大象传媒 Food Christmas TV preview
Post categories: Christmas
| 14:56 UK time, Thursday, 15 December 2011
It鈥檚 almost here 鈥 the Beeb鈥檚 pre-Christmas week chock full of food specials. Being a natural planner I can鈥檛 help but want a bit more advanced notice of what to stock up on to re-create all the special treats coming our way.听 So here is my Christmas gift to all those other fretful holiday cooks 鈥 a little sneak preview of what鈥檚 on offer.
First 鈥 party nibbles. Get in plenty of ready-made all-butter puff pastry. (In what parallel universe does anyone have time at Christmas to make puff pastry? What would you have to forego 鈥 presents? a tree?)听 In addition to my personal addiction, sausage rolls, you can use it to make Lorraine Pascale鈥檚 easy mince pie stars. Simply cut out squares, spoon a little ready-made mincemeat in the middle, flavour with aromatics (peel, vanilla, etc.), , glaze and bake.
The Hairy Bikers get their vol-au-vents out (Ho ho!) for their Christmas party, and also give their tarts a hearty stuffing (Ho ho ho!) of bacon and eggs, and cheese and pickle. Their guest pastry chef, Brett Pistorius, also whips up trayfuls of tiny chocolate fondants and shot glass trifles that look brilliant if you鈥檙e having a big party.
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Next, foodie gifts. I鈥檓 glad to see we鈥檙e on the same wavelength as Lorraine with our suggestion for homemade Irish cream liqueur. But she鈥檚 trumped us with a really simple white and dark chocolate bark 鈥 just melt, swirl and cool. Ridiculously simple, and fills out any gaps in the gift hamper.
Likewise, the cake mix in a jar: fill a Kilner jar with the dry ingredients for a simple all-in-one cake. Layer the ingredients to acheive a sedimentary look. Add a tag with the other required ingredients (usually eggs and butter) and instructions to mix and bake the cake.听 This is also a great gift for young children who love baking, but don鈥檛 have the patience for measuring. (Cakes you could try: Mary Berry鈥檚 Victoria sandwich, Lulu Grimes' ; or cookies: Spiced oat biscuits, Gingerbread, Flapjacks with mango, sour cherry and coconut.) For a grown-up gift 谩 la Blanc, poach some fresh pears, quinces and apples in a vanilla-scented mulled wine, seal in a jar and pop under the tree.
On to the main event, and a surprisingly simple treat from Raymond is his shellfish chowder, and a hot tip for a make-ahead starter. Just bag some super-fresh mussels and clams on Christmas Eve. And if you鈥檙e getting clams make sure to nab a little Serrano ham and Oloroso sherry for a Spanish treat from Rick Stein. Then tune in for advice on your chosen main course:
- Nigel Slater 鈥 duck
- Raymond Blanc 鈥 goose
- Lorraine Pascale 鈥 turkey
- Rick Stein 鈥 lamb
- Hairy Bikers - ham
On to show-stopping Christmas desserts, get started now on Raymond鈥檚 鈥淲inter still life鈥 recipe 鈥 frozen chestnut parfait mushrooms on meringue stems, surrounded by a forest floor of tuile leaf biscuits and chocolate sauce. 鈥淚 want to create a dish that smiles back at you, and makes you smile.鈥
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If a slightly easier, but beautiful, pudding is what you require, Nigel Slater鈥檚 always there with a trifle for every occasion. Grab some physalis (Cape gooseberries) to top the custard and cream. If you happen to end up with a surfeit of eggs, you could also try Rick Stein鈥檚 equally lovely orangey cr猫me caramel.
Finally, when you're stinking of turkey and sausage grease, and you need to claw back some merriment from the festive grind, sneak in one of Lorraine's beautiful cocktails. Fish a little hibiscus flower from its jar of syrup (see? you have to order it now!) and sink it in some sparkling white wine with a squeeze of lime juice.听 You'll feel queen enough to give your own speech. (Chaps, as well.)
大象传媒 Food Christmas specials
Friday 16th 听听听听听 9.00pm 大象传媒 TWO - The Great British Christmas Dinner (rpt)
Sunday 18th 听听听 11.30am 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Hairy Bikers Twelve Days of Christmas (rpt)
Monday 19th 听听听 6.30pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Raymond Blanc鈥檚 Christmas Feast
Tuesday 20th 听 7.00 大象传媒 TWO - Nigella鈥檚 Christmas Kitchen (rpt)
听听听 听听 听 听 听 听 听 听听听听听听听听听听 9.00 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Hairy Biker鈥檚 Christmas Party
Wed 21st 听听听听听听听听听 6.30pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Nigella鈥檚 Christmas Kitchen (rpt)
听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 7.30pm 大象传媒 ONE 鈥 Nigel Slater鈥檚 Simple Christmas
听听听 听听 听 听 听 听 听 听听听听听听听听听听听 9.00pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Rick Stein鈥檚 Spanish Christmas
Thursday 22nd听 7.00pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Nigella鈥檚 Christmas Kitchen (rpt)
听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 8.00pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Lorraine Last Minute Christmas
Friday 23rd 听听 听 听听 8.00pm 大象传媒 TWO 鈥 Raymond Blanc鈥檚 Christmas Feast (rpt)
Saturday 24th 听听 11.00am 大象传媒 ONE 鈥 Saturday Kitchen Christmas Eve
We'll add links to recipes as we get them published, but what shows will you be settling in for?
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Comment number 1.
At 15th Dec 2011, webdesign wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 18th Dec 2011, herosmum wrote:I love all the cookery programmes but please can we have a slot on any one (or all ) of them for recipes for biabetics ? There are millions of us around and Christmas can be a nightmare regarding festive recipes.
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Comment number 3.
At 19th Dec 2011, Alison Wright wrote:I'm disappointed that you didn't include 大象传媒4's valuable contributions to Christmas cookery programmes in your list. I only found out about the excellent "Roasts of Christmas Past" and "Jerusalem on a Plate from another poster on the messageboard - must try harder next year!
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Comment number 4.
At 21st Dec 2011, Emily Angle wrote:Thanks for tipping us off, Alison. I should have mentioned those- especially Jerusalem on a Plate with the lovely Yotam Ottolenghi.
In truth I was trying to give folks a heads-up on some of the ingredients they might want to get in before the recipe-based specials.
What have people thought of the Christmas specials so far? Anything you plan to make?
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Comment number 5.
At 21st Dec 2011, RedGuzzi750 wrote:Jerusalem on the plate was superb - and now I am desperate to try to cook some of those recipes especially real falafel. latkes, and well....too many to mention. I asked my wife if we could have a food holiday in Jerusalem today. She said no. :-(
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Dec 2011, looksalot wrote:I had already planned my Christmas menu but I am going to try Nigel Slater's sweet and sour sea bass early in 2012 - it looked so easy and delicious!
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Comment number 7.
At 22nd Dec 2011, 67Peapod67 wrote:Watched Hairy Bikers Christmas Party last night - what a fabulous programme!!! My daughters particularly liked the Filo pasty choc rolls (now called the Jenga pudding!!!) and can't wait to make them for Christmas!!!! Love the Hairy Bikers, they are fabulous.
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