Christmas prep

Well I harvested the veg from the plot today, made the seafood sauce, cheesecake, mince pies are made & some uncooked in the freezer & some baked in the freezer, ham cooked for tomorrow’s dinner. And that’s me done, oh cauliflower cheese is made & in the freezer. We’re going to our son’s for breakfast and see the grandchildren on Christmas Day & to our daughters for dinner in the afternoon. Never labelled the pans & cooking tins but it’s a great idea & to try them in the oven next to each other etc is fab, many a time I’ve had to re jig everything.

The excessive prep was worth it. A 14 year old actually loved the sprouts!

I did mine in a similar way to a video made by a Michellin starred chef!
I blanched them for a couple of minutes then put them straight into ice water. I dried them off completely and let them cool over night. On the day I cut them in half and just pan fried them flat side down in plenty of butter until they were really caramalised and crispy. They were firm, no mushiness and very tasty!

Sprouts: my favorite way is to thin-slice (mandolin, or steady hand and a sharp knife). Then stir fry in a wok, minced fresh ginger and garlic in the oil first, then sprouts, cook briefly until just slightly softer, season with a little salt, sugar, pepper, sesame oil (soy sauce and sherry if you want them).

Ooh now that's a different flavour combo to try in the new year!