With just a few days left, many people – unlike myself – will be planning, ordering, preparing and getting the mise en place ready for Christmas Day dinner. The latter refers to the professional kitchen term for prepared ingredients, translating as “putting in place” and is the lifeblood of a functional kitchen. So what happens when we get that last-minute text from cousin Mary or uncle John, stating they’ve recently become vegetarian and want nothing to do with turkey and ham this Christmas? As is often the case in a professional kitchen, these curveballs can be thrown at the chef last minute too, so I’ve come up with two recipes that cover both the heads up text and the last minute side-note. Oh the joys of being the chef.
On the upside, both these dishes also work beautifully as additional Christmas sides or even for anyone looking for something a little different this year. We don’t discriminate. First up is a fancy looking pie, or pithivier to give it its full-impact title. This one is designed to be prepared in advance. It is filled with mushroom duxelles and some roasted portobello mushroom in place of the traditional meat element. Seasoning is the key to success here. The mix is bound together with Parmesan, salt and black pepper. You can also add some greenery if you like. Ahead of time, it’s critical to set the mushroom paste and whole mushroom in a bowl or mug to create the appropriate shape. Once set in the fridge, then it’s just about wrapping the block in puff pastry and baking it off until crisp and golden. Feel free to go wild with the artistic design, like I did (I just wanted to capture your attention), but a simple wrap, glaze and bake will provide flavour-packed results. The green goddess sauce is the perfect tonic to the richness of the pie and is a great addition. Then try it in the turkey sandwich – next level.
The second recipe is one you can pull out of the bag last minute. It’s also a beautiful side dish, particularly with glazed ham. Juicy, crunchy turnips are in season and come alive when caramelised in a pan. The addition of star anise, vinegar and maple syrup forms a glaze that cooks the veg while it reduces into a sweet‘n’sour-style sauce. This almost has an oriental feel to it, with the addition of hazelnuts pairing nicely with the caramelised skins. This can be pre prepared and reheated or done to order. If turnips aren’t your thing, try the same method with carrots and revel in the results.
Recipe: Mushroom and Parmesan pithivier with green goddess sauce
Recipe: Sweet and sour pot-roasted turnips with star anise, maple syrup and toasted hazelnuts
