Χριστός γεννάται σήμερον
Εν Βηθλεέμ τη πόλει
Οι ουρανοί αγάλλονται
Χαίρει η φύσις όλη
And a free translation:
Christ is born today
In the town of Bethlehem
The Heavens are rejoicing
The whole Creation is jubilant
In the midst of winter there is an interlude for celebration: Christmas, a wonderful feast that fills our heart with hope, peace, love and forgiveness. We make resolutions to change things in our life, to learn more, to become more tolerant, to further appreciate the gift of friendship, to start a healthy way of living, to plant a vegetable patch in the garden. If I manage to start changing the first two resolutions, I shall be satisfied.
I'm giving you some recipes below, that you might find interesting. I promise to give more festive recipes next week.
This is a simple way of preparing turkey, as you can make the minced meat stuffing the day before, and roast the turkey on Christmas Day.
One 4-kg turkey, neck and giblets reserved
Salt and pepper
Juice of 2 large lemons
4 tbsp butter
250 g (1/2 lb) pitted prunes, soaked in brandy
2-3 cooking apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sprinkled with lemon juice
3 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, chopped, or
2 tbsp dry tarragon leaves, crumbled
Salt and pepper
Stock
The turkey neck and giblets, except the liver
1 litre (4 cups) water
Salt and pepper
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
1-2 celery stalks
1 small slice of peeled ginger root
Greek stuffing
1 kg (2 lb) minced beef
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, grated
Salt and pepper
80 ml (1/3 cup) brandy
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
4 tbsp or more pine nuts, roasted
3-4 tbsp sultanas
1/4 - 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
3-4 tbsp sultanas
1/4 - 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
Nutmeg
½ kg (1 lb) or more chestnuts, boiled in salted water and peeled
500 ml (2 cups) or more turkey stock
1 turkey liver, chopped and sautéed with butter, optional
1 tbsp butter
For the stock, bring the neck and giblets to the boil in salted water. Skim, add all the other ingredients, and simmer until the meat is tender. Strain and keep warm.
For the stuffing, stew the onions in the olive oil until transparent. Add the ground beef and cook briskly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, ginger and brandy and stir and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the wine, stir and cook 5 minutes more, until the alcohol evaporates. Add the pine nuts, sultanas, the turkey stock, a little grated nutmeg and the cinnamon stick. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the meat is cooked. Then add the sautéed liver, if using, and stir well. Place the chestnuts on top of the stuffing, add a little stock, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary. Discard the cinnamon stick. To warm up, just add 2-3 tbsp of stock and 1 tbsp butter.
The following day, wash the turkey thoroughly and pat it dry, inside and out. Rub the cavities with lemon juice, salt, pepper and butter. Mix the prunes and apples with salt, pepper and the tarragon leaves. Spoon the fruit into the neck and body cavities and sew or pin with skewers. Tie the legs to the tail and place the bird on a large piece of baking parchment. Season the turkey well with lemon, salt and freshly ground pepper and rub with softened butter. Cover closely with baking parchment and a large piece of foil, and bake it in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 3 hours (allowing 25-30 minutes per ½ kg /1 pound). Unwrap, reserve the juices, and brown the turkey, evenly, all over. Remove from the oven and after ten minutes, remove the fruit from the cavities and keep hot. Carve the turkey, moisten the breast slices with some of the turkey juices, and serve with stuffing, the reserved fruit and roast potatoes.
*You could, of course, use the fruit stuffing for the neck cavity only, and fill the body
cavity with the minced meat stuffing. Then again sew, or secure with skewers, and
proceed as written above, taking into account the weight of the stuffing when
roasting the turkey.
(Serves 6-8)
A TURKEY
This is a versatile way of preparing turkey. You can double the amount for a party.
1 turkey breast, skinned and boned, the thick part split and flattened
out in a single slice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp mild Dijon
Grated rind of ½ a lemon mixed with
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp tarragon leaves, finely chopped
250 g (8 oz) kephalotyri or Pecorino cheese, cut into sticks
2 tbsp flour
2-3 tbsp olive oil
240 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
The juice of half a lemon, optional
1 herb bouquet (parsley, thyme and bay leaf)
1 tbsp butter cut into tiny pieces.
Season the turkey slice with a little salt and pepper, spread with mustard, and sprinkle with grated lemon rind and the herbs. Place the cheese sticks on top, fold into a neat roll, tie with string and roll in flour.
In a large, deep frying-pan brown the turkey in olive oil all over, douse with wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, if using, enough stock to just cover, and the herb bouquet.
Cover the pan and cook very gently, stirring from time to time, until the turkey is tender. Turn the turkey at least once during the cooking period, adding more hot stock if necessary.
Discard the bouquet. Remove the turkey from the pan, discard the string, carve into rounds and keep warm.
Add the butter pieces to the pan and barely simmer for 1-2 minutes. Correct the seasoning, if needed, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange the turkey attractively on a warm serving dish, cover with sauce and serve hot with mashed potatoes and a green salad.
(Serves 6-8)
A DELICIOUS PORK RAGOUT WITH ORANGES
Pork, in some form, is a must for Christmas in Greece Sparta
1 kg (2 lb) pork (preferably from the shoulder) cut in 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
4 oranges, peeled and cut in eights
Peel of 1 orange cut in very thin strips and blanched
125 ml (1/2 cup) or more orange juice
1 cup small black olives, blanched and stoned
Pinch of oregano or thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and sauté in the olive oil until it turns white. Pour in the wine and simmer until almost done, then add the orange juice and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the olives and lay the pieces of orange and peel on top. Baste oranges with the meat juices and add some salt. Simmer a further 15 minutes and then taste again and season with salt, pepper and oregano or thyme. Do not stir after you have added the orange pieces and olives.
Serve the pork, olives and orange pieces in separate piles on a hot serving dish. Serve with buttered rice or noodles.
(Serves 6-8)
BRAISED PORK WITH ORANGE JUICE
1 ½ kg (3 lb) pork loin trimmed and cut into 4 cm (1.5 inch) cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 spring onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp brandy
375 ml (1½ cup) orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp mild Dijon
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt
Enough warm vegetable or meat stock to just cover the meat
10 sage leaves, blanched and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
In a deep frying pan brown the meat in olive oil. Lower the heat and add the onions and garlic, stir for a few minutes and douse with brandy. When the alcohol evaporates add the rest of the ingredients, except the sage and the pepper. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for about 35 minutes or until the meat is almost tender.
Add the sage and simmer covered for ten minutes more. Finally uncover the pan and cook briskly, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces slightly. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
Serve with mashed potatoes, and a green salad.
(Serves 6-8)
BAKED PRE-COOKED SMOKED HAM WITH PINAPPLE AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZE
This is a fabulous festive dish, very easy to prepare and a great success with all your guests. The left overs can be used to improve and accentuate the taste of meals prepared with vegetables, pasta and pulses. Try using it in tarts and pies.
2½ kg (5 lb) precooked smoked ham
1 can pineapple slices.
62 ½ g (¼ cup) whiskey
¼ cup brown sugar
cloves
1 tin orangeade
Peel off the thin film of the smoked ham with a sharp knife and discard. Score the fat of the ham into diamond shapes and place it in a large baking dish, fat touching the bottom of the pan. Add ½ the pineapple juice and ½ the orangeade and bake the ham in an oven preheated at 180 C (375 F) for about 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, turn the meat over and let it cool a little.
Mix the brown sugar with the whiskey and rub the ham all over, paying special attention to massage the mixture in between the scored fat. Then stud every second diamond of fat with a clove. And, with the help of toothpicks, cover the lean parts of the ham with pineapple slices to prevent it from drying out. Pour the remaining pineapple juice and orangeade around the ham and bake for another half an hour, until the ham is piping hot and the fat slightly charred around the edges. You could replace the pineapple rings with fresh ones, adding the old ones to the sauce.
Serve in one piece, carve thinly and serve with a good mustard sauce, spicy chutney and apple sauce.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Always a treat!
500 g (1 lb) large Portobello or other white mushrooms, stalks removed and reserved
Stuffing
90 g (3 oz) bread, crusts removed
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp brandy or rum
2 eggs
150 g (1 2/3 cups) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
2-3 tbsp duxelles, see recipe below
3-4 marjoram leaves, chopped
Duxelles
250 g (8 oz) mushrooms stalks and a few caps, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 onion, grated
2 tbsp olive oil, or
1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp parsley
First prepare the duxelles. Sauté the onion in olive oil, or butter and olive oil, until transparent, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is dry. Then add the seasoning and parsley, simmer 1-2 minutes more, discard the garlic and set the duxelles aside.*
For the stuffing put the bread in a food processor with all the other ingredients, reserving 3-4 tbsp cheese for later. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Wipe the mushroom caps, arrange them on an oiled ovenproof dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff them with the filling, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake the mushrooms in an oven preheated to 190C (375F) for 15-20 minutes.
*Spoon the left over duxelles in a jar, cover and store in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Very useful for sauces, stews or stuffed mushrooms!
MELOMAKARONA
This is another recipe for traditional biscuits soaked in syrup, indispensable in Greek homes at Christmas and New Year’s Day.
480 ml (2 cups) olive oil and corn oil, half and half or you could use only corn oil
200 g (1 cup) sugar
120 ml (½ cup) brandy
120 ml (½ cup) orange juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp freshly grated orange rind
1 kg (2 lb) soft flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A little salt
150 g (1 cup) walnuts, chopped
Powdered cinnamon
Syrup:
200 g (1 cup) sugar
400 g (1 cup) honey
480 ml (2 cups) water
Combine the oil, sugar, brandy, orange juice, spices and freshly grated orange rind and beat with a hand mixer, until the sugar is dissolved.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and make a well in the centre. Pour in the oil/sugar mixture, and gradually combine the wet with the dry ingredients, stirring in the beginning with a spoon and later knead until a fairly soft dough is obtained.
Shape into egg-shaped cookies and press with a fork crosswise to flatten them a little. Bake in oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Shape into egg-shaped cookies and press with a fork crosswise to flatten them a little. Bake in oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Combine the syrup ingredients and boil for ten minutes. Dip each cookie into the hot syrup, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and a little powdered cinnamon, if using.
(Makes about 40 cookies)
BUTTER COOKIES
Kourabiedes
These butter cookies are very popular in Greece
450 g (15 oz) butter, at room temperature
100 g (½ cup) sugar
A little salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 liqueur glass brandy
150 g (1 cup) almonds, blanched and peeled, roasted and chopped
300 g (2 heaped cups) plain flour
150 g (1 heaped cup) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 liqueur glass brandy
250 g (½ lb) icing sugar
Beat butter, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the brandy and continue beating until well mixed, and then fold in the almonds.
Combine the flours with the baking powder and stir gradually, by the spoonful into the butter mixture until a soft, pliable dough is obtained. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, flatten them slightly and arrange them on a tin lined with baking parchment. Bake in an oven preheated to 170 C (325 F) for 15-20 minutes until scarcely golden.
While still hot, brush the cookies lightly with brandy and set aside to cool. When completely cold, coat them with icing sugar and pile them on a serving dish, in layers, to form a mound, sprinkling each layer, lavishly, with icing sugar.
RENEE’S CHRISTMAS PUDDING
My mother was given this recipe by friends and neighbours, “the Kerries”, when she first went to India
Fruit finely chopped:
200 g (6 3/5 oz) candied lemon or bergamot peel
250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied orange peel
250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied bitter orange (Seville
200 g (6 3/5 oz) glace' cherries
200 g (6 3/5 oz) glace' pears
1 piece stem ginger in syrup, strained
200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried apricots
200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried prunes
300 g (10 oz) whole raisins
200 g (6 3/5 oz) apples, cored, peeled and cubed
150 g (5 oz) almonds, blanched and peeled, lightly roasted and coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) good quality brandy
250 g (½ lb) butter or margarine at room temperature
400 g (13 1/3 oz) caster sugar (you may use brown sugar for a darker pudding)
A pinch of salt
8 eggs separated, whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a pinch of salt
375 ml (1½ cup) fresh orange juice
400 g (13 1/3 oz) dried breadcrumbs mixed with
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger powder
Soak the first 11 ingredients with brandy for 48 hours, stirring thoroughly from time to time.
Prepare the pudding basins by brushing with vegetable oil and by lining the base with rounds of baking parchment, oiled on both sides.
Whisk butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, add the egg yolks, one at a time, and continue to whisk until smooth. Add the orange juice in thirds, alternately with the breadcrumb mixture, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the fruit and finally fold in the whipped egg whites.
Pack the prepared basins, tightly, with the pudding mixture, level the top and cover with another round of oiled parchment. I do not cover the basin with a damp cloth, sprinkled with flour, the way my Mother did. I just seal it with tin foil and cook it in a Chinese bamboo steamer for 2½ -3 hours, over simmering water, adding more boiling water as necessary.
Serve the Christmas pudding piping hot, garnished with a small sprig of holly. Pour a glass of hot brandy over the top and ignite. Traditionally Christmas pudding is served with rum butter, but we prefer it with unsweetened thick cream.
A DELICIOUS ORANGE CREAM AND CHOCOLATE TART
If you like candied orange peel with chocolate, this is the dessert for you
Pastry
130 g (4.3 oz) butter, cut in pieces
200 g (1 ½ cups) flour mixed with
2 tbsp almonds, finely ground,
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
½ tsp finely grated orange rind
1 egg, beaten
1-2 tsp or more orangeade
Orange Cream
150 g (5 oz) condensed sweet milk
1 twist of orange peel
A pinch of salt
A pinch of salt
90 ml (an ample 1/3 cup) thick cream
½ liqueur glass Grand Marnier or any other orange flavoured liqueur
Chocolate Cream
200 g thick cream
200 g dark chocolate cut into bits
1 tsp honey
1 tsp honey
½ liqueur glass Grand Marnier or any other orange flavoured liqueur
Slivers of candied orange peel, for garnishing
For the pastry, mix butter with the flour mixture, with your finger tips until it resembles crumbs. Then add the egg and just enough orangeade to obtain a soft pliable dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least ½ an hour. Roll out the dough and line a tart dish. Prick with a fork all over and bake blind, covered with baking parchment and beans, for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more and set aside to cool.
Make the orange cream by combining the first three ingredients, in a sauce pan and simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in the liqueur, discard the peel and cool
Bring the cream just under boiling point, pour over the chocolate and honey and stir until smooth. Add the liqueur and mix until thick and glossy.
Pour the orange cream evenly into the pastry shell and place it in the fridge for at least ½ hour. Then spoon the chocolate cream smoothly over, garnish with slivers of candied orange peel and refrigerate for at least 1½ hour before serving.
MINCE PIES
This delicious British mini fruit pie is baked by the million during the Christmas season, and is traditionally served with rum butter.
Pastry:
260 g (2 cups) plain flour
about 169 g (3/4 cup) butter
2 tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp orangeade
Mincemeat:
250 g (½ lb) apples, peeled, cored and cubed
250 g (½ lb) currants
250 g (½ lb) prunes
250 g (½ lb) sultanas
250 g (½ lb) light brown sugar
60 g (2 oz) almonds, blanched, lightly roasted and coarsely chopped
60 g (2 oz) candied citrus fruit peel, finely chopped
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp powdered cinnamon
1/8 tsp powdered cloves
¼ tsp powdered ginger
¼ tsp salt
62.5 ml (¼ cup) brandy
62.5 ml (¼ cup) dark Jamaica
90 g (3 oz) butter, melted
Rum Butter:
60 g (2 oz) butter, softened
90 g (3 oz) light brown sugar or more if preferred, pressed through a sieve
3 tbsp dark Jamaica
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
Grated rind of ½ lemon
For the pastry, beat the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, add the egg yolk and keep on beating until well combined. Mix the flour with the grated peel and stir into the butter mixture, by the spoonful, until a soft pliable dough is formed. Add a little orangeade only if necessary. Do not over handle. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile prepare the mincemeat. Place the fruit, sugar, salt and spices into a large bowl and mix well together. Then add the brandy and rum until all the ingredients are moistened, cover and refrigerate. This can keep for 6 month at least.
For the Rum Butter mix all the ingredients well together and shape a small cylinder, cover with cling film and refrigerate.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle and cut out 12 rounds with the rim of a water glass and 12 smaller ones with a wine glass. Gently press the larger rounds into patty tins, lavishly brushed with melted butter. Spoon about 1-1½ tsp of mincemeat into each pastry case. Trim the excess pastry, moisten with water and add the small pastry rounds on top and seal. Slash two parallel slits on top of each mince pie. Bake the pies in an oven preheated to 200 C (400 F) for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat at 180 C (350 F) and bake for about 10 minutes longer. Serve with Rum Butter.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year!
And a Happy New Year!
Excellent recipes for a great Christmas lunch!
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