Christmas Party Food
Spiced pork and carrot sausage rolls
Flaky pastry
225g plain flour
75g butter
75g lard
Pinch salt
Cold water to bind
Wrap the butter and lard in cling and place in freezer for 45 minutes.
Mix the salt and flour together and then grate the butter and lard from frozen into the bowl. Mix together then rub to breadcrumb consistency. Add cold water to bind, mix to a smooth dough, wrap in cling and chill.
Alternatively use one pack ready rolled puff pastry
500g pork sausages
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium carrots coarsely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Few grinds pepper
1 egg yolk
Remove the skins from the sausages and place the meat in a bowl.
Cook the carrot and onion in the oil until soft. Add the garam masala, smoked paprika and pepper. Cool and mix into the sausage meat.
Divide the pastry in half and roll each into a sausage shape. Roll to a 30cm x 20cm rectangle. Brush an edge with yolk. Divide sausage meat in half and place in middle of pastry. Fold over and seal, fork to crimp. Brush with egg yolk.
Cut into individual rolls and place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Chill for half an hour until ready to cook.
Heat oven to 180oc and cook until golden and cooked through – about 20 minutes.
Stilton pannacottas, ginger bread toast, pickled pear
Gingerbread
250g self raising flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
150g golden syrup
50g treacle
125g dark brown sugar
125g butter
2 eggs
250ml milk
Set oven to 180oc and line a large loaf tin with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon and soda in a bowl. Melt the syrup, treacle, butter and sugar in a saucepan. When sugar has dissolved cool for 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and milk with the syrup mixture. Mix into the dry ingredients – it will be very runny.
Pour into the tin and bake for about 35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Alternatively go to your local bakery and buy the gingerbread.
Stilton pannacotta
400ml double cream
200g crumbled stilton cheese
3 leaves gelatine soaked in cold water for 10 minutes.
Grease and line a square tray with cling or use silicon moulds.
Simmer the cream and add the stilton. Whisk until melted then add the gelatine leaves. Pour into tray or moulds and set. Remove from moulds and slice if using a tray.
Pickled pear
1 pear, quartered, peeled and finely sliced
1 shallot cut into rings
1 teaspoon honey
50ml white wine or white balsamic vinegar
Whisk the honey and vinegar together and toss in the pears and shallots. Leave for 10 minutes.
Slice gingerbread into squares or rounds and top with pannacotta.
Arrange some pickled pear and shallot on top.
