0:00:02 > 0:00:04I'm Trish Deseine, and over the years I've cooked
0:00:04 > 0:00:05a lot of Christmas dinners.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07From the full French belle famille feast for 20,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10to five-course sit-down dinners for 60,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12to cosy Christmas days with my children,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and in a lot of strange kitchens as guest cook.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Now, I'm back in Northern Ireland cooking some fantastic local produce
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and, I hope, taking the pressure off you a little.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26So, here's to a happy and relaxed festive season
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and welcome to Trish Deseine's Christmas Dishes.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So, the big day has finally arrived.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40There's a mountain of cooking still to be done inside
0:00:40 > 0:00:43and many ghosts of Christmas past looking over your shoulder.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But don't panic, come on in and join me for a feast of ideas,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50short cuts and some gorgeous local food.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Coming up... Three versatile vegetable dishes,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58a novel take on turkey,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00my signature chocolate cake,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03a red fruit trifle with boozy cream,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05but for now, let's focus on the first course.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08Now, for Christmas Day starter
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'm going to make a recipe that's really,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15pretty much got cult status now and I'm not going to change the taste,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I'm just going to bump up the flavour
0:01:17 > 0:01:18and use local produce, of course.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21So, it's prawn cocktail and we're going to make it with
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Portavogie prawns, Portavogie langoustines.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And in the base we start off with little gem lettuce,
0:01:26 > 0:01:27this is local stuff.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Keeping a couple of outer leaves for decoration in the glass.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40So, in a nice wide, deep glass, pop in the little gem.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And I like to mix it with a little bit of cucumber, too.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And one of the leaves down the side just to make it look pretty.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And for our prawn cocktail I'm going to make real mayonnaise.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And you shouldn't worry about making this, and it's a brilliant thing
0:01:58 > 0:02:02to have in your cooking repertoire. So, dead easy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04One egg yolk, little bit of mustard,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07about half the volume of the egg yolk.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13And then just mix this together lightly.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And the crucial bit is the first bit of oil, so just a tiny,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23little bit and whisk well.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32There, you see it's beginning to thicken up already.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36That's all there is to it. You just need to go gently at the beginning.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38After that, just glug it in.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And now I'm going to turn the mayonnaise into Marie Rose sauce
0:02:50 > 0:02:51with the other ingredients.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54First of all, very important, tomato ketchup.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Now, don't mess about and make your own ketchup, really,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59we want a taste of this one, you know which one it is.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Stir through until it turns coral pink.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09And then I'm going to loosen it up with some lemon juice,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11a little bit of Tabasco...
0:03:12 > 0:03:13..and just a touch of cognac.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18And the sauce is ready.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23For our cocktail, we're going to use local langoustines or prawns.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27These are absolutely beautiful ones from Portavogie
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and really do try to use local
0:03:29 > 0:03:33because they're all disappearing and being sold off to France
0:03:33 > 0:03:34and we've got to save them for ourselves.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36So, the way to cook them, very easy.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Big, big pot of water, they need loads of space, just like pasta.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42You put some salt in it and some pepper,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43bring it to a nice rolling boil.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Throw the langoustines in and as soon as the water re-boils,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49pull them out, so that's only about two minutes,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and that way they're just nicely poached.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Then, to peel them, cool them down and just...
0:03:55 > 0:03:56..pull that bit off.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Just peel here...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And when you get to the last couple of rings, just squeeze...
0:04:08 > 0:04:09..and pull them out.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12And now to assemble cocktail.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And just stir the sauce through the prawns.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25And then just spoon it into the glass.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Finish with a little bit of paprika...
0:04:31 > 0:04:33..and garnish with a cooked prawn.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And there you have it, a Christmas classic.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41We eat a million turkeys in Northern Ireland every year
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and half of those at Christmas.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Jonathan, you've been farming turkeys for 25 years.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55What is it you like about this life?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Well, Trish, you get up in the morning and come out
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and open the door to the free-range tunnel there and let the turkeys out
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and you see them running down the field after you, just enjoying
0:05:04 > 0:05:05the countryside and enjoying nature.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07And how many turkeys do you produce a year?
0:05:07 > 0:05:11This year we have 650 turkeys for Christmas.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14We would sell about half of our turkeys here from the farm gate
0:05:14 > 0:05:18and then the rest of them are sold through select independent butchers.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20And what's so special about a free-range turkey?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Well, our turkey is popular in that it's different
0:05:23 > 0:05:25from any of the other turkeys on the island of Ireland.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27We bring our turkeys in so early on
0:05:27 > 0:05:29that we hatch them at natural season, week 22.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31We then take them up to full maturity.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32We feed them a different diet,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34the lard oats that we grow on the farm as well.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37By Christmas, half of their diet is oats and our whole process
0:05:37 > 0:05:40is what we think makes the difference to our turkeys.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42For Christmas, we walk them from the polytunnel
0:05:42 > 0:05:46through into another shed right beside our processing house
0:05:46 > 0:05:48where they're all hand plucked and hand finished
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and then we hang that bird in the fridge to get it mature.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It used to be that it was hung behind the pantry door a week before Christmas,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57well, we do the same for you, we'll hang it in our fridge
0:05:57 > 0:05:59to let the meat mature, the flavour to develop
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and just to give you the perfect Christmas turkey.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08This big bird can cause major trauma at Christmas, but no need to panic.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Your local butcher is always there for advice.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So, Stephen, at Christmas, are turkey and ham still the most popular meats?
0:06:16 > 0:06:21Yes, turkey and ham have always been the bestselling option
0:06:21 > 0:06:24at Christmas time, simply for value for money.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27We still sell between about 300 and 400 turkeys.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29And if you're not having turkey, what else could you have?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31A lot of people are going for goose now.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Then it'll be followed by duck.
0:06:33 > 0:06:39And then some of the smaller birds such as pheasant, partridge...
0:06:40 > 0:06:41..or the quail.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44For a family of four on a budget, what'd you recommend?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I'm still very fond of turkey on the bone.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49A lot of people now are buying turkey crown...
0:06:50 > 0:06:52..and there is a bit of a mix-up there
0:06:52 > 0:06:54when people are ordering turkey crown
0:06:54 > 0:06:56because turkey crown to me
0:06:56 > 0:07:01is a turkey, two turkey fillets, that's still on the bone,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04whereas most people are wanting to buy
0:07:04 > 0:07:07a turkey crown now actually boneless.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And a golden turkey crown is on my menu,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12served with jewelled jumbo couscous,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15cauliflower and saffron mash and crispy filo.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20So, it's still a pretty hefty bit of turkey.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I'm just going to heat some oil in here and in here.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29And just brown this...
0:07:31 > 0:07:32..on the top.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37While the turkey browns,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40to the casserole dish add some chopped onions
0:07:40 > 0:07:44and some saffron, which gives the most wonderful flavour and colour.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Then, some nice, gentle spices,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50so this is just cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg
0:07:50 > 0:07:51and a little spot of salt.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Transfer the browned turkey to the casserole.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03It smells gorgeous already!
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Add enough water to keep the bird moist, about 250ml, and cover.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14So, bring the water up to a simmer and then just pop it in the oven for
0:08:14 > 0:08:16about three or four hours.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17It's really pretty forgiving,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21so you could do it on a higher oven for maybe two,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24two-and-a-quarter hours, or turn it right down.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27We cooked one at a very low oven overnight, for example,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29and then you've got nothing to do on Christmas morning.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31So, the turkey's cooked.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34There's only about 25 minutes before you've got to serve up and the
0:08:34 > 0:08:37wonderful thing about this recipe is that that's all it takes,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38just 25 minutes of prep
0:08:38 > 0:08:41and then everything's on the table at the same time.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43This is filo pastry
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and we're just going to crisp it up in the oven.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49So, just brush it with butter, give it a nice colour...
0:08:51 > 0:08:53..and taste, of course.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57And just cut this in half.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And then just kind of...
0:09:01 > 0:09:03give them a little bit of shape.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Gives a little bit more interest, more nooks and crannies.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And they just get popped on there...
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and then into the oven for just a couple of minutes.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Now, another accompaniment is this very simple mash.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's potato and cauliflower.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Cauliflower's terribly trendy at the moment.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And all we're going to do with this is mash it up.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26One of my favourite past times.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And then to serve, just kind of spoon,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33smooth through a little bit of butter with saffron,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35that gives it, again, a gorgeous taste
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and the most beautiful colour.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And the mix of the cauliflower and potato is quite interesting,
0:09:40 > 0:09:41makes it a little bit earthier.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Spoon this butter in, which you can still see the strands of saffron.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Mix that through.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52Little bit of salt.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Little bit of pepper...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02And it's ready to go if you're ready,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04or you can heat it up in the wonderful microwave.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08I'll pick up the filo.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15These are nice and golden
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and the wonderful thing about them
0:10:17 > 0:10:19is that you can serve them hot,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21warm or cold, so you don't have to worry about them.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, here's our turkey crown, lovely and golden,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27aromatic, and then there's just some garnishes to do on the other dishes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28So, we have jumbo couscous here, again,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31something that's very easy to heat up in the microwave
0:10:31 > 0:10:35and I'm just going to put some almonds and some pomegranate on it.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40That gives it a bit of crunch
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and then the pomegranate seeds are little
0:10:42 > 0:10:46pops of fruitiness and the most gorgeous colour.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49And as a nod to a Moroccan dish called a pastilla,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52which is a pigeon pie covered in crispy filo pastry
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and it has icing sugar dusted on it,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I'm going to dust this filo pastry and I've put a tiny
0:10:57 > 0:10:59little bit of silver edible glitter in as well,
0:10:59 > 0:11:00just for fun as it's Christmas.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And there you have it, a lovely alternative to Christmas dinner.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Alternative or traditional, you'll need vegetables,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20so I'm off to meet market gardener David Love Cameron.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30So, David, we're here in your beautiful organic walled garden in Helen's Bay.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Can you tell me a little about how you got into making this place?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Well, I guess I just really loved to cook and grow my own veg,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38which led to a career in horticulture
0:11:38 > 0:11:42working for Raymond Blanc in his heritage garden in Le Manoir Auat-Saisonis,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47and then for Richard Corrigan in his lovely vegetable garden in County Cavan.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50So, after a while doing that,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54this wonderful project came up here in Helen's Bay and that's how I find
0:11:54 > 0:11:57myself growing veg for the local restaurants in Belfast.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Could you tell me a little about the history of this place?
0:11:59 > 0:12:04Yes, well, it's a Victorian walled garden that would have provided choice
0:12:04 > 0:12:09fruit and vegetables for the Craigdarragh estate right through the 19th century,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10early 20th-century.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It remained pretty unproductive after the Second World War
0:12:13 > 0:12:18and now I've transformed it into this modern market garden.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21What sort of varieties do you grow here?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I'm growing a range of kitchen garden varieties,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26really, with an emphasis on heritage.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Beetroots, kales, growing a wonderful old
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Gortahork cabbage from Donegal,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34which is a giant cabbage.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35And who do you supply?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I supply the best restaurants and kitchens in
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Belfast, like Ox and Deanes,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43James Street South and lots of other little local bistros as well.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Why do you think organic gardening is taking off so well?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Well, I think it's all about health and nutrition and, for me,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53the environment, but mostly for flavour.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58What have you got that's ready and interesting for Christmas?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Well, I've got all the staples like carrots and leeks and cabbage
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and lots of different types of kales,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06different colours and forms,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09but also really interesting and spicy leaves
0:13:09 > 0:13:14like mizuna, mibuna, tatsoi - oriental leaves like that.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And they just really lift a really wintry dish.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Where can I buy the vegetables?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Well, you can come and visit me at the garden and I'll make you up a
0:13:21 > 0:13:25lovely box but I'm also at Comber's Farmers' Market,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27first Thursday of every month.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Inspired by gorgeous local vegetables,
0:13:31 > 0:13:32I'm off back to the kitchen.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I'm going to show you three vegetable accompaniments
0:13:37 > 0:13:41that are really simple, easy and don't require precise timing.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47A creamy potato gratin, a tomato clafoutis, delicious hot or cold,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and sprouts with bacon and chestnuts.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Start by adding some steamed sprouts to some sizzling chopped bacon.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And there's no need for fancy sprout prep.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Just halve them before steaming.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03A little bit of butter.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Well, a little bit!
0:14:11 > 0:14:15A little bit of pepper, you don't need any salt as the bacon is lovely and salty already.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18And when those start to be nice and crispy and brown,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20crumble in the chestnuts.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28These are ready cooked and roasted.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31You can cook them from scratch
0:14:31 > 0:14:33but don't give yourself that to do at Christmas, too.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41And just stir them all together and let them fry up a little bit more.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49I think they're ready.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The next two vegetable dishes are tomato clafoutis
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and gratin dauphinoise,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58two French dishes but really extremely easy,
0:14:58 > 0:14:59nothing fancy about them
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and they're good little dishes to have because if they're leftovers
0:15:03 > 0:15:06they work as an extra sort of light meal,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08a light lunch or supper.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10The first one is this, tomato clafoutis.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I've just roasted the tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil, some salt,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17pepper and a tiny sprinkling of sugar and put them in a very low oven for
0:15:17 > 0:15:19about two or three hours.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So, I'm going to make up the batter.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Four eggs and one egg yolk.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Just whisk that up.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Mix that with 400ml of single cream mixed with 300ml of milk.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And then two tablespoons of flour sifted in.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49150g of Parmesan.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55A little salt and pepper.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Whisk together.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06And then that gets poured over the tomatoes.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And that goes into the oven at 150 for about 35 minutes.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Here's how to make a gratin dauphinoise, lovely, decadent,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24creamy potato dish, perfect for Christmas.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Into a buttered gratin dish rubbed with a garlic clove
0:16:27 > 0:16:30I place layers of finely sliced potatoes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Little sprinkling of salt,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38just a little bit because we're going to lift up the layers,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40and a tiny bit of nutmeg.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44And then just keep going.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50So, I've built up the layers,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53now all I need to do is pour in the cream and milk
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and top with a little cheese.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And into the oven at 180 for about 40 minutes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Three versatile vegetable dishes for the festive season.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14So, you want to go traditional for your Christmas dinner,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18but your granny won't let go of her recipe for the Christmas pudding.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Have no fear, Simon Dougan cooks 12,000 Christmas puddings every year,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27so if anyone knows how to make them, it's him.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29And when he's not making Christmas pudding,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33he's heading up his award-winning family business, Yellow Door.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35So first of all, we take our sultanas.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Get those straight in the bowl.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- And some cherries and just whack them in.- And lemon peel as well?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Yeah, the mixed peel, the lemon and orange.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46It's pretty straightforward, we just lash everything in and let it soak in the alcohol.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50So, we've got our spices, we've got our cinnamon, nutmeg and some mixed spice as well.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51About half a teaspoon of each.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56This is what I think gives it a lot of moisture in the pudding,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58it keeps it very... light and airy,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02so we're using our PGI Bramley apples from County Armagh
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- and I'm just going to dice them up. - And you don't need to peel it?
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I don't bother, just whack it in.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Yeah, yeah, yeah, best part. And we just push that in.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13So, that's pretty much all our sort of dry stuff.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Now, for the good stuff.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So, I don't use brandy, I use whisky,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23because we are in Ireland, obviously, so a good slug.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And some good old local stout.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29So, put a good bit of that in.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And a lot of the sugar and all the spice will blend in
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and that'll be absorbed by that fruit.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36So, you leave that for three months?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Three months, yeah. You put it in a bucket or a container,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41just tightly wrap it and just put it away
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and you'll always remember it is because you'll be able to smell it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46So, that's the base of the butter,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48which is a rich brown sugar butter.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Then we've got some flour with raising agent.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Now, we also use crumbs, so it also makes it very, very light,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59so you'll noticed here I've got some vanilla sponge but I also put a wee
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- bit of chocolate sponge in as well. - Right, OK.- So, we have...
0:19:02 > 0:19:06So that'll give you an extra layer of flavour in there.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09And it's all brought together with the eggs, and that's how we do it.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19OK, and then we just add the rest of our cake crumbs.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And now we just add our soaked fruit.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- So, no suet? - No suet in this one, no.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28It's just butter, and butter's great.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32So, as you can see, that's quite a wet mix but it'll be perfect when it
0:19:32 > 0:19:33goes in and into the steamer.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37So we're just going to put that straight into our mould now.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And we fill it up about probably about three quarters.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44So, that's it. We just simply put the lid on,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46make sure it's completely sealed.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Steam for four hours.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Four hours, yeah.- And it can't go in the microwave, no?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I would prefer to cook it traditionally.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57A little bit of whisky.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- Beautiful. - Oh, do you smell that now?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It's lovely, it's gorgeous, yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And just to finish off we've got some sweet mascarpone cream.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09You could definitely have a good plateful of that after the turkey.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- You could, yeah, yeah. Well you probably could have one of those each, Trish!- I'll go for it.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23It's hard to avoid those bottomless tins and 50 sorts of selection boxes,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26but this year why not look for local?
0:20:26 > 0:20:31Go for pure, simple flavour, perfect for sharing, made with love.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So, I'm popping into St George's Market, Belfast.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Joy, your chocolates are absolutely delicious.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41How do you get them that good?
0:20:41 > 0:20:46I think it's a combination of flavours - chocolate, spices and nuts.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I do reductions,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53fruit purees - and it all adds to the texture of the chocolate and flavour.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I do a lot of research in the market, ask people to give the feedback.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00They like it. They very quickly let you know.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02What would be your best sellers here in St George's?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Best sellers would be the salted caramel.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10It seems to be a trend at the moment and everyone loves the salted caramel.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13What have you got specially for Christmas time?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Christmas, I would say orange is always lovely,
0:21:16 > 0:21:21very rich at Christmas time and the port and stilton as well.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It's a love or hate one.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30That's really good.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It's hard to avoid the plum pudding on Christmas Day
0:21:39 > 0:21:43but I always think it looks a bit sad sitting there alone.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48It's a time for abundance and generosity, so think dessert buffet,
0:21:48 > 0:21:54trolley, sideboard, chocolate trifle, and give everyone a choice.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I'm topping my dessert trolley with a boozy syllabub trifle
0:21:57 > 0:22:00with red fruits and my glazed chocolate cake.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07This is probably what I will call my signature dish and it's the easiest,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10most luscious chocolate cake ever.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12One bowl, but good ingredients,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and only takes 20 minutes maximum in the oven.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19So, melt equal quantities of dark chocolate and butter, 200g of each.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I put it in the microwave. If you don't have a microwave or
0:22:22 > 0:22:24don't want to use it, you can put it on a bain-marie.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28So, it's melted and as you can see it's beautifully glossy
0:22:28 > 0:22:29and now in go the other ingredients.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30So, 200g of sugar.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34You can go a little less on the sugar.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Maybe cut it down to 150 or 180.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And just stir that in.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41It's really a great recipe.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Something you can do with the kids really easily, too.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47And then one by one, five eggs.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Three eggs.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And just break the egg up into the chocolate mixture.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Don't get too much air in there.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08You want this cake to be really dense and intense.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09All it is, really, is a cooked mousse.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17And then suddenly with the fifth egg
0:23:17 > 0:23:18it starts to look like a cake batter.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Nicely mixed through,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28not too much air in there and then into a silicon mould.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Give it a little smooth out.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I'm using a silicon mould because, again,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41the cake is very rich and dense
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and not easy to take out of a conventional
0:23:44 > 0:23:47cake tin, but if you do use a conventional one,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51make sure that you grease and flour and line it well.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55And there we are, and that goes in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58For the glaze, melt 200g of chocolate with 100g of butter
0:23:58 > 0:24:03and four tablespoons of water, in the microwave if you wish.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And just ease it over the edges...
0:24:09 > 0:24:12..to fall down deliciously.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Once the glaze is set, you're ready to decorate.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23You could leave it like this of course, nice and plain,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26or just put some gold leaf or silver leaf on it,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28but I've gone to town a little bit for Christmas and made some of these
0:24:28 > 0:24:30lovely rose petals.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Just buy a packet of organic rose petals from the supermarket.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And all these are are just brushed with a little egg white,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40sprinkled with a bit of caster sugar and then dried and left overnight,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43so it's another thing you can do with the kids at Christmas.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Then, lay the crystallised petals on the cake
0:24:46 > 0:24:48with some plain petals for contrast.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53It might not look super professional but I know underneath it is
0:24:53 > 0:24:55absolutely delicious.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59So, that's my signature glazed chocolate cake.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Now, let's deal with the trifle.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07This is going to be the base of my syllabub, almost a trifle.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11And I've mixed fresh and frozen fruit here and really frozen fruit is the
0:25:11 > 0:25:14best quality and very often it's been frozen when the fruit is at the
0:25:14 > 0:25:17height of its ripeness, so make the most of it,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19it's very handy at Christmas.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And also there's a little bit of orange peel in here for a little citrus-y tang.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24And tip into a saucepan.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And just heat those up, they'll start releasing their juice almost immediately.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31And a little bit of sugar...
0:25:31 > 0:25:33just to start them off, and then you can taste that later on.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37It looks beautiful already.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43I'm not going to stir too much
0:25:43 > 0:25:45because I want the fruit to hold its shape
0:25:45 > 0:25:46slightly at the bottom of my trifle.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55For the topping, whisk together double cream,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58mascarpone and sugar, to taste.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Add the zest and juice of half a lemon.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03And then...
0:26:03 > 0:26:04a glug of sherry.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13You can use cognac or rum in here as well, or whisky.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Fold that in, and with the poached red fruits and some decorations,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20you're ready to assemble the trifle.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Some people might not call it a trifle because I'm not putting trifle sponges
0:26:25 > 0:26:27or any kind of biscuit in the middle.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I don't think it adds anything to texture or the taste.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Unlike this beautiful, boozy cream.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43A beautiful, billowy layer of cream on top of that lovely ruby fruit.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44I'm ready for the decorations.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49Some toasted flaked almonds and a few silver balls,
0:26:49 > 0:26:50as these are compulsory at Christmas.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58And then just to top it off with ultimate decadence,
0:26:58 > 0:27:03some golden glace cherries with a tiny bit of gold leaf on top.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11And there you have it, a glorious, glittering syllabub, almost trifle,
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Christmas dessert.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It's all done, I hope they like it.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Time for me to get a head start.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24DOORBELL RINGS
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Hello.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I find Christmas very stressful.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Our Christmas dinner is really very traditional.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41My grandmother made the best Christmas pudding ever
0:27:41 > 0:27:46and my mother has never been able to replicate it!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Well, the sprouts for me were a complete winner.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59I absolutely loved them.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Loved the gratin potato.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I loved the trifle without the sponge.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I loved the cherries and I thought
0:28:04 > 0:28:06they went really well with chocolate.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I hope I'll make your Christmas a little less stressful.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Please try some of the recipes - try them all!
0:28:20 > 0:28:23January can be a cold month, so eat well,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26support your local farmers and producers
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and have a safe and happy Christmas.