Easy Cook Sample Issue

CRACKER CRACKER

!CWhristmas is a costly time of year, but you don't need to bankrupt yourself to eat well over the festive season, as this issue proves. Turn to page 24 for a special turkey dinner for six with all the trimmings, which comes in at just £3.44 per person –there's even a complete shopping list to make it easy. Bargain! Tom Kerridge follows suit and shares his budget crowd-pleasing recipes (p64), and the homemade edible gifts on p16 are great for keeping costs down and giving the kids something to do, all in one go. I hope you have a very merry Christmas, full of good food.

Editor Keith Kendrick

Clementine mince pies

If making the mince pies each year is your Christmas ritual, you are going to love these. You can swap the homemade pastry for shop-bought sweet shortcrust if you like, and cut out a star shape from card to use as a template if you don’t have a cutter.

n Makes 12 n Prep 40 mins plus chilling n Cook 20 mins

500g mincemeat (vegetarian if needed)

4 clementines, all zested and 2 juiced

twist (p60).

YJeremy Pang A fantastic pork centrepiece full of Thai spice (p74).

YTom Kerridge Great-value meals for festive entertaining (p64).

From

Most of our recipes have previously appeared in our sister title BBC Good Food and have been developed in the Test Kitchen, so you can trust they work every time.

3 tbsp orange liqueur, optional FOR THE PASTRY

300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 175g chilled butter, cubed 1 egg yolk

2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to serve

1 For the pastry, pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until a breadcrumb texture forms. Add the egg yolk and sugar, then pulse again until it begins to clump. If it’s not clumping, add ice-cold water, 1 tsp at a time, and pulse again, until a dough forms. Cut away a third of the dough, then wrap both pieces and chill for 30 mins.

2 In a bowl, combine the mincemeat, zest and juice, and liqueur if using.

3 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Divide the larger piece of pastry into 12, form into balls, then roll each into a thin circle on a lightly floured work surface. Use to line a regular 12-hole cupcake tin. Divide the mincemeat between each case.

4 Roll out the smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface, then cut out shapes with a small star cutter. Use them to top each mince pie.

5 Bake for 20 mins until golden. Cool on wire racks, then dust with icing sugar.

PER SERVING 346 kcals, fat 15g, saturates 8g, carbs 47g, sugars 28g, fibre 2g, protein 3g, salt none

YNadiya Hussain Make a speedy jalfrezi that's full of flavour (p50).

YBecky Excell Traditional Christmas bakes with a gluten-free

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

We know how busy you are, so the recipes in Easy Cook are designed to make life easier

■ We try to keep the ingredients lists as short as possible, and preparation times to a minimum.

■ To save you time, many of our recipes use ingredients you might already have in your kitchen.

EDITORIAL

Group magazines editor Keith Kendrick

Food director Cassie Best

Recipes editor Sara Buenfeld

Group content & production manager Stella Papamichael

Deputy content & production manager Fiona Forman

Production editor Marianne Voyle

Chief sub & production editor Dom Martin

Senior sub-editors Sarah Nittinger, Hannah Guinness

Sub-editor Katie Hopkins

With thanks to Charly Morgan, Marie-Louise Haig DESIGN

Group creative director Ben Curtis Art director Rachel Bayly

Art editor Freddie Stewart, Andrew Jackson FOOD GROUP

Managing director, food Jessica Norell Neeson

Group editor-in-chief Christine Hayes

Group advertising & partnerships director Jason Elson

Commercial director Simon Carrington

ADVERTISING

Head of clients & strategy Catherine Crosby

Senior account manager Rachel Dalton

Account manager Margaret McGonnell

Business development manager Ashley Snell

Senior ad services co-ordinator Sarah Barker

For advertising enquiries, email imfood@immediate.co.uk

PUBLISHING & MARKETING

Publishing manager Tom Townsend-Smith

Digital marketing manager Amy Donovan

Newstrade marketing executive Lara-Jane Johnston

Subscriptions director Helen Ward

Direct marketing manager Sally Longstaff

Direct marketing executive Amy Corbett

Head of newstrade marketing Martin Hoskins

PRODUCTION

Production director Koli Pickersgill

Production manager Lee Spencer

Senior production controller Leanda Holloway

Senior repro technician Darren McCubbin

Display ad services managers John Szilady, Eleanor Parkman-Eason

IMMEDIATE MEDIA CO

CEO Sean Cornwell

COO & CFO Dan Constanda

Executive chairman Tom Bureau

BBC STUDIOS

Chair, Editorial Review Boards Nicholas Brett

Managing director of consumer products & licensing Stephen Davies

Global director, magazines Mandy Thwaites

Compliance manager Cameron McEwan

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the prices displayed in BBC Easy Cook magazine. However, they can vary once we go to print. Please check with the appropriate retailers for full details. Nutritional analysis includes listed ingredients only and excludes optional ingredients such as salt. It is measured per portion. We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about our magazines, visit bbcgoodfood.com, email goodfoodmagazine@immediate.co.uk or write to Christine Hayes, Editor-in-Chief, Immediate Media, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London W6 7BT

CHRISTMAS 2023

CHRISTMAS

8 GIFT GUIDE

Presents for food lovers, all under £25

10 LESS WASTE, MORE TASTE

Clever tips for cutting costs this Christmas

14 GET THE PARTY STARTED

Retro nibbles and party punches

16 MADE WITH LOVE

Easy edible ideas that children will love making – including gifts for grown-ups

22 THRIFTY STARTERS

Luxurious-looking, easy-to-make dishes

24 CHRISTMAS LUNCH FOR LESS

Roast chicken and all the trimmings

32 CROWNING GLORY

You can’t go wrong with a turkey crown

36 FESTIVE SIDES

Imaginative side dishes for Christmas Day

40 VEGGIE MAINS

Ideas for plant-based showstoppers Christmas punch

44 STUNNING SALMON

Let this vibrant recipe steal the show

46 ROAST BEEF

Festive food to feed six hungry guests

50 JALFREZI IN A JIFFY

Nadiya Hussain’s low-cost Bengali stir-fry

52 PUDDINGS TO IMPRESS

Our recipes can be made ahead, giving you more time to enjoy the big day

60 GLUTEN-FREE BAKES

Get into the Christmas spirit with Becky Excell’s seasonal ideas

EVERYDAY

64 HOST WITH THE MOST

Wow the crowd with our made-for-sharing budget dinners

72 FREEZE-AHEAD DINNERS

Family-friendly meals to rely on

74 PORK WITH PIZZAZZ

Make Jeremy Pang’s Thai roast pork

gold star! gold star!

Our twist on a classic dessert combines dark-golden caramel sauce and crisp pastry with meltingly soft pears

Pear tarte tatin

n Serves 6 n Prep 25 mins plus resting n Cook 35 mins

4 Williams pears, halved, cored and quartered

150g caster sugar

50g salted butter, cubed 500g puff pastry block

1 egg, beaten ice cream, to serve

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Round off any sharp edges on the pear segments using a small, sharp knife.

2 Tip the sugar into a 25cm ovenproof frying pan with 3 tbsp water. Heat gently, swirling the pan as the sugar melts. Turn up the heat and cook until it turns a caramel colour. Carefully add the butter (the mixture will splutter) and swirl to dissolve. Add the pear pieces. Turn the heat right down and spoon the caramel over the pear segments, turning them for 5 mins until they’re coated and turning golden. Remove the pan from the heat.

3 Arrange the pear segments neatly in the pan, flat-side up. Remember that the sides of the pear on the base of the pan will be facing upwards once the tart is flipped.

4 Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a circle about 1/2cm thick and a little bigger than the frying pan. Gently lift the

puff pastry and drape it over the pan, tucking the edges of the pastry into the frying pan so it fits snugly over the pears. Prick between six and nine holes all over the pastry using a small, sharp knife. Brush all over with the beaten egg. Cook in the oven for 25 mins until the pastry is golden.

5 Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 mins. Put a large serving plate over the frying pan, then quickly flip the tart over and onto the plate. Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream on the side.

PER SERVING 548 kcals, fat 29g, saturates 15g, carbs 62g, sugars 36g, fibre 5g, protein 6g, salt 0.9g

Getting crisp pastry

Piercing the pastry means the steam from the cooking pears and caramel can escape from underneath, and stops it from becoming soggy. You’ll also have fully cooked pastry throughout.

Fruity facts

The right variety of pear and ripeness is important when making a tarte tatin. Under-ripe fruit or Conference pears, for example, will be too crunchy and won't soften when cooked. Too ripe, and you risk the pears collapsing.

 Belvoir Farm non-alcoholic rhubarb & ginger G&T, £3.50 Sainsbury's

A great non-alcoholic addition to a foodie hamper, filled with juicy rhubarb flavour, gentle ginger heat and sparkling fizz.

t Tracklements festive goodies box, £23.05 tracklements.co.uk

The whole festive period is covered with this gift box. It comes full of chutneys and more to accompany feasts on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and beyond. From a fruity spiced apple chutney to horseradish cream and cranberry sauce, there’s something for everyone.

Compiled by Lucy Roxburgh £25 &under

t Cartwright & Butler musical Christmas wishes tin, £15 cartwrightandbutler.co.uk

Not only is it filled with buttery chocolate orange biscuits, this pretty tin can also be wound-up to play the festive classic 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland'.

 Dexam set of four classic British biscuit cutters, £14.99 dexam.co.uk

Make homemade bakes look just like the originals with this fun set of cookie stamps to use on your next batch of biscuits.

 Cocktail party organic cotton tea towel, £16 laurabarnes.co.uk

This colourful tea towel is sure to brighten up the kitchen, illustrated with a range of favourite cocktails. Plus 10% of every sale goes to The Baytree Centre, a charity supporting women and girls in South London.

Orange leaf platter, £16.50 masoncash.co.uk

Perfect for entertaining, this unique leaf-shaped platter adds a splash of colour to your dining table – pile it high with festive feasts.

 ProCook pizza set, £14.99 procook.co.uk

Serve up your next margherita in style with this two-piece beechwood pizza set: a stainless steel pizza cutter and a wooden board, complete with grooves to guide cutting for perfect slices every time.

 Coco Chemistry chocolate salami, £13 cocochemistry.co.uk

The perfect end to a Christmas dinner party. These chocolate ‘salamis’ have a soft truffle centre and come in a range of flavours, from rocky road to caramel biscuit. Look out for their caramel-filled ‘mince pie’ chocolate bar, too.

Didsbury Gin gift pack, £14.95 didsburygin.com This mini set of four Didsbury gins is perfect for fruity G&T fans. Miniatures of raspberry & elderflower, blood orange & ginger and strawberry & Sicilian lemon gins, plus a plain original, give plenty to experiment with.

 Festive figgy fudge, £3 Waitrose & Partners

The flavours of Christmas pudding work so well in this crumbly fudge. It's a lovely stocking filler for sweettoothed friends and family.

LESS WASTE

justadash

Not all of us want to open a bottle of wine for a recipe, but it can really enhance the flavours. Our trick is to have a bottle of extra dry white vermouth to hand. As the flavour is more concentrated than wine you won’t need too much. The bonus is that vermouth can be stored after opening, so seal up the bottle to use another day.

PERKUP A CRANBERRY SAUCE

Cheat's cranberry sauce

Peel and dice a dessert apple, then cook in a small pan in a drop of oil with a bay leaf, if you have one, and a pinch of cinnamon until it starts to caramelise and soften. Tip in a jar of cranberry sauce, and stir over a gentle heat until well combined, then season.

MORE TASTE

Clever ways to love your leftovers, including budget- and eco-friendly tips

Ham for the holidays

Fill your kitchen with the smell of Christmas and save fuel at the same time with this slow cooker gammon. The cola adds a sweet treacly flavour to balance the saltiness of the ham.

Slow cooker gammon in cola

Set your slow cooker to medium and put the gammon joint in the dish with 1 chopped carrot, 1 quartered onion, 1 chopped celery stick, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tbsp peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Pour over 2 litres cola (not diet). Cook for 5 1/2 hrs on low until the gammon is tender but still holding its shape, topping up with boiling water if necessary, to keep the gammon fully covered.

Carefully pour the liquid away, then let the ham cool a little while you heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lift the ham into a roasting then cut away the skin leaving behind an even layer of fat. Score the fat all over in a criss-cross pattern. Mix 150ml maple syrup, 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and a good pinch ground cloves or five-spice in a jug. Pour half over the fat, roast for 15 mins, then pour over the rest and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins, then spoon more glaze over the top. Can be roasted on the day or up to three days ahead and served cold. Serves 8. See p82 for great ways to use up any leftovers.

3 ways to cut costs this Christmas

1

Make a list and try not to overbuy. It sounds so obvious, but one of the best ways to save money while shopping is to make a list, create a budget and stick to it.

2

Check out those coupons. Supermarket coupons are a good way to slash the cost of your shop. Websites like SuperSavvyMe and CaringEveryday offer printable money-off coupons direct from the manufacturer. You’ll also find coupons in free supermarket magazines, on promotional packets and online. Don’t forget that in-store loyalty cards can slash costs too.

3

Wait for the wine offers. Many supermarkets offer occasional deals when you buy a case of wine – 6 bottles at a time. You can save as much as 25% off the cost of your favourite wine. Look out for a wine that's already on offer, that way you'll make a double saving!