What can you not do without at Christmas? A show-stopping trifle? A great prawn cocktail? The ultimate sugar-baked ham? These are some of the gems we believe no home should be without this Christmas
The Low Down on… Christmas ingredients
What can you not do without at Christmas? This is the editor’s must-have list…
Henderson’s Relish – An icon of Sheffield, city of my birth, I don’t know how anyone functions in the kitchen without this essential ingredient. It might look like Worcester Sauce (another essential), but it isn’t (no anchovies) but I use it similarly to add depth of flavour to soups, stews, and cheese on toast. Use liberally in anything mushroom-based, particularly mushroom and nut loaf or mushroom paté.
Tabasco sauce – Christmas, in our house at least, is bloody Mary season, and you can’t make a proper one of those without Tabasco. Also, as per the above, it is fantastic on cheese on toast, and a zingy addition to any tomato-based stew, soup or sauce.
Capers – In our house, it is considered rude in the extreme to eat a plate of smoked salmon without a sprinkling of capers, or inded a prawn cocktail without a few stirred into the sauce, though this, apparently, is controversial because in the strictest terms they turn a prawn cocktail sauce into a prawn cocktail/tartare sauce mash-up. Essential for Christmas canapés and great in anything tomato-based.
Cloves – It’s Christmas after all… Cloves are essential to bread sauce, braised red cabbage, mulled wine, and eggnog.
The Low Down on… Leftovers
For many people, Christmas leftovers are even better than the main event. This is the editor’s must-leftover list…
Christmas pie – Christmas Day lunch is always huge for us, not only because we are greedy, but because I need plenty of leftovers, primarily for my Boxing Day Christmas pie. This is never the same twice because it is entirely dependent on what’s left, but basically all you do is fill a pie dish with layers of leftovers (leftover meat, vegetables and – very importantly – a layer of cranberry sauce), cover it with white sauce flavoured with English mustard and a little nutmeg, top with a pastry pie crust and bake in the oven. Allow to rest for 10 mins before serving hot for Boxing Day lunch and cold for supper.
Leftovers paté – Take leftover vegetables and mix with mushrooms and onions well sautéed in lots of butter and Henderson’s Relish. Add a few sage leaves and whiz in a food processor. Serve on toast with cranberry sauce (you need lots of that leftover too, by the way).
Chestnut bubble and squeak – Fry leftover potatoes and pancetta sprouts with chestnuts and torn sage leaves for a fantastic Boxing Day breakfast or brunch.
Vegetable cheese wreath – Place leftover vegetables on a length of puff pastry, top with slices of brie or camembert, spread over a little cranberry sauce, roll into a sausage and then into a wreath shape, brush with egg and milk and bake for about 35 mins until golden and hot throughout.
