Episode 2

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0:00:10 > 0:00:13Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

0:00:14 > 0:00:17Once the tree is up and the lights go on,

0:00:17 > 0:00:19I'm really in the mood to celebrate.

0:00:22 > 0:00:26I think there's no better gift than a feast full of delicious food.

0:00:28 > 0:00:30And as a cook, it's using festive flavours

0:00:30 > 0:00:33that especially helps to set the scene.

0:00:34 > 0:00:37For me, there are certain foods that just taste of Christmas

0:00:37 > 0:00:41and each year I try to put a twist on the traditional.

0:00:42 > 0:00:44I've already embraced a few of those tastes

0:00:44 > 0:00:46in my build up to the holidays.

0:00:46 > 0:00:50But as the big day arrives, I'm going to be sharing a few more

0:00:50 > 0:00:55special recipes that will make your Christmas something to celebrate.

0:00:55 > 0:00:58So here are some delicious dishes to see you

0:00:58 > 0:01:00through the big day and beyond.

0:01:00 > 0:01:04From sweet treats to the ultimate luxurious roast.

0:01:05 > 0:01:09Christmas is a time to let food make you feel nostalgic.

0:01:10 > 0:01:12I'm doing this, cos it's the way my mum did it.

0:01:12 > 0:01:16But also to create wonderful new memories.

0:01:16 > 0:01:18This to me is what Christmas is about.

0:01:19 > 0:01:23I'll also be bringing home a few quintessentially Scandinavian

0:01:23 > 0:01:26flavours for my kitchen, after an inspiring trip to Norway.

0:01:28 > 0:01:30That's so gentle.

0:01:30 > 0:01:33So, with the shopping done, the presents wrapped

0:01:33 > 0:01:35and loved ones on their way,

0:01:35 > 0:01:39celebrate, indulge and enjoy my tastes of Christmas.

0:02:10 > 0:02:14So, the big day has arrived and so have the guests.

0:02:15 > 0:02:17This is the time to cook up a feast

0:02:17 > 0:02:20and make the most of that special time together.

0:02:20 > 0:02:24And when it comes to the roast itself, I'm a traditionalist

0:02:24 > 0:02:29and I like to cook something easy, but that doesn't mean turkey.

0:02:29 > 0:02:32In fact, there's no more time-honoured centrepiece

0:02:32 > 0:02:33to the table than a goose.

0:02:36 > 0:02:39The biggest decision for me at Christmas

0:02:39 > 0:02:41is what bird is going to be in my oven -

0:02:41 > 0:02:44is it going to be a turkey, is it going to be a goose?

0:02:44 > 0:02:45I always go for the goose.

0:02:45 > 0:02:48I love that dark meat and all the fat

0:02:48 > 0:02:52and it's the fat that I really, really value.

0:02:52 > 0:02:55Some of it is in the skin.

0:02:55 > 0:02:58Some of it is tucked inside the body cavity.

0:03:00 > 0:03:02There's no point in introducing butter or oil

0:03:02 > 0:03:06when you've got all this luscious stuff to start with.

0:03:06 > 0:03:08I'm using it to start the stuffing.

0:03:09 > 0:03:13As all that fat melts, it'll add bags of flavour to my onions.

0:03:16 > 0:03:19Now the heart and soul of my stuffing,

0:03:19 > 0:03:20I like a bit of sausage meat.

0:03:20 > 0:03:25I pick the butcher's best breakfast sausages and just unpeel them

0:03:25 > 0:03:28and then what you end up with is this really tasty stuffing.

0:03:28 > 0:03:32When you're cooking with a bird as flavoursome as a goose,

0:03:32 > 0:03:35a kick of citrus to your stuffing is always welcome.

0:03:35 > 0:03:38You can add the zest and the juice.

0:03:38 > 0:03:39This is very rich food -

0:03:39 > 0:03:43we want something fresh and bright and clean in there.

0:03:44 > 0:03:48By now, my onions are just starting to become tender.

0:03:48 > 0:03:50And I don't want a stuffing that's too smooth,

0:03:50 > 0:03:53I want it to have a lumpy interesting texture,

0:03:53 > 0:03:55so I'm going to add some chickpeas to this.

0:03:55 > 0:03:57So crush them down a bit..

0:03:58 > 0:04:02..and then they go in with your sausage and lemon.

0:04:02 > 0:04:05Plenty of seasoning and some fresh mint

0:04:05 > 0:04:08will make the stuffing smell wonderful.

0:04:08 > 0:04:12Now some of this is going to end up as little balls around the goose

0:04:12 > 0:04:16and the rest of it is going to go right inside the cavity.

0:04:17 > 0:04:19So that as the goose roasts,

0:04:19 > 0:04:22some of the fat runs down into the stuffing

0:04:22 > 0:04:28and just makes it gloriously, gloriously delicious.

0:04:28 > 0:04:30And do it by hand, just pack it in.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33Save some of the mixture

0:04:33 > 0:04:37and make use of the lemon halves to keep it all in one place.

0:04:37 > 0:04:40Now there's no need to put any oil, any butter, anything on the bird.

0:04:40 > 0:04:42It's all there. You do need to season it.

0:04:46 > 0:04:48A bird this size is going to take

0:04:48 > 0:04:51a good two and a half, three hours to cook.

0:04:53 > 0:04:57Now I want some of the stuffing to be soft inside the bird,

0:04:57 > 0:05:01but I also want these little balls which will crisp up.

0:05:01 > 0:05:03And then for the potatoes.

0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's got to be roast potatoes.

0:05:06 > 0:05:09They're the best part of it, and particularly with a goose,

0:05:09 > 0:05:12because they just soak up all that wonderful fat.

0:05:22 > 0:05:24So about half way through cooking,

0:05:24 > 0:05:27time to put the stuffing in and the potatoes in.

0:05:30 > 0:05:32What's in the pan is the goose fat of legend.

0:05:32 > 0:05:36This is the stuff that makes your roast potatoes the best ever.

0:05:36 > 0:05:39And this'll need probably another hour, hour and a half.

0:05:40 > 0:05:43There are few meals as highly anticipated

0:05:43 > 0:05:45as the Christmas Day roast.

0:05:47 > 0:05:51Those rich aroma's will tantalise everyone as the bird slowly cooks.

0:06:12 > 0:06:16There is the glorious goose, all the roast potatoes,

0:06:16 > 0:06:20almost translucent with fat and all that flavour.

0:06:20 > 0:06:22Stuffing balls, ready to go.

0:06:26 > 0:06:29You know I love cooking, but I also like taking food to the table.

0:06:29 > 0:06:33And to walk in with something like this - glistening and roasted -

0:06:33 > 0:06:35it is the most wonderful gift.

0:06:36 > 0:06:39If you usually worry the turkey will be too dry,

0:06:39 > 0:06:43or that any other cut just won't feel Christmassy enough,

0:06:43 > 0:06:46then this year give the goose a go.

0:06:46 > 0:06:49Once you've tried this glorious Christmas roast,

0:06:49 > 0:06:53the family will always remember it and you'll never look back.

0:06:57 > 0:07:01During my build up to the big day, I travelled to Norway,

0:07:01 > 0:07:03for some festive inspiration.

0:07:04 > 0:07:09So many Scandinavian flavours feed in to our Christmas menus

0:07:09 > 0:07:13and the wide-open spaces are a great escape from the busy shops at home.

0:07:15 > 0:07:17Not only did I get the chance to choose the tree

0:07:17 > 0:07:19for London's Trafalgar Square.

0:07:19 > 0:07:24- Good job, good job. - It's your tree?- Yes.

0:07:24 > 0:07:27But I also managed to truly indulge in some Christmas flavours.

0:07:29 > 0:07:31I think it works beautifully.

0:07:31 > 0:07:36Take salmon, remote smokehouses on the shores of Norwegian fjords.

0:07:36 > 0:07:38The smell in here!

0:07:38 > 0:07:41Delicately infuse this fish of the season.

0:07:41 > 0:07:46That's so gentle and it's very subtle and mild.

0:07:46 > 0:07:50And gravlax, with its classic dill and mustard flavours,

0:07:50 > 0:07:52are one of my yuletide favourites.

0:07:52 > 0:07:56- Now this is just blissful. - Would you like a piece? - That is so gorgeous.

0:07:58 > 0:08:00Being such a fresh and versatile fish,

0:08:00 > 0:08:03it inspired me to come up with a whole new way

0:08:03 > 0:08:06of working this taste into my Christmas.

0:08:07 > 0:08:12Gravlax and smoked salmon are a timeless Christmas tradition,

0:08:12 > 0:08:15but my new dish deserves its place at the table.

0:08:16 > 0:08:19This is actually good enough to be my centrepiece.

0:08:19 > 0:08:21I'd be happy to bring this in on the day itself.

0:08:23 > 0:08:26Whenever I think of salmon, I always think of cucumber.

0:08:26 > 0:08:28They go together perfectly.

0:08:28 > 0:08:32Now, because this cucumber is going to be used as a stuffing,

0:08:32 > 0:08:35I'm going to discard the seeds in the middle.

0:08:36 > 0:08:38Because there's a lot of water in there

0:08:38 > 0:08:41and it'll just give a soggy stuffing.

0:08:43 > 0:08:47A couple of cucumbers will give you enough for a relish

0:08:47 > 0:08:48as well as a filling.

0:08:48 > 0:08:50So into the coolness of that cucumber

0:08:50 > 0:08:52I want to put some seasonings.

0:08:52 > 0:08:54And the first is mustard.

0:08:54 > 0:08:57It'll add a welcome intense flavour.

0:08:57 > 0:09:00A good five tablespoons will do the trick.

0:09:00 > 0:09:04And then a generous helping of honey will sweeten the mix.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07And something to sharpen it up -

0:09:07 > 0:09:09a couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar.

0:09:11 > 0:09:16Now for me, salmon and cucumber are ingredients that beg to be introduced to dill.

0:09:16 > 0:09:19It is absolutely one of my favourite herbs.

0:09:19 > 0:09:21Finely chopped.

0:09:23 > 0:09:25And then a good stir up.

0:09:28 > 0:09:32Now this is going to be one of the star dishes of my Christmas

0:09:32 > 0:09:35and I want to bake this wrapped in pastry.

0:09:35 > 0:09:38I just need a piece of ready-made puff pastry

0:09:38 > 0:09:40rolled on to a lined baking sheet.

0:09:44 > 0:09:46So I'm going to take one piece of salmon...

0:09:48 > 0:09:50..and then some of my cucumber stuffing.

0:09:52 > 0:09:55Now on top of that goes the other piece of fish.

0:09:57 > 0:10:01I want this Wellington to be a real golden showpiece.

0:10:03 > 0:10:05It's just having something to bring to the table

0:10:05 > 0:10:08that just looks majestic and festive.

0:10:10 > 0:10:13Just brush this all the way round the outside of the pastry.

0:10:17 > 0:10:23Pull the pastry up, put it over the salmon, sealing the ends...

0:10:25 > 0:10:28..and leaving a bit of a gap in the middle.

0:10:28 > 0:10:30That way you can see what's going on

0:10:30 > 0:10:34and the beauty of the salmon can be seen when you bring it to the table.

0:10:36 > 0:10:40And then I'm going to brush it again with a little bit more egg.

0:10:40 > 0:10:43By doing this it comes out of the oven glistening.

0:10:44 > 0:10:47Give it a good seasoning of black pepper

0:10:47 > 0:10:51before it goes into the oven at 180 for 45 minutes.

0:10:51 > 0:10:54And the cucumber relish goes into the fridge to chill.

0:11:11 > 0:11:13Isn't that beautiful?

0:11:13 > 0:11:17So I've got layers of salmon, cucumber and crisp pastry.

0:11:23 > 0:11:27A slice of these delicious flavours will delight your guests

0:11:27 > 0:11:29at any time - on the big day or beyond.

0:11:33 > 0:11:35It's a lovely change to Christmas food,

0:11:35 > 0:11:39with something fresh, bright and light.

0:11:41 > 0:11:43This dish is a triumph.

0:11:43 > 0:11:45It's earned its place on the Christmas menu

0:11:45 > 0:11:49and will doubtless be back year after year in the Slater household.

0:11:53 > 0:11:57# Jingle bells! # Jingle bells!

0:11:57 > 0:11:59# Jingle all the way

0:11:59 > 0:12:04# Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! #

0:12:06 > 0:12:09From the bottom of my stocking, to clove-covered decorations,

0:12:09 > 0:12:12my next festive taste has been a shining star

0:12:12 > 0:12:15of my Christmas for as long as I can remember.

0:12:16 > 0:12:19But something bright and refreshing to break up a mountain

0:12:19 > 0:12:25of indulgent dishes on the Christmas table is my best use for oranges.

0:12:26 > 0:12:30There are lots of flavours that instantly say it's Christmas,

0:12:30 > 0:12:32but there's also the smell of things too

0:12:32 > 0:12:34and for me the first of those is orange.

0:12:34 > 0:12:38And I'm going to use an orange as the base for a fruit salad.

0:12:38 > 0:12:41But first some biscuits to go with it.

0:12:41 > 0:12:43So I want 60g of butter.

0:12:45 > 0:12:48And a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar.

0:12:51 > 0:12:54And then the same of golden syrup.

0:12:54 > 0:12:58What I'm making here are biscuits that will shine and glisten

0:12:58 > 0:13:01and be very crunchy to go with the fruit salad.

0:13:01 > 0:13:04And just let that melt with the butter and sugar.

0:13:06 > 0:13:09Now I'd like a little bit of spice in here.

0:13:09 > 0:13:11Going to put a little bit of ginger in.

0:13:11 > 0:13:12Barely a teaspoon.

0:13:14 > 0:13:16Now as soon as the butter has melted

0:13:16 > 0:13:20and you've got a mixture that looks like thick honey,

0:13:20 > 0:13:22then in goes the flour.

0:13:23 > 0:13:26About four good heaped tablespoons.

0:13:30 > 0:13:31Stir that in.

0:13:33 > 0:13:36And because it's Christmas a drop of brandy.

0:13:44 > 0:13:46A few roughly chopped pistachios

0:13:46 > 0:13:49will add a bit of texture to these festive brandy snaps.

0:13:50 > 0:13:55As you spoon on little mounds of the mixture, sprinkle them on top.

0:13:55 > 0:13:59Before going in to the oven at 150 for ten minutes or so.

0:14:03 > 0:14:05Those biscuits are go to with my fruit salad

0:14:05 > 0:14:09and we'll start off with a good juicy base.

0:14:10 > 0:14:14I'm using a whole juicy orange, and their juice is quite sweet,

0:14:14 > 0:14:18so I like to put something in there that'll sharpen the whole thing up.

0:14:18 > 0:14:22So, a nice soft ripe lemon.

0:14:24 > 0:14:29And then for real sparkle, I'm going to stick in the juice of a lime.

0:14:31 > 0:14:35What we've got here is a lovely bright-tasting citrus base.

0:14:37 > 0:14:39So got some little clementines here

0:14:39 > 0:14:41and they smell instantly of Christmas

0:14:41 > 0:14:45and everyone will get one of these a piece.

0:14:45 > 0:14:51So far, so traditional, but now for a few exotic and indulgent treats.

0:14:51 > 0:14:53Some glorious mango.

0:14:53 > 0:14:56A few jewels of sharp pomegranate.

0:14:56 > 0:15:00And finally these little caped gooseberries - physalis.

0:15:00 > 0:15:05So that I'm going to chill very thoroughly in the fridge

0:15:05 > 0:15:08and bring it out with the warm biscuits.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16Now when these come out of the oven,

0:15:16 > 0:15:19they are quite soft and very pliable.

0:15:21 > 0:15:24Which means I can pop them round my rolling pin

0:15:24 > 0:15:27so they make a sort of groovy curved shape.

0:15:27 > 0:15:32These warm, rich brandy snaps will make such a delicious contrast

0:15:32 > 0:15:35to the fresh, sharp flavours of my fruit salad.

0:15:35 > 0:15:39Now I'm just going to take these in to the room.

0:15:39 > 0:15:43And then everybody can have some of the fruit

0:15:43 > 0:15:48and the orange juice and then can dunk their biscuits.

0:15:48 > 0:15:51That will look great on the Christmas table.

0:15:52 > 0:15:57When you're desperate for something refreshing, this dish is a cracker.

0:15:57 > 0:16:00And served with the crisp brandy snaps,

0:16:00 > 0:16:03it still feels wonderfully indulgent.

0:16:03 > 0:16:05There are lots of great flavours here,

0:16:05 > 0:16:08but the orange for me is the Christmas star.

0:16:20 > 0:16:24When doing my Christmas shopping in Norway, I couldn't resist

0:16:24 > 0:16:28stocking up on one of Scandinavia's most famous exports.

0:16:28 > 0:16:29- Hi.- Hello there.

0:16:31 > 0:16:34The Norwegians celebrate the unique flavour of marzipan.

0:16:34 > 0:16:39For them, it's much more than simply something to wrap round a cake.

0:16:39 > 0:16:41I know somebody who'd love that.

0:16:41 > 0:16:45Can I have one of those please and a marzipan pig?

0:16:45 > 0:16:48- And a cake?- Yes. - Of course, no problem.

0:16:48 > 0:16:51It got me thinking that we all love something sweet

0:16:51 > 0:16:54to reach for on Christmas Day afternoon.

0:16:55 > 0:16:57So perhaps I could do something

0:16:57 > 0:16:59a little more creative with my next taste.

0:17:01 > 0:17:03I love the stuff.

0:17:03 > 0:17:06Occasionally I'll wrap it round a Battenberg cake

0:17:06 > 0:17:09and then I got an idea to put it in a cake.

0:17:11 > 0:17:16And I start my little marzipan cakes with 180g of butter.

0:17:21 > 0:17:23Some caster sugar. The same, 180g.

0:17:27 > 0:17:29And that I put onto the machine to cream

0:17:29 > 0:17:31until it's really light and fluffy.

0:17:35 > 0:17:39While the ingredients are mixing, lightly beat a couple of eggs.

0:17:42 > 0:17:45When the butter and the sugar are really pale and fluffy,

0:17:45 > 0:17:47you just start to add the beaten egg.

0:17:54 > 0:17:57Next comes 80g of plain flour.

0:17:57 > 0:18:02And then the first kick of festive flavour, 150g of almonds.

0:18:08 > 0:18:10This is where my marzipan comes in.

0:18:11 > 0:18:14Going to drop these little nuggets of marzipan

0:18:14 > 0:18:17- about 100g of it - into the mixture.

0:18:19 > 0:18:23And what will happen is that when we eat our little cakes...

0:18:24 > 0:18:27..we'll just get the odd mouthful.

0:18:27 > 0:18:29After a brief final mix,

0:18:29 > 0:18:34simply spoon little mounds of the mixture onto some greaseproof paper.

0:18:34 > 0:18:36Now so far so sweet.

0:18:36 > 0:18:38But what I want is something in each of those

0:18:38 > 0:18:41that will balance the sweetness of the marzipan.

0:18:41 > 0:18:44A sort of sharp little fruit.

0:18:44 > 0:18:46And my little fruits are blueberries.

0:18:50 > 0:18:54And then into the oven. 180 for about 30 minutes.

0:19:30 > 0:19:33So, as it's Christmas, a little bit of icing sugar.

0:19:46 > 0:19:50And then as soon as they're cool, you can eat them.

0:19:50 > 0:19:51If you can wait that long!

0:20:00 > 0:20:03It's that little nugget of marzipan that makes this.

0:20:03 > 0:20:05When you're eating and you suddenly

0:20:05 > 0:20:08come across this almost molten marzipan.

0:20:08 > 0:20:09It's delicious.

0:20:12 > 0:20:16Marzipan is an ingredient we should embrace at this time of year.

0:20:16 > 0:20:20These little cakes really celebrate its festive flavour.

0:20:20 > 0:20:22They're a subtle yet sublime treat

0:20:22 > 0:20:25to round off a wonderful Christmas Day.

0:20:37 > 0:20:40The big day may have passed in a haze of great food,

0:20:40 > 0:20:45fizz and gifts, but there's still plenty of merriment to be enjoyed.

0:20:49 > 0:20:53In fact, the Boxing Day lunch in my house champions

0:20:53 > 0:20:56one of the greatest Christmas tastes of all.

0:20:57 > 0:20:59Every Christmas I love to have a ham in the house.

0:21:01 > 0:21:05I love the juicy pink meat and I love the fat too.

0:21:05 > 0:21:07But I also like the crust that I put on it.

0:21:07 > 0:21:11This year I'm covering my ham with a bacon crust.

0:21:11 > 0:21:16Which I'm going to marinate with some maple syrup -

0:21:16 > 0:21:18a good three tablespoons.

0:21:18 > 0:21:20And then three tablespoons of black treacle.

0:21:22 > 0:21:24Just cover all the rashers

0:21:24 > 0:21:28and I'm going to leave this in a cool place to marinate.

0:21:28 > 0:21:29Three or four hours minimum

0:21:29 > 0:21:32and next time we see that the bacon will be very dark.

0:21:34 > 0:21:37These flavours are going to intensify with time

0:21:37 > 0:21:39and give my ham a luscious crust.

0:21:41 > 0:21:45Now, I think the best way to cook a ham is poached in liquid.

0:21:45 > 0:21:48And for me, it's got to be apple juice.

0:21:50 > 0:21:52It just imparts a very gentle flavour.

0:22:01 > 0:22:04This nice big juicy ham and the apple juice

0:22:04 > 0:22:07will tolerate plenty of aromatics.

0:22:07 > 0:22:12So in goes the onion - whole, pierced with a few cloves.

0:22:12 > 0:22:15You can just throw the cloves into the apple juice if you want,

0:22:15 > 0:22:18but I'm doing this cos it's the way my mum did it.

0:22:18 > 0:22:22A handful of whole black peppercorns and a bay leaf.

0:22:25 > 0:22:27And then a couple of stars of anise

0:22:27 > 0:22:30and that will give a very, very gentle aniseed flavour.

0:22:35 > 0:22:38And I'm going to bring that to the boil, turn it down to a simmer

0:22:38 > 0:22:41and leave it for about an hour and a half on a low heat.

0:22:42 > 0:22:45This is one of those dishes that will always

0:22:45 > 0:22:46lend a hand over Christmas.

0:22:46 > 0:22:50Whenever anyone's peckish, they'll always reach for the ham.

0:22:52 > 0:22:56Once it's had its time absorbing all those wonderful flavours,

0:22:56 > 0:22:58it's ready for my marinated crust.

0:23:00 > 0:23:01Smells gorgeous.

0:23:03 > 0:23:07And the bacon has gone really sort or treacly and interesting.

0:23:09 > 0:23:13I'm going to spoon a little bit of the marinade over the top.

0:23:16 > 0:23:20The perfect partner to ham is, for me, the pumpkin.

0:23:20 > 0:23:23This bright, wintry vegetable has been softening in the oven,

0:23:23 > 0:23:25seeds removed, trickled with oil

0:23:25 > 0:23:28and given plenty of butter and black pepper.

0:23:30 > 0:23:32And it's looking great.

0:23:33 > 0:23:36A little bit crusty and black on the outside

0:23:36 > 0:23:40and then really tender on the inside.

0:23:42 > 0:23:44While that rests and gathers its thoughts,

0:23:44 > 0:23:48my ham goes into the oven for 15 minutes,

0:23:48 > 0:23:51to let its crust darken and the flavours intensify.

0:23:52 > 0:23:55By now, the kitchen smells pretty wonderful.

0:23:58 > 0:24:00The bacon is glossy.

0:24:00 > 0:24:01Nice and crisp in parts.

0:24:01 > 0:24:04And it's going to be absolutely delicious.

0:24:06 > 0:24:08Got succulent ham in there.

0:24:11 > 0:24:13Soft scoop of roast pumpkin.

0:24:16 > 0:24:19And then still got a little bit of my apple juice.

0:24:20 > 0:24:22Pour that all over.

0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's a fabulous plate of food for a cold day.

0:24:30 > 0:24:33The Boxing Day gammon never fails to delight.

0:24:33 > 0:24:35Thank goodness there's plenty left over.

0:24:46 > 0:24:50There's always that moment at Christmas when you think,

0:24:50 > 0:24:52"Am I ever going to use up all those leftovers?"

0:24:53 > 0:24:56But this is a time that I relish.

0:24:56 > 0:25:00Even those little delights sitting on saucers wrapped up in film

0:25:00 > 0:25:02can be turned into the ultimate comforting feast.

0:25:05 > 0:25:08I call my final recipe my bauble and squeak -

0:25:08 > 0:25:13where anything goes, even that classic taste of Christmas...

0:25:14 > 0:25:16sprouts!

0:25:17 > 0:25:20It's a sort of Christmas one-pan supper.

0:25:22 > 0:25:26It needs a savoury base, it needs something to bring it all together.

0:25:26 > 0:25:29So over a moderate heat I'm going to soften the onion,

0:25:29 > 0:25:31maybe even let it brown a little bit.

0:25:31 > 0:25:34It's a dish that welcomes some juniper.

0:25:35 > 0:25:38This is a spice that tastes of winter to me,

0:25:38 > 0:25:40it's very clean-tasting.

0:25:41 > 0:25:43And I've got a bit of ham going in here

0:25:43 > 0:25:45so it's going to work very nicely.

0:25:45 > 0:25:50So these are my goodies, this is a treasure I found in the fridge.

0:25:50 > 0:25:54And it's very tempting when you're doing this sort of left-over dish

0:25:54 > 0:25:56to chop everything too finely,

0:25:56 > 0:26:01but I like to rip the pieces into chunks and then drop them in.

0:26:01 > 0:26:04And I've got some goose there,

0:26:04 > 0:26:08I've also got some bits of cold ham.

0:26:08 > 0:26:10Keep it chunky.

0:26:10 > 0:26:12And a bit of bacon too.

0:26:12 > 0:26:14Just tear this into strips.

0:26:15 > 0:26:17Got some skin from the goose.

0:26:18 > 0:26:21So I'm going to put the soft stuffing in.

0:26:21 > 0:26:25And the crisp stuffing balls. That'll work too.

0:26:26 > 0:26:29And then I'm going to put these roast potatoes in.

0:26:29 > 0:26:31I'm going to break them up,

0:26:31 > 0:26:34just push it in around the other ingredients.

0:26:34 > 0:26:37Give it a little bit of a stir, but don't over mix it.

0:26:37 > 0:26:41Otherwise you'll end up with one stodgy mass - which we don't want.

0:26:41 > 0:26:46Now here I've got beautiful roast pumpkin.

0:26:46 > 0:26:48This will hold everything together.

0:26:51 > 0:26:53Just spread it throughout.

0:26:56 > 0:26:59And who would ever cook anything new after Christmas

0:26:59 > 0:27:02when you've got all the stuff in the fridge just waiting

0:27:02 > 0:27:06to be put into a pan, all these flavours, all this treasure.

0:27:09 > 0:27:11And then the special ingredient -

0:27:11 > 0:27:15those fresh Christmas greens that didn't make the big day roast.

0:27:17 > 0:27:20I think this is the time to use up the remains of the sprouts.

0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's just that injection of freshness and vitality

0:27:26 > 0:27:30into what is a pan of quite rich sweet flavours.

0:27:30 > 0:27:33If, like me, you once felt that sprouts outstayed their welcome

0:27:33 > 0:27:37at Christmas, cook them up in this and I guarantee

0:27:37 > 0:27:40you'll be surprised and delighted.

0:27:40 > 0:27:43You can hear that crust forming on the bottom.

0:27:43 > 0:27:46All the flavours of Christmas coming together in one pan.

0:27:46 > 0:27:47You know I love the roast,

0:27:47 > 0:27:50I love bringing it out onto the table and carving it,

0:27:50 > 0:27:52but I'm sorry I'd rather have this.

0:27:52 > 0:27:55This to me is what Christmas is about.

0:27:55 > 0:27:58This is the perfect end to an indulgent Christmas

0:27:58 > 0:28:01and the best way to let sprouts win over even

0:28:01 > 0:28:03the most resistant members of the clan.

0:28:03 > 0:28:06By cooking them in this unconventional dish,

0:28:06 > 0:28:09you'll realise what a treat you've been missing all these years.

0:28:11 > 0:28:14This Christmas, let food be a celebration.

0:28:14 > 0:28:16Seek out those festive tastes

0:28:16 > 0:28:19and let them inspire you to make show-stopping dishes.

0:28:21 > 0:28:25If there's ever a time to let food do the talking, this is it.

0:28:25 > 0:28:28Let yours say a big cheery Merry Christmas.