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32 The Deeping Christmas Table
The Deeping Christmas Table
As Nancy Titman recalls ‘right through the ages until World War 1, goose was the traditional meal at Christmas and everyone in Deeping who could afford it looked forward to this special dinner.’ Nancy’s father recalled how in the days of his youth in the 1890’s great numbers of geese were reared in Deeping. John Huffer owned as many as 3,000 which were turned out as goslings on Crowland and Cowbit washes and walked home three weeks before Christmas to be fattened up on the river bank. The discordant racket they made was unbelievable and the killing at night was a noisy affair too. The dressing employed considerable local labour after which the birds were conveyed to the station by horse drawn wagons destined for leading mens clubs in London.
Now as families are not as traditional as they once were, people are looking for more innovative dishes for this day of days. Rob Johnson, Chef at the Waterton Arms suggests a Turkey Ballotine. (A Ballotine is meat containing stuffing often tied) ‘It has the advantage that it can be made beforehand and kept in the fridge and is ideal if there are just one or two people eating but as it is simple to make it is a good idea for a party too.’
To make stuffing for two
100 gms of Grasmere pork mince, 10-15 gms of cranberries (can be bought frozen and defrosted or fresh), 10-15 gms chopped dried apricots, shallot - all finely diced and mixed together with seasoning.
Lay two rashers of bacon on a piece of cling film on which you lie a turkey escalope with seasoning. Place stuffing in the middle of the escalope. Roll turkey round the stuffing and bacon round the turkey. Wrap in the cling film and tie each end off. Place in boiling water for 15-20 mins and then refresh in cold water.
At this stage the ballotines can be kept in the fridge for use up to two days later. Take then out of the cling film and pan fry lightly to colour up the bacon. Place in a preheated oven for 20 mins at 220 under tin foil. Slice and garnish with chervil or parsley.
If there is too much stuffing, use to make delicious sausage rolls using ready made puff pastry. Cook in a pre-heated oven for 15-20mins at 230. Cook roast potatoes in duck or goose fat and use an array of seasonal vegetables as an accompaniment.
When you are setting out your cold meats and cheeses for a buffet later on in the day include a glass dish of homemade fig jelly from the Deeping Fudge Tea room at Swines Meadow Farm Nursery, a delicious accompaniment for minimal effort!
The Christmas Cake is the crowning glory and Lilli’s tea room has an abundance of exquisite cakes on glorious cake stands to show the way. But patissiere Sarah Pope of Lilli’s explains that a hand finished cake is easily achievable. Buy a fruit cake ready iced or buy marzipan and ready rolled icing and assemble yourself. Tie a ribbon around the circumference of your cake to match with your table decor. Then take either ready made icing or marzipan according to your taste, add a little green paste food colouring and knead all the way through. Roll out and cut out holly leaves with holly shaped cutters and with red coloured icing or marzipan roll tiny red berries in your hand. Assemble in a pattern around the edge of your cake and in the middle, with icing that can be bought in tubes, write a Christmas greeting. Food colourings and cutters are widely available but Lakeland have a good selection. Bring a family heirloom into life, or dust down an old glass bowl from the back of the cupboard to use as a table centre. Fill with oasis from Valeries. Slice an orange and dry for a week in the airing cupboard or for speed, bags of dried apple and orange slices can be bought. Using florists’ wire threaded through, place in the oasis with pine cones and Christmas baubles in the same way. Silk pine fronds soften the arrangement placed around the edge and ribbon and faux red berries accent the table centre. Featured is one created by Valerie’s Flowers of Market Gate.
A vintage theme for the table is easily created with mis-matched china and glasses available from local charity shops and the Market Deeping Antiques and Craft Centre. Bring old linen napkins back to life, support a local charity and at each place setting pop a Ferrero Rocher dressed in a hand knitted cosy widely available at £1 each throughout the Deepings.
Press the family into action to help with the washing up, the dishwasher is more efficient but many family memories are relived over the Fairy Liquid and a teatowel or two. But most of all enjoy!
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