When a foodie mentions in passing that they are looking for really good biscotti, how can I not leap to the stove and bake some for a Christmas gift?
I nibbled one of the end bits as cook’s treat; it was very brittle (as it should be, it is designed to be dipped in coffee), the nuts chewy and the chocolatey hits dark and tasty. But the big surprise was the star anise, peppering the tongue with a spiced aroma that was perfectly Christmassy.
While trying out Jamie Oliver’s method for roast potatoes, I had to have something to serve them with. At this time of year, gammon is both plentiful and reasonably priced so it seemed like an obvious choice. I favour the twice-cooking method; the boiling to do the actual cooking, then baking a glaze on the joint. This was a fairly obvious one of mustard and sugar, which ticks all the right boxes in ham for me.
Sweet-glazed mustard gammon:
1 gammon joint (450g)
1 stick celery
5 juniper berries
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
- Cover the gammon with water and bring to the boil. Throw this water away and start again with fresh water (this removes scum from the joint and lightens the salty flavour).
- Add the celery, juniper and a few peppercorns. Boil for 2 hours or until a skewer can pierce the meat with no resistance.
- Allow the joint to drain well and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Spread the mustard over the joint, then press the sugar into the mustard. Roast for twenty minutes or until the mixture is coloured and bubbling. Carve into thick slices and chomp away.
Regular readers may know that I pride myself on bloody good roast potatoes, somewhat boastful but I’ve put the hours in. But I’m never complacent, always on the lookout for tips and pointers to gild the already-golden lily. Nigella gave me the idea to use polenta, Heston put forth the idea of using potato peelings in the boiling liquor, now Jamie comes forward with more ideas. Here’s Jamie Oliver Roast Potatoes.
I’ve distilled all these ideas into my perfect roast potato recipe. Check it out here!
His recent mini-series, Jamie’s Family Christmas has dealt with all manner of festive food, and it didn’t take long for him to try working up the humble roasties. He offered a formula: half way through roasting add a combo of garlic, vinegar and herb to the mix. At this point also give the half-roast pots a slight squidge with a potato masher – not mashing them you understand, but squeezing them to open them up. More exposed surface area equals more places for the potato to soak up fat. He also trialled using three different fats: olive oil, butter and goose fat. Predictably, they increased in flavour and crispiness as they decrease in healthiness. But it’s the addition of an acid that intrigues me. I went all into the method, eschewing all my usual steps I followed the Jamie technique. I used some pork fat, orange peel, red wine vinegar and rosemary.
This is the first time in a long time I haven’t used polenta; I’d almost forgotten what roasties were like without. There was certainly plenty of crunch to go around, and the pleasing licks of other flavours drifted in. The rosemary was predictably perfumed and slightly crisp, garlic was welcome, and the occasional spud that cosied up to orange peel had an interesting twist. The red wine vinegar had permeated little but I’d like to try a splash more next time. There’s lots to enjoy here.
So have I reached the perfect roast potato yet? Yes! Read it here. Have you tried Jamie Oliver Roast Potatoes? How did you get on?
Jamie Oliver’s perfect roast potatoes:
500g maris piper, peeled and chunked
4 tablespoons fat
Peel of 1 orange
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Boil the potatoes for around 10 minutes, until they are very well done. After 5 minutes put the fat in the pan and whack in the oven.
- Drain the potatoes and shake about to chuff up the edges. Add to the pan.
- Roast for 30 minutes, then using a potato masher, lightly press each spud to encourage them to split.
- Meanwhile toss the garlic, rosemary and orange together in the vinegar with a splash of olive oil.
- Add this to the pan and put back in the oven. Continue to roast for another 20 – 30 minutes, until done to your desired crispiness.
- Season liberally with sea salt and a dash of white pepper. Eat like gods.
Jamie’s recipe in his own words can be seen here at his website.
Yes, so poached is just another word for boiled, but the poor maligned sprout needs a makeover. I love them, and love to see them on the plate this time of year. These emerald blobs were halved, poached in vegetable stock for a few minutes until knife tender, then quickly drained and fried in nutmeggy butter until slightly crisped underneath. Lovely.
A sprout is not just for Christmas, but the surrounding period too.