Mary Berry - Mary Berrys Christmas Collection

Mary Berry

Copyright 2013 Mary Berry

The right of Mary Berry to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Some of the recipes in this book have previously appeared in Mary Berrys New Aga Cookbook, Cook Now, Eat Later and Real Food Fast. Mary Berrys Christmas Collection was first published in 2006.

First published as an Ebook by Headline Publishing Group in 2013

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library.

eISBN: 978 0 7553 6443 5

Edited by Jo Roberts-Miller
Designed by Smith & Gilmour
Photography by Martin Poole
Food Stylist: Kim Morphew
Assistant Food Stylist: Poppy Campbell

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Mary Berry is well known as the author of more than seventy cookery books with total sales of over 5 million. She has presented a number of television series and is currently a judge on The Great British Bake Off. She contributes to radio programmes and cookery magazines, and is loved for her practical and unfussy approach. She gives many demonstrations around the country but when she is at home, she loves to be with her family and tending her garden her other great passion.

Other books by Mary Berry include:

Mary Berrys Family Sunday Lunches

Cook Now, Eat Later

Mary Berrys Stress-free Kitchen

Real Food Fast

Mary Berrys New Aga Cookbook

The Baking Bible

The Ultimate Cake Book

Christmas to me is a time for celebration, for family, for laughter and good food. I remember the times when I used to prepare everything at home the turkey, vegetables, stuffing, Christmas pudding and take it to Grannys on Christmas Eve, ready to be cooked the next day. Children, gifts, crackers, dogs, cats everything had to be remembered and organised meticulously. Although these days most of my Christmases are at home, and the young come back to us with their children, the advance preparation and organisation doesnt seem to be getting much less.

For, however many times you have done it before, it does still seem very daunting, especially when, as far as the high-street shops are concerned, Christmas is upon us as soon as the summer holidays are over! That is why I thought it might be a good idea to gather together my recipes, my ideas and my snippets of wisdom all gained over the years into this guide to happy, care-free Christmas cooking.

The first edition of this book was published seven years ago since then cooking has changed in some ways: there are new techniques and ingredients so weve added some new recipes, and retested or tweaked the other ones. Weve photographed nearly every single recipe this time, too theres nothing more inviting and helpful than seeing the finished dish to aim for.

The recipes themselves are on the whole traditional, but you will find many of them have a modern twist, which gives them that special touch. Often I will add an unexpected new flavouring ingredient, for we are always experimenting with flavours. However, the best flavour comes from the best ingredients which is what you start with. I never cut corners in terms of ingredients and I would always encourage everyone to use the very best available. I buy fresh meat, fresh fish and vegetables from local shops, farmers markets and so on, but I am also very much in favour of many of the ready-prepared ingredients you can find these days in good delicatessens and supermarkets things such as jars of roasted peppers, tubs of crme frache or hummus, cans of chickpeas or cannellini beans. Most of these are very good indeed, and save you so much time. If you had some of those in your storecupboard or larder, you would always have the basis for a quick meal during the holiday period, and you wouldnt have to panic about running or driving to the nearest, probably closed, shops!

Most of my books over the years have contained notes about preparing and freezing in advance perhaps the most important aspect for the cook at Christmas and this one is no exception. You will find many hints and tips which will help you to plan and organise your Christmas without stress not least the Christmas menus, Christmas countdown and virtually a minute-by-minute review of cooking the Christmas lunch, which follow this introduction. (This took us ages to do, and we do hope it will be useful.) My previous books have usually contained information for those among you who are Aga fans, and you have not been ignored here. I actually couldnt write a recipe without thinking about how it would cook in the Aga, for I have been using one for more years than I care to remember. Its like one of my oldest friends.

We all wish you very happy cooking, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH MENUS

Here are a few menu ideas for you to chose from. If you decide not to have a first course, serve small open brown-bread sandwiches topped with smoked salmon or gravadlax with drinks before lunch. To follow, I always serve two puds.

MENU ONE
TRADITIONAL ROAST TURKEY

Smoked Salmon or Gravadlax with Mustard Dill Sauce brown bread and butter

Traditional Roast Turkey
Lemon and Thyme Pork Stuffing
Apricot and Chestnut Stuffing
Bread Sauce
Scarlet Confit
Christmas Turkey Gravy
For vegetarian guests
Aubergine Five-nut Roast with Italian Tomato Sauce

Roast Potatoes
Roast Parsnips
Buttered Brussels Sprouts
Braised Red Cabbage
Celeriac Pure
Sausages Wrapped in Bacon

Christmas Pudding
Brandy Butter, Boozy Cream, Brandy Sauce or Brandy Ice Cream
Classic Old-fashioned Trifle

Coffee and Chocolate

MENU TWO
ROAST BEEF

Fresh Salmon and Dill Terrines brown bread and butter

Prime Rib of Beef and Gravy
Yorkshire Pudding
For vegetarian guests
Aubergine and Goats Cheese Roast

Roast Potatoes
Roast Parsnips
Celeriac Pure
Braised Red Cabbage
Beetroot and Horseradish

Frangipane Mince Pies
Brandy Butter, Boozy Cream, Brandy Sauce or Brandy Ice Cream
Chocolate Log