Darina Allen: My mum's recipe for a traditional Irish sherry trifle and a gorgeous mac and cheese
A traditional Irish sherry trifle recipe
My grandchildren adore the build up to Christmas, the more they are involved the more excited they become.
They love to decorate the Christmas tree and squabble over where each and every bauble should hang. We play lots of cheesy Christmas music and they compete with each other with renditions of their favourite Christmas carols.
We unpack the figures for the crib and solemnly reassemble it, chatting about the real story of Christmas as Jesus, Mary and Joseph are positioned in the midst of the straw, fresh moss and lichen in the little thatched crib made by a kindly neighbour in his carpentry workshop over three decades ago.
On Christmas Eve we continue the family traditions. We light the Christmas candle in the window to guide Joseph and Mary as they search for shelter.
How lovely is it to pop into a church and sit quietly for a few minutes in the midst of all the craziness, then gather round the fire to count one’s blessings and remember loved ones and others less fortunate in these tumultuous times.
Christmas Eve is a big celebration in many countries but here it’s still Christmas Day. Santa will come here tonight, so how about a simple, comforting dinner for all the family.
Let’s have a big bowl of steamy mushroom mac and cheese … a bubbly potato gratin with little bacon lardons or chorizo might also appeal to all the family, followed by a lightly dressed salad of winter leaves to make you feel less full so you can tuck into a bowl of proper trifle with a generous glug of sweet sherry or a few mince pies.
Or graze on one of those charcuterie and cheese boards that are all the rage now.
Have a lovely, peaceful Christmas and many blessings for 2023.
Traditional Irish Sherry Trifle
This sherry trifle is a Chrismas classic for good reason. For a posher version, line the glass bowl with slices of Swiss roll.
Servings
8Preparation Time
5 hours 30 minsTotal Time
5 hours 30 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
450g approx. homemade sponge cake or trifle sponges
225g good quality raspberry jam
For the custard:
5 eggs
1¼ tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
750ml milk
150-175ml best quality sweet or medium sherry
To garnish:
600ml whipped cream
fresh raspberries and cranberries
Method
Sandwich the rounds of sponge cake together with homemade raspberry jam. If you use trifle sponges, sandwich them in pairs.
Next, make the egg custard. You will need 500ml.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract. Heat the milk to the 'shivery' stage and add it to the egg mixture whisking all the time. Put into a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon lightly. Don't let it boil or it will curdle.
Cut the sponge into 2cm slices and use these to line the bottom of a 3 pint (1.7 litre) glass bowl, sprinkling generously with sherry as you go along. Pour in some homemade egg custard and then add another layer of sponge. Sprinkle with the remainder of the sherry. Spread the rest of the custard over the top. Cover and leave for 5-6 hours, or preferably overnight in a cold larder or fridge to mature.
Before serving, spread softly whipped cream over the top, and decorate with raspberries and cranberries.
Mac and Cheese with Mushrooms
Macaroni cheese was and still is one of my children’s favourite supper dishes
Servings
6Preparation Time
20 minsCooking Time
60 minsTotal Time
1 hours 20 minsCourse
MainCuisine
IrishIngredients
- 500g (18oz) flat mushrooms
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 – 3 tbsp marjoram, chopped
225g (8oz) macaroni or ditalini
50g (2oz) butter
150g (5oz) onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g (2oz plain flour
850ml (scant 1 1/2 pints) boiling whole milk
1/4 tsp Dijon or English mustard
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
225g (8oz) freshly grated mature Cheddar cheese or a mix of Cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan
25g (1oz) freshly grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Slice the flat mushrooms thinly. Sauté in batches in olive oil on a hot pan. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add marjoram – taste and correct seasoning.
Bring 3.4 litres (6 pints) water to the boil in a large saucepan and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Sprinkle in the macaroni and stir to make sure it doesn’t stick together. Cook according to the packet instructions until just soft. Drain well.
Meanwhile, melt the butter over a gentle heat, add the chopped onion and garlic, stir to coat, cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 6 - 8 minutes. Add the flour and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 - 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Whisk the milk in gradually, season well with salt and pepper, then return to the boil, stirring constantly. Add the mustard, parsley, if using, and cheese. Add the sautéed mushrooms and well-drained macaroni and return to the boil. Season to taste and serve immediately.
Alternatively, turn into a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pie dish and sprinkle the extra grated cheese over the top (add some dried breadcrumbs if available for a crunchy top). Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 15 - 20 minutes.
A beautiful timber board laden with a selection of artisan charcuterie and perfectly ripe farmhouse cheese is a delicious and relatively effortless way to entertain family and friends – perfect for a Christmas Eve supper.
Add some good crackers, a crusty sourdough baguette with some homemade butter and perhaps a chunk of membrillo (quince cheese). Maybe a few Medjool dates and fresh walnuts.
Charcuterie and cheese boards can be beyond ‘naff’ so keep it simple. Don’t get carried away and choose each item carefully. Resist the temptation to add lots of random chutneys and out of season fruit and rancid nuts….
The variety also depends on the number of guests.
Choose three to five cheeses - there are so many to choose from, perhaps a ripe Durrus, a piece of Coolea or a mature Templegall, a soft Ardsallagh goats milk cheese, a beautiful piece of an Irish blue, perhaps a ripe Crozier or a Young Buck all the way from Belfast.
Fingal Ferguson of the Gubeen cheese family also led the way with a range of charcuterie in the 1980’s. He continues to add to his range and now many other artisans are following in his footsteps ( www.gubbeen.com).
Broughgammon Farm cured meats, from a small family farm near Ballycastle Co. Antrim are superb quality (www.broughgammon.com) as are Ispini, a range of cured meats from Moira Co. Down ( www.ispinicharcuterie.com). They make delicious bresaola, fennel salamis and garlic and pepper salad.
Look out for the Wooded Pig cured meats made from ethically reared free-range pigs who roam freely in mature forests of ash, beech and oak on the family farm near Tara in Co. Meath ( www.thewoodedpig.ie).
Arrange the cured meats, salami, bresaola, prosciutto, coppa, lomo chorizo and farmhouse cheese randomly across the board. Cut the cheese into wedges, slices, cubes depending on the style. A few gherkins could be added to nibble with charcuterie.
A piece of honeycomb can be very delicious with a slightly under ripe blue cheese. You may want to ruffle some of the cured meats into little fan shapes for ease of serving. It’s so easy to make the platter look irresistible.
Just provide a plate and knife and some good red wine and encourage everyone to tuck in and celebrate our artisan producers.
Don’t miss Colm McCan’s Pop-Up Wine Shop in The Grainstore at Ballymaloe. Open on Saturday afternoon from 2pm onwards – an enticing selection of special wines carefully chosen for their unique qualities and for value. Natural, biodynamic and organic. Colm McCan will be on hand to give you the back story to each wine – a fascinating experience. For more information, see @colmmccan on Instagram
Le Caveau, Pascal Rossignol was well ahead of the curve when he started to sell natural and low-intervention wines in 1999. He led the way but many others now follow in his footsteps ( www.lecaveau.ie).
Brian’s Wines in Cork City also have a tantalizing selection of good bottles (www.brianswines.ie).
As does L’Atitude 51 on Union Quay ( www.latitude51.ie).
So if you want to have fun without the headache and hangover, seek out good natural chemical-free wines.
How about a delicious bubbly Pet Nat or an orange wine for Christmas?
