The perfect Christmas dinner trimmings
Continuing our countdown to the big day, today we're showing our viewers how to make those all important Christmas dinner trimmings. Today though Dean will be a spectator as viewer Dawn makes them. She'll be making stuffing, stir fried sprouts, orange glazed carrots and parsnip gratin.
Stir fried sprouts
(Serves 4)
800g sprouts quartered100g smoked pancetta180g vacuum packed chestnuts
Dressing:
1 tbs fish sauce2 cloves garlic crushed2 tbs white balsamic vinegarSmall drizzle honey
Method:
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl then set aside. Meanwhile heat a large pan with a good splash of oil then add in the pancetta, cook for a minute then add in the sprouts and chestnuts and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. If you prefer a softer sprout add in a splash of water to create some steam within the pan. Finally add in the dressing and toss together.
Orange glazed carrots
(Serves 4)
4 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks30g unsalted butter1 tbsp fresh thymeJuice 1 small orange
Method:
Place the butter into a saucepan over a medium heat until melted then add in the carrots and thyme then season with salt and pepper. Pour in the orange juice, cover tightly with a lid, you may want to use a sheet of foil too to make sure nothing escapes. Lower the heat to its lowest setting then cook for 25-30 minutes giving a gentle shake now and then to make sure they are not catching on the bottom of the pan.
Dean's stuffing
(Serves 8)
6 sausages of your choice50g shelled pistachios50g dried apricots, chopped1 small onion, very finely diced2 tbsp sage, finely chopped50g breadcrumbs16 rashers streaky bacon
Method:
Gently fry off the onion in some oil for 5 minutes being careful not to colour then leave to cool
Skin the sausages then place in a bowl along with the herbs, onion, pistachios, breadcrumbs and apricots then season with salt and pepper
Roll into golf ball sized pieces then wrap each ball in a rasher of bacon, place onto a baking tray and cook in an oven set at 180c / gas mark 4 for around 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown
Parsnip gratin
(Serves 4-6 - make in advance and freeze)
1.2kg parsnips peeled and sliced thinly lengthways500ml double cream200ml milk1 clove garlic crushed1 heaped tsp Dijon mustardSmall grating nutmeg70g cheddar cheese grated
Method:
Pour the cream and milk into a pan then add the garlic, mustard and nutmeg before bringing to a simmer, add in the sliced parsnip then cook over a low-medium heat for 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Pour into an oven proof baking dish, sprinkle over the cheese then bake in a pre-heated oven set at 180c / gas mark 4 for 30-40 minutes or until parsnips are tender and the top golden.