No matter what time of year it is, the smell of toasted nuts will always make me think of Christmas. Yes, I might spot the occasional chestnut roaster on the street, but more so the nuts on my own kitchen hob, slowly turning golden brown in the pan before they are tossed with salt or coated with chocolate. This year, hazelnuts and pistachios will be toasted, coated in brittle caramel and partially dipped in chocolate. Something to pass around after dinner, or simply a treat for all-comers.
Think of a curl of smoked salmon or trout on a soft pillow of potato pancake, or plump balls of pork stuffing, freckled with herbs, eaten hot from the frying pan. What about crisp shards of praline, their sweetness tempered by bitter chocolate, or a hot, sweet mincemeat sauce for a silky mascarpone cream; and ice-cream too, crunchy with chocolate and chopped figs? All festive, and perfect for the season.
I am tempted to make the potato pancakes for Boxing Day, when I may also serve the pork fricadelles for everyone to eat at will. The fricadelles, little balls of garlicky minced pork and herbs, might appear at another time, with a jug of cranberry or perhaps cumberland sauce. There will be a dessert of mascarpone and cream, which will be served with a mincemeat and marsala sauce. The recipe has deep notes of mince pie to it, sending the essence of Christmas throughout the house.
I will be making an ice-cream scented with the warmth of maple syrup and stuffed with crisp nuggets of dark chocolate. There are fine figs around at this time of year and they will be going in, too. The ice-cream is at its best when it comes straight from the ice-cream machine, or has had only a few hours in the freezer, so it is just frozen.
These are the ingredients I think of as perfectly suited to the season. They are far from exclusive to Christmas eating, but nevertheless bring with them the spirit of the feast.
Feta and potato pancakes with smoked salmon (pictured above)
Soft, thick pancakes to top with sliced smoked salmon or fat prawns, soured cream and lumpfish roe, or to eat as they are.
Makes 10
potatoes 250g
carrots 150g
olive oil 6 tbsp
eggs 2
feta 200g
dill 3 tbsp, chopped
plain flour 3 tbsp
smoked salmon or trout about 100g per person
salt and black pepper
Peel the potatoes and carrots and coarsely grate them. Squeeze them with your hands to remove some of the water. Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan, put the grated vegetables into the pan and cook them for 7-8 minutes until they have softened. Remove them from the pan into a mixing bowl. Wipe the pan out with kitchen paper.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl with a fork or small whisk, then stir into the grated vegetables. Crumble the feta into small nuggets (roughly the size of a hazelnut) and add to the bowl with a generous grinding of black pepper, then add the chopped dill and a little salt. Stir in the flour.
Divide the mixture into 10 and squeeze into patties about the diameter of a digestive biscuit. Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the frying pan, place the patties in the hot oil, press them firmly with a palette knife and let them cook for about 5 minutes till pale gold underneath, then tenderly flip them over and cook till light brown. Do not try to turn them over until they are golden-brown underneath. Remove and set briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then on to a serving dish.
Serve with the smoked salmon or trout.
Pork and lemon fricadelles
Savoury pork balls to eat with drinks, or as a more substantial dish with baked potatoes and a spoonful of garnet-red cranberry sauce.
Makes 24 fricadelles
onion 1, medium
olive oil 6 tbsp
garlic 6 cloves
thyme leaves 3 tsp
rosemary leaves 2 tsp
lemon finely grated zest of 1
minced pork 500g
salt and black pepper
Peel and finely dice the onion. Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat, then stir in the onion and continue cooking over a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes till soft and lightly coloured. Peel the garlic and crush to a paste with a generous pinch of salt, then stir into the onions.
Chop the thyme and rosemary leaves and stir into the onions and garlic, then, when all is fragrant, remove from the heat and tip into a large mixing bowl to cool a little. Stir in the lemon zest and minced pork, and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Lightly flour your hands, then roll the mixture into 24 small balls and place them on a baking sheet or plate.
Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan, place some of the fricadelles in the hot oil and let them cook for about 15 minutes, turning them regularly with kitchen tongs until they are evenly golden and firm to the touch. Check one to make sure they are cooked right through to the centre.
Serve them straight from the pan.
Mascarpone cream with mincemeat sauce
I often wonder why a preserve as delicious as mincemeat is kept for Christmas. The stir-up of dried fruits and brandy is something I would be happy to eat from early autumn onwards, topping a sponge pudding, hiding inside a latticed jalousie tart or poured hot over a simple sponge cake.
Serves 4
eggs 2, separated
caster sugar 50g
mascarpone 250g
vanilla extract or paste ½ tsp
marsala 2 tbsp
mincemeat 300g
crystallised orange 4 pieces (optional)
Put the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the caster sugar and whisk until thick and creamy. Change the whisk to a flat paddle beater and beat in the mascarpone and the vanilla extract or paste. When thoroughly combined, add 1 tablespoon of the marsala.
In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites till almost stiff, then fold them gently into the mascarpone cream. Make sure there are no lumps of egg white, then divide between four glasses or small, deep dishes and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, longer if you have time.
Put the mincemeat in a small saucepan over a moderate heat with the remaining marsala. Stir to mix, then, when thoroughly hot, spoon into the mascarpone cream and serve immediately. You may like to add a slice of crystallised fruit to each glass or dish.
Fig, maple syrup and dark chocolate ice-cream
You can make your own custard, but there is enough to do at this time of year so I tend to buy the finest quality custard from the chiller cabinet in the supermarket. You will need an ice-cream maker for this recipe.
Serves 8
custard 500ml
maple syrup 125ml
thick yoghurt 200g
dark chocolate 100g
figs 6
Pour the custard into a large jug, then add the maple syrup and yoghurt and mix well. Pour into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until almost frozen.
Chop the chocolate into small nuggets or shards. Remove the stems from 4 of the figs, chop the fruit into small pieces and set aside with the chocolate.
Just before the ice-cream is truly solid, when still soft enough to scoop, add the chopped figs and chocolate. Mix briefly, then transfer to a plastic freezer box, cover with a lid and place in the freezer for about an hour until softly frozen.
To serve, slice the 2 remaining figs into small segments, then place scoops of the ice-cream in small dishes and scatter with the figs.
Hazelnut and pistachio praline
When toasting the hazelnuts, keep the heat at low to moderate. A slow toasting will give you the deepest flavour.
Enough for about 12
shelled hazelnuts 100g
shelled pistachios 80g
sesame seeds 2 tbsp
caster sugar 350g
crystallised rose petals 30g (optional)
dark chocolate 200g
Lightly oil a non-stick baking sheet or heatproof tray.
Put the shelled hazelnuts into a shallow pan over a moderate heat and let the nuts turn a warm, biscuity brown. Shake the pan regularly so the nuts colour evenly. Add the pistachios and sesame seeds to the pan, then sprinkle with the sugar.
Leave the pan be until the sugar is starting to melt and turn pale gold. Don’t be tempted to stir or your praline will crystallise. When the sugar is starting to melt, tip the pan from side to side until the undissolved sugar has disappeared. Leave over the heat, watching very carefully, until the sugar is a rich golden brown – take care not to let it burn or it will turn bitter.
As soon as the sugar is golden, add the crystallised rose petals to the praline, pour on to the oiled tray and leave for 20 minutes to set. Break into large, uneven pieces.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Rest a bowl over the top of the simmering water, then put in the chocolate, broken into pieces, and let it melt. Using kitchen tongs to hold them, dip one edge of each piece of praline into the chocolate, then return to the tray to set.
The pralines will keep for a day or two in an airtight container.
A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater (HarperCollins, £20) is out now
