Madness II – The Recipes

Smoked Trout Mousse

400g smoked trout

2 tsp creamed horseradish (optional)

3 tbsp double cream

1 squeeze lemon juice

pinch of black pepper

Serves 4-6

Flake the trout and place in a mixing bowl with the horseradish and the double cream. Mash with a fork until well mixed, add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with black pepper – salt if required.

Serve with toast, blinis or as part of a creaking table.

Will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

Festive notes

for Three Cheese Tart

Add 4oz of chopped cranberries to the original recipe.

Following the recipe roll out the pastry and use a 12 hole bun tin – you'll get 18 individual canapes – may be more depending on how thin you roll the pastry.

Make up the filling as per the recipe and mix in the chopped cranberries.

They can be made ahead and then warmed before serving. On this basis I baked them for 15 minutes. Because they are smaller they don't take as long to bake and so 10 minutes in a pre-heated oven is fine.

Winter Coleslaw

red cabbage, sliced finely

carrots, grated

onion, finely chopped

salt and black pepper

slug of lemon juice

pinch of sweet smoked paprika

Farrington's Mellow Yellow mayonnaise

sour cream

sultanas, soaked in apple juice and drained

apple cored and diced – preferably a sharp flavoured variety

This recipe is deliberately loose in terms of amounts – it's up to you.

Take a large mixing bowl and throw in two handfuls of cabbage, one of carrots and one of onions – season with salt and black pepper, add a slug of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sweet smoked paprika.

In a small bowl mix 2 tbsp of mayo and the same of sour cream, mix well. Add this mixture to your raw slaw and mix well. Finally add two handfuls of sultanas and ditto of apple.

What I really like about Option 1 is that whatever needs to go in the oven can go in together and come out at the same time – you can if you wish serve everything cold – the chicken and potatoes included. The point of the story is that everyone sits down together – you might even find that you relax and enjoy yourself too!

If you love feeding your family and friends that love travels from you to the table and creates an atmosphere where everyone is laughing, fighting to finish a sentence - as Kenny Everett always said, “in the nicest possible way” - there is nothing to beat it and it cannot be manufactured.

Sounds a bit fluffy and romantic perhaps but who cares!

Now for the best bit.

If you choose Christmas Eve Supper Option 1 you have the basis of your supper for Christmas Night – whatever form that might take – grazing, nibbling or sandwich making - enhanced with whatever meat and/or poultry you are serving on Christmas Day. By the way – cold bread sauce and vegetarian stuffing make for the best sandwich fillings.

Happy Holidays!