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Christmas Cooking

mirrorwall14

Not sure if there is one of these but search isn’t throwing anything obvious at me!

So this is the time of year when I like to test out new recipes that I may or may not use for the Christmas season of cooking and baking.

This weeks one for me is https://www.skinnytaste.com/mashed-sweet-potatoes-brulee/
My other half loves sweet potato but I don’t get on with it generally. Considering trying this with some roast chicken this week to see what it’s like. Pretty sure the kids will love it even if I don’t!

Does anyone else do this? Any ideas or suggestions

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mirrorwall14

Guill wrote: »

Just give me a plate of boiled sprouts.:o

To be fair, playing with sprouts is not for Christmas Day. Christmas Day is sprouts boiled to within an inch of their lives. Wouldn’t taste right if it wasn’t done like my mum!

Day Lewin

Best sprouts I have ever eaten was - surprisingly - in an Italian restaurant in Vancouver.

They were so good that our party ordered a second dish of them: quite unbelievably delicious, even to serious anti-sprout-ers among us.

I posted them a rave review on Trip Advisor and the restaurant, with true elegance, supplied the recipe: the trimmed small sprouts were pan-fried in butter until caramel gold, then finished with lemon and grated Parmesan. Slurp slurp.

PS I've never actually made this recipe, but I intend to this year. Would be terrific with a Christmas turkey!

DvB

TRS30 wrote: »

Tuesday 3rd November forever remembered as the day of the Sprout!

TRS30

Tuesday 3rd November forever remembered as the day of the Sprout!

Guill

Just give me a plate of boiled sprouts.:o

SarahLil

I have never had a sprout in my life

I want to try them this December with a Sunday roast, something with parmesan and pancetta or the crumble sounds good

Posy

foodaholic wrote: »

Nevens Sprout crumble converted me

https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2014/1213/743458-brussels-sprout-red-onion-and-bacon-crumble/

Oh my lord!

Neyite

Bassfish wrote: »

Someone was bound to ask this so said I'd get there first ........ Sprouts? I really want to like them, convenient to cook, full of nutrients. I like cabbage, broccoli, kale but I just can't get on with sprouts! There's a thousand recipes for them out there but as far as I can see, they're all designed to make you forget that you're eating sprouts
Has anyone had any revelations with a particular recipe that turned you around on sprouts?

The problem with sprouts is that in most cases, they are overcooked if boiled and basically smell...farty? I love all vegetables and love sprouts but boiled to oblivion puts me off. Would still eat them but not with gusto.

My recipe is to parboil briefly, then blanch & drain fully. Then pan fry with a knob of butter, a dash of red wine vinegar, and tablespoon of each chopped chives and tarragon (added in towards the end) A medium high heat to get almost-charred roasty bits on some sides only improves the flavour.

tscul32

I never liked them and even now a boiled sprout wouldn't excite me, I'd eat a couple but that's it. But, add some magical ingredients like bacon, nuts, parmesan, cream, butter.... and they are transformed into something delicious. I've been known to shred, fry in butter and add to scrambled eggs with some parmesan for breakfast mmmm.

[Deleted User]

foodaholic wrote: »

Nevens Sprout crumble converted me

https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2014/1213/743458-brussels-sprout-red-onion-and-bacon-crumble/

That looks absolutely gorgeous

foodaholic

Nevens Sprout crumble converted me

https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2014/1213/743458-brussels-sprout-red-onion-and-bacon-crumble/

[Deleted User]

I love sprouts all ways.

They usually get served in my house at Christmas being lightly boiled, then stir fried in butter with chopped pancetta and almonds and seasoned with salt and pepper.

My friend cooked sprouts one night by taking a package of sausages out of their casings and frying them up into a crumble on the pan until golden, then adding shredded sprouts and stir frying with lots of black pepper. It was amazing.

They are also good roasted. But if you don't like them, don't torture yourself!

mirrorwall14

I just did shredded sprouts and garlic as part of hash for breakfast. Fried off some garlic added Shredded sprouts and fried for 2-3 mins. Then added a few tablespoons of stock and simmered until it was gone. I really liked it

TRS30

Bassfish wrote: »

Has anyone had any revelations with a particular recipe that turned you around on sprouts?

Dipped in chocolate!........only joking

The people who eat them here actually like them so we just cook them with some almond flakes.

Bassfish

Someone was bound to ask this so said I'd get there first

........ Sprouts? I really want to like them, convenient to cook, full of nutrients. I like cabbage, broccoli, kale but I just can't get on with sprouts! There's a thousand recipes for them out there but as far as I can see, they're all designed to make you forget that you're eating sprouts

Has anyone had any revelations with a particular recipe that turned you around on sprouts?

Day Lewin

I wouldn't worry about the skewer thing. Not much bacteria on a clean, stainless steel skewer anyway. I always stab mine thoroughly, top and bottom, and trickle some brandy or whiskey in. Really improves the moisture and flavour.
The "keeping" powers of my cake have never been tested :-)

phormium

DvB wrote: »

I wouldn't have touched it, have had food poisoning before & its not pleasant at all.

Neither would I had I known in advance!

tscul32

phormium wrote: »

Although my mother in law I discovered after my first Christmas dinner in her house used to half cook the turkey Christmas Eve, leave it sit on the table overnight and put it back in next day to finish cooking.

I have never been so sick in my life as I was after that dinner, obviously her own family were immune to the effects after years of it!

Oh dear. You certainly found out the hard way.

DvB

phormium wrote: »

Although my mother in law I discovered after my first Christmas dinner in her house used to half cook the turkey Christmas Eve, leave it sit on the table overnight and put it back in next day to finish cooking.

I have never been so sick in my life as I was after that dinner, obviously her own family were immune to the effects after years of it!

I feel sick just reading that! Even when fully cooked its recommended that poultry be refrigerated within30/45 minutes or so to avoid bacteria growth. Half cooking it & leaving it out at room temperature for hours sounds like a recipe for salmonella... I wouldn't have touched it, have had food poisoning before & its not pleasant at all.

phormium

It will be grand

Our grandmothers did it for years and no one came to any harm.

Although my mother in law I discovered after my first Christmas dinner in her house used to half cook the turkey Christmas Eve, leave it sit on the table overnight and put it back in next day to finish cooking.

I have never been so sick in my life as I was after that dinner, obviously her own family were immune to the effects after years of it!

mystic86

phormium wrote: »

I never stick holes in it and if you must use a sterilised skewer.

Woopsies. Cake number 2, in 2021 maybe.

phormium

Feeding fruit cake is for flavour not for preservation. I never stick holes in it and if you must use a sterilised skewer. I would prefer to brush alcohol all over outside which is a safer solution, having said that who ever got sick from a Christmas cake!

Biggest risk is cutting down the sugar content or the fruit content in the hopes of making it 'healthier', you need all the sugar and the large ratio of dried fruit (more sugar) to preserve it.

mystic86

pigtail33 wrote: »

I was always told never to pierce a fruit cake, as it introduces bacteria... I just sprinkle a cap full or so over the cake every two weeks. Last year I started alternating feeding it from the bottom, then the top. But I didn't notice any difference. I know plenty of people who don't bother feeding it at all, it's all the sugar that preserves it, not so much the alcohol.

I am a complete noob - but is the alcohol not for depth and moisture rather than preservation?

Also would bacteria develop if pouring over shots of alcohol every 10 days or whatever?

pigtail33

I was always told never to pierce a fruit cake, as it introduces bacteria... I just sprinkle a cap full or so over the cake every two weeks. Last year I started alternating feeding it from the bottom, then the top. But I didn't notice any difference. I know plenty of people who don't bother feeding it at all, it's all the sugar that preserves it, not so much the alcohol.

tscul32

mystic86 wrote: »

10!! Wow!

Interesting that you brush it on the outside mainly, I wonder does it penetrate much

I just emptied a shot glass of whiskey over mine yesterday. The only way is down though the cake.

SarahLil

Sounds delicious SDP
well done Mystic86

mystic86

sdp wrote: »

Hi Mystic86,

Well done on christmas cake! everyone feeds cakes differently. I make 10 cakes each year for family.

So, when cake is still warm I make a few holes with a cocktail stick, on top and bottom, thats the only time I make holes. Then using whatever alcohol you used in cake, first time I spoon it on, after that, I use a pastry brush and wash the whole cake, sides and all, every two weeks, ( quicker for me)

Stop feeding at least a week before adding almond past and icing. As surface needs to dry out.
You'll get more and better instructions from other posters, I love learing and trying different ways.:)

10!! Wow!

Interesting that you brush it on the outside mainly, I wonder does it penetrate much

sdp

Hi Mystic86,

Well done on christmas cake! everyone feeds cakes differently. I make 10 cakes each year for family.

So, when cake is still warm I make a few holes with a cocktail stick, on top and bottom, thats the only time I make holes. Then using whatever alcohol you used in cake, first time I spoon it on, after that, I use a pastry brush and wash the whole cake, sides and all, every two weeks, ( quicker for me)

Stop feeding at least a week before adding almond past and icing. As surface needs to dry out.
You'll get more and better instructions from other posters, I love learing and trying different ways.:)

mystic86

Hi, made a Christmas cake today, first time. I have a few questions for anyone who is experienced at making them, if you don't mind

In terms of feeding it, do you just poke one set of holes and use the same holes each time to pour the alcohol into, or do you poke new holes each time to get different parts of the cake nice and moist?

Sorry for the stupid question, can't seem to see an answer to that. Also how deep do you make the hole, just to about the middle of the cake?

Do you pour the liquid carefully into the holes, or roughly and let some just soak into the base around the hole also?

And finally, do you only do this task from the base (or top I guess) consistently, as in you don't need to alternate from top to bottom each time you feed it (guess this also ties in with my question on if it's the one set of holes that get used for all the feeds)

Many thanks

kitten_k

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