Merry Chrismurf!

Having taken an almost six month hiatus from penning down my recipes, I feel a little apprehensive about blogging again. Also, I wanted to make a stellar comeback with some blindingly awesome recipes.

Although I wouldn't say that anyone would be struck blind by the few recipes I shall post up today, I do think that in the spirit of the holidays, I will be forgiven. And besides, who can go wrong with the often eaten and very appreciated Christmas Feast.

Most of us are well aware of the Reason for the Season but, being food lovers, we can't help enjoying stuffing our faces year after year after year. One could almost say, that God's giving us a reason to celebrate so we might as well go all out..






But, I digress. To cut to the chase, I put together (with liberal help) a menu of the following;

• A Cheese Platter
• Seafood Chowder
• Shepherd's Pie
• Glazed Christmas Ham with Mango Chutney

topped with an Asian dessert brought in by a friend.





Oh wait, I tell a lie. The Seafood Chowder is actually entirely courtesy of the furry beary alternate contributer to this blog. I put this disclaimer in to avoid beheading once all the goodwill runs out.

This was my (or our) maiden effort at Christmas Ham, and it was suprisingly easy albeit extremely time consuming. For any first timers, give yourself a good 4 hours to get this done.


Glazed Christmas Ham





Ingredients
Ham
Raw cured ham or gammon, kg, boned
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 packet of cloves

Glaze
4 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp dark rum
2 tsp Dijonnaise mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar

Method

1. Submerge the ham in a large pot of cold water along with the bay leaves, peppercorn and star anise. Bring to a simmer and cover for 2 1/2 hours. Drain
   
2. When slightly cooled, remove skin from ham leaving a decent layer of fat
3. Score the skin in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife and stud the middle of each diamond with a clove.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C
5. Gently heat the glazing ingredients in a pot, stirring till even.
6. Sit the ham in a roasting tray and bake for 30-40 minutes, basting with glaze until golden. Just before fully cooked sprinkle thyme on top.
7. Serve with mango chutney.

*Awesome possum!*

Cheese Platter

The cheese platter was a mix of shortbread, cracked pepper water crackers, mixed nuts and my two favourite cheeses, fruit cheese and brie. The brie's nutty, creamy flavour goes fantastically with the salmon while the nuts compliment the sweetness of the fruit cheese.


Shepherd's pie is one of my favourite dishes to make simply because it's really quick, tastes good and looks like you actually put in lots of effort. I'm a less-work-more-results kinda girl.




Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

Filling

500 grams lamb mince
2 carrots - diced
1 large onion - diced
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs Worchestershire sauce
2 tbs Tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Topping

4 potatoes with skins on
2 tbs milk
1 egg
butter, salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil the potatoes until soft (about 20 min). Mash the potatos with a masher or a fork and add milk. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Fry onion and carrot until carrot is soft.
3. Stir in the lamb mince and break up all the clumps. Cover the pan and allow to simmer until the lamb juices out. Then add in the Worchestershire and tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius
5. Stir in an egg into the mashed potatoes. This gives the Shepherd's pie that lovely browned look. Brushing butter on top of the layer of mash helps as well.
6. Scoop the filling evenly into a baking dish. Cover the filling with the mash potatoes and smooth the top over with the back of a spoon.
   
7. Drag the tines of a fork along the top of the mash potato topping to make that well-recognised shepherd's pie pattern.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Merry Chrismurf!