Our Traditional Christmas Table -Sage & Onion Stuffing.

Christmas is time for family and food, overindulging and making memories.

Up until we left the UK my mum always hosted Xmas dinner and I cooked. Anyone who was going to be alone would be invited, it was usually a very strange crowd but we had so much fun.

Our last big family Christmas was in 2003. Even though it’s just 2 of us I still cook a massive oversized turkey because it’s tradition!

Leftovers are part of Christmas for us and they are freezable! I freeze turkey dinners for Carl’s lunches and Boxing day is left over turkey curry day.

The first Christmas I cooked for a large crowd I really did overextend myself. Nowadays I don’t stress, anything that can be made a day ahead takes some of the pressure off - the stuffing, bread sauce, soup and boiled potatoes ready for roasting can all be done early.

A good stuffing is an essential part of our traditional Christmas and my favourite is sage & onion. ( Back home we used to have chestnut stuffing but I don’t have the patience to peel them so I only make it if I find peeled chestnuts - this year I actually found some in the frozen section of an Asian Grocery store.)

Our stuffings are different from the bread type stuffings that are popular here because they are mainly meat and yes it only uses 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs - which you can leave out if you prefer

I use our Cumberland Sausage or you can use ground pork and I don’t actually stuff the turkey anymore because it takes too long to cook. Instead, I cook the stuffing in muffin tins - sometimes mini muffin tins or even in a loaf tin. I have to make extra because we can’t help picking!

“It’s the best stuffing ever! I made it in a loaf tin and sliced it. - It’s delicious and very easy to make with a few ingredients.”

— Nana K

Sage & Onion Stuffing

2lb Cobblestone Farm Sausages or ground pork

4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 large onion finely chopped

1 heaped dessertspoon dried sage

1 beaten egg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Mix breadcrumbs, onion and dried sage in a bowl.

2) Add sausagemeat/ground pork and egg if using, mix well.

3)Season with salt & pepper. (Fry a little of the stuffing up to taste it)

4)Put in muffin tins or loaf pan (or Stuff into turkey) and cook at 425 degrees for about 40 mins or until cooked through

Cumberland Sausage with Beer & Cheese Fondue

Apparently, I cook with a lot of booze - sometimes you just need to - so let’s not break the habit. Sausage, beer and cheese - what’s not to love!!!

Cumberland Sausages with Beer & Cheese fondue

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

• 1 lb ish (4) Cobblestone Farm Berkshire Pork Cumberland sausages

• 2 garlic cloves grated

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

• 1 can your favourite beer

• ¾ cup water 

 Cheese Fondue

• 1/2lb quality Mature English Cheddar (We use Cricketers) - grated

• 1 oz smoked cheddar - grated

• 1 cup liquid from cooking sausages

• 1 tablespoon English mustard

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• Salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation

1. Toast coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium low heat - until they are fragrant… be careful not to burn them - Then grind in a pestle and mortar.

2. Put onion slices, sausages, ground coriander seeds, mustard seeds & garlic in a frying pan with beer and water.

3. Put a lid on then bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 mins or until liquid is reduced by half. 

4. Strain & reserve beer liquid from sausages.

5. Gently cook sausage until skins are brown - you can add oil or lard if you need to.

6. For the fondue - Mix together the grated cheese, cornstarch & English mustard

7. Bring reserved beer liquid to a boil and add the cheese and mustard stirring all the time.

8. Season to taste

Serve sausages on a bun with onions and fondue

Berkshire Pork Bone Broth

I use our Berkshire pork neckbones all the time to make bone broth. It’s very easy to make and you can use a slow cooker, instant pot or make it on top of the stove (this is easy but more time consuming and needs a bit more attention, which is why I don’t do it this way.)

This broth is delicious and gelatinous, which makes it perfect for the jelly in a traditional pork pie if you don’t want to use trotters.

It is also perfect as a substitute for both chicken and beef stock.

You can roast the neckbones first if you prefer. I use whatever veg and herbs I have but have made it with just bones, salt, pepper and onion.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ish Berkshire pork neckbones

• 1 onion peeled, and quartered

• 1 celery stalk, washed & cut in 4 pieces

• 1 carrot washed & cut in chunks

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

• 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

you can add more herbs too - sometimes I add sage and thyme and extra garlic - it depends what I have available.

Directions

Instant Pot

1. Put all ingredients in the instant pot. Cover with water - keeping below the max fill line.

2. Close lid and set vent to sealing. Cook on broth for a minimum of 3 hours. Allow broth to naturally release.

3. Strain broth through a colander.

4. Put in the fridge to cool. The broth will become quite gelatinous and any fat will rise to the top and set. This can be skimmed off and used for frying.

5. You can freeze the broth for up to 6 months to store. Put the broth into freezer bags. I lay the freezer bags in a small tray so they are all the same shape and stack better. Or use yoghurt pots, ice cube trays or even ice lolly moulds.

Stove Top

1. Place ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top.

2. Turn heat down to medium-low and gently simmer for 12 hours. As the broth cooks you can reduce the heat down to low and add water as it evaporates. I wouldn’t leave this broth unattended for any length of time.

3. Follow steps 3 from Instant Pot for straining and storage.

Slow Cooker

1. Place ingredients in crockpot. Cover with cold water and cook for 12 hours.

2. Follow steps 3 from Instant Pot for straining and storage.

You can use the broth for making yummy gravy, soup, stews, cooking rice or pasta in or even drink it! Enjoy!

Let me know if you make it and what is your favourite use for it.

If you like this post and would like to buy me a coffee that would be greatly appreciated!

Berkshire Pork Bourguignon - a delicious Berkshire Pork Shoulder Recipe

Recently a friend of mine inspired me to make Julia Childs beef bourguignon. I had always thought it would be too difficult to make - I found it easy but very time-consuming but omg it is sooo delicious. I am now so obsessed with it I am even curing my own small slab of bacon just for this recipe.

Our beef supply is low so I tried it with some of our Berkshire pork Shoulder. (Searches on the interweb told me that pork doesn’t work in this recipe - maybe commercially raised pork won’t but our Berkshire pork shoulder was amazing.

I have also made this in the Instant pot and finished it in the oven - It was delicious even straight out of the IP - though it doesn’t have the nice crust and doesn’t thicken.

To make the pork in the instant pot -

• Saute the meat following the directions for browning then put on meat setting for 1 hour - let pressure release naturally.

• Take out some of the extra gravy to cook the onions in and then put the meat in the oven while you prepare the onions and mushrooms.

I am sure this will also work in the slow cooker too - I melted mine so I need a volunteer to test it for me lol.

Ingredients

For the Berkshire Pork

• 6 ounces unsmoked Berkshire bacon (British style) cut into small pieces

• 2-3 pounds Berkshire Pork Shoulder or leg cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 tablespoon lard or olive oil

• 1 carrot peeled and sliced

• 1 small onion peeled and sliced

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 1/2 cups red wine full-bodied

• 2-3 cups stock or broth (I usually use homemade pork or chicken stock)

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 2 cloves garlic crushed

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bay leaves

For the onions

• 6 ounces pearl onions peeled

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 sprigs parsley (or 1 tbsp dried parsley)

• 1/4 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 bay leaf

• 1/2 cup broth or stock

For the mushrooms

• 1 pound white mushrooms quartered

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450°.

• In a large dutch oven, heat the lard or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for several minutes until lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon (leave the bacon fat in the pan to brown the pork.)

• Brown the Berkshire pork shoulder in the bacon fat/lard - don’t overcrowd the pan - brown in batches and put browned pork with bacon. Continue until all the pork has been browned.

• Add the onions and carrots to the dutch oven and brown them, stirring occasionally.

• Return the pork, bacon and any drippings to the dutch oven.

• Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the meat and vegetables are well coated. Put the dutch oven uncovered into the hot oven and cook for 4 minutes. Stir the contents of the pot and continue to cook for an additional 4 minutes. (this will give the meat a nice crust).

• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°.

• Add the wine to the pot and add enough pork stock to barely cover the meat. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cover the pot tightly with a lid and place back in the oven. Braise for 3-4 hours or until the pork is tender.

• While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

For the onions

• In a large frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the foam has subsided from the pan.

• Add the peeled onions and cook until they are lightly browned. Add the herbs, bay leaf and stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a medium-low, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes -- until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside.

For the mushrooms

• In a large frying pan heat half the olive oil and butter until the foam from the butter begins to subside.

• Add half the mushrooms to the pan and cook until browned. They will first absorb the oil, and then begin to brown... do not crowd the mushrooms in the pan.

• Transfer cooked mushrooms to the same bowl as the onions. Continue with the remaining mushrooms, by heating the oil and butter until the foam subsides, adding the mushrooms and then browning them evenly.

• When the meat is tender, take out the bay leaves and add the mushrooms and onions

• Heat the contents through on the stovetop and serve with crusty bread and a good red wine.

I also served this with buttery mashed potatoes and Yorkshire puddings - it would also make a great pie filling!

Let me know if you tried it!