Rib of beef

Three ribs weighing 4.5kg

Ensure meat is at room temperature.
Heat oven to 240C
Crumble two beef stock cubes (oxo or similar). Rub into each side of the meat.
Sear meat on all sides in hot frying pan (or baking tray if solid enough). Put on baking tray with ribs facing upwards.
Roast for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 170C.
Cook for maximum of 30 minutes per kilo (include the initial roasting time).  Checking with a digital thermometer for a reading of just above 40C gives a very good amount of rare beef.  

Rest for at least 30 minutes (as long as the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings take to make!)

Take off the bone before carving.

Ham and cheese croissants

For Boxing Day breakfast I was considering making Croque Monsieur. However, two croissants were left over from Christmas Day so I went searching for ham and cheese stuffed croissant recipes. This one is worth getting additional croissants for!

Heat oven to 180C

Slice each croissant length ways to make a pocket (as in do not slice all the way through). 

For each croissant, insert slice of gruyere, then slice of ham, followed by another slice of cheese. 
Mix together dijon mustard and running honey and brush on top of the croissants. Then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Put on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 6/7 minutes until the cheese has melted. 

Apple, chestnut and bacon stuffing

The turkey this year was cooked following the John Torode recipe 
The stuffing is based on John's recipe with minor tweaks.

Chop 2 medium sized onions and 6 rashers streaky bacon. Fry them in a splash of oil until the onion is translucent. Take off the heat and leave to cool (assuming preparing ahead of time)
Add 10 torn small leaves of sage (or 5 large) and salt and pepper
Chop 360g (two packs) of vacuum packed cooked chestnuts. Aim for mix of finely and roughly chopped. Stir into the onion and bacon mix along with 400g pork sausage meat. 

Soak 100g fresh breadcrumbs in 250ml water until the water is absorbed. Add the mix above along with 3 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and grated. Beat the mixture with the aim to incorporate air. 

Put in a greased ovenproof dish with dimensions close to 23cm x 16cm. Do not press the mixture down. Put five sage leaves on top and bake in 200C oven for 40 minutes until crispy on top.

Remove any overcooked sage prior to serving.

Orange and Pomegranate Gammon

Think this will become the Gammon recipe for each Christmas Eve from now on! Recipe is based on Nadia's Orange and Pomegranate Christmas Gammon recipe. 

1.5kg gammon - soaked overnight if you remember
1 litre orange juice - carton of 'from concentrate' works just fine
2cm fresh ginger sliced
2 tsp ground allspice
1 medium onion, skin on, quartered

2 tsps dark muscovado sugar

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Seeds of ½ pomegranate

For the winter serve with

Braised Red Cabbage: About two hours ahead of starting on the gammon prepare and cook braised red cabbage to accompany the gammon (and many other meals over Christmas and New Year!). Delia Smith's Braised Red Cabbage with Apples recipe is always a winner. 

Other options are Peas and Spring Onions - for example JO's recipe.

To the gammon:

1. Put the gammon into pressure cooker and pour in the orange juice. Add water to ensure that the level of liquid is half way up the joint. Add the ginger, allspice and onions. Bring to High pressure and cook for 20 minutes. 
2. Reduce pressure then lift the joint out of the cooker, reserving the stock, and set the gammon aside to cool a little.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C 
4. For the glaze: Mix the sugar and pomegranate molasses with 2 tbsps of the reserved orange stock.
5. Remove and discard the rind of the gammon Score a diamond pattern in the fat with a sharp knife. Put in a baking tray (either just larger than the joint and/or foil lined to ensure there is enough 'sauce'). Brush with glaze then push a few pomegranate seeds into slits. Scatter any remaining seeds over and around the gammon and add a few more tbsp of the orange stock in the tray at the base of the joint. 
6. Roast for 40 minutes.
   
   
   Serve sliced with new potatoes (boiled for most of us; baked for daughter), braised red cabbage, the seeds from other half of the pomegranate and the 'sauce' from the baking tray.