Mince Pies

Ingredients

1 cup each currants, raisins, sultanas, craisins
1/2 cup chopped, mixed peel
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2/3 cup butter, in small cubes
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cups brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 cup brandy

4 sterilized 1 1b jam jars

Measure all of the ingredients except the alcohol into a large pan. Heat gently, allowing the butter to melt, then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool completely then stir in the brandy, rum or sherry.

Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jam jars, seal tightly, label and store in a cool place. You can make the mincemeat up to six months ahead and store it in a cool place.

Crust

Here's my favorite French 'pate sablee', though it is not the easiest dough to handle:

(makes 2 3/4 lb) - yes, that's a lot, but these make great Christmas gifts

14 oz soft, unsalted butter
8 oz white sugar
1 medium egg, beaten, at room temperature
1 1/4 lb plain flour
(I use Plusgras or Kerrygold butter - lower water content than ours, and '00' flour does make a finer crust.)

Beat the butter with the sugar until lump free but not quite a cream. Add the egg, gently and quickly. Blend in the flour, stopping the machine as soon as the dough clings to the beater. Press into a ball, working with palms of hands if necessary to bring together, but try not to over handle. Form into a sausage shape, cover with plastic or foil wrap, chill for 1 hour.

Roll out dough. This amount will make 80 or 90 mini pies with lids (see photo), or use some to line a larger dish, then cut strips to make a lattice top. Don't fill the pies quite full of mincemeat, because it will surely expand on baking (425 F for 15-20 minutes for the small pies, 400 F for 25 minutes for larger ones).

Now where's my glass of sherry...

Cullen Skink

Here's an authentic recipe from my Scottish ancestors. This will serve 4-6 depending on whether a starter or a main course.

Ingredients

1 large smoked haddock (or other smoked, white fish)
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion
1 1/2 pints milk
2 cups cooked, mashed potato
seasoning
chives
2 pints mussels (optional)

Place fish, skin side down, in a shallow pan. Cover with cold water and some of the milk. Add a knob of butter and season with black pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Turn fish over, remove skin, add sliced onion, cover and simmer a further 5 minutes.

Remove fish from the pan and fillet it. Return the bones to the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off the liquid stock, add remainder of milk, the cooked, flaked fish and most of the mashed potato.

Bring to the boil and add more potato until the soup has the desired consistency. It should be fairly thick. Add a knob of butter. Season with more black pepper and salt (taking care with salt as the smoked fish may be salty).

To serve, sprinkle chopped chives onto each bowlful. Add a few mussels to each, if you are using them.

Oeufs farcis - that's stuffed eggs to you!

For the launch of our local French conversation evenings, it seemed appropriate to prepare some French dishes for everyone. I found a simple but delicious recipe for stuffed eggs in a cookery book from Provence, France...in French. Here's my translation for you.

Ingredients

Eggs
Salted anchovy fillets (1 per egg)
Capers (3 per egg)
Parsley, chopped (1/4 tsp per egg)
Bechamel sauce (see below)

Have as many eggs as you wish to prepare at room temperature. Hard boil them. When cool, peel them and slice in two lengthwise.

Carefully scoop yolks out of eggs. Remove excess salt and bone from anchovies. Mash them with the yolks and capers. Add parsley, and a generous tablespoon or two of bechamel sauce per egg. Mix well.

Spread remaining sauce over an ovenproof platter and arrange the egg white 'shells' on top. Fill each with a spoonful of the stuffing. Heat through in a preheated oven (375 F) for 10 minutes.


Bechamel sauce: the amount will depend on the number of eggs, but the basic recipe involves 1/2 pint heated milk, 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 2 level tbsp all-purpose flour. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add flour. Cook, stirring, to obtain a smooth paste, then add the hot milk and continue stirring until you have a thick, lump-free sauce. Be sure to cook for 10 minutes so the flour is fully cooked and the flavor developed. Season with a little nutmeg and white pepper. Do not add salt because the anchovies and capers will give plenty to the dish.


JGH notes: I don't like tell the French how to cook, but a little finely chopped smoked salmon is a nice addition, and I like to add 1/2 a cup of dry white wine to the bechamel in place of that amount of milk. A little chili pepper sprinkled on top as the eggs come out of the oven adds zing and color too.

Bon appétit!