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Christmas in a bite

As it’s our first Christmas in Bramble Cottage and everyone has been so incredibly friendly and welcoming we wanted to invite our new neighbours over for a glass or two and some festive nibbles. Trying to decide what to make was, as usual, very difficult as ideas swirled around in my head until I felt quite dizzy. Cheese gougeres, yes, mini pissaladieres, yes, meatballs and tomato sauce, no-too messy to eat standing up, and so it went on. I then remembered a recipe I created for Good Food magazine a million years ago and I knew it needed revisiting. My idea was to create Christmas lunch in minature with all the flavours you would expect- bacon, turkey(though I used chicken this time), stuffing and a hit of cranberry. It is a bit of work but you can make and bake them up to a couple of days ahead, fridge them and slice and spike them a couple of hours ahead of serving. They really pack a punch flavour-wise which is just what you need and they look and taste very celebratory. So have fun making them and a Happy Christmas to you all.

Christmas in a bite
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
Makes 32 30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
Makes 32 30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Christmas in a bite
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
Makes 32 30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
Makes 32 30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ Gas 6.
  2. Slice the chicken breasts almost in half like a book and open out. Put between two sheets of cling film and bat out to flatten using a rolling pin. Set aside while you make the stuffing.
  3. Heat the butter in a small pan, add the shallots and fry gently until softened but not browned, about 2 mins. Add the herbs, lemon rind and breadcrumbs and mix well. Remove from the heat and add the egg, along with some salt and pepper.
  4. Spread a quarter of the stuffing evenly over one chicken breast, almost to the edges. Press down gently to flatten.
  5. Arrange a row of cranberries along the length of the stuffing..
  6. Carefully roll up the chicken to enclose the stuffing and cranberries. Repeat with other three chicken breasts.
  7. Bandage each chicken roll with bacon and put in a roasting tin. At this stage they can be chilled for a couple of days until ready to cook.
  8. Roast the rolls for 20-25 mins until the bacon is crisp and golden. Cool, then chill for up to 2 days until serving time. To serve, bring back to room temperature then slice thinly and spike each roll with a cocktail stick.
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Chorizo Prawns

Chorizo Prawns
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This recipe is where simplicity, speed and depth of flavour meet. If you don't have a local fishmonger handy, Sainburies do a very good big bag of raw, frozen tiger prawns for £8.50 which will make this recipe several times over.
Servings Prep Time
2 15 Mins
Cook Time
15 Mins
Servings Prep Time
2 15 Mins
Cook Time
15 Mins
Chorizo Prawns
Print Recipe
This recipe is where simplicity, speed and depth of flavour meet. If you don't have a local fishmonger handy, Sainburies do a very good big bag of raw, frozen tiger prawns for £8.50 which will make this recipe several times over.
Servings Prep Time
2 15 Mins
Cook Time
15 Mins
Servings Prep Time
2 15 Mins
Cook Time
15 Mins
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 200c
  2. De-vein and butterfly prawns
  3. put oil and chorizo in a roasting dish, in the hot oven for 3 minutes, until the oil just starts to turn red.
  4. add chilli, garlic, paprika, prawns and vinegar (with a good helping of salt and pepper), swish it all around to get everything coated. cook for 5-10 minutes until the prawnxs start shrinking and the chorizo is curling at the edges
  5. Sprinkle over chopped coriander and lime juice, plus salt and pepper to taste
Recipe Notes

For a how-to on deveining prawns, Check out this video from Gordon Ramsay

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNtpqxAd3eU

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