Wednesday 3 December 2014
Treat your guests to a Denhay gourmet gammon this Christmas!
It's been a tradition in her family down through the generations and probably dates back to the time when her family were made up of two distinct threads, the farmers who bred the pork and a locally very famous and highly regarded chain of pork butchers who sold it.
This year lovers of gammon such as my wife (and me, I have brought into this tradition with gusto!) will be able to give their guests around the Christmas table a real treat when they will be able to serve them with a Denhay’s dry cured gammon joint.
Perfect as the centre piece of a Boxing Day buffet, late night snacks or even as a rather glamorous alternative to the ubiquitous turkey on Christmas Day, Denhay’s dry cured gammon is a deliciously versatile meat, equally at home as cold cuts with some organic pickles, or served with roasters, veg and homemade gravy. And there's also sandwiches the next day, should the guests have left any, that is!
It's the latest addition to Denhay’s range of high quality, British cured pork produce.
The gammon is specifically prepared for roasting and you do not have to bother with the messy, somewhat irksome process of pre-boiling like most joints available in the supermarkets.
How so? Apparently this is all down to the unique Denhay recipe, plus their intelligent use of tradtional preparation and smoking techniques.
So the end result is that the Denhay gammon offers an intense flavour with a succulent tenderness that you'd be hard pressed to beat!
I am certain that my wife's late Great Uncle would have been happy to have produced such a wondrous gammon joint!
Denhay’s 1.25kg gammon joints are available as smoked or unsmoked and are available in selected Waitrose stores priced at £11.50/kg.
If you are looking for inspiration when it comes to cooking your Denhay gammon joint, why not try their Marmalade and Ginger Glaze recipe or their Potted Ham recipe, perfect for leftovers? The details are below.
The kick of ginger cut through the sticky sweet glaze on the gammon. Delicious served warm with a fluffy jacket potatoes, or cold with crusty bread and chutneys.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4 - 6
1.25kg Denhay Unsmoked gammon Joint
For the glaze
4 tbsp orange marmalade
1 stem ginger, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
Line a roasting tin with a double sheet of foil. Place the gammon in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and cook at 180oC for 35mins per 500g.
Once cooked for the appropriate amount of time. Remove the skin from the gammon, leaving behind a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with the tip of a sharp knife.
Mix together the marmalade, stem ginger and brown sugar and spread evenly over the fat. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the glaze is sticky and golden. Leave to rest before carving.
Potted Ham
This is the perfect dish to use those festive left over gammon. Serve as a starter or as part of a buffet or just with toast in front of the fire.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
250g pack unsalted butter
500g cooked leftover smoked gammon
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus a few sprigs to garnish
small pinch ground cloves
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
black pepper
Melt the butter gently in a small pan, once melted leave to settle. Skin off all the froth from the surface. Slowly pour the clear yellow fat from the melted butter into a small bowl or jug, leaving the milky liquid in the pan. Discard the milky liquid.
Shred the gammon, some finely and some in bigger chunks so your finished dish has texture. Mix the gammon with the parsley, thyme, spices, mustard and vinegar, two-thirds of the butter and a pinch of black pepper. Divide between 8 small ramekins or one large pot. Press down and flatten the surface with your fingers or a small teaspoon, and top with a sprig of thyme then spoon over the remaining butter, Chill until butter is solid. Either serve with warm crusty bread or if keeping for later wrap in cling film and refrigerate.
Louis Wain A Cat Compendium
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To help his wife whilst she was dying over a three year period, Louis bought he a cat, called Peter. and it was Peter who became the inspiration for Louis to paint and draw thousands of cats.
But he didn't merely draw cats in natural settings, though he executed these kinds of drawings. Louis Wain became better known for the fantastical depictions of cats. Cats playing cricket, golfing, boxing, enjoying staging High society parties, hosting dinner parties, playing cards, in fact Louis Wain's cats enjoyed just about every vice and virtue of human society in the Edwardian era in which Louis Wain lived and worked.
Sadly, Louis became mentally ill to the extent that he had to be placed in Bethlehem (aka Bedlam) Mental Hospital for his own good.
Yet the staff encouraged him to continue with his artistic endeavours, which he did. Almost up to his death in 1939.
This book contains many of the illustrations for which Louis Waine was justifiably famed, yet even in some of the earlier drawings of cats we see that their is often a haunted and somewhat manic tint to their visage. Perhaps signs that Louis Wain always had a touch of madness as well as a touch of genius?
But the delightful book is more than a collection of images. It also contains a very useful biographic section on the life of Louis Wain.
It will make an ideal Christmas or Birthday present for the lover of cats, of fans od Louis Wain and also people who are interested in Edwardian history as the book does charmingly parody many of the stratas of Edwardian society that Lous Wain knew so very well.
The book is written/edited by Peter Haining and is published by Peter Owen.
ISBN-10: 0720616379
ISBN-13: 978-0720616378
Catalogue price £11.99 paperback.
http://www.peterowenpublishers.com
It is available through all good local bookshops and via Amazon.
Feel good and do good this Christmas by supporting the Chelsea Pensioners
He is hand-washable and Bertie the Bulldog will make someone that you care about very happy this Christmas.
And this very real feel good factor will also be extended to the giver too!
Why you may ask? Because all profits go to the registered charity, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners.
Bertie is a remarkably keen £14 or a very reasonable £25 for two.
You can only purchase them through the Royal Hospital Chelsea shop, http://royal-hospital-chelsea.myshopify.com/products or www.chelsea-pensioners.org.uk.
Tuesday 2 December 2014
Timeless Scottish Gifts from Glen Tanar Estate
Created exclusively for the estate by young Scottish textiles talent, Araminta Campbell, these quality, limited-edition gifts celebrate the heritage and tradition of Glen Tanar, which is nestled close to the Royal Deeside town of Aboyne.
The tweed was designed by Araminta, who took inspiration from the subtle, natural colours which run through the landscape of the estate.
The handbags some in four different sizes, ranging from a small pocket purse through to a large shoulder bag. They are sophisticated enough for special occasions, yet their design makes them ideal for everyday use.
Placemats made from the Glen Tanar tweed are also available, a perfect way to help transform you dinner table with a traditional Scottish twist.
These limited, bespoke accessories are available to purchase in the Glen Tanar Estate Christmas Shop, which is open to Monday 22nd December, seven days a week from 9am-4pm. They can also be bought online at www.glentanar.co.uk.
Prices are: Rectangular placemat set of 6 - £50; Large circular placemat set of 6 - £54; Small circular placemat set of 6 - £50; Shoulder Bag - £210; Handbag - £150; Clutch Bag - £94; Purse pocket - £15.
Angling for the perfect gift for the fish loving foodie this Christmas? Then here it is!
Set them up with the opportunity to learn some awesome cookery skills at Billingsgate Seafood School.
It's located at one of the world's most famous fish markets, London's Billingsgate.
Led by cookery school director, CJ Jackson, the Billingsgate Seafood School offers a class for every person, every budget and every occasion.
There's the fish lovers classes, where visitors can learn the essential knife skills needed for fishmongering, plus some truly ace recipes.
Then there's the shorter morning and evening classes, where the guests can enjoy a glass of wine and will be given the opportunity to test run some new recipes using fish that is responsibly sourced.
Prices for classes typically vary from £40 to just under £200, there's the chance to indulge the food enthusiast in your family to a genuinely unique experience, giving them the chance to experience one of Britain’s oldest markets and London’s traditional institutions.
All vouchers are available online (http://www.seafoodtraining.org) or can be brought by calling 0207 517 3548 and each voucher is valid for 12 months after purchase.
(EDITOR: The school is established as a charitable company, with the aim of promoting the awareness of fish in young people.)
Tantalise your guests with a Black Cherry Trifle this Christmas
Black Cherry flavour is available just in time for Christmas.
So, apart from making a black cherry jelly (I rather like how that rhymed, there!) What else can you make with it?
How about a delicious Black Forest trifle?
It's a great new desert recipe and it's quick and easy to prepare, too!
Ingredients
Sugar (for decoration)
Madeira cake
Canister of whipped cream (EDITOR: That's fresh whipped cream)
To make the jelly
Hartley’s 135g Black Cherry jelly (or a flavour of your choice)
1 pint of water
To make the syrup
300g of fresh raspberries (keep a handful aside for decoration)
1 jar of Hartley’s Raspberry Jam
To make the custard
300ml milk
300ml double cream
2 large eggs and one egg yolk
50g caster sugar
50g cornflower
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
For the desired look you will need 8 glass cups.
· Wipe a wedge of lemon around the edge of each cup
· Dip the cups in a bowl of sugar, moving it round clockwise until the rim is covered in sugar
· Set aside until they are ready to be filled
Method
· Make the jelly according to the packet instructions
To make the syrup
· Add half a pot of Hartley’s raspberry jam to a sauce pan with your fresh raspberries
· Cook on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to cool
To make the custard
· Add the sugar, cornflower and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Next add the eggs and egg yolk before whisking until the mixture is blended
· Pour milk and double cream into a pan and heat gently until hot but be careful not to boil. Pour this over the egg mixture and immediately whisk until blended
· Wash pan to remove any scum from milk, and then pour the mix back into the pan heating gently and stirring constantly until thickened. Do not panic if the mix is lumpy just continue to heat and whisk until it is thick and smooth.
· Finally pour into a jug and cover with cling film to prevent any skin from forming, and then set aside to cool
Making the trifle
· Cut 8 1cm slices of Madeira cake, place one slice into the bottom of each cup, pushing down to make sure it covers the bottom
· Next pour the raspberry syrup generously over the Madeira slice
· Take the chilled jelly from the fridge and spoon into the cup on top of the Madeira cake
· Spoon in some custard on top of your jelly layer
· Next whip cream and apply over the fresh custard
· Finally place a couple of fresh raspberries on top and pop in the fridge to chill for two hours before enjoying with friends.
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