Slow-cooked Celeriac with Brie and Thyme
This creamy and delicious canapé is more veg-centric. You can cook the celeriac in advance, then just lightly warm it through to serve, before putting the brie on top.
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SERVES: 6–8 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: AROUND 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES
1 small celeriac, peeled and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp table salt
¼ bunch of thyme, leaves picked
3 tbsp finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (see Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Butter and Anchovy for method)
100g brie
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
Place the celeriac halves in a small roasting tray. Drizzle with the oil and season with the salt. Reserve 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves and scatter the rest over the celeriac. Cover the roasting tray with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 30–40 minutes, until the celeriac is tender.
Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle. Cut the celeriac into 3cm cubes. Dip one side into the chopped hazelnuts. Slice the brie into slightly smaller pieces than the celeriac and pop a piece on top of the nut-dipped sides of the celeriac. Finish with the remaining picked thyme.
Stuffed Turkey Leg with Turkey Gravy
I have had stuffed turkey leg at Christmas for the past ten years – I’ve never strayed into cooking goose or beef. Turkey leg is so much simpler and quicker to cook than a whole turkey, and needs a lot less space to cook. You can prepare everything two days in advance: roll the leg and have it ready to go in the fridge, and make the gravy beforehand so you can relax on Christmas Day.
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SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS, PLUS RESTING
2 boned turkey legs, approximately 1.2–1.5kg in total (brined for 2 hours if you wish – use 1 quantity of the brine from Crackling’d Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Baked Apple Sauce)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE STUFFING
50g butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely grated
200g sausage meat
1 bunch of sage, half of the leaves finely chopped
½ tsp dried marjoram
FOR THE GRAVY
turkey or chicken bones
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 carrots, cut into chunks
½ bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
150ml white wine
100ml dry sherry
1 litre good-quality chicken stock
1 tsp Marmite or Bovril
1 tbsp cornflour
Start by making the gravy. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
Put the turkey or chicken bones in a large roasting tray, put them in the oven, turn the heat down to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and roast for 20–25 minutes until golden.
While the bones are roasting, heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When it’s almost smoking add the onions, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves and brown well for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the white wine and sherry and reduce to a syrup, then add the stock, roasted bones (being sure to scrape the bottom of the roasting tray), and the unchopped sage, plus the stalks from the other half. Add the Marmite or Bovril and a good grind of black pepper and simmer gently for 1 hour. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water and whisk it into the gravy. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Make the stuffing while the gravy is cooking. Melt the butter in a medium frying pan, add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 10–15 minutes until soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in the sausage meat, finely chopped sage, marjoram and a good grind of black pepper. Fry a little spoonful in the pan to check for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
Place a large piece of foil on your work surface. Working with one leg at a time, lay the boned leg on top, skin side up, and rub the skin with salt and pepper. Turn it over and place half the stuffing on the flesh side. Smooth it out with a spoon, leaving a 3cm gap at the end you are going to roll towards. Roll the leg up tightly and secure it with kitchen string, then wrap tightly in foil. Repeat with the second leg. Place in a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 30–35 minutes, until the skin is golden and the juices are running clear. Remove from the oven and allow to rest somewhere warm, covered loosely with foil, for 10–15 minutes. Add the roasting juices to the gravy then carve and serve.
MARCUS’ TIP:
Find a good butcher – then you can not only source great meat, but also ask them to de-bone the turkey legs for you. If you can’t get turkey bones, chicken bones will suffice.
Marmalade and Earl Grey Tea-glazed Ham
I very rarely cook a ham, but when I do it is so enjoyable that I wonder why I don’t do it more often! I’m told by Chantelle that it is traditional to have a cooked ham on Christmas Day in New Zealand, alongside a turkey. They work really well together. The sticky, fragrant glaze on the salty ham is utterly delicious. I generally cook more ham than I need so we can use it for a few days afterwards in sandwiches, pasta dishes or my Ham, Membrillo and Gruyère Bakes.
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SERVES: 6–8, WITH LEFTOVERS | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 2 HOURS
2–3kg middle-cut unsmoked gammon, knuckle on
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, halved
2 celery sticks
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 cloves
4 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves, or 8 tea bags
200g marmalade
Place the gammon in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves. Cover with cold water and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, and cook for 1½ hours. Turn the heat off and allow the gammon to sit in the liquid for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave until cool enough to handle. Strain off the liquid and keep it for soup (bearing in mind it will be rather salty).
Once the ham is cool enough to touch, place it on your chopping board and cut away the skin, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of fat intact on the ham. Gently score the fat with criss-cross marks to create a diamond pattern.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 and line a roasting tray with foil.
Pour 100ml water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the tea leaves or bags and remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 6 minutes then strain into a bowl. Add the marmalade to the bowl and mix well.
Transfer the gammon to the lined roasting tray and brush it liberally with the marmalade mix (keep a little back to use for a second glaze in the process). Place in the oven for 20 minutes, brush with the remaining glaze and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
Remove from the oven, cover with the foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
MARCUS’ TIP:
Cloves impart a huge amount of flavour and therefore must be used sparingly. A little goes a long way – chew on one and your mouth will turn numb. Clove oil is used for toothache for that very reason!
Ultimate Roast Potatoes
The perfect roast potato must have a very crispy outside and a soft, creamy inside. A good roast potato relies on using the correct potato in the first place. If they are too starchy, the natural sugars will brown before the potatoes crisp up. My dad always liked to use King Edwards for roasts, a very expensive potato. It depends on the season, but I prefer Maris Piper. I use a large amount of vegetable oil – you’re semi deep-frying them. It’s quite indulgent, but it does make a difference. The outside is just pure luxury and cr
unch.
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SERVES: 6 | PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES
18 potatoes, about 140g each, peeled
300g duck fat
300ml vegetable oil
½ bunch of thyme
6 garlic cloves, bashed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the potatoes in a large pan of water. Season well, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 18–20 minutes, until a knife inserted meets only a small amount of resistance (they shouldn’t be soft all the way through). This par-boiling part of the process is crucial, as it’s what makes them fluffy once you put them in a really hot tray of oil.
Drain the potatoes then place 4 or 5 back into the pan and cover with a lid. Shake vigorously until all edges of all potatoes have been roughed up. Repeat until all potatoes have been shaken.
Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a tray. Allow to cool to help them dry out.
When the potatoes have cooled, preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 8. Remove all oven racks except the middle one, so you can have easy access to that rack.
Place the duck fat and vegetable oil into a deep roasting tin and place the tin in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 then open the oven door and carefully remove the tin. Using a pair of tongs, carefully place the potatoes in the hot fat. Add the thyme and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Place the tin back in the centre of the oven and roast the potatoes for 40–50 minutes, carefully turning them every 15 minutes.
When the potatoes are golden, place a colander above a bowl and, using tongs, with the roasting tin still in the oven, transfer the potatoes to the colander. If you do not need to use the oven, leave the door ajar for the hot fat to cool before removing. If you do need the oven, be very careful when removing the hot fat-filled tin.
MARCUS’ TIP:
Par-boiling is vital. If you put the potatoes in a roasting tray raw and cold then put them in the hot oven, the temperature of the oven will fall, and you’ll lose that blast of heat required to make a great roast potato. Use vegetable oil, not olive oil, as it needs to get to a very, very high heat without burning and tasting acrid.
SEASONAL SIDES
Side dishes can add so much colour and flavour to a mealtime. The ones below are all great accompaniments for roast meats, pan-fried fish or vegetable main courses. If you want to simplify the vegetables you serve with your roast, stick to one dish and do it very well. Blanch broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, chill and put them to one side, then take them up another level: you could add fried bacon, herbs, garlic, butter. Gently warm them up in a tray in the oven with your extras just before serving and you have something really special.
Caramelised Cauliflower Cheese
This nutty and rich dish – which works well as a festive roast side dish or even as a main course in its own right – is a step up for cauliflower cheese, with cauliflower purée used for sauce. I like it best with the addition of smoked cheese on top, as the flavour works very well with the caramelised cauliflower.
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SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME:15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
2 medium heads cauliflower, leaves removed
100g butter
500ml milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme leaves
50g breadcrumbs (panko or homemade from stale bread)
100g smoked Applewood cheese, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan/gas 8.
Cut the stem from the cauliflowers, trim and finely chop. Cut the cauliflowers into florets the size of a dessertspoon.
Heat half of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped cauliflower stems and a third of the florets. Season well with salt and cook for around 15 minutes until a dark golden colour. Add the milk, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and blitz in a blender to make a smooth purée.
Melt the remaining 50g of butter in a pan. Place the remaining cauliflower florets on a roasting tray. Coat with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden.
Mix the roasted florets into the cauliflower purée with the thyme leaves and transfer to a large (approximately 20 × 30cm) pie dish or baking dish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and place on top of the cauliflower mixture.
Bake for 15–20 minutes until the top is golden, then remove from the oven and serve.
Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Butter and Anchovy
The freshness of green beans works so well with the richness of the nut butter, and the saltiness of the anchovies. If you are not an anchovy fan, you can use capers instead. This makes a wonderful summer side dish. Try it alongside the Salmon Pastry or Easter Slow-cooked Leg of Lamb with Spiced Rub.
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SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: AROUND 10 MINUTES
100g blanched hazelnuts
3½ tbsp olive oil
500g green beans, stalks removed
6–8 anchovies, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Place the hazelnuts in a small roasting tray and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop 20g. Put the remaining hazelnuts in a blender or food processor with the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and blitz until smooth.
To prepare the beans, blanch them in a pan of boiling water for 3–4 minutes until just tender. Drain well.
Place the beans in a large serving dish and drizzle over the hazelnut purée. Scatter the chopped hazelnuts and anchovies on top and finish with a good grind of black pepper.
Celeriac and Parsnip Boulangère
Earthy celeriac and sweet parsnip combine in this to create a rich and tasty side dish. This makes a great accompaniment to roast chicken, a steak, the roast lamb Easter Slow-cooked Leg of Lamb with Spiced Rub or even on its own with some green vegetables. Use a mandoline to thinly slice the celeriac and parsnips, if you have one.
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SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
1 celeriac, peeled, halved and sliced into 2mm-thick slices
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced into 2mm-thick slices
100g butter, melted
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
Put the sliced celeriac and parsnips in a large bowl with the melted butter, rosemary and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat the slices all over. Layer the slices in the bottom of the lined cake tin and keep layering, evenly, until you have used all of the slices. Cover the tin with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Spiced Pumpkin Fritters
These make a great autumnal snack or canapé, or a side dish for turkey or pork. Try to use pumpkins that are firm fleshed and a vibrant yellow colour as they will be sweeter and drier. My favourite varieties for this purpose are delicata and kabocha.
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MAKES: 12 FRITTERS | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR
200g peeled and deseeded pumpkin
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ nutmeg, finely grated
1 egg
125ml milk
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
sea salt and freshly ground blac
k pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Season the pumpkin with salt and wrap in foil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 35–40 minutes, until tender, then remove from the oven and open the foil to allow the pumpkin to cool.
When cool enough to touch, coarsely grate the pumpkin into a bowl.
Put the cumin and coriander seeds in a small, dry frying pan and toast over medium heat until fragrant. Crush using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the ground cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir.
In another bowl, beat together the egg and milk, then pour the mixture into the flour. Mix until smooth, then season with salt and pepper and mix in the grated pumpkin and chopped coriander, being careful not to over-mix (which would prevent the fritters being fluffy).
Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer to come up to about 5cm and place over medium heat. If using a deep-fat fryer or if you have a thermometer, heat the oil to 170°C. If not, to check the oil is at the right temperature, drop a 2–3cm cube of bread into the hot oil – it should turn golden and crisp in 1 minute.
Fry 4 dessertspoonfuls of the fritter mixture for about 5 minutes, until a skewer inserted into a fritter comes out clean. Lift out carefully with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining mix (you should get 12 spoonfuls out of the mixture, so 12 fritters). Serve hot.
Marcus Everyday Page 16
