Stray Foodie Christmas Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Terrine

Stray Foodie Christmas Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

In the run-up to Christmas, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

This Chocolate Ganache Terrine is the most delicious, rich chocolate cake that is highly suitable for chocoholics and perhaps a big treat to have at Christmas. It should be noted that a little goes a long way!

Many chocoholics would consider this as being called divine.

Originally in chocolate history the Mayans believed the pods of the cocao tree were an offering from the Gods to man.  When a Swedish botanist gave if a formal classification in the 18th Century he called it the Theobroma Cacao meaning the “drink of the Gods” from the Greek Theos (God) and Broma (beverage).

Up until the 19th Century chocolate existed in a liquid form when it became solid the early British producers were Quakers. They recognised their product might help their crusade against the evils of alcohol! Ironically my recipe has a lot of alcohol in it and together they form a powerful product.

For the Ganache

For the Topping

Line a heavy based terrine mould, approx. 10 inches with a double layer of cling film.

Separate the Eggs and whisk the egg white and sugar together.

When stiff, add the egg yolks.

Melt the chocolate carefully over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave.

Add to the egg mixture.

Mix the instant coffee granules in to the rum, whip the cream, add the instant coffee in to the whipped cream.

Fold in the gluten free flour and then the whipped cream in to the chocolate. (Make sure this is done in this order.)

Place the chocolate mixture in the terrine and place in a roasting tin of water, a bain marie. Cook at 150c – 180c, dependant on oven variation for 35 mins or until the chocolate has set.  Cool in the terrine mould overnight in the fridge.

For the topping the next day melt the chocolate, mix in the cream and pour over the ganache. Let it set up. This is now ready to thinly slice and serve with whipped cream or an accompaniment of your choice.

The divine smoothness of the chocolate lends itself to the aroma of a “cheffie” pine bud garnish or orange for the more conservative. The Rum from Harrogate Tipple in it makes the perfect taste sensation.

We have already talked in our previous recipes about Harrogate Tipple Christmas Gin and their Rum is equally superb. Taylors of Harrogate have a selection of marvellous blended coffee which I would recommend. Perhaps I would suggest Mundo Maya Arabica Coffee for its intensity and complexity, but you could great fun here sampling the different blends.

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Stray Foodie: Festive Vegetable and Leek Strudel

Stray Foodie Christmas Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

In the run-up to Christmas, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

 

This is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as an alternative to overly rich traditional Christmas food. It can also be made to be great fun incorporating all those leftover nibbles in the fridge. Either way this is healthy, glamorous and cost effective food.

From your local supermarket you should be able to buy a fresh spice set including ginger, coriander, basil, chilli, lime leaf, lemon grass and garlic.

I personally love kaffir lime leaves; I have them all over the house as they give such a lovely citrus aroma! They can be ordered especially for you at Daleside Nurseries.

The spice set needs to be blended raw with a little sesame oil to make a paste. Please note the chilli can be quite hot so do make sure the seeds are removed using disposable gloves.

Having prepared the spices we can now get on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 x packet Filo Pastry (I always keep a packet in my fridge or freezer at this time of year, which comes in handy for those unexpected meals)

100g Melted Butter

250g Root and Mediterranean prepared and diced vegetables of your choice (medium sized chunks)

60g Cooked Chickpeas

200g Whipping Cream

1 x Leek

1 x tsp Cumin Seed

1 x Pomegranate

2 x Medjool Dates

Pomegranate Molasses

A bunch of peppery Watercress

The ingredients for the vegetable and leek strudel

Method:

Fry the diced vegetables with the blended spices and cook until tender.

Remove from the pan and cool.

Add the chickpeas.

Wash and chop the leek and cook in the whipping cream with a little seasoning until soft, then allow to cool.

Take 3 sheets of filo pastry and place on your work surface.

Brush with melted butter.

Down the middle, place a line of the spiced vegetables. Roll it and brush with butter.

Place in the middle of two more sheets of filo, brushing all over with melted butter. Add the leek on top of the roll and again wrap the pastry over it.

Roll again in two more buttered sheets.

Brush with melted butter all over and sprinkle with cumin seeds.

Place on a greased pan and cook at 180c – 200c for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and slice.

Serve with Pomegranate, medjool dates and a drizzle of Pomegranate Molasses and Watercress.

An alternative to Pomegranate could be a spoonful of that delicious Cranberry Relish that you have in your fridge purchased from Paradise Food!

You could even try some of your leftover turkey in this dish – it is delicious. For a special treat, pair with a glass of Taittinger Rose Champagne!

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Stray Foodie: Christmas Mince Pies

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

Throughout lockdown, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

This week’s recipe is for Christmas Mince Pies

This time of year many households are either purchasing or making their own Mince Pies with their own personal slant. Some people will put orange in their pastry, other people use flaky pastry rather than sweet pastry, and the creative making their own mince meat may leave out beef suet and replace with vegetable suet or even leave out altogether.

It is the suet that actually determines what this traditional dish was once meant to be. It was a small spiced meat pie with dried fruit with brandy added.  The brandy acted as a preservative. These were made slightly in advance for Christmas. As time has gone on there was a shortage of meat, so the suet replaced the meat. Now in these current times why do we need the suet? The fat from the suet will combine the juices, sugar and alcohol, but of course, there are other ways to do this. Why not experiment by using a little flavoured oil or coconut oil rather than suet.

Good cooking is all about creativity and organisation; it is not difficult but can be time consuming. Maybe that is why most people prefer to buy a jar of ready prepared mincemeat. I personally find it much more exciting to think about my own flavours to celebrate Christmas.

Here is a recipe that I hope you will enjoy! For a beautiful festive pairing, try with Bettys Christmas Coffee blend. 

For the mincemeat, you will need:

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together! You could also add a touch of chilli, extra apple or grated ginger. Let this stand overnight.

For the pastry, you will need:

Method:

Rub the fat into the flour and combine the egg and chill. Add splash of water if needed, but handle the pastry as little as possible. I like the lard as it adds a shortness to the pastry, but you could easily substitute that for butter if preferred.

Line your chosen tins with the pastry and add the filling. You can either cover the top for a closed pie or leave open and cover with glazed apple, cinnamon and sugar. For something a little different, you could roll out some marzipan and add some grated orange on top!

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