A refreshing - if frustrating - dessert for winter

Today I made Mr Slater's Refreshing dessert for winter served with Brandy snaps

The fruity dessert  consists of clementines and pomegranate - very healthy, but a desert is a treat and we all need a little bit of naughtiness! Hence the brandy snaps. The addition of pistachios to the brandy snap mixture adds texture and flavour.

I had a disaster with my first batch, leaving them to cool for 5 mins as instructed by the recipe, they became too cool to shape. Learning by my mistakes the second batch fared better. 

I also made the Potato and onion sauté from page 507 for lunch to accompany - yes - left over turkey. 

Quick to prepare, very tasty accompaniment to any meat or fish. 

Forgot to post the picture

This is the photo of the soup

It was not one of my favourites but it was OK

My husband didn't like it, and it was the first Nigel Slater recipe he didn't finish eating!!!!

Getting days all mixed up

The Kitchen Diaries suggest Roast goose with chickpeas, lemon and stuffing for Christmas dinner, but as I had nine for dinner I decided a turkey might be a better option as it would be difficult to find a goose big enough. We did however have Mr Slater's wonderful  Brussels sprouts with bacon and almonds. 

So the goose will be cooked for a New Years dinner party instead. 

Yesterday I cooked Sweet soup and a sizzling salad. These recipes came under Boxing Day so you can see I am getting a little behind with recipes but Christmas just seems to take over. 

Following a wonderful party at our friends Gilky and Richards I decided something light for supper would be good so I cooked the sizzling salad which fantastically was also a way to use up left over tukey. It was spicy, very asty and quick to make. The salad was refreshing and a nice change from the indulgence of Xmas.

The soup - Sweet potato soup, potato skins and coconut we had for lunch. 

Boxing Day

Today for lunch I served my marinated salmon and terrine with a freshly made Salad of celeriac, soured cream and mustard. 

Went extremely well together and was enjoyed by everyone 

Christmas Eve

This is how my marinated salmon looked when it had been refrigerated for four days.( The accompanying Salad of celeriac, soured cream and mustard not yet made as we will have this on Boxing Day )

Yesterday I made the Mincemeat and orange trifle just topping it with the cream this morning ready for Xmas Eve supper.  December 23rd and the chapter is headed " A long day in the kitchen" and of this recipe Mr Slater says " this is probably the longest and most complex recipe I have ever included in a book". 

It is time consuming to make but not that complex. The result is a very rich but quite different trifle, the addition of mincemeat giving it a Christmassy feel. Definitely worth a go. 

No left overs here!!!

Getting ready for Christmas

Today I have started getting ready for Christmas - a rest from the wedding preparations!!!

I have made A coarse and fruit terrine - well two actually.

Here they are in their water bath ready for the oven. Will report their success or failure at a later date!!!

I also made  Salmon marinated with beetroot, dill and orange.

Here it is awaiting being pressed with a heavy weight. Again I will report on its success or failure later. I have never cured fish before, always buying ready done. In fact my husband couldn't understand why I wanted to do this when I could buy it ready done saving a lot of time and energy!!!! 

The salmon will now rest for 4 days. 

Bring on the wedding !!!!!

  

Clementines in your Christmas stocking

The recipe yesterday was Roast Duck with apples, clementines and prunes. 

Mr Slater reminisces about the arrival of Christmas oranges when he was little. I remember they were always put in our Christmas stockings along with new coins - can you imagine the faces of children today if that is what they found in their stockings!!!!

I made this for my husband and daughter and wow , what a success. They both loved it and want me to make it again - soon !!! The accompanying gravy is a delight, full of flavour and texture - don't blend it. I also followed the recipe for the duck stock so this probably added to the rich rich flavour of the gravy.

Making life manageable

The recipe yesterday was a Lifesaving soup. 

Mr Slater describes this fishy soup as one which makes "......life manageable when there's so much going on!"

Well I hope he is right, Christmas round the corner and my daughter getting married on Saturday I am in need of some life saving!!!!

Couldn't find the white misto misto paste so had to settle for brown. 

Well it was a good soup but life saving? A stiff drink would be better !!!

"Carnivorous lust"

This recipe says Mr Slater is "....a feast of sorts..."

It is certainly for the meat lover but absolutely wonderful. The recipe Roast pork belly with   Pomegranate molasses 

The pomegranate molasses had to be another internet buy and although it was only £2:39 the postage was £5:99!!!!!!!

Worth buying though because I will make this recipe again. Long slow cooking with high heat at the end results in meat which pulls apart easily with a wonderful crisp crackling. The molasses gives a depth of flavour with a caramelised crust. Delicious !!!!

The most expensive vegetable dish ever !!!

Today I made Roasted roots with vin cotto ( should have made it yesterday but thought they would go well with the steak we were having for tea tonight!)

This recipe has to be the most expensive vegetable dish I have ever made. The dressing proved to be the expensive item. The verjuice and vin cotto I had to get on the Internet and couldn't get them from the same supplier consequently postage cost quite a lot the verjuice cost £12:74 in total and the vin cotto £14:94 so as you can see a very expensive evening meal but of course I still have lots left to use on other occasions. 

The result was nice - ish but not sure worth the effort of finding the vin cotto and verjuice!!!

Oxtail again

December 10 th and today's recipe is A casserole of oxtail and prunes

The chapter is headed " Consider the prune "

I remember prunes and custard served at school when we would all count the stones to find out what kind of man we would marry !!! Never liked them then but was made to eat them as we were not allowed to waste food then. 

So this evenings tea already cooked as Mr Slater says a slow cooked dish ".....is better for a night in the fridge". 

The result is a very rich casserole with lots of intense flavour. I can be a bit squeamish about eating things like oxtail but just forgot about where the meat had actually come from and really enjoyed this. Ideal for a cold winter's day. 

A faff ?

I agree with Mr Slater in yesterday's chapter headed "A better canapé" - making canapés is fiddly and a faff. However I do love eating them! 

One of today's recipes - Sunday December 8th - is Rarebit puffs

Little puff pastry parcels filled with a cheesy mixture. Made these for my daughters hen do, well worth the effort. As he said ".......they disappear before you can say rabbit". 

(Some of mine leaked their filling a bit but didn't spoil)

The second recipe was A cheesecake for Christmas.

This cheesecake  - an experiment by Mr Slater "..........to use mincemeat outside its short, traditional Yuletide window........" is well worth a go. 

Made this for a dinner party and it was a great success. Easy to make as long as you have plenty of time as it is an hour baking, an hour sitting in a switched off oven and then overnight in the fridge. 

When I am entertaining I'm a great fan of things which can be done in advance, so for me, a perfect dessert for entertaining. 

Served with lashings of cream and orange slices - divine. 

A rare treat

On Saturday a chapter headed "A fruit for Christmas". 

The pomegranate - a rare treat when we were children, eaten when sitting with the fruit on our knees picking out the seeds with a pin ( no health and safety then!)

I made Orange and pomegranate cake

Mr Slater says ".......outrageously moist, grittily sweet and delightfully tart....."

My verdict - a nice cake but not amazing. 

However not a morsel left by the end of the day!!!

Uggghhhh!!!!!

Dec 6 th and a chapter headed " A big useful casserole". 

A recipe "in" says Mr Slater "....the rich tradition of old fashioned good housekeeping."

Butter bean cassoulet .

When I read this recipe I shuddered - ugghh - having once had cassoulet in a London restaurant ( a well known one in fact ) and hating it. Everything about it, the textures, the look of the pale almost undercooked sausages - again ugghh!!!!!

This, however, must be tried. The sausages cooked "......until golden on all sides...." Before adding back to the " cassoulet" meant this dish looked more inviting. 

Lovely flavours running through and the beans were OK too. 

A success, will make again,  ideal for our British winters. I served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce. ( Much nicer than the posh London restaurant)

In second place ......

Dec 4 th and the recipe is A Christmas posset

Made from clementines - a fruit always reminiscent of Xmas. Always found them in our Christmas stockings alongside nuts and new coins when we were children. 

This was heaven - a close second to Passion fruit creams made back on March 2 nd. 

Can be dishwater dull!!!!

December 2 nd and a new chapter headed " A pasta soup for Xmas". 

Mr Slater says "........chicken noodle soup can be good and it can be dishwater dull...."  

Let's see how mine turns out. 

Angel hair noodles, chicken broth and chives. 

Well this was delicious - (buying angel hair noodles was more difficult than anticipated as they come under various names)

And "A cake is not just for Christmas". 

About Christmas cake Mr Slater says "......almost everyone likes at least one layer of it but few.....like them all". 

How true this is - a fact revealed as one collects the plates with one or another layer of the iced Xmas cake left behind. 

The second recipe today is an alternative to the traditional cake. Chocolate hazelnut slice. 

Chocolate and hazelnuts - a perfect combo for me. 

Apart from having to add a lot more sugar to make my praline this recipe worked like a dream and was so so delicious. Quite spectacular to serve too with its topping of shines hazelnuts in a crisp praline. 

White rabbits

December 1st and white rabbits!!!!

A chapter headed "The start of it all". 

Mr Slater says "...... the festival that is Christmas has begun", and he begins to plan the recipes he will use this season. 

I will endeavor to continue following his recipes but Xmas is the last thing on my mind with a daughters wedding coming up on 21st Dec. 

"Planning is essential......." he says. 

Help  ! Not only have I a wedding but 4 children and partners joining us over the Xmas period. 

The recipe today is Parsnip and potato croquettes

I found these time consuming to make but if you have time they are worth the effort. Very tasty, and they can be made in advance and popped into the oven just before you need them. The accompanying tomato sauce however was quick to make and very good. 

A delicious take on sausage and mash

Saturday November 30 th and a chapter headed "Snorkers and a windy night". 

Mr Slater suggests "....a cheap supper that will warm cold guests". 

The recipe is Slow baked sausages 

This is a plate of beer braised sausages served on a bed of mash. A delicious take on sausage and mash - but make sure you have some mash left over for the Swedish inspired snack - comfort food indeed !!!!

The Swedish inspired snack consists of hot mashed potatoes on a thin wrap with a couple of sausages and red currant jelly. Personally I am not sure that I liked mash in a wrap!!!

Good advice

29 th Nov - Friday A chapter called "Putting the garden to bed". 

Good advice given in this chapter- get something put in the oven before you start the pre winter tidy up of your garden   

Today a bowl of a deep savoury soup is made  - no recipe given as such - more a suggestion. 

Can only disagree, didn't enjoy this at all, mine was really awful !!!

Did get the garden sorted a little bit however!!

Helsinki inspired

November 28 th Thursday and a chapter headed " A piquant soup for a Finnish sky "

In this chapter I find another soup inspired by Mr Slater's visit to Helsinki. 

Tomato fish broth. 

I cooked this for my daughter- in- law and my step - daughter and they both loved it!

A very good, easy to make fish soup which doesn't break the bank. Served with lots of crusty fresh bread. Also an interesting chapter about adding acidic ingredients - worth a read. 

Not for the faint hearted

Tues and a chapter headed " Sour crisp,soft. A sandwich for the senses". 

Wow - interesting, interesting sandwich, not for the faint hearted. 

Makes my mouth water

Sunday and a chapter headed " A warming soup in Helsinki market". 

As always Mr Slater has a way with words and his description of the soup served to him in Helsinki market has my mouth watering and eager to try out today's recipe - Salmon soup. 

Wasn't sure as I cooked this , it looked pale and uninteresting to start with - swede, cauliflower and potato looked unappetising . But the addition of tomatoes, cream , salmon and dill livened it up. 

The result - a wonderful soup, ideal for a cold winters evening like tonight. 

Another learning curve

Wednesday and a chapter headed "Medlar day"

Reading Mr Slater's kitchen diaries has not only been a learning curve in terms of cooking skills but also in knowledge of ingredients. 

A medlar tree - apparently bears fruit like a russet apple. The flavour I am told is part lychee, part over ripe apple. However I cannot bake this as suggested because I don't know - and my friends don't know anyone with a medlar tree!!!

So on with the recipe of today A pie of mushrooms and spinach

I ended up with far too much sauce and filling - maybe it was the size of my pie dish. Not sure what the pastry should have looked like - Mr Slater said cut into 5 cm squares and overlap them, which I did. 

Good pastry , crisp and cheesy.

Before winter strikes

Yesterday Mon 18th November a chapter headed " An autumn stock take and a new pear cake"

Here Mr Slater is delighted, when taking stock of his garden, that he has created something so beautiful. 

He says for many his garden " ....is not a scene of romantic melancholy .....but an unholy mess in desperate  need of weeding, raking, sweeping and pruning" 

Which reminds me my garden is in desperate need of a huge tidy up before winter strikes!!!! Which apparently it is about to do according to the papers. 

However rather than do that I am going to make A pear and hazelnut cake. 

In Mr Slater's photo it looks divine. 

I over blitzed the crumble but the addition of a little more flour got this sorted! 

This was a very good tea time cake or coffee time!!!

Excellent flavour combination. Fruit is quite a surprise as you bite in. 

Needless to say this cake won't last very long!

Add chorizo

Sunday 17 th November and a chapter headed "Poor mans potatoes"

Mr Slater says " patatas pobre" was the inspiration for this dish, but this is a " more rustics hearty version"

This was delicious, made it for my daughter and her friend Zabrina. Zabrina decided the addition of chorizo would make this perfect , have to agree!

Mum's trifle

Saturday and a chapter headed "A regression session". 

Mr Slater talks about food which takes him back to childhood - Birds custard powder- being one. He does add it's better to make your own from eggs, cream and vanilla. 

Another childhood food remembered is trifle. A memory of mine too, and my mums trifle was the best - no jelly, a heavenly sherry soaked bottom - I still make it today. 

Introducing my family to a new trifle was going to be difficult!!!!

Banana trifle. 

Here goes. 

Very, very good, liked by the whole family even though it was so different to our regular one. 

Was able to use my crystallised rose petals too

Very good and not so good

Today's chapter is headed "Something for cheese". 

Mr Slater discusses which cheese suits which bread. Interesting reading. 

The first recipe is Fig and hazelnut loaf for cheese ( Mr Slater says goats cheese is its best accompaniment ). 

Apparently this bread freezes well so I go ahead and make two loaves, one for now and one to freeze. The bread was quite easy to make although it was difficult to get all the figs and nuts into the dough, seemed to have far too many. 

This bread was delicious, moist and full of flavour - a great success and the second loaf didn't make it to the freezer!!

The second recipe today is Poached quinces with goats cheese. 

Obtaining the quince was difficult, not to be had locally anywhere, however my step-daughter Sarah was out and about in Ilkley and managed to get me some.  I have never eaten quince before - only in jelly form. Looking them up on the Internet I found that they are only edible when cooked and have a pear like appearance. And apparently were actually the fruit Eve tempted Adam with. 

Quinces poached and baked I serve them with slices of goats cheese. Not appreciated by my daughter who thought the cheese would be better with crackers, and the quince with cream! My husband thought the whole dish too sweet. I didn't care for it at all.

Served sliced

Served whole. 

Memories of school

Yesterday - November 14 th - and a chapter called "Cooking onions". In today's recipe, well not  exactly a recipe , more a suggestion, the onions are cooked and then served with liver and bacon or steak. 

I am afraid school dinners have put me off liver and bacon for life so decide to go for Mr Slater's other option of serving the onions with steak!

Cooking the onions as prescribed and then seasoning them with mustard seeds, raisins, vinegar no vin cotto though ( have ordered some from the Internet but not yet arrived!!!) they were delicious - could have eaten them on their own. 

Walt Disney or carnivore?

Todays chapter headed " Eating Bambi " had two wonderful recipes - Venison with sweet- sour chard and Blackberry and hazelnut friands. 

Both were delicious, but I get ahead of myself!

" Venison, like rabbit , is a meat whose popularity has been killed by Walt Disney" says Mr Slater. Well I have overcome my reluctance to eat rabbit and I have always liked venison. I agree with Mr Slater, once ".... butchered all meat becomes less challenging......."

The chard proved impossible to obtain from supermarkets and farm shops, but I found a ready prepared pack of spinach and chard so that had to do. Sorting chard from spinach took some time and I didn't really end up with enough chard stalks. However the result was still good and the sauce made from pan juices - excellent. 

The Blackberry and hazelnut friands were delicious. I used the blackberries I had picked earlier this year and frozen. Just wish I had had some of the special friand tins - will be on the look out for some now.