A seasonal aberration, dear reader... the Appetite vegetable patch is still a riot of rainbow chard and runner beans when in fact the frost should have put paid to the lot of it weeks ago.
I’m delighted with this continued bounty of course, not least because the cabbage white caterpillars snaffled all the kale and sprouts while we were away in the summer yet the mild weather has allowed both of them to return aplenty too. But I am perplexed by the unseasonably mild weather we’re experiencing as I write this because it does not augur well for the white Christmas I require to fully embrace the season.
To my mind, a white or at least frosty Christmas is essential for a number of reasons, not least because the fridge is always full so our back doorstep is turned into repository for the chilling of wines, spirits and mixers. That’s clearly not going to work if it’s still 16C outside.
Whatever the weather, however, I can’t resist the aromas of Christmas cooking in getting into the spirit of things. I’m reaching for my Michael Bublé Christmas CD at the first sniff of
a clove, and this festive edition of Appetite is always the beginning of things for me.
It’s a difficult time and doubtless we’re all reining in this year, but we can still enjoy the bounty of our amazing regional producers, restaurants, cafés and retailers. I have a thing for edible gifts so any minute now I will be up to my eyes in biscuits, truffles and fudge, all to be tied up in ribbons and given to friends. And for friends and family far away, I will be ordering gift boxes of wine, beer, chocolate, cheese and honey from the producers featured in this edition’s Christmas gift focus.
It may not yet be wintry outside and the news may be all doom and gloom, but we can still ensure Christmas tastes good, and I hope this edition inspires you as much as it has me. Here’s to a happy one – see you on the other side!
@appetitemaguk
Cover: Cherry Kirsch trifle, page 32
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CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS, SPARKLING DECORATIONS, LOG FIRES, MINCE PIES, THE SCENT OF PINE NEEDLES AND DELICIOUS FOOD, DECEMBER AT JESMOND DENE HOUSE IS PRETTY MAGICAL.
We look forward to welcoming guests to our house to celebrate in style with family, friends, or colleagues. Whether it’s for Festive Afternoon Tea, A la Carte dining or ‘Turkey with All the Trimmings’, Jesmond Dene House & Fern Dining Room is the perfect place to eat, meet, drink and celebrate!
FERN DINING IN DECEMBER
Two Courses: £36 per person • Three Courses: £42 per person Running alongside our A la Carte Menu for the month of December, we will be o ering a Four Course Festive Set Menu.
Dinner is available Wednesday - Saturday from 6pm Thursday 1st of December - Friday 30th December (Excludes 25th, 26th & New Year’s Eve Dining)
Lunch: £60 per person • Dinner: £65 per person
The fun of the festive season provides the perfect excuse to invite family, friends, or colleagues for a celebratory meal. Our three private dining rooms seat up to 12, 20 and 30 and are designed to create a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, or we have the Great Hall for larger parties of up to 100.
Includes: Festive cocktail, three-course meal, co ee and mince pies, Christmas crackers.
JESMOND DENE HOUSE - Jesmond Dene Road – Newcastle – NE2 2EY
T: 0191 212 3000 E: info@jesmonddenehouse.co.uk W: www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk
Since we re-opened after our half-millionpound renovation project, customers were crying out for Sunday Lunch to return.
The response since we re-launched our brand new gastro pub has been so heart warming, it inspired us to make our Sunday Lunches just as exceptional as our main menu and “blackboard” - Come and try for yourself - you wont be disappointed!
Yes, we know we usually reserve this column for the slightly out of the ordinary, but what with the current economic situation, it strikes us that there are some superb cheaper cuts of lamb we can all consider. Affordable cuts like shoulder, scrag and middle neck, and breast need very slow cooking if they’re going to be tender, and they're perfect in winter-warming dishes.
A shoulder joint is cheaper than a leg, and is juicier and more flavoursome. Make cuts in the skin, stuff them with rosemary and garlic and roast extremely slowly (about 4 hours for a 2.5kg joint, bone in) covered in foil for a superb Sunday roast.
Scrag and middle neck are perfect for a stew which you can do in your slow cooker to keep cooking costs down, while a breast joint is ideal rolled and slow roast on top of a layer of mixed vegetables and half a bottle of red wine (the cheap cooking sort!).
It’s amazing, the places you find when you have a house guest who insists on a daily trip out for coffee/tea and cake. The editor was treated to some gems recently, beginning with the post office at Bardon Mill, where there’s a super little tearoom serving up toasties, soups, cakes and traybakes and where the fruitcake was a gem!
The Forge Café in Allendale, meanwhile, served up a very fine Victoria sponge with a pot of Earl Grey, while the excellent Riverside Kitchen at Collerford and Oddfellows at Haydon Bridge both served up excellent cakes.
Our spies tell us that Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes and Brazil manager Tite enjoyed lunch at Rio Brazilian Steakhouse in Jesmond, Newcastle. The restaurant is a favourite with Bruno, and co-owner Rodrigo Grassi, said: “We're always very proud to welcome all our customers through the door, but especially when they are living Brazilian football legends.”
Nice work on the part of Northumberland-based Marlish Waters and Jesmond Dene House, which marked National Gin and Tonic Day with an event matching various gins with the Marlish range of tonics. Hosted by Joe Evans, co-founder of Marlish, guests enjoyed an afternoon of food, hospitality, and of course G&Ts, finding out which spirits pair best with different tonics and mixers and how to garnish drinks to perfection.
NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week in August did its bit for the city’s economy, shattering all previous records in feeding more than 52,000 hungry diners at 113 restaurants.
The event generated a spend of more than £870,000 in participating restaurants, up on the previous record of £640,000 in January 2022. Calculations are still awaited from some of the city’s biggest restaurants, which means the final income total is expected to exceed £900,000. That means this year’s two restaurant weeks in August and January generated more than £1.5 million for the city’s economy. Ben Whitfield, director of communications at NE1, said: “The weeks provide a significant economic boost for businesses at crucial times of the year, especially this year as businesses continue their bounce back from the pandemic. We can’t wait for the next one.”
Bamburgh Castle Inn in Seahouses is celebrating a major refurbishment which includes a glazed terrace which makes the most of the sea view. A new light-filled glass atrium houses a second bar and seating area with log-burning stove, rustic timber panelling and nautical décor, and Coble Cottage next door, which was bought by the pub’s owner, The Inn Collection Group, in 2020, has been re-purposed to create 14 en-suite rooms, increasing the site’s total number of bedrooms to 60. Bamburgh Castle Inn, Seahouses, NE68 7SQ, tel 01665 720 283 www.inncollectiongroup.com/bamburgh-castle-inn
Blagdon Farm Shop is Christmas-ready, stocked with produce from the Blagdon Estate including free-range bronze and white turkeys, beef and wild roe venison. There’s a range of turkey hampers to suit all budgets, homemade family and party pies, quiches, ready meals and desserts all available to order along with all the trimmings from chipolatas to cranberry sauce to mince pies. Seasonal Blagdon vegetables, wreaths and Christmas trees are also available, and the Christmas brochure is on the website. Orders can be placed online or over the phone. Blagdon Farm Shop, Milkhope Centre Berwick Hill Road, Seaton Burn, NE13 6DA tel 01670 789 924, www.theblagdonfarmshop.co.uk
Walwick Hall’s new winter menu celebrates the best regional produce, with locally reared lamb, beef and pork starring alongside seasonal fish and local vegetables.
The dinner menu includes rosemary-roasted lamb rump served with pancetta and shallot potato cake, kale, braised salsify, mustard purée and crispy sweetbread, and the catch of the day with marinated artichoke, blistered tomato, onion, fennel and lime salad and tomato vinaigrette. Seared stone bass is accompanied by crushed saffron potatoes, fennel and a sautéed spinach and shrimp meuniere, while beetroot and goat’s cheese gnocchi, and wild mushroom and tarragon risotto also star on the new menu.
Desserts include autumnal and winter flavours of saffron-poached pear, plum and buckwheat, or autumn mousse – a goat’s cheese frozen mousse with beetroot caramel, puff pastry, walnut and sorrel.
Walwick Hall, Humshaugh, Hexham, NE46 4BJ tel 01434 620 156, www.walwickhall.com
The new Mediterraneanstyle bistro Lovage is now open in Jesmond, Newcastle, where chef/ co-owner Kleo Tabuku is focusing on seasonality, sustainability and quality. Enjoy spiced local lamb koftas; pappardelle with girolles, peas and sun-blushed tomatoes; sustainable cod with Savoy cabbage, mussels and fish cream; gnocchi with smoked duck, ricotta and pears; and salt-aged flat iron steak. Lovage, 115 St George’s Terrace, Jesmond, NE2 2DN, tel 0191 366 5379 www.lovagejesmond.co.uk
In our opinion the most sublime of vegetables, use it any which way, including simply roast with garlic and honey, in soup with horseradish, or roasted and whizzed into hummus with chickpeas, garlic, lemon and extra virgin olive oil.
Wild rabbit is mildly gamey in flavour and very lean so is best slow-cooked in a stew or casserole. Serve in a stew with onion, celery, button mushrooms, white wine, chicken or rabbit stock and thyme, rosemary or sage. For a continental flavour, add tomatoes, olives or prunes, and brandy.
Much richer in flavour and more characterful than chicken, we’re at a loss to understand why we only eat roast turkey once a year. In between times, turkey mince is a flavour-full and lean alternative to beef mince and makes for a welcome change for ragu or burgers.
Here at Appetite HQ, bread sauce is up there with Father Christmas and indeed Christ himself in terms of importance on December 25. Thus, the editor makes a vat of the stuff on Christmas Eve – the traditional way, just a clove-studded onion to infuse the milk, then a heap of breadcrumbs – and it is served up at every meal thereafter until it’s all gone, never to appear again until next December 25. Rather like Father Christmas (if not Christ, who we lke to think is always with us in our culinary endeavours).
As above!
Helen Stanton of Forum Books in Corbridge, The Bound, Whitley Bay, and The Accidental Bookshop, Alnwick, reviews the latest food titles
Transform eating in with easy midweek dinners which are simple yet joyful and celebrate the comforts of home cooking. Try ginger noodles with chilli oil, spiced lamb with lemony hummus, and for a suitably sweet ending, brown sugar cheesecake.
Inspired by The Bakehouse, Kyiv, which has baked throughout the conflict, this collection in aid of Ukraine is donated by bakers worldwide. There are sweet and savoury breads, cakes and cookies, pies and tarts, all proof that baking makes a difference.
Fearing 50 fun reasons to enjoy pigs in blankets all year round, this includes PiB bolognaise, risotto, carbonara, BBQ and breakfast recipes. There’s PiB trifle and recipes for PiB-tatas bravas, PiBs bread and PiB sushi. If you love pigs in blankets, this is for you.
Full of inventive recipes such as green gazpacho panna cotta, tomato and coffee muffins, cricket ketchup, thyme and orange kombucha, and popcorn chicken with real popcorn, every recipe here is straightforward and Heston at his most accessible.
Celebrated contributors include David Sedaris on the joy of a hot dog, Jia Tolentino on her go-to chicken dish, Patti Smith on her mother’s poor man’s cake and more in this ode to food and emotion. It’s a riotous, mouth-watering celebration of jelly, mac and cheese, donuts, the best sandwich in the world and more.
From tamarind and coconut fish curry, lamb stewed with cinnamon and apricots, and baked custard infused with saffron and cardamom, this is a fusion of Persian and Indian cuisine gathered from Talati’s travels and family history... a love letter to Parsi culture and its people.
This fantastic collection includes lots of no bake and simple stove-top desserts such as marbled minty chocolate mousse, easy whipped tres leches cake with hazelnuts, pies, tarts, galettes, cobblers, baked custards, puddings and more. Sweet!
Guests at The Anglers Arms on the banks of the River Coquet at Weldon Bridge, Longframlington can now catch their dinner as well as enjoying it in the pub.
A popular resting place for travellers for more than 300 years, the pub owns the rights to fish on this stretch of one of the finest game fishing rivers in England, home to brown trout, sea trout and salmon.
Guests staying overnight in the pub or the adjacent apartment or self-catering holiday cottage can purchase a day ticket to fish the north side of the river if they have a valid Environment Agency Licence. On their return, the chefs at the pub will clean and dress their catch before cooking and serving it that evening.
There is a bag limit for trout of one brace per person, and catch and release rules apply to salmon at various times of the year.
The Anglers Arms, Weldon Bridge, Longframlington, NE65 8AX tel 01665 570 271, www.anglersarms.com
The brilliant Hoardweel Wagyu steak has picked up a gold award at the 2022 Naked Steak Awards hosted by Scottish Craft Butchers. The awards – which are judged blind, with the judges unaware of the breed and source – recognise quality produce from across Scotland, with the judges assessing the appearance of each 230g sirloin steak before and after cooking as well as flavour and tenderness. www.hoardweelwagyu.co.uk
Celebrated chef Paul Nicholson has taken up the role of head chef at Rockliffe Hall’s Orangery restaurant.
Paul has worked at some of the country’s finest restaurants including the Yorke Arms in the Yorkshire Dales, Storrs Hall in the Lake District, and Lords of the Manor and The Dial House in the Cotswolds. He moves to Teesside from The Clock House restaurant in Surrey, where he has retained a Michelin star and three AA rosettes since 2020.
He says: “The Rockliffe Hall estate has so much to offer, particularly the walled kitchen gardens which were redeveloped earlier this year. I’m excited about working with the Orangery team and the array of ingredients that are readily available to forage in the local area, coupled with the excellent produce that is available on the doorstep.”
Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth, Darlington, DL2 2DU, tel 01325 729 999 www.rockliffehall.com
Diners in Sunderland proved there’s a real appetite when it comes to eating out in the city as the most recent Sunderland Restaurant Week proved the most successful ever.
From September 17-25, a record 56 restaurants, bars and cafés took part in the event, which saw diners able to take advantage of special menus priced at £5, £10 and £15 – boosting the city’s economy by an estimated £286,800 during the week.
Organised by Sunderland BID, the event has become a staple on the city calendar, taking place twice a year.
chief executive of Sunderland BID, said: “The fact that we have so many new and exciting restaurants coming into the city boosted the event this time. It’s been a record event, both in terms of the economic impact and the number of venues taking part.”
Congratulations to Jesmond Dene House, which has won a Good Hotel Guide Editor’s Choice 2023 award in the Cities/Towns Hotels category. The latest edition of the Good Hotel Guide features 650 hotels, inns, B&Bs and guesthouses. Readers play a crucial role by reporting on existing entries as well as recommending new discoveries. These reports are carefully filtered, each review received having its author’s name, address and other details recorded.
Jesmond Dene House, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle, NE2 2EY tel 0191 212 3000, www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk
After a two-year break, the North East Hotels Association hosted its awards ceremony at The Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park. The industry’s contribution to the region’s economy is vast, while hotel revenue alone exceeds £200m, with an economic footprint estimated at £616m. This year’s awards went to:
Warmest Welcome - David Jackson (Malmaison)
Best Newcomer - Clinton Douglas (Maldron Hotel)
Rising Star - Dannika Herron (Seaham Hall)
Sales Excellence - Nola Collinson (Staybridge Suites)
Service Excellence - Scott Arthur (Maldron Hotel)
Inspirational Leader in memory of Damon Roberts - Marcus Klemm (County Hotel)
Cleanliness Excellence – Housekeeping team, Holiday Inn Gosforth Park
Support Services - Cheryl Wrightson (Jurys Inn Middlesbrough)
Community Award - Chris Wells (Marriott MetroCentre)
The two Michelin-starred Raby Hunt and Michelin-starred Pine have been included in The Good Food Guide’s list of the Top 20 Most Exciting restaurants in Britain 2022. The Raby Hunt is at number four in the list, while Pine enters at number 13 following its exceptional rating from inspectors earlier this year. Raby Hunt chef patron James Close says: “It’s a real achievement for us, which shows our commitment and continued striving for perfection has paid off.” Pine chef patron Cal Byerley says: “Featuring alongside the likes of L’Enclume, Moor Hall and Raby Hunt is amazing.’’
To view the full list visit: www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk
As well as being lovely spots to break for tasty treats on walks in Newcastle, the two Urban Green’s cafés in Exhibition Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park are also home to an enviable selection of goodies to take home. Both locations stock treats and gifts including honey from The Travelling Bee Co, whose latest batch was harvested from Jesmond Dene; jams and chutneys from Fat Lass Preserves; and gourmet chocolate from North Chocolates. There are also locally themed souvenirs from Whitley Bay-based For the Love of the North. www.urbangreennewcastle.org/urban-green-cafe
If you’ve indulged in a little too much of the sweet and savoury offerings at Riverview Bakery, fear not, it now offers bed and breakfast. Prices start at £100 per room per night and a Riverview breakfast awaits in the morning. Riverview Bakery River View, Gateshead, NE17 7TL tel 01207 563 668, www.facebook.com/ DessertHeavenNewcastle
Vicky Moffitt, of
Farm on Hadrian’s Wall, shares the trials and tribulations of the Kitchen Garden which supplies produce to the farm’s weddings and events, and Restaurant Pine. Vallum, Military Road, Newcastle, NE18 0LL tel 01434 672 652, www.vallumfarm.co.uk
The passage of autumn into winter always feels to me like a slowing-down period; a time for reflection. Everything is slowing down, it seems, not just me, and I find it harder to tap into my energy because my instinct is to be still. Which is fine, only I also need to get going at times!
In summer I could do all my winter garden jobs in a flash, but I’m looking at the leaves in the garden right now and I don’t even want to go outside, let alone deal with all the things that need doing.
I need to get out there though, if only to gather up the leaves. Have you discovered what a wonderstuff leaf mulch is? It’s superb for padding out raised beds, for instance. If you’re thinking of putting some in, fill them with layers starting with cardboard topped by sticks and twigs, then a good layer of leaves and topsoil to finish. It saves the cost of a raised bed
full of expensive / hard to come by topsoil and hides a wealth of nutrients beneath the surface.
In other gardening news, the rainbow chard is still growing well in the polytunnels and brings such pleasure at this time of year. Its vibrant colours and enthusiastic abundance give me a much-needed spring in my step whenever I go down there.
In the kitchen, we’re making spanakopita next week. I have a bee in my bonnet and I won’t be happy until I’ve made some, so that’s a nice departure from the shorter days. I’m in seasonal canapé mood too. In the summer I removed our little fish pond and extended the patio, so I’m planning a Christmas canapé party around the fire pit with tattie scones with hot-smoked salmon and crème fraîche, and cranberry and venison on toast. I think even I can find the energy I need for that! As for Christmas –we live in hope!
Here are five of our editor’s
Glazed vegan donuts are loved by plant-based eaters and omnivores alike. The flavours are wideranging and absolutely sublime, and wherever possible the Glazed team use sustainable and organic ingredients. Recent specials have included raspberry, pistachio and cardamom, vanilla and cornflake praline, and a blueberry and bayleaf with oat crumble. The coffee’s good too.
In addition to serving an amazing Christmas menu at its two Newcastle resturants, legendary street food pioneer Dabbawal is also bringing its tasty lunchtime Dabbabox back to Fenwick Food Hall for the month of December. The Dabbabox contains a choice of three mouth-watering curries with rice, salad and a dip; a wrap or a selection of tandoori meats in one handy 100% recyclable box. As well as the Dabbabox, the Fenwick stall is also serving up restaurant favourites bhel puri, the vada pao Bombay veggie burger, and healthy salads. Just go! Dabbawal, High Bridge, Newcastle and Brentwood Mews, Jesmond, and in December at Fenwick Food Hall, www.dabbawal.com
19 Coast Road, High Heaton NE7 7RN, and Unit 132 Grainger Market, Newcastle www.facebook.com/ glazedvegandonuts
Serving up sublime seafood on the coast, Saltwater Café in Beadnell is renowned for Lindisfarne oysters, Craster kippers, and local lobster, crab and fish of the day, all of it expertly yet simply presented. Vegans and meat eaters are also well catered for, as are sweet lovers and those in need of a hearty breakfast. The Wynding, Beadnell, NE67 5AS tel 01665 720 333 www.northcoastcollective.uk/saltwatercafe
Bertrams café and B&B is a local institution in Warkworth. Serving breakfasts, Craster kippers, homemade burgers, puddings and cakes, and G&T afternoon tea, ingredients are sourced from Turnbulls and R. Green & Son butchers, Robson’s of Craster, Bread and Roses, and R. Ord & Hens. We love the heated courtyard.
19 Bridge Street, Warkworth, Amble, NE65 0XB tel 01665 798 070, www.bertrams.co.uk
For fine dining without formality, Coarse, which is new to Durham, serves a sublime six-course taster menu for just £40 per head. Chef/ co-owner Ruari MacKay, former head chef at Bistro 21, is known for his exquisite flavours which take local ingredients to the next level. The photo shows beef cheeks with Chinese spices, turnip purée and orange turnip salad. Reform Place North Road, Durham, DH1 4RZ tel 0191 374 1123
www.coarse.restaurant
As foodie destinations go, Corbridge is a good one. From quality dining to buzzing tearooms, you can graze its historic streets all day and evening should the fancy take you, and invest in quality local produce to take home.
In the last decade, I’ve eaten at the old town hall at the foot of Hill Street many times; first when it housed a fine coffee shop and art gallery, then at the restaurant which followed. This landmark building’s third transformation in 10 years heralds Sycamore with chef Alex Robb (ex-Walwick Hall and The Lord Crewe Arms) at the helm, and villagers have been abuzz with anticipation while work has gone on to revamp this much-loved building.
I’m keen to see the transformation too, and delighted to discover the old town hall has been treated to a distinguished, elegantly understated makeover which reveals the best of its historic spaces. Exposed brickwork, dark
wood and muted tones create a classic contrast to the cleverly contemporary bar, while the view up the hill with the comings and goings of the village is as beguiling as it was in the days when sturdy village burghers debated local issues into the night.
The seasonal menu is balanced, uncluttered and designed to warm the stomachs and souls of diners seeking proper Northumbrian flavours. Thus we start with a superb sourdough made along the road in Hexham which we heap with whipped salted butter. There is then butter-soft braised beef shin enclosed in a crisp crumb which provides a delicious foil for the meltingly tender meat within, while a seasonally robust duck terrine is served with a tangy sweet red onion chutney which cuts efficiently through the richness of the duckmeat.
We gobble up a wild mushroom risotto which is generous in size
and flavour, its mix of earthy and more delicate seasonal ’shrooms making their presence felt while bathed in the creamy rice. Pink roast rump of lamb, meanwhile, sits contentedly on a cradle of winter vegetables with braised lamb shoulder wrapped in another delicious crumb and a flavourful jus.
What better than to end with a rich sticky toffee pudding doused in thick butterscotch sauce with a dollop of Jersey vanilla ice cream, and a rhubarb and apple crumble equipped with the perfect autumnal balance of tarty sweetness. It’s all delicious and augurs well for Sycamore, where excellent produce is treated to skilled execution and the service is attentive while unfussy. Our dinner is £120 for two with drinks and we will return as Sycamore grows into the gap left while this proud building was uncharacteristically empty. I trust it will put down strong roots that endure for years to come.
Our annual must-have guide to festive fare is back with more food tips, pearls of wisdom and recipes from chefs, foodies and cooks from across the region
Boneless turkey crowns are a popular choice for Christmas lunch and with a few simple tips you can ensure it’s a juicy, tasty showstopper.
First, choose a high-quality turkey crown with has been butchered expertly to preserve all the breast meat. A small one (1.5kg+) feeds 3-4, a medium one (2.2kg+) feeds 6-8, and a large one (4.5kg+) feeds 12-plus. To prepare it, start by bringing it to room temperature at least 45 mins before cooking. Season with salt and pepper, and preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.
The crown should be cooked for 55 mins per kilo plus 25 mins.
Place it skin side down on a trivet or rack in a roasting tin and roast on high (220C/Gas 7) for 30 mins of the calculated
time. Put a little water in the pan and keep topping up throughout the cooking time to keep it moist and give you a base for your gravy.
After 30 mins, turn the oven down to 180C/Gas 4. Turn the crown over and cover with heavily buttered greaseproof paper. Loosely cover with foil and cook for the remainder of the calculated time, basting regularly. 15-20 mins before the end of the cooking time, remove the foil and greaseproof paper and turn up the oven to crisp the skin.
When cooking time has been reached, check with a skewer in the thickest part - the juices should run clear. If unsure, cook for a further 10 mins and check again. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 mins before carving.
Preparing everything the day before is the key to a successful Christmas dinner. Blanch all the vegetables and keep them in iced water for heating on the day. I also remove the turkey breast, butterfly it and fill in with chestnut stuffing before rolling it up, ensuring the skin covers the outside. It looks fantastic, tastes delicious, stays moist, and can even be cooked the day before and then portioned and warmed up on Christmas Day.
Don’t just boil your veg! There’s no reason why vegetables can’t be the star of the show, and good veg elevates the whole Christmas dinner experience. Roasting your vegetables is a great option, and use some herbs and spices to mix things up and make each one more interesting. For example, roast carrots with cardamon or try pan-frying your Brussels sprouts with crushed garlic and thyme.
Here’s a lovely festive fizz recipe and a couple of simple canapes everyone can enjoy.
Makes 6-8 glasses
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange • 1 tbsp sugar • few sprigs fresh rosemary • 250ml cranberry and pomegranate juice • 1 bottle prosecco, chilled • orange peel to serve
In a jug, mix the orange zest and juice, sugar and rosemary then pour in the cranberry and pomegranate juice and muddle together to release the flavours. Strain into another jug before dividing between Champagne flutes. Top with prosecco and serve with a twist of orange peel.
Makes 24
6 large slices rye bread • 50g salted butter, softened • grated zest of ½ lime • 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped • 200g pack sweet chilli baby beetroot, sliced • 100g soft goat’s cheese • 3 walnut halves, roughly chopped • beetroot leaves or dill to garnish
Lightly toast the bread and cut each slice into 4 small squares. Beat the butter with the grated lime zest and chopped chilli to your taste. Spread over the rye bread squares. Top with sliced chilli beetroot, dot with goat’s cheese, and finish with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. Garnish with beetroot leaves or dill.
Approx. 24 cocktail sticks 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1cm square pieces • coriander
DANNY’S
Enjoy the experience of cooking lunch and try not to overthink it. Prepare the vegetables in advance to save a lot of time on the day, pour yourself a glass of Champagne, surround yourself with loved ones and enjoy the cooking, eating and merriment of the occasion.
1kg floury potatoes (I like Yukon gold) peeled and chopped into equal size • coarse sea salt • 120g double cream • 150g unsalted butter • nutmeg Cover the potatoes with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer very gently for 10 mins. Warm butter and cream together without boiling. Increase the heat on the potatoes a little and simmer until tender. Drain in a colander, return to the pan and steam-dry. Pass quickly through a drum sieve or ricer (ideally) or mash with a potato masher. Fold in cream and butter mixture without overworking. Check seasoning and finish with a pinch of nutmeg.
Cheese is essential at Christmas and there are some vital tips to make the most of it. Some cheeses are best kept cool while others need a warmer environment – it all depends on the type of cheese and its stage of maturity. Most hard cheeses are fine at 8C-15C, though at warmer temperatures they will continue to mature. Soft and blue cheeses need to be stored at low temperatures, preferably 5C-8C.
Nearly all cheeses like a moist atmosphere and 80% relative humidity is ideal. A humid cellar is often ideal, as is the dairy or salad drawer in the fridge. If this is not possible, cover the cheese with a clean damp cloth or keep it in a container which prevents moisture escaping, like a cheese bell or cardboard box. Too dry an atmosphere means the cheese will crack; too moist an atmosphere and mould growth is encouraged. Moulds are part of the natural development of cheese and often enhance their flavour, but scrape them off if they look unattractive.
When wrapping, cling film, if used for any length of time, tends to allow too much moisture to build up, encouraging moulds to grow on the surface of the cheese. If you do use cling film, cover only the cut surface, allowing the rind to breathe, and use a new piece every time you open it. Kitchen foil is good for wrapping moist blue cheeses.
To enjoy your cheese at its best, allow it to come to room temperature (18C-23C) for an hour before serving. We recommend cheese is served before the dessert as the flow of flavours through the meal is best preserved and the wine from the main course can usually be enjoyed with the cheese. Accompany cheese with quality bread or crackers and a selection of pickles and chutneys.
Pictures: Nicky Gibson
1 celeriac
150g hay, dampened with a little water
300ml vegetable stock
75g double cream
15g truffle paste
salt and pepper
2 slices white bread
2 knobs butter
1 clove garlic
1 sprig thyme
For the soup, preheat your oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Wash or brush off any dirt from the celeriac. Place a small layer of hay in the bottom of a roasting tin, sit the celeriac on top of it and cover with the rest of the hay followed by a layer of baking paper and foil to seal it. Place the tray in the oven for 1.5-2 hours or until a knife can easily pass through the centre of the celeriac. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and separate the skin. Place the celeriac flesh and the vegetable stock in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
For the truffle cream, place the cream and truffle paste in a small bowl and whisk until thickened but not stiff. Stir in a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper and refrigerate until required.
For the croutons, trim the crusts off the bread and carefully cut the slices into 1cm cubes. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add a little oil, the butter, garlic and thyme and heat until the butter starts to foam and bubble. Add the bread cubes and cook until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, divide the soup between bowls, liberally drizzle with truffle cream and sprinkle the croutons.
SERVES 2
1-2 tbsp harissa paste (according to your taste) 50ml vegetable oil + more for frying
1 cauliflower
2 x 150g cod portions knob butter
Chermoula: 100ml olive oil
25g fresh coriander, stalks removed 25g fresh flat leaf parsley, stalks removed 4 garlic cloves, peeled 25ml lemon juice
7g paprika
4g ground cumin 2.5g salt pinch cayenne pepper
To make the chermoula, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place in an airtight container for later use.
For the cauliflower, preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Mix harissa paste (to your taste) with the vegetable oil to create a marinade for the cauliflower. Remove the leaves and cut through the core of the cauliflower to yield 4-6 good wedges. Rub the harissa marinade all over the wedges, place in an oven dish and bake in the oven for around 30 mins.
For the fish, season the cod with salt. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Place fish skin side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 mins until the skin is crisp and golden. Place the pan in the oven for 5-6 mins and when the fish looks firm but has a little yield when you press it, remove from the oven. Carefully turn the fish over and add a knob of butter to the pan, put back on the heat and baste the cod in the juices and butter, allowing the butter to brown slightly.
To serve, spoon and spread a healthy amount of chermoula on the bottom of each bowl/plate, sit the cauliflower just off centre and the roast cod next to that.
Sorbet: 150g water 75g sugar 25g glucose 5g trimolene
250g black cherry purée
Chocolate cookie crumb: 125g butter 100g sugar 125g strong flour 70g ground almonds 30g cocoa powder 3g Maldon sea salt
Mousse: 200g dark chocolate 60g maple syrup 2 x 394g blocks medium-firm silken tofu
Start with the sorbet. This requires an ice cream machine, if you don’t have one buy the sorbet or a suitable ice cream to pair with the dessert. Place the water, sugar, glucose and trimolene in a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and take it to just under a boil (around 85C). When hot stir through the purée. Place in the fridge overnight. The next day whisk it all together and churn in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store until needed. For the cookie crumb, preheat your oven to 160C/Gas 3. Place butter and sugar in a food mixer and cream together. Stir through the other dry ingredients. Spread into a greased baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins until firm. Set aside to cool. When cool, smash into a biscuit crumb texture.
For chocolate mousse, place the chocolate and maple syrup in a bowl and carefully heat in the microwave to melt. Place the tofu in a food processor and blend, slowly adding the chocolate maple mix until all is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again to make sure nothing has been missed. Store in the fridge for at least 1 hour so the mousse has time to cool and set.
To serve, place a generous spoonful of the mousse in each bowl followed by a thick layer of the cookie crumb followed by a big scoop of the cherry sorbet.
What can you not do without at Christmas?
A show-stopping trifle? A great prawn cocktail?
The ultimate sugar-baked ham? These are some of the gems we believe no home should be without this Christmas
The 1970s dinner party classic has never gone out of fashion, and is as de rigeur on Christmas Day as pigs in blankets and mince pies. There are a multitude of means of spicing it up for the festive season, and this is one of our favourites.
SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS
250g jumbo prawns, cooked and peeled
1 tbsp lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp crème fraîche
2 tbsp vodka
3 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp Worcester sauce (or to your taste)
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (or to your taste)
large pinch paprika salt and pepper
1 sprig fresh dill flesh of 1 pink grapefruit, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
2 little gem lettuces, shredded zest of ½ lemon
4 lemon wedges pinch cayenne pepper
If you’re using frozen cooked prawns, put them out on a plate to defrost. If you have fresh uncooked prawns, lightly fry them in a little butter until pink and cooked through and set aside to cool. Peel them, reserving a few in their shells to garnish the cocktails. Lay prawns on a plate, drizzle with lemon juice, season with black pepper and leave for at least 30 mins.
To make the sauce, in a bowl mix the mayo, crème fraîche, vodka, ketchup, Worcester sauce, Tabasco sauce, and paprika. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the dill fronds. In another bowl, mix together the lettuce leaves and grapefruit. To serve, place a layer of lettuce and grapefruit in glasses. Lean a few slices of avocado in each glass. Now add the prawns and top with sauce. Sprinkle over a little cayenne pepper, top with a little lemon zest, and serve with a lemon wedge.
SERVES 6-8
Brownies:
110g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
75g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 3 eggs, beaten 60g plain flour, sieved 55g cocoa powder, sieved 3 tbsp kirsch
To assemble: 850g morello cherries in syrup, drained 340g jar cherry conserve 300g mascarpone 300ml double cream
To finish: 25g dark chocolate, grated dark chocolate curls, pared with a veg peeler handful fresh cherries, stalks intact
For the brownies, heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Line a 10 x 15cm baking tin with greaseproof paper. Put the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat to melt. Add the sugar and heat until dissolved, stirring continuously. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until melted. Beat in the eggs. Add flour and cocoa powder and fold in with a metal spoon.
Pour batter into the tin, place in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins or until the top is just firm and there is a very gentle wobble in the middle. Leave to cool in the tin. When cool, cut into 2cm-3cm squares, place on a plate, drizzle with the Kirsch and leave to soak.
To assemble, place the mascarpone and the cream in a large bowl and whip until it is thick and holds soft peaks. Place a third of the cream mixture in the bottom of a glass trifle dish. Scatter over half the drained cherries, half the cherry jam, and half the brownies. Spoon over more cream and another layer of cherries, jam and brownies, and top with another layer of cream. Top with dark chocolate curls or cocoa and fresh cherries.
SERVES 6-8
2 kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint 1 carrot, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 leek, chopped 2 bay leaves approx 25 cloves for studding good handful dark soft brown sugar
Soak gammon in cold water for 24 hours. Place in a large pan, thick skin down, and cover with cold water. Add carrot, onion, leek and bay leaves, place on a high heat and bring to a boil, then turn
down to simmer for around 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if necessary. Scoop off any impurities that rise to the top. When done, the ham should ‘give’ when poked with a skewer (72C if you have a probe).
Pour liquid away (dilute with equal water for a soup base), then let ham cool while you heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Lift ham to a roasting tin, cut away the top layer of skin leaving an even layer of fat. Score fat in a criss-cross and stud cloves all over. Clad with the sugar (don’t worry, it will fall off when cooking).
Roast for 40-50 mins, basting 3-4 times. Turn pan round a few times during cooking for an even colour. Remove from oven and rest for 15 mins before carving (or roast up to two days ahead and serve cold).
What can you not do without at Christmas? This is the editor’s musthave list...
An icon of Sheffield, city of my birth, I don’t know how anyone functions in the kitchen without this essential ingredient. It might look like Worcester Sauce (another essential), but it isn’t (no anchovies) but I use it similarly to add depth of flavour to soups, stews, and cheese on toast. Use liberally in anything mushroom-based, particularly mushroom and nut loaf or mushroom paté
Tabasco sauce
Christmas, in our house at least, is bloody Mary season, and you can’t make a proper one of those without Tabasco. Also, as per the above, it is fantastic on cheese on toast, and a zingy addition to any tomato-based stew, soup or sauce.
In our house, it is considered rude in the extreme to eat a plate of smoked salmon without a sprinkling of capers, or inded a prawn cocktail without a few stirred into the sauce, though this, apparently, is controversial because in the strictest terms they turn a prawn cocktail sauce into a prawn cocktail/ tartare sauce mash-up. Essential for Christmas canapés and great in anything tomato-based.
It’s Christmas after all… Cloves are essential to bread sauce, braised red cabbage, mulled wine, and eggnog.
METHOD
Place a layer of cabbage on the bottom of a large casserole dish and scatter over some of the onion, apple, spices, orange zest and sugar. Repeat layers to use all the ingredients. Pour over the cider and vinegar and dot all over with butter.
Put on the hob over a medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins. Preheat oven to 150C/Gas 2. Cover dish and put in oven for 2 hours, stirring a couple of times, until the cabbage is softened.
To serve on Christmas Day, reheat in the microwave. Cover and set aside to rest for 10 mins before serving.
For many people, Christmas leftovers are even better than the main event. This is the editor’s must-leftover list...
Christmas Day lunch is always huge for us, not only because we are greedy, but because I need plenty of leftovers, primarily for my Boxing Day Christmas pie. This is never the same twice because it is entirely dependent on what’s left, but basically all you do is fill a pie dish with layers of leftovers (leftover meat, vegetables and – very importantly – a layer of cranberry sauce), cover it with white sauce flavoured with English mustard and a little nutmeg, top with a pastry pie crust and bake in the oven. Allow to rest for 10 mins before serving hot for Boxing Day lunch and cold for supper.
Take leftover vegetables and mix with mushrooms and onions well sautéed in lots of butter and Henderson’s Relish. Add a few sage leaves and whiz in a food processor. Serve on toast with cranberry sauce (you need lots of that leftover too, by the way).
Fry leftover potatoes and pancetta sprouts with chestnuts and torn sage leaves for a fantastic Boxing Day breakfast or brunch.
Place leftover vegetables on a length of puff pastry, top with slices of brie or camembert, spread over a little cranberry sauce, roll into a sausage and then into a wreath shape, brush with egg and milk and bake for about 35 mins until golden and hot throughout.
This Christmas, gift the coffee lover in your life a home barista or coffee appreciation workshop with internationally renowned coffee roasters Alex Forsyth and Kate Hudson at the brilliant Baristocracy. Or delight your loved one with a selection of artisan coffee from the Baristocracy shop, which is stocked with expertly curated coffee from around the world. Unit 2, Larch Court, West Chirton North Ind Est, North Shields, NE29 8SG, tel 07908 007 726, www.baristocracycoffee.com
Carruthers & Kent is a wine-lover’s dream, home to superb wines, expertly sourced from around the world by owners Claire Carruthers and Mo O’Toole. Select from more than 500 wines to serve at home or gift to your friends, and take home treats from the deli. Mo and Claire will help you to choose the perfect bottle, and you can also drop by to enjoy wine with small bites, cheese and butcher’s boards. Elmfield Road, Gosforth, NE3 4AY, tel 0191 213 1818, www.carruthersandkent.com
CentrAle is the quintessential bottle shop, packed with bottles, cans and gift boxes every beer lover will be delighted to receive. The father and daughter owners stock a huge range of local beers, spirits and chocolate and can help you choose gifts to suit all tastes and budgets. There are beer boxes and local gifts, and they can curate beer gift boxes from just £12. Platform 12 Central Station, Newcastle, NE1 5EW tel 0191 261 8468, www.centralebeer.com
The Christmas shop is now open at The Chocolate Gallery, a treasure trove of exquisite artisan chocolates, confectionery and beautifully presented gifts. In addition to every chocolate imaginable, the handcrafted range includes delicious vegan and gluten-free options, while the seasonal collection includes a monthly gift subscription, Christmas selection boxes, mouth-melting Turkish Delight and much more. Oldgate, Morpeth, NE61 1PY, tel 01670 505 481, www.thechocolategallery.co.uk
This family-run independent wine company stocks an expertly curated range of delicious wines, beers and spirits, mixers and soft drinks, all of them guaranteed to bring Christmas cheer to your table. There is also a choice of fabulous hampers, gift vouchers, and tasting experiences which are ideal as an original gift or a fun experience over the festive season. Northumberland Business Park West Cramlington, NE23 7RH, tel 0191 563 4976 www.guestwines.com
For expertly curated cheeses and gifts, go to the brilliant Moz at Grate, where you can also gift the cheese lover in your life a monthly cheese subscription. Moz’s Christmas boxes are available to order online and make for superb gifts. They include the Local Heroes collection starring regional cheeses from artisan makers such as Doddington and Parlour Made. 252 Jesmond Road Jesmond, Newcastle, NE2 1LD, tel 0191 649 2528, www.gratenewcastle.co.uk
Sustainably sourced and produced in the hills of Northumberland, Marlish Water is famed for its purity and taste. The range now extends to naturally flavoured spring waters, tonics and mixers which will complement your seasonal table. Flavours include English tonic water, raspberry tonic water, elderflower tonic, ginger ale, rhubarb and ginger ale, and premium lemonade. They’re all made with Marlish spring water and natural flavours and are available at the online shop. www.marlish.co.uk
The beer lover in your life will be delighted to receive a gift box of small-batch unfiltered, naturally carbonated beers from Muckle.
Owners Tom and Nicola Smith now brew 12 beers at their garden brewery in Hadrian’s Wall country, and they have a huge following for their big flavours and consistently high quality beers. Order gift boxes online and have them sent direct to your beer-loving friends, or purchase at various stockists and markets across the region. www.mucklebrewing.co.uk
Buy a hamper or cheese board for the cheese-lover in your life, or give them a voucher for a dairy tour, cheese tasting and lunch at Northumberland Cheese Co. Purchase spirits at the online shop, artisan chutneys, biscuits and quince paste. Or gift a voucher for afternoon tea at the Cheese Loft Café, where you can also sample the cheeses with a meal or snack. Green Lane Blagdon, NE13 6BZ, tel 01670 789 798 www.northumberlandcheese.co.uk
Renowned since 1750, Pumphrey’s is a coffee and tea connoisseur’s dream. Gifts include a vast range of freshly roasted coffees and loose leaf teas, the coffee of the month subscription service, barista training for the home enthusiast, and accessories such as Turkish coffee pots, iconic Bialetti Moka pots, Chemex coffeemakers and Japanese teapots. Bridge Street, Blaydon, NE21 4JJ, and Grainger Market, Newcastle, NE1 5JE, tel 0191 414 4510, www.pumphreys-coffee.co.uk
Now’s the time to order quality festive produce from Turnbull’s, the sixth-generation family butcher renowned for quality local meat, homemade sausages and burgers, home-cured bacon, pies, pastries and ready meals. There is a choice of festive hampers, including the superb 1880 vintage hamper with free-range turkey and all the trimmings, local cheeses, wine, paté, mince pies and fudge. Order online or in person. Willowburn Retail Park Alnwick, NE66 2DJ, www.turnbullsfood.co.uk
Gift the highest quality raw and unprocessed honey from hives across the North East and Scotland courtesy of The Travelling Bee Company, where you can also buy beautiful candles, soaps, skincare and gifts. Choose from a selection of beautiful hampers which includes the Harvest Hamper – a glorious celebration of all the products honey bees produce with bee pollen, propolis tincture, organic bee bread, and raw unprocessed honey. www.travellingbee.co.uk
Marlish spring water, tonics and mixers are sustainably produced and packaged at the source of our spring on Marlish Farm, Morpeth. Our range is sugar free, low calorie and free from artificial preservatives.
Want to find out more about our range of sustainable soft drinks?
Email Sarah Gray: sarah@signature-brands.co.uk or check us out on social media @marlish_water
Enjoy a long walk along the river, visit the Roman town and museum, pop into the independent shops for foodie treats and Christmas gifts, eat brilliant food throughout the whole day, and take in the very best of Corbridge
This is a must-visit for long lunches, cosy evenings and Italian dinners. The menu is seasonal and authentic, with Italian classics packed with flavour matched with great Northumbrian produce and fine wine from across the globe. Cocktails are a delight too, while the Sunday lunch is renowned. Meanwhile, this year’s Christmas menu is available throughout December. 18-22 Front Street NE45 5AP, tel 01434 634 214, www.casarosso.co.uk
One of the best cookshops in the region, this is home to an array of quality goods for home cooking, baking, cake decorating and more with local makers and producers stocked alongside national names. There’s also storage, gadgets, giftware, homeware and hardware to browse through, and it’s impossible to leave without at least one essential piece of kit for the kitchen. Corbridge Cookshop, Middle Street, NE45 5AT tel 01434 632 582, www.corbridgecookshop.co.uk
This brilliant shop, deli and café is home to a multitude of our favourite things. The shop and deli are home to fabulous breads and an extensive selection of cheese as well as artisan products from small regional producers and some further afield. Sandwiches are available from the deli, while the café makes use of superb produce in its breakfasts, salads, sandwiches and light lunches.
Hill Street, NE45 5AA, tel 01434 632 948 www.corbridgelarder.co.uk
This welcoming, traditional tearoom is renowned for its beautifully displayed cakes and afternoon teas. Each of the cakes is delicious and it’s nigh-on impossible to stop at just one slice. There’s lots more than cake on offer too, so be sure to try the lunch menu, of which the homemade soups and scones are highlights. Middle Street, NE45 5AT tel 01434 633 130 www.masseystearoom.co.uk
Located in the heart of Corbridge, Tea & Tipple buzzes with locals and visitors who gather for light lunches, beautiful cakes, coffee and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Browse in the shops around the Market Place before popping in for a little break and a well-earned treat. Market Place, NE45 5AW
An essential destination in Corbridge for more than 40 years, Watling Coffee House is home to excellent homemade food, including renowned scones, soups and quiches, light lunches, irresistible cakes and tray bakes. They are all served alongside quality tea and coffee, and a glass of wine. Located on the corner of Watling Street and Hill Street, the team offers a warm welcome seven days a week.
Watling Coffee House, Watling Street, NE45 5AG, tel 01434 634 425, www.facebook.com/thewatlingcoffeehousecorbridge
What is Christmas without a mince pie or five? These beauties at PureKnead are sublime; handmade with homemade mincemeat and a must addition to your table this Christmas. PureKnead, 38 Dean Street, Newcastle, NE1 1PG, tel 0191 230 5857 and 111 Park View Whitley Bay, NE26 3RH, tel 07964 864 181, www.pure-knead.co.uk
Add a taste of Spain to your dishes this Christmas with this delicious balsamic crème from Spain. It’s available in fig or truffle at La Casa Spanish deli and wine shop at the Grainger Market and via Grainger Delivery. La Casa Grainger Market, Newcastle NE1 5QG, tel 07594 793 494 https://shop.graingerdelivery.com
Hoardweel Wagyu, pork and lamb is grass-fed and raised for its sublime taste and texture on land on the Scottish border. Among the range at the online shop, these Berkshire pork chops produce some of the best crackling you’ll ever try. £8 for a pack of 2 at www.hoardweelwagyu.co.uk
Add sparkle to your table with vintage glass cake stands – perfect not just for cakes, but for displaying pavlova, jelly, sweets, truffles and more. They’re also a lovely gift. From £16 at RE Bishops Yard, Main Street, Corbridge, NE45 5LA tel 01434 634 567 www.re-foundobjects.com
Knitsley Farm Shop is packed with fantastic gift ideas, not least a selection of treats from Pitwheel craft gin distillery in Co Durham. Flavours from Pitwheel include classic, orange and ginger, original spiced and raspberry and vanilla. Knitsley Farm Shop and café, East Knitsley Grange Farm Knitsley, Consett, Co Durham, DH8 9EW, tel 01207 592 059, www.knitsleyfarmshop.co.uk
Boost your continental cheese tasting activity with the always-superb selection at Carruthers & Kent. Occelli is an outstanding cow and goat combination from Italy, and there is a trio of artisan Swiss by Jumi from the Valley of Emmenthal. Carruthers & Kent, 3A Elmfield Rd, Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 4AY tel 0191 213 1818, www.carruthersandkent.com
This selection of treats from the Cook House larder is one of a range of cooks’ boxes. This one contains tarragon-infused vinegar, dill-infused olive oil, smoked demerera sugar, dukkah salt, and crispy chilli oil. £29.50 at www.cookhouse.org
We love a bowl of creamy rice pudding homemade the traditional way from the Brocksbushes range of sweet and savoury dishes at the farm shop. This rice pudding is in two sizes, priced £2.25 and £3.25 per serving.
Brocksbushes, Styford Roundabout, Stocksfield, NE43 7UB, tel 01434 633 100, www.brocksbushes.co.uk
Walwick Hall Country Estate & Spa near Hexham is offering Appetite readers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a luxurious three-course dinner for two and bed and breakfast at this elegant boutique country hotel.
To enter, all you need to do is visit www.appetitemag.co.uk/win and enter your full name and contact information.
Closing date for entries is January 28, 2023.
Walwick Hall, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland just 10 minutes drive from Hexham, is a place to unwind, relax, and reconnect with your better self.
Each of Walwick Hall’s 10 individual rooms has its own distinctive personality with stunning quality and finishes. Meanwhile, the self-catering accommodation at Chesters Stables, a site of seven separate suites, offers a luxurious space to call your own.
During your stay, you can enjoy all that Northumberland has to offer as well as the luxuries of a boutique hotel.
The Grade II-listed Georgian House and Stable conversion bring together the history of the estate with modern design, creating a refined yet unstuffy atmosphere of luxurious elegance.
The award-winning team of chefs pride themselves on producing fine food without prentention. They believe “food art belongs in an art gallery – not a restaurant” and local Northumbrian ingredients and produce from the Walwick kitchen garden are allowed their chance to shine in expertly executed dishes.
The Dining Room at Walwick Hall serves the best British produce at its finest in an atmosphere that is sophisticated and at the same time relaxed and welcoming.
Guests can also enjoy light lunches, afternoon tea and drinks in The Drawing Room and The Bar at Walwick Hall, while the Spa has a full range of treatments from Germaine De Capuccini, and leisure facilities include a swimming pool, jacuzzi and a gym.
The prize is for the winner and a guest, not to be given away as a gift. The date of the prize is to be arranged directly with Walwick Hall and is subject to availability.
The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. All drinks and extras to be paid for.
Prize to be taken Mon-Thurs before July 31, 2023.
The winner will be drawn at random and notified within three days of the closing date.
Walwick Hall, Humshaugh, Hexham, NE46 4BJ, tel 01434 620 156, www.walwickhall.com
I like Christmas as much as the next man, woman or reindeer, but between you and I, the food can be a bit of a challenge. You see, I have simple tastes, so my favourite stop-off points on Chrismas Eve are the UK and Australia, where the children leave me Christmas cookies and sherry (hic..).
Some of the other countries I visit have some very strange culinary habits, however, but being Father Christmas and thus the jolliest, most festive person on Earth, I am expected to embrace every tradition, no matter how peculiar.
Take Greenland, where Christmas means muktuk (slices of narwhal hide and blubber), served raw with kiviak – an unholy combination of an auk (a dead one, presumably) and seal skin, in which the auk is wrapped and then buried. It’s left to ferment in the ground for a few months and once the auk is in an advanced state of decomposition (could this get any more
delicious?), it’s ready to eat. Thank goodness the elves like it...
Rudolph and co are a big help in southern Africa, where the kind people leave me plates of mopane worms for my Christmas Eve supper. They’re not actually worms, they’re moth caterpillars which are fried with onions, tomatoes and chili. The reindeer love them, fortunately, as they aren’t quite my thing.
But I do love the laufabrauo (leaf bread) left out for me by children in Iceland. It’s less like bread than a thin, crispy wafer made from dough shaped into patterned discs which are fried in mutton fat. It is delicious! I also love the rice pudding left out for the elves in Denmark, but the hay and water left out in Agentina does nothing for me or, indeed, for the reindeer, but don’t tell anyone I said that.
Mrs Claus likes me to bring home sackfuls of smalahove from Norway, which
is a dried, salted sheep’s head. It’s a bit of a palaver to make, because you have to split the sheep’s head in two, remove the brain and soak the pieces in water for two days, which is nice in a Hannibal Lecter sort of way. It is then salted, dried, smoked and boiled and Mrs Claus says tradition dictates you have to eat the ears and eyes first and then eat the meat from the front of the skull back. Does that sound festive to you? Me neither, but the elves and Mrs C lap it up.
My greatest pleasure is left for me by the children of Chile. It’s pan de Pascua – a rich, dense fruit cake with rum served a cup of cola de mono (tail of donkey) which is made of warmed milk with sugar, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, coffee and – the best bit – lots of rum, which always gets December 25 off to a good start. Then it’s back to Mrs Claus for roast turkey and all the trimmings followed by Christmas pudding (no narwal or sheep heads). Ho, ho, ho!
