How are you going with your Christmas meal plans? We usually have the traditional type of meal in our home, an umu or hangi if we’re with my extended family or a bbq if it’s really hot! This year we’re having roast lamb but I thought I’d share some other recipes that have really taken my fancy.
This first one I saw Gordon Ramsay make on one of his many shows this past weekend. If I find out where to get gammon, this will be what we’re having next year!
Gordon Ramsay’s Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 whole leg of gammon , smoked or unsmoked, around 5kg weight bone-in
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
about 25 whole cloves
Glaze
200ml maple syrup
2 tbsp coarse-grain mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
Method
Put the gammon in a very large pan and cover with cold water. Add the spices and bay. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for around 1 hr 50 mins, topping up the water level with boiling water, if necessary. Scoop off any scum that rises to the top every now and then.
Carefully pour the liquid away (I like to keep it for making soup), then let the ham cool a little while you heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lift the ham into a large roasting tin, then cut away the skin leaving behind an even layer of fat. Score the fat all over in a criss-cross pattern, then stud cloves all over the ham. Can now be chilled for up to 2 days.
Mix the glaze ingredients in a jug. Pour half over the fat, roast for 15 mins, then pour over the rest and return to the oven for another 35 mins, basting with the pan juices 3-4 times as it bakes. Turn the pan around a few times during cooking so the fat colours evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 mins before carving. Can be roasted on the day or up to 2 days ahead and served cold.
Serves 8 – 10
The next recipe is just something I know my kids and husband would really enjoy. Seriously, what is better than dipping foods and melted cheese? We’ve been meaning to do this for over a year now. We might just make this one for Christmas. The following is Jamie Oliver’s recipe:
Beautiful Baked Camembert
Ingredients
1 x 250g Camembert, in its box
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
Some fresh rosemary tips
Olive oil
Stale bread, cut into bite-sized chunks
Woody rosemary sprigs, stripped
Pinch of sea salt
Small handful of dried cranberries and mixed nuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
Leaving it in the box, score around the top of a 250g Camembert about ½cm in and cut off the top layer of skin.
Finely slice a peeled garlic clove and poke it into the top of the cheese with a few fresh rosemary tips.
Drizzle with a little olive oil then bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until gorgeous and oozy in the middle.
Thread bite-sized pieces of stale bread onto stripped woody rosemary sprigs, drizzle them with olive oil and a tiny pinch of sea salt to help them crisp up then lay them on a tray and pop in the oven to cook with the Camembert.
Finely chop a small handful dried cranberries and mixed nuts and put them in a little bowl.
Once your bread skewers are golden and crisp and your cheese is oozy, put everything out on a board then dunk a bit of toasted bread in the gooey cheese and dip it in the cranberry and nuts – a little mouthful of 1980’s heaven.
For an alternative, you could dip vegetable slices like capsicum, celery and carrots. Or just use it as a spread!
The last recipe is one that arrived in my mailbox yesterday in my latest healthy foods magazine. So not only will it be delicious, it’s been modified to be health conscious. Get in on this!
Apple and Blueberry Crumble Cake
Filling
1C unsweetened apple juice
4 Tbsp cornflour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 apples, peeled, thinly sliced
Crumble Topping
1 1/4C plain flour
3/4C (70g) ground almonds
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp low-fat plain yoghurt
3 Tbsp liquid honey
300g fresh blueberries
Base
100g reduced-fat spread, softened
1/3C sugar
1 egg
1C self raising flour
100ml trim milk
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line the base of a 20cm (8 inch) round springform cake tine with baking paper.
To make filling: Combine 1/3 cup apple juice with cornflour and mix well. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine the remaining apple juice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and stir in cornflour mixture. Stir continuously until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add to apple slices and mix to coat slices.
To make crumble: Combine flour, almonds and sugar in a bowl. Add yoghurt and honey. Rub with fingertips to form a crumble consistency.
To make base: Combine spread and sugar in a bowl. Beat until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat to combine. Fold in flour and add milk. Mix gently.
Pour cake mixture into tin and level with a knife. Spread apple mixture over base then scatter crumble mixture on top. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Decorate with blueberries then serve slices with yoghurt.
Now I’m hungry! What have you got on your menu this weekend? I’d love to know, I’m still putting ours together.
