Faggots and mince
Having begged shamelessly on behalf of good causes for Christmas (see the immediately preceding post), I feel it only fair that I now reward you lot.
I have never been terribly enthused by turkey. My lack of interest in the Yankee bird is however a positive affirmation of turkey when assessed against the views of my family on the subject. Duck; goose; capon: these certainly met the family standard. Pheasant and grouse were yet more gratefully received, as were hare and partridge and woodcock; and venison, naturally, was most welcome. Equally, no one in this family has ever turned down mutton or beef. The fact remains, even so, that only the Chinese can match my people in devotion to the pig (well, bar the subset of my cousins who are Jewish, obviously). Christmas to us is a time for ham.
Whatever you intend as the mains for your Christmas dinner, however, it is simply not Christmas without mince pies - ‘mincemeat pies’ in American. And it is by no means too early to begin making your own mincemeat, and allowing it to mature so as to be ready for Christmas.
This is especially so for my own luxury mincemeat recipe, which I here give for the first time outwith the family.
For six pounds of mincemeat:
1 lb peeled, cored, and minced apples: desserts or cookers. A West Country mix of Corsley Pippins and Profits would do nicely. Pitmaston Pines are lovely. If you take sweets exclusively, one crab in the lot would do you no harm at all.
2 oranges, grated rind and juice. You might add a Clementine as well.
2 lemons, grated rind and juice.
4 oz cut mixed peel (various citrus)
12 oz seedless raisins
8 oz sultanas
8 oz currants
4 oz chopped mixed dried fruit: dried apricots, dried pears, and dried plums (the dreaded prune)
8 oz shredded suet (and this is precisely where I lose the Americans)
12 oz soft brown (moist) sugar
4 oz chopped mixed nuts: the usual almonds-and-pecan-nuts - oddly American, that - are dull. Walnuts and hazelnuts work well.
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 oz chopped crystallised ginger
1 tablespoon mixed spice: make your own, with allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg all ground in roughly equal measure, to taste
5 fl oz brandy: and make it the good stuff. Armagnac or cognac, five-star. Separate the brandy into two equal measures.
Dashes of Madeira, port, and sherry
Reserving half the brandy, mix the ingredients well in a large ovenproof bowl and leave to stand overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 110 °C / 225 °F / Gas 1/4, cover the bowl with foil and place in the oven for about 3 hours.
Allow to cool, then mix in the rest of the brandy and put into jars that have been sterilised. Store and let stand for at least a fortnight; a month is better.
Christmas cheer to you all, then!
I have never been terribly enthused by turkey. My lack of interest in the Yankee bird is however a positive affirmation of turkey when assessed against the views of my family on the subject. Duck; goose; capon: these certainly met the family standard. Pheasant and grouse were yet more gratefully received, as were hare and partridge and woodcock; and venison, naturally, was most welcome. Equally, no one in this family has ever turned down mutton or beef. The fact remains, even so, that only the Chinese can match my people in devotion to the pig (well, bar the subset of my cousins who are Jewish, obviously). Christmas to us is a time for ham.
Whatever you intend as the mains for your Christmas dinner, however, it is simply not Christmas without mince pies - ‘mincemeat pies’ in American. And it is by no means too early to begin making your own mincemeat, and allowing it to mature so as to be ready for Christmas.
This is especially so for my own luxury mincemeat recipe, which I here give for the first time outwith the family.
For six pounds of mincemeat:
1 lb peeled, cored, and minced apples: desserts or cookers. A West Country mix of Corsley Pippins and Profits would do nicely. Pitmaston Pines are lovely. If you take sweets exclusively, one crab in the lot would do you no harm at all.
2 oranges, grated rind and juice. You might add a Clementine as well.
2 lemons, grated rind and juice.
4 oz cut mixed peel (various citrus)
12 oz seedless raisins
8 oz sultanas
8 oz currants
4 oz chopped mixed dried fruit: dried apricots, dried pears, and dried plums (the dreaded prune)
8 oz shredded suet (and this is precisely where I lose the Americans)
12 oz soft brown (moist) sugar
4 oz chopped mixed nuts: the usual almonds-and-pecan-nuts - oddly American, that - are dull. Walnuts and hazelnuts work well.
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 oz chopped crystallised ginger
1 tablespoon mixed spice: make your own, with allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg all ground in roughly equal measure, to taste
5 fl oz brandy: and make it the good stuff. Armagnac or cognac, five-star. Separate the brandy into two equal measures.
Dashes of Madeira, port, and sherry
Reserving half the brandy, mix the ingredients well in a large ovenproof bowl and leave to stand overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 110 °C / 225 °F / Gas 1/4, cover the bowl with foil and place in the oven for about 3 hours.
Allow to cool, then mix in the rest of the brandy and put into jars that have been sterilised. Store and let stand for at least a fortnight; a month is better.
Christmas cheer to you all, then!