giles Christmas

Starter: King Tiger Prawn Cocktail You will need: 600g cooked King Tigers Prawns 4 Little Gem lettuces, washed and trimmed 5 heaped tbsp mayonnaise 5 tbsp tomato chutney 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp creamed horseradish A tiny splash of Tabasco sauce A tsp of lemon juice paprika, for dusting 4 tsp snipped chives Method: 1.Peel all but 4 of the prawns (reserve these for the tops). Break the lettuces into individual leaves, then divide the leaves evenly between 4 small glass bowls. 2.Sprinkle the prawns over the lettuce and season with black pepper. 3.Mix the mayonnaise, tomato chutney, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish and Tabasco together. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt and pepper, then spoon sparingly over the prawns. Dust the top with a little paprika and sprinkle with chives. Top with the remaining prawns and serve immediately. Preparation time: 25 Minutes Cooking time: 0 minutes

Main Meal: Roast Leg of Lamb/ Mutton You will need: One leg of mutton or lamb A pinch of salt and pepper A sprinkle of Rosemary Three garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped Non -alcoholic red wine (optional) 1 onion quartered 1 stick of celery roughly chopped Preparation time: 10 Minutes Cooking time: 5 hours Method: 1.Wash your leg of lamb/ mutton, place it in a tray and stab the top of the leg. 2.Now place your garlic in the wholes that you have created and this will help not only to flavour the skin but the meat under it too. 3.After this, place a small amount of water in the bottom of the tray or if you want to add a little more flavour use non- alcoholic red wine, which will help to capture the essence of Christmas. With this add the celery and onion and this will help to form a stock and include more flavours for the gravy. 4.Then cover your leg with foil, and leave it to rest for half an hour. 5.Whilst the Lamb/Mutton is resting, turn your oven up to the highest temperature and then when it has had about half and hour at the highest temperature turn it down to 150 degrees and place the lamb on the top shelf in the oven. 6.Roast this for five hours, checking it every so often but not turning it. 7.Half an hour before the end cooking time take the foil off the meat and let the skin crisp for the remaining time. 8.Once it’s cooked, drain the juices from the meat (use this for your gravy!) and carve your meat. This should just fall of the bone and be so tender. This could turn an ordinary Christmas into something special, enjoy

Dessert: Gingered Cranberry-Pear Cobbler You need: Filling 1/3 apple juice or water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 8 slightly underripe pears, preferably conference, peeled and cut into ½ -inch-thick slices 3/4 cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoons corn flour 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon finely minced on chopped fresh ginger 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 180oC. Grease a large baking dish with fat e.g. margarine or vegetable oil. 2. To prepare filling: Combine apple juice or water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss pears with the juice. Whisk brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and ginger in a saucepan until combined. Drain the liquid from the pears into this mixture; stir until well blended. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until it begins to boil (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in the pears and cranberries and cook, stirring, until the mixture is steaming, about 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Spread the fruit in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. 3.To prepare crust: Combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and baking soda in a food processor fitted with a dough hook or chopping blade; process to combine or mix well with a wooden spoon. Drizzle in oil and process in quick pulses just until the mixture is the consistency of very fine crumbs, stopping and scraping the bottom and sides several times (or stir in bit by bit). Crust 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/3 cups plain flour 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup vegetable oil Preparation time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 55 minutes

4. Add the sour cream mixture; process in quick pulses just until incorporated and the mixture holds together when pressed between the fingers; do not over process. If the mixture seems dry, gradually add a little cold water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse briefly several times just until the mixture is moistened and holds together. 5. Lightly dust a 14-inch-long piece of parchment or wax paper with flour. Turn the dough out onto the paper and let rest for 5 minutes. Knead briefly until the dough just comes together. Lightly flour the top and cover with a second sheet of paper. Roll or press the dough into the same shape as your baking dish, just slightly smaller. Discard the top sheet of paper. Invert the dough, centered, over the fruit. Discard the paper. Using a greased sharp paring knife, cut large decorative slashes in the dough to vent steam. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any overflowing juices). 6. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

We at the Giles Academy wish you a very Merry Christmas !