Christmas Menu 2024
If I’m ever cooking on Christmas day I use it as an opportunity to try new things with the key ingredients. I never go too wild, rarely ever doing the same thing twice. Whatever vibe I’m feeling around that time, things I’ve seen or experienced throughout the year will inspire the menu that typically comes together by December 22nd. This year I turned to two cookbooks for inspiration - POLPO and Hawksmoor At Home.
Christmas comes but once a year, however, many of these recipes and ideas you can use anytime, for any occasion. I don’t believe in being overdressed, or “over cooking’ and being too fancy. It’s whatever vibe you are experiencing and would like to create!
Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts) by Russell Norman is beautiful. Gifted to me for my birthday I fell in love with it whilst perusing the shelves at my local Waterstones bookstore. The front cover features a regal octopus & the title embossed in gold foil. The spine is exposed with POLPO stamped in ink making it quite eye-catching on any bookshelf. Inspired by the food and culture of the Italian city Venice, Polpo is Russell Norman’s ode to his favourite place and London restaurant.
Hawksmoor at Home is described as a “practical cookbook” which aims to teach you how to buy and cook great steak and seafood amongst other produce, mixing great cocktails and choosing the perfect wine pairings for your meals. “Above all Hawksmoor at Home entertains and informs in the inimitable 'Hawksmoor' way.” A popular steakhouse chain in the UK I have enjoyed a fair few meals at Hawksmoor so when I stumbled upon this book, brand new in my local charity shop I had to have it.
Orange & Maple Turkey Crown (w/ gluten free chestnut & sausage stuffing)
My mum insisted on a turkey crown this year, as she loves using the leftovers to make a sandwich the next day. I do love a turkey crown, but only if it's boneless, stuffed and rolled. Orange & maple is my go-to flavour profile for a stuffed turkey crown…it just works. In previous years I have added some homemade jerk seasoning to the mix which didn’t fit the overall vibe this year, so I opted to keep it simple.
What is a turkey crown?
The crown is a joint of turkey meat that is basically the breast with the bone in & the legs/wings removed. The turkey crown I bought from Sainsbury’s this year came with the drum part of the turkey wing still attached and the flat removed. I cut out the breast bone, removed the two drum wings and was left with 2 large turkey breasts pieces connected by the skin. As I try my best to maintain a low waste household I used the bones to make a turkey stock to form the basis of the gravy or use for roasting the meats.
For the stuffing I bought two packets of Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Stuffing which was not only on offer at Sainsbury’s, but gluten free! I think the brand is pretty good so I was willing to take the risk to save time in the kitchen, adding some Sainsbury’s Turkey sausage meat which is also gluten free (by removing the casing from the sausages and breaking the meat up into small chunks) to make a very juicy stuffed turkey crown.
Recipe
Season both sides of the deboned, flattened turkey crown with sea salt, ground mixed peppercorns, garlic granules & olive oil (you can baste with butter, but my cousin has an awful dairy intolerance so I avoided that)
Skin-side down, put the stuffing down the centre of the crown, lengthways, in between the two breast fillets
Starting on one side, roll the crown lengthways, as tightly as you can into a bun type shape. Once completed it should look like the image above with the skin side up.
Drizzle a bit more olive oil on the top of the crown and massage it in. Sprinkle some more salt and pepper and place a sprig of fresh thyme at the highest point
Cut an orange into 4 segments and place into the bottom of the pan with a few garlic cloves & 2 bay leaves
Leave to marinate overnight or for a few hours.
In a separate bowl mix the juice of one orange, roughly 1 cup of poultry stock (I used the homemade turkey stock) - enough to cover the bottom of the pan about half an inch, and a couple tablespoons of maple syrup. Mix well and pour into the bottom of the pan with the turkey.
Cook in the oven at about 180°, covered for the first 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the bird, and then uncovered at 200° for the remaining time, basting intermittently to ensure the crown doesn’t dry out. About 20 mins before it’s finished cooking lightly sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the top of the crown.
Leave to rest for a short while before serving & the slice crossways so that you get the stuffing in between two piece of turkey meat.
The stock, orange juice and maple syrup mix should have reduced to a glaze whilst cooking. Drizzle some over the Turkey slices before sharing.
My brother ate the roasted orange segments, apparently the flesh tasted nice! If you’re not interested in eating them, use them for decorative purposes when plating up.
Beef Fat Roasted White & Ugandan Sweet Potatoes
My lovely friend Tina shared her beef fat roasted potatoes recipe on socials the week before christmas and I just knew that this was the vibe I was going for. I love roasted potatoes, and for a little something extra I always use a combination of white potatoes & sweet potatoes (typically Jamaican ones). This year I was given a few Ugandan sweet potatoes so I did half maris piper & half sweet potato.
You can find Tina’s tutorial on her instagram and here are some minor adjustments I made to suit my palate & the ingredients I had access to.
I added vegetable bouillon to the water when boiling the potatoes instead of chicken stock & aromat.
For my herb salt I used smoked salt, dried rosemary, dried thyme, ground mixed peppercorns & garlic granules and blitzed them a little in my spice grinder (no measurements, this was all vibes)
If you don’t eat beef you could use duck/goose fat or some good old olive oil.
Honey Buttered Carrots & Parsnips
This dish was inspired by a recipe from Hawksmoor at Home. I didn’t change much to be honest, just a slight adjustment to the cooking technique and the addition of parsnips. I really despise parsnips and carrots cut into sticks as they end up looking so sad and pathetic. If you’re anything like me I would advise you cut them on the slant in 2cm diagonal slices. As parsnips are fatter I cut them in half, lengthways first and then on the slant.
I transferred the honey buttered vegetables into a baking tray and grilled them in the oven on a medium-high heat for 5-7 mins to deepen the colour and increase the carmelisation. This step is optional and not part of the original recipe.
Pickled Hibiscus & Red Cabbage
One of my favourite experiences this year was at a Mexican restaurant called Santo Remedio in London Bridge where they serve a Hibiscus taco that changed my life. I’ve been drinking Sorrel/Hibiscus my whole life and never considered that the flowers could be eaten. For this dish I followed another recipe from Hawksmoor at Home - Pickled red cabbage. Once I finished boiling the petals for my hibiscus, ginger & sumac sorbet (details below) I removed all the petals, chopped them up finely and added it to the pickled red cabbage. Delicious! The bottom of the hibiscus petal is the hardest part, so if you have time I would cut it off & discard before finely chopping. Personally I was fine with it, just an observation.
One future adjustment I would make to the Hawksmoor recipe is to steam the cabbage in the pickle until it softens the bite slightly, not too long that it becomes limp & soggy. Red cabbage is quite fibrous and when eaten raw the bite can be rather intense. Alternatively, I would make it well enough in advance that the acid has a chance to break the cabbage down.
Lightly Smoked Salmon w/ Gremolata & Pink Peppercorns
This year I wanted salmon on the menu, but it couldn’t taste anything like the turkey or chicken dishes I was serving. I found a recipe in POLPO that inspired me to have a salmon dish with a herby dressing; it looks beautiful and is light and refreshing. I picked up a lightly smoked salmon side from Sainsbury’s that I really enjoy as it already has all the flavour it needs, adding only a drizzle of olive oil over it before cooking through in the oven. Once cooked I put a generous amount of gremolata over the top and a few cracked pink peppercorns
Gremolata is a simple Italian condiment that I love to eat with seafood, fish and chicken. For red meats I prefer chimichurri. To make this a little special I used smoked garlic cloves from Sainsburys and in the past I have used preserved lemons instead of fresh lemon zest. As it is literally 3 ingredients and salt & pepper be sure to use a good quality olive oil. It will make a difference.
Recipe
~100g of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
4 smoked garlic cloves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Smoked salt to taste
Ground mixed peppercorns to taste
Season the chopped ingredients with salt and pepper before adding the olive oil and then taste/readjust after. I find if I try to season after adding the olive oil the granules get suspended in the oil and it’s harder to combine & taste.
This resulted in quite a bit of gremolata, more than required on the day so I’ve stored it in a sterilised airtight jar and have been using it throughout the week on other meals.
Spatchcocked Chicken w/ Caramelised Shallots & Smoked Garlic
In November I travelled to Houston, Texas for a friend’s birthday and whilst there we stumbled upon the Houston Farmer’s Market. It is the closest I’ve ever been to Mexico, I felt like I had been transported. Amazing fresh produce, dried tea blends and an array of spices. Everytime I travel I try to bring home something that I can incorporate in my cooking, usually a spice mix, oil or condiment. This time around I brought a chicken seasoning, fajita spice mix and ground guajillo chile. I’ve been using a mixture of the fajita and chicken seasoning lately on baked chicken quarters that we have for our midweek dinners and loving it. For Christmas day dinner I decided to do the same, with the addition of lemon zest and smoked salt. If you haven’t had time to venture to Houston Farmer’s market for Mexican spices (hehe) you can use my homemade chicken seasoning recipe instead:
Sea salt to taste
½ tbsp black pepper
¼ tsp ground pimento
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp onion granules
1 tbsp garlic granules
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp cumin
2 tsp mixed herbs
2 tbsp brown sugar
Chilli powder to taste
Recipe
Mix all the dried spices together (reserve roughly 2 tbsps for later). Depending on the size of the chicken you may need to double to quantities
Add in a generous amount of olive oil, some lemon zest and mix to form a paste
Coat the spatchcocked chicken liberally on both sides and massage the paste in all crevices and under the skin
Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight
When ready to cook lay flat in a roasting tin, skin side up, with 4-5 shallots cut in half lengthways and as many whole smoked garlic cloves as you and your guests would love to eat
Stuff a few sprigs of fresh thyme, tarragon & rosemary underneath the spatchcocked chicken & add a couple of bay leaves to the pan.
Pour some stock into the bottom of the pan (I used homemade turkey stock) - enough to fully cover the bottom about half an inch deep
Sprinkle the remaining dried spice mix you reserved earlier over the top if the chicken, shallots and garlic cloves and lightly drizzle some olive oil
Cook in the oven at about 180°, covered for the first 45mins to 1 hour depending on the size of the bird and then uncovered at 200° for the remaining time, basting intermittently to ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out. The liquid should reduce over time which is my preference, but if you love gravy I would advise adding more stock and keeping the temperature at 180° for the entire cooking time. About 20 mins before it’s finished cooking, sprinkle some smoked salt flakes over the skin of the chicken. Once cooked the garlic and shallots should be jammy and caramelised.
Leave to rest and then cut the chicken into 4 or 8 pieces and serve with the shallots & garlic piled high and some gravy drizzled over.
Hibiscus, Ginger & Sumac Sorbet
If you follow me on instagram it will come as no surprise that I made a sorbet. I adore sorbets and growing up in a Jamaican family this time of year you have sorrel and ginger flowing through your veins. I’ve really enjoyed Hibiscus tea this year, saving the last handfuls of the hibiscus gifted to me from Benin for a special occasion, and had recently juiced a bag of fresh ginger at the end of November to help my body fight an infection. Perfect timing.
As sorbet has no fat and is basically frozen fruit/sugar water it is quite technical and rather difficult to ensure the correct consistency so that it will actually set. I used some guidance from Bread & Basil to help inform my technique and then freestyled the ingredients. This recipe is still a work in progress, but for a first try I loved it! I think I captured all the details and tweaks - when you’re just vibing in the kitchen there is not always time to make notes. You will absolutely need an ice cream maker to churn it, that is a non-negotiable!
700ml water
300g brown caster sugar
40g dried hibiscus flowers
Peel of one orange
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsps of pure ginger juice (alternatively add whole pieces of ginger to the liquid when boiling)
3 cloves
3 pimento seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sumac
Recipe
Put all the ingredients (exc. the sumac) into a saucepan and bring to a boil
Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer for about 15-20 mins until the Hibiscus has steeped and the liquid is a rich purple colour. It should also smell amazing
Turn the heat off and leave to cool.
Once cool strain the liquid, removing the petals from all the solids and putting to one side for the pickled cabbage (or something else you may want to use it for)
Add in the sumac and stir well (alternatively you can add in the sumac before straining to get the flavour and then remove for a smoother texture)
Put the cooled liquid into the fridge for a few hours or overnight to prep for your ice cream maker.
Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker & enjoy
Flourless Orange & Almond Cake
My gluten free journey this year has been very positive; one of progress, creativity and curiosity. I am finding more ways and more places to enjoy gluten free foods without the resentment and resistance that I used to have. Whilst flicking through POLPO for inspiration I came across the Flourless Orange & Almond Cake and thought it would be the perfect dessert to sit alongside the sorbet and a few mandatory mince pies. It sounded refreshing, slightly indulgent and utilised an ingredient - oranges - that I was already buying for something else.
I followed this recipe exactly and it was lovely. The only adjustment I would make is adding a little polenta to the mixture to give a firmer bite and more crumb. I haven’t actually tried it yet so unsure how it will turn out, but I’m confident it will be an enhancement that I love.
I served it as suggested with the addition of some scotch bonnet chocolate shavings that I brought back from my trip to Jamaica in April. Divine, as my mum would say. Went down a treat with my family who are not gluten free so that’s always a positive sign for me.
There were a few other things on the menu that I did’t capture any imagery for and will share recipes for at a later date, so be sure to keep an eye out - mini salmon fishcakes(gf) , roasted brussel sprouts and a couple cocktails we enjoyed.
Let me know if you have any questions, send me pics on instagram of anything you do try & Happy New Year x
