Christmas Lunch with Chicken

A stripped down Christmas lunch for 2020. Brussels sprouts cooked for about seven or eight minutes in a steamer, roast potatoes, pork sausages wrapped in bacon (pigs in blankets), boiled carrots and parsnips, a whole chicken breast roasted for thirty minutes in a lidded casserole dish, then for another fifteen minutes without the lid (judge by eye). The pork and bacon sausages could have been cooked along with the pork, but I did them separately since the sausages cook in half the time the chicken takes. Doing them separately means you don't have to stand around the hob the whole time, watching progress. 

A gravy was made  with the stock from the boiled carrots and parsnip, with chicken stock and some cornflour, plus a pinch of sage. The chicken breast was dressed in a pinch of coriander leaf. 

What did I skip this year? Chestnut stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I used no onions at all (those would have been a component in the pork and chestnut stuffing). 

As I've said before, the trick is to have all the ingredients ready at the same time. The entire dish was prepared by lunchtime on Christmas Eve, put into the fridge overnight, and reheated in a casserole dish the next day. 

I've discussed the making of good roast potatoes here. 

Chicken in a Pepper and Onion Salsa, with Roast Potatoes

Bought a whole chicken from the local co-op. Cooked on a low shelf in the oven for an hour and 45 minutes, at 180 deg. C.  For the last fifty minutes or so I also cooked roast potatoes along with the chicken, drizzled in olive oil (turned once. The potatoes were parboiled first, and then rolled around a casserole dish).

The salsa was made with caramelised white onion (diced), fried in olive oil, along with a crushed clove of garlic, and strips of red and orange peppers. After twenty minutes I added tomato puree, Bisto gravy granules, vegetable stock, basil and tarragon, along with around 150g of water. Cooked for another half an hour.

I separated one chicken leg from the carcass for this meal (the rest of the chicken went into the fridge after it cooled). The dish was seasoned with a dusting of freshly ground black pepper before serving. Absolutely delicious! Tarragon is a great accompaniment to chicken.

Christmas Dinner with Chicken and Chestnut & Onion Stuffing.

 The  components were: roast Maris Piper potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, sliced chicken breast, a sausage meat and chestnut and onion stuffing, oven roasted sausages dressed in bacon (pigs in blankets), and a chicken and onion gravy.

The main trick is to get all of the components hot at the same time, and delivered to the plate within a couple of minutes. Everything was prepared the previous day. A microwave oven was used to reheat the sprouts and carrot (in one glass tray), the chicken and onion gravy. The chicken slices were wrapped in some aluminium foil, and reheated for ten minutes in a fan-assisted oven. The roast potatoes were reheated in the microwave. The chestnut and onion stuffing was also reheated in the microwave,  along with the chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon (the 'pigs in blankets').

What follows is the initial cooking process on Christmas Eve, which took half the day. I started with the vegetables, the gravy, and the potatoes. That took three pots. Allowed to cool, and placed in the fridge. The  gravy was made with chicken stock and some onion gravy granules.

The chicken breasts (four altogether) were cooked in in the oven, in a lidded casserole dish on a bed of diced onions. cooked for around 45 minutes at 200 deg C. Allowed to cool and placed in the fridge.  The next morning the chicken breasts were sliced with an electric knife. The chicken was very tender when served.

The pigs in blankets were cooked from scratch at 180 deg C, for a notional 25 minutes. I wrapped them in some aluminium foil so they would not burn.  Cooked for twenty five minutes, and then for another five to ten minutes unwrapped, in order to brown.

The next item was the chestnut and onion stuffing. Cooked in the oven as a block, and uncovered, for thirty-five minutes.at 180 deg C,  The sausages can be cooked along with the stuffing, if you watch the timer carefully.

 I've blogged about roasting potatoes before, so search on roast potato for the details. In this case I used  goose fat, which is a popular choice at Christmas, but isn't strictly necessary to get excellent roast potatoes. In a nutshell, parboil the potatoes, drain, shake around a lidded pan, and then roast at about 200 degrees C for thirty-five to forty minutes after drizzling them in goose fat. Watch carefully!

All components of the meal were thoroughly heated and cooked and still hot before serving. All components were on the plate quickly, starting with the sausages and the stuffing, followed by the chicken, the roast potatoes, the vegetables and the chicken and onion sauce. Serve with Cranberry Sauce jelly!

Venison Sausage Casserole

Some bargain venison sausages from Sainsbury's, used as the basis of a winter casserole.

I added diced green beans, onion, celery, batoned carrot, and spring onion to a casserole dish. The sausages were delinked, and pierced four times each. They were added on top of the layer of vegetables.

I made a gravy with onion granules and some ham stock. It was allowed to cool to room temperature, and then it was added to the casserole dish, just covering the vegetables. I drizzled some sunflower oil over the sausages, and then placed it in a preheated oven at 190 deg C. Allowed to cook for at least fifty minutes.

Served with lightly roasted maris piper potatoes. 

Ground Beef with Roast Potato Wedges

5% fat ground beef (400g) from the local co-op. Browned at a medium heat in some sunflower oil for twenty minutes or so, stirring frequently.

I diced a large leek, after topping and tailing, and then cutting it into four lengthwise. Easy to prepare this while the beef is browning.

Turn up the heat and add the leek,  and stir together with the beef. After five minutes turn the heat down to medium, and stir-fry together for another ten minutes, until the diced leek begins to brown.

Add three quarters of a pint of boiling water, along with the vegetable and beef stock, and one large bay leaf.

Simmer under glass at a low heat for ninety minutes. Add more water if necessary.

The carrots (two small) were diced into chunks and boiled in water for thirty minutes, after which I added some dried coriander. Allow to cool while you prepare the roast potato wedges.

The potato wedges were peeled and cut into shape, and then parboiled for ten minutes. Then they were put into a bowl and covered with a plate. I shook them up for a minute or so to make the surface fluffy. Then I drizzled them with two teaspoonfuls of goose fat, and shook them again for another minute or so (the goose fat is not an essential ingredient, and any cooking oil can be substituted). The potato wedges were placed on a roasting tray in an oven preheated to around 190 deg. C.

Roast for fifteen minutes, checking them every seven minutes or so. Turn after fifteen minutes and allow another fifteen minutes. They may be ready by this time, or even after twenty minutes, but it depends very much on the kind of potato you use. Mine took a bit longer than thirty minutes. Watch them carefully, and remove them from the oven when they are golden brown.

An utterly delicious meal which was well worth the preparation time.

Christmas Chicken, with Sausage Meat Stuffing, and Chestnuts

Christmas lunch is often a complex piece of cooking. This one was no exception. The main components were: roast Maris Piper potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, sliced chicken breast, sausage meat and sage and onion stuffing, oven roasted sausages dressed in bacon (pigs in blankets), and a chestnut, onion and mushroom gravy.

The main trick is to get all of the components hot at the same time, and delivered to the plate within two minutes. Everything except the sausages was prepared the previous day. I used three rings on the hob to reheat the sprouts and carrot (in one pot), the chestnut gravy, and the chicken slices in some chicken stock. The roast potatoes were reheated in the microwave. The slices of sage and onion stuffing were toasted under the grill. The pigs in blankets were cooked from scratch in a fan-assisted oven. You have to watch these carefully, since they can be ready several minutes before you expect them to be.

I started with the vegetables, the chestnut sauce, and the chicken, which took three pots. Heated under glass at a low heat.

Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, chopped carrot, sliced chicken breast cooked in some chicken stock. The chicken breasts (four altogether) were cooked the previous day in the oven, in roasting trays and wrapped in aluminium foil. They can be cooked in ten to fifteen minutes at 200 deg C. These pieces had been frozen, and so I left them in the oven for forty minutes altogether, with the heat turned down for the last fifteen minutes, to ensure that they were heated all through.Wrapped in foil this is not a hazardous process, since the chicken is cooking in its own juices, and does not dry out. The chicken slices were very tender when served. 

The Chestnut sauce was made with Merchant Gourmet brand cooked chestnuts, sliced, half a white onion, and diced chestnut mushrooms. Additional ingredients were: a splash of dark soy sauce, a pinch of paprika, two bay leaves, and some oregano. Plus a splash of a dry sherry. 

The second item was the pigs in blankets.These were cooked from scratch at 180 deg C, for a notional 25 minutes. Ovens are so variable, even with an internal thermostat, that they were essentially ready in 15 minutes. I turned off the heat and put them back in the oven to make sure that they were thoroughly heated, and took them out after 20 minutes.

The first list of items were removed from heat after simmering for ten minutes or so.

The third item was the sage and onion stuffing. Because it contained pork sausage meat it was important to make sure it was thoroughly heated. Cooked under the grill, and the slices were turned once using a fish slice (about seven minutes each side - judged by eye). Made from scratch with:

Outdoor bred sausage meat from Sainsbury's, one diced apple, one diced onion, three medium handfuls of porage oats, one beaten egg, 40 g of salted butter,
a teaspoonful and a half of dried sage. Cooked in the oven on the previous day at around 180 deg C, for forty minutes (watched carefully). I used a silicon bread tin, so the stuffing was cooked much like a meatloaf. Sliced when cold, and stored in the fridge. 

I've made stuffing before, but not as good as this one!

The roast potatoes take just five minutes to reheat, so they were the fourth item to be started. I've blogged about roasting potatoes before, so search on roast potato for the details. In this case I used olive oil rather than goose fat, which is a popular choice at Christmas, but isn't strictly necessary to get excellent roast potatoes.

All components of the meal were thoroughly heated and cooked and still hot before serving. All components were on the plate within two minutes, starting with the sausages and the stuffing, followed by the chicken, the roast potatoes, the vegetables and the chestnut and onion sauce. Serve with Cranberry Sauce.

Does this seem like a military operation? Yes it does. It needs to be thought through first, with every part properly sequenced in your head before you start. After that, it is no problem. Especially if the major cooking is done on the previous day.

Breaded Haddock with Mayonnaise and Garden Peas

Breaded haddock fillets from the local Co-op at a good price. Served with roasted potatoes, cooked for fifteen minutes at 200 deg C in a roasting tray by themselves. They were dusted with some Rosemary. and brushed with sunflower oil (as was the roasting tray).

Then I added the two haddock fillets to the roasting tray, and cooked them for 18 minutes along with the potatoes.

I heated some garden peas, and added a dessert spoonful of mayonnaise. Not much preparation needed! Dusted with freshly ground black pepper.

Pork Stew with Chives, Onion and Mushroom

Joints are going out of style for many people because they are seen as too complicated to prepare and cook. So the bargains are there to be had. They are worth seeking out since they are better value for money, even if it is true they involve much more effort and forethought.

This one came from Morrisons - a 1.1kg boneless pork leg joint.

Cooked on the middle shelf of the oven for two hours at 190-200 deg C. along with two large chopped potatoes and a peeled and halved onion.

The joint was wrapped in aluminium foil, in such a way that the juices would remain with the joint. The package was placed on top of the potato and onion spread around the roasting tray. I added half an inch of water to prevent the vegetables from dehydrating too quickly.

The tray was removed from the oven after the first hour, and the vegetables were decanted into a bowl. The joint then laid directly onto the tray, and replaced in the oven.

Once cooked, the juices were decanted into a pot, along with a cornflour and water mixture, containing chopped chives. Once thickened, the juices were decanted into a glass jar, and were later put into the fridge. The joint itself was allowed to cool overnight on a plate under an upturned glass bowl.

The next day the joint was cut into slices using an electric knife, and put into a flat pan. The pork fat was removed from the now jellied juices with a teaspoon, and the jelly was added to the pan. Add a cupful of boiling water.  Chopped mushrooms were added, along with the onion which cooked with the joint, now chopped. Simmer under glass for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve with the potatoes which were cooked along with the joint, after fifteen minutes in the steamer. Delicious! Well worth the effort.

Breaded Cod with a Chive Sauce

Two pieces of breaded North Atlantic cod bought from Morrisons supermarket. Cooked in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 200 deg. C.

Served with a white sauce made with cornflour milk and water. One desert spoonful of cornflour and a third of a cup of milk, and half a cupful of water. I added a bundle of fresh chives chopped into half centimetres, and brought to the boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickened to the desired consistency.

The potatoes were roasted in the oven along with the cod. Dressed in freshly ground black pepper. Delicious tender fish!

Roast Potatoes

There are several ways to make good roast potatoes, but the target is always the same - potatoes properly cooked on the inside, and crispy and golden brown on the outside.

The easiest way to get good results is to par-boil the potatoes first, so that they are mostly cooked before the roasting process starts. Since the potatoes will cook in the steamer or in boiling water (with a little salt) in twenty minutes, you might choose to take them out at eighteen minutes.

Preheat your oven to at least 180 deg. C. That will take about twenty minutes, but a thermometer is recommended. Drain the potatoes and decant into a large glass bowl (preferably pyrex, because of the heat). Cover the bowl with a plate, and roll the potatoes around in the bowl, until they become fluffy on the outside. Allow to cool until the oven is at the right temperature.

Place the potatoes in a roasting dish, and brush them with sunflower oil, or another oil of your choice. Some people swear by goose fat, which works fine. But it really isn't necessary in order to get a good result. Turn the potatoes until they are coated on all sides.

Place in the hot oven. Turn them once during the roasting. They should be done in twenty minutes or so, but this part of the process has to be judged by eye, and according to how golden brown you want them to be. They will be properly cooked in the middle after the first few minutes, so you can take them out when you choose.

Chicken and Sausage Meat Stuffing, with Roast Potatoes

Roast potatoes, chicken breast, a sausage meat stuffing, carrots, brussels sprouts, sausages wrapped in bacon (pigs in blankets), cranberry sauce, and a delicious gravy made with chicken stock, sage, thyme, rosemary, onion, spring onion, and red currant sauce. 

This meal was largely created in two sessions on the preceding day. The gravy and the potatoes were prepared first. The onions were added to a mixture of cornflour and water. Heated until it began to thicken. Cooked for half an hour, stirring regularly (don't take your eyes off it). The potatoes were parboiled for fifteen minutes, then decanted into a glass bowl and allowed to cool. Four dessert spoonfuls of goose fat (sunflower oil will do just as well) were drizzled across the potatoes. With a plate sealing the glass bowl, the potatoes were shaken around vigorously, until fluffy. Then placed in the oven on the middle shelf at around 160 deg C, and cooked until a golden colour. Turn two or three times.The stuffing was commercially bought, but is essentially made with (usually pork) sausage meat and stale breadcrumbs, plus generous amounts of sage. Rolled oats or oatmeal can be substituted, and sometimes it is given extra physical integrity by adding an egg during the mixing of the ingredients. 

Unless very thick, the stuffing should roast in twenty minutes at 180 deg. C. Watch this one closely too!

The chicken was in the form of a crown (both breasts), and was cooked for 70 minutes at 180 deg C, and turned two times during the process, with the juices spooned over the top. Covered with aluminium foil for 65 of those minutes. The chicken was allowed to rest before carving, and reheated in the microwave on the day. You could reheat in a steamer instead.

  

Finally the brussels sprouts were cooked for nine minutes in boiling water, and the carrots for twenty. 

Pork and Beans

Referred to in a song by Jim Morrison and the Doors ('Back Door Man', written by Willie Dixon), which didn't make much sense to a Brit on first listening. After the start of WW2 baked beans in Britain became just that: baked beans. Before the war tins of beans in the UK were like those in the US - a mixture of pork and beans. The excuse was saving money and making beans cheaper in straightened times. But in Britain we never went back to pork and beans, and plain baked beans has been ever since an important component of the British diet. I always have about eight tins of beans in my kitchen cupboard. 

So I reconstructed pork and beans with some sliced roast pork. A delicious combination. What would you serve it with? Potatoes are the obvious option, which may have been served with the pork and beans on the cattle herding trail in the old West. Boiled, roasted, or even plain hash browns, cooked on the fire. Excellent with black pepper. 

Pork and Beans