P
Dorset
L E N T Y
From Farm to Fork
Five seasonal ingredients you should be eating this month
1
Turkey
Ltricky to ensure that the legs are cooked through and the breast remains moist. Some
ike sprouts, turkey can often be overcooked at Christmas. This is because it can be
cover the breast in bacon, others brine the bird overnight, but you could save a lot of worry
by buying a nice free-range organic turkey, such as a Bronze or a Norfolk Black, and invest
in a meat thermometer. These breeds have been hung properly, they taste better and you’ll
know when they’re cooked when the thermometer hits the desired temperature – just over
two hours for a 5kg bird.
2
Swede
TBecause mashed swede and carrots, with lots of black pepper and even more butter, is
his is one vegetable you can boil for the granny-approved time of 20 minutes. Why?
a wonderfully sweet, yet slightly earthy Christmas side-dish. It’s one of the finest ways to
eat swede, but if you want more options, you could try chopping it into chunks and roasting
until the edges are caramelised to bring out even more sweetness. This root is also a vital
ingredient in a Cornish pasty, an Irish stew, and the Welsh lamb broth, cawl.
10
3
Goose
Itry cooking a goose. These luxurious birds look huge, but hiding under that generous
f you’re feeding a small family this Christmas and fancy a break from turkey, you could
covering of fat and rich meat is a large rib cage – don’t expect a 5kg goose to feed more than
four to six people. Although you might not be eating goose sandwiches for weeks, it gives in
other ways – not only will the meat remain moist and taste fantastic, but you’ll never taste
better roast potatoes than those cooked in goose fat.
4
Horseradish
AAnd it really is a treat, too, as this cut won’t be cheap, so it deserves to be cooked with
side from goose and turkey, a great hulking fore rib of beef is another festive treat.
care, and served alongside great sauces, veg, and billowing Yorkshire puddings. So, rather
than buying a jar of horseradish, why not make your own? Put on a pair of science-teacher
goggles before peeling the root (the vapours can sting your eyes), grate it and mix with
cream, mustard powder and white wine vinegar to make horseradish sauce. Use the leftovers
in sandwiches with beef or mackerel.
5
Clementines
Wflavours will waft around the kitchen as you boil these festive fruit for an hour, before
ant a different kind of fruit cake this year? Try clementine cake. Sweet orangey
mixing the pulp with raisins, sultanas and currants. With ground almonds also thrown into
the mix, you’re certain to have a moist cake. You can also add clementine juice to whipped
cream to serve as an accompaniment to a pumpkin or sweet potato tart. If you want
something savoury, stuff the fruit into the cavity of a duck before cooking. You can also
make a clementine sauce to go with the rich, dark meat.
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