Lime and cranberry bread and butter pudding

Ingredients
For the lime curd

8 limes, zest and juice

85g/3oz cold butter, cut into cubes

225g/8oz caster sugar

3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

For the pudding

300ml/10½fl oz full-fat milk

300ml/10½fl oz double cream

pinch salt

3 free-range eggs

100g/3½oz soft light brown sugar

40g/1½oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

275g/10oz white bread rolls, sliced

100g/3½oz fresh cranberries

50g/2oz dried cranberries

3-4 tbsp rum (optional)8 tbsp ready-made redcurrant jelly, for glazing

200ml/7fl oz double cream, whipped until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed, to serve

Method
1. For the lime curd, heat all the lime curd ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside to cool. Once cool, pour into sterilized jam jars.

2. For the pudding, heat the milk and cream in a separate saucepan until just boiling, then remove the pan from the heat. In a seperate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until well combined, then pour the milk and cream mixture over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking until smooth and well combined.

3. Butter the bread slices and, using about 12 tablespoons of the lime curd, spread curd over each slice.

4. Cover the bottom of a greased ovenproof dish with a layer of the bread slices, overlapping the edges of the bread slightly. Sprinkle over some of the fresh and dried cranberries and one to two tablespoons of rum, if using. repeat the layering process until all of the bread, cranberries and rum have been used up.

5. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the bread and set aside to soak for one hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.

7. Place the pudding dish into a roasting tin filled to a depth of about 0.5cm/¼in with boiling water (this is called a bain marie). Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top of the pudding is pale golden-brown.

8. Remove from the oven and from the bain-marie and set aside to cool for 8-10 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, heat the redcurrant jelly in a saucepan with two tablespoons of water, until the jelly has melted and the mixture forms a smooth sauce. Brush the top of the pudding all over with this mixture, then set aside to cool for another 10 minutes.

10. Serve with the whipped cream.

Glazed ham with mango salsa

Ingredients
For the ham

3.2kg/7lb piece of boned and rolled ham, pre-boiled according to instructions

For the glaze

24 whole cloves

4 tbsp honey

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp dry sherry or rum

1½tsp soy sauce

40g/1½oz soft brown sugar

For the mango salsa

1½ large or 2 smaller, ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into small dice

½ medium-sized red onion, finely diced

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1½ tbsp lime juice

¾ tsp caster sugar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Using a small, sharp knife, score the fat on the ham in a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the centre of each diamond. Place the ham joint onto a rack resting in the base of a roasting tin. Pour a few tablespoons of water into the bottom of the roasting tin to prevent the glaze from burning as it drips into the bottom of the tin.

2. Put the ingredients for the glaze into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Spoon a thick layer of the glaze all over the ham joint, place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, spooning over more glaze every now and then until it has all been used up. Then spoon the slowly caramelising glaze from the base of the tin back over the ham every now and then until the ham is richly golden and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer in the thickest part.

3. For the salsa, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.

4. If serving hot, leave the ham joint to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Otherwise leave for several hours to go cold. Serve thinly sliced with the mango salsa.

Compare The Meerkat Bloopers

Turkey curry

Ingredients

2tbsp ghee/clarified butter2tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves2x 2.5cm /1inch

cassia bark or cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods lightly bruised

2tsp roasted cumin seeds

2onions finely chopped

½ tsp ground turmeric

3cm fresh ginger finely grated

2 cloves crushed/ finely chopped garlic

2 green chillies finely chopped

1tsp chilli powdersalt to taste

1tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp tomato puree dissolved in 2 tbsp water300ml

sieved tomato (passata/creamed tomatoes)

1tsp sugar50ml water

400g or more leftover turkey cut into bite size pieces

4tbsp lightly whisked yoghurt

1tsp garam masala

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Juice of ½ a lime or lemon

1tbsp toasted flaked almonds
method

1. Heat the ghee and oil in a wide saucepan until hot. Add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and the cumin seeds.
2. Fry for a few seconds until they start to sizzle then add the onions along with the turmeric. Fry the onions to a pale golden brown. Now add the ginger, garlic and the green chillies and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chilli powder, salt and black pepper. Stir-fry for a minute. If the mixture sticks to the pan, add a splash of water to bring the mixture together.
3. Now add the tomato puree, the creamed tomatoes sugar and 50ml water. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the turkey pieces, stir and coat them well into the sauce. Fold in the yoghurt with the garam masala and the coriander. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Squeeze in the lemon or lime juice. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with the toasted almonds.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS

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A HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM CUSHYFOODS

how to cook a turkey

Simple steps how to cook a turkey:
Allow about 15 minutes of cooking time per pound - about 45 minutes per kilo unstuffed. It will take a bit longer, about 20 minutes per pound or an hour per kilo, if the bird is cooked with stuffing.
1. Preheat oven to 325. Remove the wrapper to see how much the turkey weighs and determine approximate cooking time. Remove the giblet bag and the neck from the turkey cavity. Wash the turkey inside and out and pat skin dry with paper towels.
2. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow (about 2 inches deep) roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in thigh. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of pan, if desired.
3. Cover turkey loosely with a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast the turkey until temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180°F. Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.
4. Meanwhile, mix the stuffing or dressing. Place in a casserole and pop it into the oven during the last hour or so of roasting time.
5. Remove the foil tent after 1 to 1 1/2 hours of cooking time to brown the skin. Brush with vegetable oil to enhance browning, if desired.
6. A whole turkey is done when the temperature reaches 180°F. The thigh juices should run clear (not pink) when pierced with a fork and the leg joint should move freely.
7. Allow the turkey to set 20 to 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to saturate the meat evenly. Note: Cooking times do vary. Why? There are many reasons - oven temperature may not be completely accurate, the turkey may be very cold or partially frozen, and/or the roasting pan may be too small which inhibits the flow of heat. The USDA highly recommends use of a meat thermometer to determine doneness of turkey. This is an important tool in learning how to cook a turkey.
Stuffed Turkey:
For uniform cooking results, the USDA recommends cooking the stuffing outside of the bird (see step 4 above) If you insist on stuffing the turkey, stuff loosely and follow the steps below.
1. See step one above
2. Mix stuffing and lightly fill cavity. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. It is safer to understuff than to overstuff the turkey. Stuffing expands during cooking. Refrigerate any leftover stuffing and bake in greased casserole during the last hour of turkey roasting time.
3. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow (about 2 inches deep) roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in thigh (see Turkey Safety: Using a Thermometer). Add up to 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan, if desired.
4. Cover turkey loosely with a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Cooking time takes longer for a stuffed turkey. For example, a 20 pound stuffed turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 1/2 hours to cook.
5. Remove the foil cover after about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of cooking to brown the skin. Brush with vegetable oil to enhance browning, if desired.
6. A whole turkey is done when the temperature in the thickest part of the inner thigh reaches 180°F and the stuffing is 165°F. The juices should run clear (not pink) when a long-tined fork is used to pierce the thickest part of the thigh.
7. Check the internal temperature of the stuffing. Insert the thermometer through the cavity into the thickest part of the stuffing and leave it for 5 minutes. Or use an instant red thermometer which will register the temperature after 15 seconds. The stuffing temperature will rise a few degrees after the turkey is removed from the oven. If the center of the stuffing has not reached 165°F after stand time, return the turkey to the oven and continue cooking.

Curry chicken stir-fry

Ingredients
For the curry paste
1 tsp ground Turmeric
½ tsp Chilli powder
½ tsp mild or medium curry powder
½ tsp ground Coriander
1 tbsp Sichuanese chilli bean paste
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or dry Sherry
For the chicken
560g chicken breast fillets, skin removed
2 Star anise
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or dry Sherry
1 inch peeled and finely sliced fresh ginger
salt and ground freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 red Onion, sliced
2 Spring onions, sliced diagonally into 2cm/1in pieces
1 handful bean sprouts
100 g Chinese Cabbage, washed and shredded
1 tbsp light Soy sauce
Method

1. For the curry paste: place all of the curry paste ingredients into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.

2. For the chicken, bring a pan of water to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the star anise, rice wine or sherry, fresh ginger and chicken breast. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred into large pieces. Remove the scum from the stock and set aside.

3. Mix the chicken with the curry paste.

4. Heat a wok until smoking, then add the groundnut oil. Fry the red onions for 1-2 minutes, or until softened, then add the chicken, red peppers, spring onions, beansprouts and Chinese leaf. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then season with the light soy sauce.