Christmas Cooking Phone-in with Mary Berry

The Great British Bake Off How to Bake, BBC Books, ISBN: 978-1-849-90268-7

Mary Berry’s Christmas Collection – 100 fabulous recipes and trips for a hassle free festive season. ISBN: 978-0-7553-6317-9

Recipes:

Christmas Mulled Wine
Serves 12
4 lemons
2 large oranges
2 bottle of red wine
16 cloves
2 cinnamon stick
150g (approx 5oz) caster sugar

1. Peel the zest very thinly from 3 lemons and 1 orange, and squeeze the juice. Thinly slice the remaining orange and lemon. Quarter the slices, put on a plate, cover and reserve for garnish.
2. Pour the wine, 1.2 litres (2 pints) water, citrus peel and juices into a large pan, add the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Bring to simmering point, cover and keep at simmering for about an hour. Stir in sugar to taste.
3. Strain and serve hot with the reserved orange and lemon slices floating on the top.

Lemon and Thyme Pork Stuffing
A family favourite. (This is the stuffing for the neck end of the turkey.)
25g (1 oz) butter
1 small onion, chopped
450g (1llb) pork sausagemeat
50g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ large lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1. melt butter in a saucepan, add onion and cook gently until soft, about 10 mins
2. stir in remaining ingredients and mix well together. Cool before stuffing the turkey
3. Stuff the neck end of the bird.

Turkey Gravy
Serves 8
25g (1 oz) plain flour
600ml (1 pint) giblet stock
150ml (1.4 pint) port (or red wine)
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pour off the turkey juices into a bowl. Spoon off 2 tablespoons of turkey fat (which will be floating at the top) into the same unwashed roasting tin. Spoon off the remaining fat from the juices and discard.
2. Put the tin over a medium heat and add the flour.Cook for 1 minute, stirring well to scrape any sediment from the tin. Pour in the stock and port and whisk. Add redcurrant jelly, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the skimmed juices from the roast turkey and season. Strain into a gravy boat to serve.

STUFFED QUAILWITH LIME GLAZE
Serves 4-6

Ask your good quality independent butcher about boned quail – he will be able to get it for you. This looks so impressive for a dinner party but is so easy to do. You can also make this using chicken breasts with skin on if preferred.
Ingredients

Mushroom Farci
25g (1oz) butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
225g (12oz) button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
25g (1oz) breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten

8 quail, boned
1 tablespoon lime marmalade
good knob of butter

Sauce
150 ml (1/4 pint) good game stock
juice 1 lime
200 ml carton crème fraiche
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven 200C/400F/180 Fan/Gas 6

To make the farci, melt the butter and fry the shallots over a high heat for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and toss quickly and cook for a further 3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and bind with egg, mix together.

To stuff the quail, pull back the skin at the front of the bird, gently lift inside meat out and stuff the cavity with the farci. Fold the skin back to reform the shape.

Arrange stuffed quail into greased roasting tin. Heat marmalade and butter together until melted and brush over the birds. Roast in preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer birds to a serving dish to keep warm.

To make the sauce, pour the stock into the tin and whisk all the bit together. Boil on hob to reduce a little, stir in lime juice, crème fraiche and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and thickened slightly. Add parsley and serve with the quail.