Christmas Recipes on The Food Show

With only 6 weeks until Christmas Day, Charlie Cavaye - had some suggestions for the big dinner. Here are the recipes for Christmas Pudding, Chicken Liver Pate and Bread Sauce that he gave out.

Christmas Pudding

Serves 6

200g Suet
100g Self Raising Flour
200g Brown Sugar
100g Soft Breadcrumbs
200g Sultanas
200g Rasins
200g Currants
100g Mixed Peel
1 Carrot, grated
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
125ml Stout
100ml Brandy
2 Eggs, medium
1 pinch Nutmeg
1 pinch Salt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Divide the mixture in to pudding basins. These could be individual or one or two larger ones.
Place the basins in a large pan of boiling water. Simmer for 5-6 hours, depending on the size of the puddings. Watch that the pan does not boil dry!

Chicken Liver Pate

Serves 6-8

225g Chicken Livers
50g Mushrooms
½ slice Bacon, preferably smoked
½ clove Garlic
1 thin slice Onion
1tbsp Parsley, chopped
500ml Chicken Stock
25g Butter
¼tbsp Mustard Powder
¼tsp dried Thyme
1 pinch Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

15g Butter
15ml Whisky

Put the ingredients, except the last two, in to a pan and cook over a modest heat until the livers have crumbled (approx. 40 mins).
Place the cooked mixture in to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Add the remaining butter and whisky. Blend until they are well combined.
Turn out in to a pate dish or individual ramekins.  Allow to cool.

Bread Sauce

Serves 8

1 large Onion, peeled
15-18 Whole Cloves (or freshly grated Nutmeg)
1 Bay Leaf
8 Black Peppercorns
570ml Whole Milk
110g fresh White Breadcrumbs
50g Butter
2 tbsp Double Cream
Salt & Pepper

The breadcrumbs are the main ingredient and using different breads makes for subtly different sauces. Whilst regular white bread (a day or so old ideally) with the crusts removed is ‘traditional’, I like leaving the crusts on or using a ‘half-and-half’ bread, or even a mix of white and brown.  Even a crusty loaf like Ciabatta  can be used, giving a crunchy texture to the sauce.

Halve the onion (horizontally) and stick half the cloves in to each piece.
Put the milk in to a pan, preferably quite a narrow one.
Place the onion halves, the bay leaf, the peppercorns and a little salt in to the pan, bring to the boil, then turn off the heat.
Cover the pan and leave the milk in a cool place to infuse for 2 hours.
When it’s time to make the space, strain the milk in to a clean pan and stir in the breadcrumbs.
Add the butter and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Just before serving stir in the cream and season with Black Pepper and a little more salt. You could also add another knob of butter if you like.