Monica's Christmas caravan cuisine

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For Christmas Day in the caravan, you want something traditional without being stressful, so here is a recipe that I think fulfils both those requirements. Plus, once you've got these two nailed below, you can take a look at my other recipes for:

• Apple cake • Cappuccino cake • Strawberry meringue cake

Roast pheasant with port and chestnut gravy, chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots

Ingredients

1 pheasant for two people

3 rashers of bacon
Potatoes, parsnips and carrots for two
Goose fat

The stuffing

100g chestnuts, chopped into quarters
10g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 rashers of bacon, take the rind off and chop into small pieces
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of chopped thyme
100g pork sausage meat

The gravy

75ml Ruby port
1 level teaspoon of plain sieved flour
100g chestnuts chopped
275ml stock from the giblets

What to do

• Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 /200ºC.

• Peel and chop the potatoes, parsnips and carrots. When you are roasting carrots cut them into three or four long-ways on depending on their size.

• Place a pan of salted water on the hob and when bubbling add the potatoes. Just before the potatoes are cooked, put a roasting dish in the oven with some goose fat. Drain the potatoes from one pan into a smaller pan, as you are going to use this potato water for the parsnips and carrots and later the stock. Pop the potatoes into the heated goose fat.

• Put the carrots and parsnips on to cook in the potato water and start making the stuffing. Melt some butter in a saucepan and cook the onion and bacon over a low heat until the bacon is golden brown. Put to one side. When cool, mix together with the chopped chestnuts, the herbs and the sausage meat, put into an ovenproof dish and cook for 45 minutes. When the carrots and parsnips are softened add them to the potatoes.

• Use the vegetable water and pop the giblets in and simmer. Meanwhile, run the pheasant under the cold tap and then pat dry with a paper towel. Rub a small amount of softened butter over the bird and lay three rashers of bacon across the breast and place in a roasting tin, cover with foil, making sure the foil doesn't stick to the top and air can circulate. Roast for 30 minutes then take the foil and the bacon off and continue to roast for another 15 minutes. You can keep the bacon warm to serve.

• Keep an eye on the giblets; after 30 minutes pour through your finest sieve and throw away the giblets and you are left with a nice tasty stock.

• Now here comes the slightly tricky bit – you must have the table ready and if I was you I would give your partner a large glass of champagne and ask them to get out of the way, because you need to concentrate on timing...

• When the pheasant comes out of the oven, place it onto your carving plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm.

• Now you need to make the gravy… Pour the juice from the roasting tin into a saucepan on the hob; when bubbling add the flour and stir in until it is smooth, add the port and the stock gradually (you may need to use a whisk), season, add the chestnuts and gently simmer for five minutes. This gives you time to get the potatoes and the parsnips out of the oven and onto the serving dish. Take the stuffing out of the oven, pop the gravy in a jug and...

...CHRISTMAS LUNCH IS SERVED!

Individual Christmas puddings

Ingredients

100g butter
30g dark muscovado sugar
30g molasses sugar
Juice of ½ lemon and zest
1 egg, beaten
20g self-raising white flour
60g breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon mixed spice
100g currants
100g raisins
50ml brandy
50ml ginger wine

What to do

• Pre-heat the oven to Gas 2/150ºC.

• Prepare your tins. If you have tiny timbale tins, grease them or use a muffin tin and line with paper muffin cases.

• In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugars, add the lemon juice, then add the egg with the breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice. Add the dried fruit and finally the brandy and ginger wine.

• Put the mixture in the prepared tins. Half-fill your largest roasting tin with boiling water and rest the muffin tin on top or put the individual tins in the roasting tin like a bath, cover with foil and bake in the oven for an hour. When you take them out of the oven, leave them to cool in their bath for another hour.

• To reheat them pop them in the oven for 20 mins and serve with brandy butter.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Let us know what you're getting up to this Christmas!

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Monica's Christmas caravan cuisine

Roast pheasant with port and chestnut gravy, chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots

Ingredients

The stuffing

The gravy

What to do

Individual Christmas puddings

Ingredients

What to do

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Recent Updates

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