Last minute meal

HOW about planning a delicious little Christmas Eve supper that can be slipped into the oven, something comforting to soothe your shattered nerves, when you are exhausted and fraught from trying to remember a zillion things.

A convivial family supper around the kitchen table is the true spirit of Christmas.

First pop a bottle or several of Prosecco into the fridge ‘just in case’ you feel like a little fizz. If a pot of tea seems more likely to hit the spot, the bubbly will be well chilled for Christmas Day anyway.

French Peasant Soup would be delicious, it’s quite filling so if you opt for just soup and pud everyone could tuck into a second or even third bowl. While you are at it, make three or four times the recipe, it freezes brilliantly, little tubs are ideal and can be defrosted very quickly if some pals unexpectedly drop in and look as though they are not going to leave until they get fed!

For main course, a gratin would be easy and delicious. It takes a bit of putting together but it can of course be made ahead and just slipped into the oven until it is heated through and it is crunchy and bubbly on top.

Another alternative would be my sister Lizzie’s ‘supper in a pot’ which is so comforting and filling.

A green salad of winter leaves with a good punchy dressing made from really good extra virgin olive oil will make you feel less full so you have room for pudding. Dessert could be an Apple and Mincemeat Tart or maybe a Toffee and Date pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, or a Cool Yule Fruit Salad.

Alternatively forget pudding as such and just cut the Christmas Cake and enjoy a little slice with a glass of sweet sherry or nice wine.

Whatever the choice lets not forget to thank the good Lord for all the delicious food, spare a thought and share with those around us who are in need, and above all remember and reflect on the real reason for the celebration.

A very happy Christmas to all our readers.

Lizzie’s Chicken Hot Pot

This basic technique may also be used with lamb or pork.

Serves 6-8

8 potatoes

4 medium onions, thinly sliced

2-4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼” thick

4-8 ozs (110-225g) streaky bacon, cut into lardons

Free range organic chicken (6-8 portions, eg 4 chicken breasts and 4 thighs or drumsticks cut into manageable size pieces)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

Chicken stock

Few sprigs thyme

Medium-sized Le Creuset-type casserole dish

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Regulo 8. Peel the potatoes. Cut four of them thinly and the others in thick slices. Arrange a layer of thinly sliced potatoes in the base of the dish and add seasoning.

A layer of thinly sliced onion comes next, then the carrot and bacon lardons. Season again. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Another sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper and a sprig of thyme.

Finally an overlapping layer of thickly sliced potatoes. Pour boiling stock over the lot to come about half way up the side. Cover. Put into the preheated oven and cook for 40-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the potato is crisp and golden on top.

Winter Green Salad with Honey and Mustard Dressing

For this salad, use a selection of winter lettuces and salad leaves, eg Butterhead, Iceberg, Raddichio, Endive, Chicory, Watercress, Buckler leaf, Sorrel, Rocket leaves and Winter Purslane Mysticana. Tips of purple sprouting broccoli are also delicious and if you feel like something more robust, use some finely-shredded Savoy cabbage and maybe a few shreds of red cabbage also.

Honey and Mustard Dressing:

6 fl ozs (150ml) olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils, eg sunflower and arachide

2 fl ozs (50ml) wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp honey

2 heaped tsp wholegrain honey mustard

2 cloves garlic

Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well before use.

Wash and dry the lettuces and other leaves very carefully in a large sink of cold water. If large tear into bite sized pieces and put into a deep salad bowl.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate if not to be served immediately.

Just before serving toss with a little dressing — just enough to make the leaves glisten. Serve immediately.

Note: Green salad must not be dressed until just before serving, otherwise it will be tired and unappetising.

French Peasant Soup

This is another very substantial soup — it has ‘eating and drinking’ in it and would certainly be a meal in itself particularly with some grated Cheddar cheese.

Serves 6

6 ozs (170g) unsmoked streaky bacon (in the piece)

Olive or sunflower oil

5ozs (140g) potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch (5mm) dice

2ozs (55g) onions, finely chopped

1 small clove garlic (optional)

1 lb (450g) very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced or 1 x 14 oz (400g) tin of tomatoes and their juice Salt and freshly ground pepper

½-1 tsp sugar

1¼ pints (750ml) homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock

2ozs (55g) cabbage (Savoy is best), finely chopped

Garnish:

Chopped parsley

Remove the rind from the bacon if necessary. Prepare the vegetables and cut the bacon into ¼ inch (5mm) dice approx. Blanch the bacon cubes in cold water to remove some of the salt, drain and dry on kitchen paper, saute in a little olive or sunflower oil until the fat runs and the bacon is crisp and golden. Add potatoes, onions and crushed garlic, sweat for 10 minutes and then add diced tomatoes and any juice. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cover with stock and cook for five minutes. Add the finely chopped cabbage and continue to simmer just until the cabbage is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with lots of chopped parsley and serve.

Mediterranean Peasant Soup

Add ½ Kabanossi sausage thinly sliced to the soup with the potato. ¼ lb (110g) cooked haricot beans may also be added.

Apple and Mincemeat Tart

Serves 8-12

The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from ‘hot hands’ don’t have to worry about rubbing in the butter. Use it for a variety of fruit tarts. It can be difficult to handle when it’s first made and benefits from being chilled for at least an hour. It’s even better if rested overnight.

Pastry:

225g (8oz) butter

50g (2oz) castor sugar

2 eggs, preferably free-range and organic

340g (12oz) white flour, preferably unbleached

Filling:

675g (1½lb) Bramley seedling cooking apples

110g (4oz) sugar

½ jar mincemeat

Egg wash

Castor sugar for sprinkling

To serve:

Softly whipped cream

Barbados sugar

1 rectangular tin, 18cm (7 inch) x 30.5cm (12 inch) x 2.5cm (1 inch) deep or 1 x 23cm (9 inch) round tin

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4. First make the pastry.

Beat the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over-cream).

Add the eggs and beat for several minutes. Reduce the speed and mix in the flour. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 1 hour otherwise it is difficult to handle.

To make the tart: Use a little less then two-thirds of the pastry to line the chosen tin.

Roll the pastry 3mm (one-eighth inch) thick approx. Spread a layer of mincemeat on the pastry. Peel, quarter and dice the apples into the tart tin. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, stars, heart shapes or whatever takes your fancy.

Brush with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked, cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with casteor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and Barbados sugar.

Foolproof food

Cool Yule Fruit Salad

Serves 10-15

Equal volumes of:

Ripe melon, balled

Ripe papaya, sliced thinly and cut into squares

Ripe mango, sliced

Passion fruit seeds

Ripe pineapple, diced

Ripe kiwi, sliced and quartered

Ripe banana, sliced

Pomegranate seeds

A glass bowl

Lime syrup:

8oz (225g) sugar

8 fl oz (225ml) water

2 limes

First, make the lime syrup. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes; allow to cool.

Meanwhile, remove the zest from the lime either with a zester or a fine stainless steel grater and add to the syrup with the juice of the lime.

Prepare all the fruits in individual bowls and cover with lime syrup.

Arrange the fruit in layers in a glass bowl.

Cover and allow to chill and marinate for an hour at least.

To serve: Ladle carefully into serving bowls so each guest gets a mixture of fruit.

Serve alone or with softly whipped cream.

Hot tip

THE Rural Food Company Training Network: Courses in new product development, business growth and development and intermediate hygiene are being run until March 2008. The courses aim to help management and staff of food businesses to avail of specific training which will assist their business in achieving growth, sustainability and competitiveness.

Funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. For details email: [e-mail] or contact Eilish Broderick at 068-23390 or 087-6386501. Rural Food Company Training Network, 58 Church St, Listowel, Co Kerry.

Holycross Stores, Holycross, Co Tipperary — near the famous Holycross Abbey — is 5km from Cashel and 1.5km from Thurles.

Ann Marie and Brian Walsh are now running the local village shop and have increased the range of products including a deli and hot counter offering hot lunches, soup, fresh salads and sandwiches. Their emphasis is on providing fresh, Irish and local food wherever possible by sourcing local meats, cheeses, preserves, vegetables, etc. ….Tel [phone].

Brown Envelope Seeds: The 2007 catalogue of Irish certified organic vegetable seeds now available. Stock is limited so order early at www.brownenvelopeseeds.com; tel [phone]; or email [e-mail].