All ingredients are organic where possible to make your Christmas better for people, animals and the planet.
Roast Turkey (make sure to check temperature and timings)
Ingredients
• A 4-4.5kg organic turkey will be perfect for around eight people with some leftovers. It will take about 3½ -4 hours to cook followed by around an hour (minimum) for resting.
In advance, make all your delicious stuffings. We use the best ingredients, organic pork mince for a meat-eater option, and the freshest of organic vegetables and plump zesty fruit (wax free skins are a must) for vegetarian. Simply make your stuffing into balls and pop them into the oven during the final hour of cooking when you are roasting your potatoes. If you haven’t had enough meat already, make sure you don’t forget to cook your pigs in blankets at this stage too!
Method:
1.Preheat your oven to very hot – 230°C.
2.Place your turkey on a large roasting tray, rub it all over inside and out with butter and season well. Place an onion, a large handful of your favourite herbs, and a lemon cut in two, into the cavity of the turkey. Turn the bird upside down, so that it is breast down, and cover with tinfoil and place in the preheated oven.
3.After 15 minutes, pour a glass or two of vermouth or white wine over the turkey and turn the heat down to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roast for the calculated time**, or until the juices run clear from the thigh when you pierce with a knife or skewer.
4.Remove the tinfoil and turn the bird breast side up for the last 45 minutes to brown.
5.Carefully lift the turkey out of the tray and rest on a board that’s covered loosely with foil for at least an hour. Skim the surface fat from the roasting tray, leaving you with fantastic juices. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour and approximately 1 litre of stock (either made using the giblets, or vegetable stock). Bring to the boil on a high heat on a hob, stirring continuously. If you have it, add a good spoonful of redcurrant jelly – it gives the gravy a wonderfully rich flavour.
6.Carve your turkey and serve with the gravy and all the trimmings.
**Please refer to the information on the British Turkey Information Service (www.britishturkey.co.uk) for calculated cooking times and temperatures.
Festive Brussel Tops
Ingredients
• 400-500g sprout tops – washed and sliced
• 5 shallots – peeled and thinly sliced
• A handful of walnuts – roughly chopped and lightly toasted
• A good dollop of butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Method:
1.Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the sprout tops for around five minutes until tender, then drain well.
2.Meanwhile, sauté the shallots in the butter for three minutes until soft.
3.Throw in the sprout tops and walnuts, and finally season well.
Celeriac Remoulade (perfect with meat, along with simple boiled potatoes)
Ingredients
• Whole celeriac
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp organic double cream
• 1 tbsp baby capers
• 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Parsley
Method:
1.Peel the celeriac and chop into fine matchsticks or grate the celeriac in a food processor.
2.Mix through the rest of the ingredients, adding the finely chopped parsley to taste. The amount of mayonnaise and cream required will vary depending on the size of the celeriac. Season to taste.
Pickled Cucumber (great with cold glazed ham)
Ingedients
• Cucumber - halved lengthways and thinly chopped into half-moons
• 1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 3 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Fresh dill - a good handful, very finely chopped
Method
Combine all ingredients and serve immediately or leave to marinade
Cauliflower Puree with Cheese
Ingredients
• 500g cauliflower florets, stalks mostly removed
• 300ml double or whipping cream
• 150g Godminster Cheddar or Scottish Smoked Dunlop cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Knob of butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4
1.Cook the cauliflower in boiling water until very soft. Strain and place into oven on a tray to dry out for 5 mins.
2.Heat the cream and butter, add the grated cheese and season well.
3.Add the creamy cheese mix and dried cauliflower to a blender and puree.
Apple Sauce (for the perfect pork dish)
Ingredients
• 900g sliced and cored apples
• 4-5 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp brown or caster sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 50g butter
Method:
1.Place the sliced apple in a saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 12-15 minutes until the apples have softened.
2.Stir in the sugar, whisk in the cubes of butter and keep warm. If cold apple sauce required, omit the butter.
Smoked Paprika, Mustard and Maple Glaze (ideal for a Boxing Day ham)
Ingredients
• 200ml maple syrup
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Method
1.Mix the glaze ingredients in a jug.
2.When the ham is boiled and is ready to go into a hot oven, pour half the glaze over the ham fat, roast for 15 mins, then pour over the rest and return to the oven for another 35 mins. Baste with the pan juices 3-4 times as it bakes.
Port Glazed Shallots
Ingredients
• 30 shallots, peeled
• 150g/5oz butter
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 175ml red wine
• 175ml port
• 600ml/1 pint beef or vegetable stock
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 tsp dried thyme
Method
1.Simmer the shallots gently for 4-5 minutes in a pan of boiling water to soften then drain.
2.Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fry gently until golden-brown for about 3-4 minutes.
3.Add the sugar and stir until it melts and begins to caramelize. Make sure the shallots are coated by the mix.
4.Mix the wine, port and stock together in a bowl. Add a quarter of the wine mixture to the pan with the shallots and bring to a boil, then add the bay leaf and lemon zest. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Add some more of the wine mixture to the pan and simmer again until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Add the remaining liquid bit by bit, reducing each time, until the shallots are coated in the glaze.
• Founded in 1998, Grow Wild is an organic grocery home delivery company certified by Soil Association Scotland.
Grow Wild offer one off, weekly or monthly organic box schemes. Boxes come in a range of sizes catering for all families and can be a mix of fruit and veg or one or the other. Prices for a small box start from £12.95, a medium from £17.75, a large from £25 and a large family box from £32.95. For more information on Grow Wild visit www.growwild.co.uk/ or call 01506 656544.
