Turkey and ham Christmas casserole

 

INGREDIENTS 

   

• 50g butter
• 3 leeks, cut into rounds
• 30g plain flour
• 100ml white wine
• 500ml chicken stock
• 100ml double cream
• 400g cooked turkey (or chicken), diced
• 150g ham, diced
• 2 tarragon sprigs, leaves finely chopped
• 100g peas, defrosted
• 6 cubes of frozen spinach, defrosted
• salt and black pepper

Stuffing crust

• 100g breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, grated
• 100g chestnuts, grated
• 50g dried cranberries, soaked in warm water (optional)
• 2 tsp dried sage
• small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• large knob of butter

METHOD

1. First make the filling. Heat the butter in a large flameproof casserole dish. When it has melted, add the leeks with plenty of seasoning and turn down the heat.

2. Cover the dish with a lid and leave the leeks to cook gently until tender. Stir regularly and try not to let them take on any colour.

3. Stir the flour into the dish to form a roux around the leeks. Add the wine and stir vigorously – it will thicken considerably. Gradually add the stock, stirring constantly, until you have incorporated it all, then add the cream. Fold in the turkey or chicken, ham, tarragon and peas. Squeeze any excess water from the spinach, then stir the spinach into the dish. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

4. To make the topping, mix the breadcrumbs, onion, chestnuts, drained cranberries and the herbs, then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the filling, then dot with butter.

5. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and breaking through the crisp, golden-brown topping.

Spicy lentil and kale soup

 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp red harissa paste
• 200g brown lentils
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock or water
• 200g kale or spinach
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• squeeze of lemon
• finely chopped parsley

   METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes over a medium to low heat, until the vegetables have started to soften and brown slightly around the edges.

2. Stir in the harissa paste, followed by the lentils and season with salt and pepper.Pour over the stock or water and bring to the boil. Partially cover the pan and leave to simmer until the lentils are tender and have started to collapse into the soup. This should take 20–30 minutes.

3. If you’re using kale, cut out any thick woody stems, shred the leaves and add them to the soup after the lentils have been cooking for 20 minutes. If you’re using spinach, add it once the lentils are cooked.

4. You can leave the soup as it is if you like the texture, or blitz it with a stick blender to break it down further. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of parsley.

Mini Toad In The Holes

 

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 heaped tbsp lard or goose or duck fat
• 1 large onion
• Sliced 8 pork sausages
• Sea salt
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 150g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 275ml whole milk

  METHOD

1. First make the batter. Put the flour into a bowl and whisk it lightly to get rid of any lumps, then add a generous pinch of salt and the dried sage. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs. Work the eggs into the flour, then gradually add the milk. Alternatively, put everything in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Leave the batter to stand for an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Divide the lard or goose or duck fat between 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or 1 x 12 hole tin. Put the tins in the oven to heat up.

3. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and the onion slices. Simmer them for 3 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Cut the sausages into rounds. Divide the onion and sausages between the tins.

4. Put the tins back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the sausages have started to look nice and brown.

5. Remove the tins from the oven. Pour in the batter around the sausages and onion – there should be just enough batter to reach the top of each hole. Bake for a further 20 minutes until the Yorkshire puddings have risen and are a dark golden-brown. Serve hot straight from the oven – with some gravy if you like