RobertBeard
Moderator
Perhaps it would be a good idea to post up anything that goes to making your Christmas great on the food and drink front:-
Mine is a long term family favourite passed down through the generations and that is Chestnut stuffing which we have been making today.
First cut a cross in the bottom of each chesnut which assists in the peeling after roasting.
Roast the chestnuts in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes in the oven then peel them.
For those that are difficult it helps to heat them up in the oven again and try again when they are hot
Next poach them gently in full fat milk until they become soft and they will absorb a lot of the milk
Next blitz them into a firmish puree and add butter, salt and pepper
Freeze until Christmas Eve then defrost and use to stuff the neck end of the turkey and cook any surplus to have with cold cuts.
We put sausage meat in the main cavity followed by parsley and thyme stuffing.
The chestnut stuffing is amazing and sometimes we even think its better cold with cold turkey on Christmas night or Boxing Day!
Margaret has already made 3 Mary Berry recipe 9" round Xmas fruit cakes with one for our son and his family and one for our daughter and her family and the other is of course for us. They have been made for about 6 weeks and have been maturing and been fed about three times with brandy! They smell magnificent and much love goes into these with the fruit being washed and picked over so we are not crunching on pips and stalks and it is all marinated in brandy to soften and plump them up before making the cakes. Soon to be marzipaned and iced!
Mine is a long term family favourite passed down through the generations and that is Chestnut stuffing which we have been making today.
First cut a cross in the bottom of each chesnut which assists in the peeling after roasting.
Roast the chestnuts in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes in the oven then peel them.
For those that are difficult it helps to heat them up in the oven again and try again when they are hot
Next poach them gently in full fat milk until they become soft and they will absorb a lot of the milk
Next blitz them into a firmish puree and add butter, salt and pepper
Freeze until Christmas Eve then defrost and use to stuff the neck end of the turkey and cook any surplus to have with cold cuts.
We put sausage meat in the main cavity followed by parsley and thyme stuffing.
The chestnut stuffing is amazing and sometimes we even think its better cold with cold turkey on Christmas night or Boxing Day!
Margaret has already made 3 Mary Berry recipe 9" round Xmas fruit cakes with one for our son and his family and one for our daughter and her family and the other is of course for us. They have been made for about 6 weeks and have been maturing and been fed about three times with brandy! They smell magnificent and much love goes into these with the fruit being washed and picked over so we are not crunching on pips and stalks and it is all marinated in brandy to soften and plump them up before making the cakes. Soon to be marzipaned and iced!
