rectangle between two layers of floured clingfilm. Lift off the top layer of clingfilm. Cut out 24 circles with the 6cm pastry cutter, lift off the trimmings then squash them onto the top of the second piece of pastry. These are your tops; if your kitchen is very hot; pop them in the fridge, still sitting on the floured clingfilm. (I do the tops first so I have the maximum amount of pastry for the bottoms. Also so that the tops are the prettiest as the pastry doesn’t have any trimmings mixed in, also so that the pastry doesn’t sit and warm up, or get too cold in the fridge while you make the bottoms and line the tins) Roll this out in the same way as the first to a rectangle of 45x20cm. Cut out the 7.5cm circles then gently push them into the bottoms of the bun tins. Brush the edges of each lightly with milk, then spoon a level tablespoon of mincemeat into each pie. Press one of the smaller circles on top of each and pinch the edges to seal them well.
  4. Brush with milk, sprinkle with Demerara sugar, snip the centres with scissors. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Variations / Each Recipe is for 24 pies:

Star Topped 
Proceed exactly as for the main recipe but cut out stars instead of circles from the first half of the pastry. Fill each pie with a tablespoon of mincemeat then pop a star on top. Brush with milk and then sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Pastry bottoms only:
For the following recipes, make two thirds of the quantity of pastry only. Roll out the pastry and line the pies as before then fill each pie with 1 tablespoon of mincemeat. Bake the topless pies for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden around the sides.

Chestnut Frangipane
Remove 12 whole chestnuts, cut in half and set aside. Blend the remaining chestnuts with the sugar for 1 minute, add the butter and yolk then blend until combined. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each pie, top with 1 teaspoon frangipane, push a half chestnut into the centre, dust with icing sugar then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Ginger Crumble
Mix all of the ingredients together. Spoon a level tablespoon of mincemeat into each pie, then a smooth a teaspoon of the crumble mixture over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Jewelled
Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together. Add the other ingredients and toss gently until they are glazed. Spoon the jewels over the top of the cooked mince pies.

Pomegranate

Break the pomegranate open and separate the seeds from their white chambers over a bowl. Use the prettiest seeds to top your mince pies then eat the rest with their juice and some yoghurt for breakfast!

← Older posts
Leathams logo

Twitter

  • RT @BrandsCaru: Great to see @miamiburgeruk in the The Caterer Mag with its launch into National Foodsevice with @LeathamsLtd 🌱🍔 #burgers…~~~ 1 month ago
  • As autumn draws closer, what’s better than a warm hearty bolognese? Here's our take on tradition using plant based… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…~~~ 2 months ago
Follow @LeathamsLtd

Leathams Links

  • LaFresca Website
  • Leathams Website
  • Merchant Gourmet Website
  • SunBlush Website

Tags

American BBQ asian cuisine asparagus avocado Black Garlic Breakfast Breakfast recipe brunch Charcuti Chefs Brigade Chestnut Chestnut recipes Chestnuts Chicken Chilli Chocolate Chorizo Christmas Christmas party couscous Dessert Festive recipe Fit and Healthy freekeh French Cuisine Gluten free grains healthy healthy eating Healthy recipe Healthy Salad hearty recipe Ice Cream Italian cuisine Italian Food Italian recipe Kale Leon lighter eating Merchant Gourmet Merchant Gourmet Christmas Middle East Cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine mixed grains Moroccan Cuisine mozzarella Northern Italy olives Pancetta Peruvian cuisine Pizza polenta pumpkin seed oil quick and easy quinoa rare roast beef recipe Rediscovering the joys of Italy Risotto Roquito salad salmon South American cuisine spelt spinach Starter Street Food summer summer recipes SunBlush Tesco Tomato tomatoes Winter winter recipes

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy