Category: Nigella Christmas

Christmas Sprouts

The combination of freshly grated nutmeg and beautiful chestnuts makes this a perfect, fragrant Christmas side dish.

3 lbs. Brussels sprouts
1 cup vacuum-packed chestnuts, broken into large pieces
7 tbs. butter
grating of fresh nutmeg
sea salt and freshly grated black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the sprouts for 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain the water from the pot, then tip in the chestnuts, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until the butter has melted. Check the seasoning and serve.

Serves 8 – 10

Bourbon-Glazed Ribs

A classic summer supper, with these tender ribs, it’s all about the sauce.

24 pork spare ribs or 2 racks baby back ribs
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
175ml bourbon
2 tbs. yellow American mustard
2 tbs. tomato ketchup
2 tbs. soy sauce

Cut the ribs into sections of 3-4 and place in a zip-lock bag. Tip in the remaining ingredients and squelch everything together well. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour, turning half way through. (Or, grill over a medium heat for a total of 20 minutes, turning often.)

Tip the remaining marinade into a small pan and gently bubble to reduce. Cut the ribs into individual pieces and serve with the sauce.

 

 

Spiced Nuts

This recipe appears in Nigella’s Christmas book where it is titled “Seasonally Spiced Nuts”. They are so delicious, they should not be limited to the holidays.

4 cups mixed nuts of your choice
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. celery salt
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. light brown sugar
3 sprigs rosemary, needles finely chopped
Maldon or other sea salt, to sprinkle

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. When hot, tip in the nuts along with the garam masala and celery salt. Push them about for 3-4 minutes to toast lightly. Add the olive oil, brown sugar and rosemary. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes to coat all the nuts evenly. Tip onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Chocolate Chip Chili

Who knew that chocolate does a wonderful job at enhancing chili?!! This feeds a crowd, but can easily be cut in half or a third. The oven does all the work for you making it ideal for entertaining.

3 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and minced
4 tbs. vegetable oil
seeds from 3 cardamom pods
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. dried chili flakes
10 chorizo sauasges, sliced
3 lbs. cubed beef
4 tbs. tomato paste
4 tbs. tomato ketchup
4 x 400g cans red kidney beans
3 x 400g chopped tomatoes
4 tbs. dark chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 300°F.

In an oven-proof casserole that has a lid, cook the onions, garlic and fresh chili in the oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cardamom pods, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and chili flakes for 1 minute. Add the chorizo and cook until their oils run, then stir in the beef.

Add the tomato paste, ketchup, beans and chopped tomatoes. Swirl out a tomato can with water and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir in the chocolate chips. Clamp on the lid and bake for 3 hours. Check along the way and add more water if needed.

Serves 12

Cranberry and Soy Glazed Cocktail Sausages

These savory morsels are just the ticket for your holiday drinks party or any other time of year.

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
4 tbs. cranberry sauce
5 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. dark brown sugar
juice of 1 clementine/satsuma
juice of 1 lime
50 cocktail sausages

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir together the chili sauce, cranberry sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, clementine juice and lime juice in a roasting tin. Add the sausages and toss well.

Roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once, until the sausages and burnished and sticky.

Peanut Brittle with Art and Soul

Sweet and salty all at once, this easy confection is fast and fun to make and share.

1 cup caster sugar
1/3 plus 1 tbs. golden syrup
60ml water
1 cup salted peanuts
2 tbs. softened butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Tip the sugar, golden syrup and water into a heavy saucepan and gently bring to a boil. Adjust the heat and boil vigorously for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts, followed by the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda. Pour onto the prepared pan and spread out with a wooden spoon. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies

These lovely little cookies will delight all ages. The cranberries and white chocolate look like jewels!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup rolled oats
9 tbs. softened butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs. caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and oats. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Tip in the flour mixture and stir to combine, then fold in the cranberries, pecans and white chocolate. Using a 1″ ice cream scoop, drop the dough onto the baking sheets and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Let rest on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beetroot Orzotto

As beautiful and vibrant to eat as it is to look at!!

1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups pearl barley
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
125ml dry vermouth or white wine
4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked beetroot cubes (not in vinegar)
150ml sour cream, plus more for serving
50g chopped pecans
3 tsp. chopped chives

Gently cook the onions in the oil in a deep, wide saucepan until softened. Stir in the barley and stir for about 2 minutes, then stir in the thyme. Tip in the vermouth and let it bubble up, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the barley is tender.

Meanwhile, puree half of the beetroot with half of the sour cream. Stir into the cooked barley along with the remaining cubed beetroot and warm through.

Spoon into a serving bowl and top with the pecans and chives and more sour cream, if using.

Serves 10-16 as part of a feast, or 8-10 if not

Lamb and Date Tagine

This is a lovely and luscious stew – sweet and rich – just right for a cozy supper.

3-4 tbs. goose fat or olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 lbs. cubed lamb shoulder
1 cup soft, dried, pitted dates
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup water
2 tsp. sea salt flakes

Warm the goose fat or oil in a large, shallow pan that has a lid. Add the onion and cook gently over a low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin and allspice.

Turn up the heat and add the meat, turning it patiently in the pan so that it sears evenly. Drop in the dates, pour in the pomegranate juice and water, then add the salt and bring to a bubble.

Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can cook it for 2 hours in the oven at 300°F.

Star-Topped Mince Pies

It would not be Christmas with Mince Pies and these are some of the best!

240g plain flour (scant 2 cups)
120g butter, cold and cubed (8 1/2 tbs.)
juice of 1 orange
pinch of salt
approx. 350g mincemeat (3/4 cup)
icing sugar for dusting

Toss together the flour and the cubed butter and set it aside in the freezer for 20 minutes. Place the orange juice in the fridge for the same about of time. After 20 minutes, place the flour/butter mixture and the salt in the food processor and blitz to a porridge-like crumble. Pour in the orange juice through the feeding tube, pulsing until it just begins to come together. If you run out of orange juice, use cold water. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and use your hands to bring it into a dough. Divide into three flat discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the first disc as thinly as possible, but dense enough to support the mincemeat. Using a fluted cutter, cut out circles and gently press into mince pie tins. (You may have to do this in batches of three if you only have one mince pie tin.) Spoon in a teaspoon or so of mincemeat into each. Cut out stars and gently place on top.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on them as oven temperatures greatly vary. Remove from the tins and set on a wire rack to cool. If you are working in batches, let the tin cool down between.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with brandy butter.