Our traditional Christmas table - Grannys Bread Sauce

Christmas dinner is one of our favourite meals of the year. It’s the only time we cook turkey.

I love the leftovers even if the turkey has gone and we are down to veg, bread sauce and gravy.

Bread sauce Originates in medieval England when using a stale loaf of bread to thicken a sauce, stew or soup would have been cheaper and more accessible than animal fat or eggs. After all bread is just flour and we use that all the time as a thickener.

Even though bread sauce doesn’t sound as appetizing as the Spanish Romesco sauce or the Tuscan soup Ribollito (both use bread as a thickener) it is delicious.

I always looked forward to my gran visiting at Christmas. We only saw her once or twice a year because it was a 4 hour trip - which doesn’t sound much to a Canadian but in the Uk it’s a horrible drive.

Gran was a great character. We would sit in The front room at Christmas watching whatever was on Tv and she would give me a nudge and say “don’t tell your dad” and sneak me extra chocolates and a sip of port.

I always got the job of taking her shopping because the rest of my family got embarrassed when she tried haggling with the grocer over the prices of oranges and potatoes, which she insisted were not as good as the ones she could get back home lol. Of course the grocer knew it was all in fun and he even called her Gran. Everyone called her Gran.

When I think about her I always remember her strirring a massive pan of damsons to make jam - she always left the stones in - which is why as kids we didn’t like it much. She would have a cigarette in her mouth, which would slowly become a tube of ash and I would be trying to stop the ash falling in the jam.

Luckily her bread sauce wasn’t subject to stirring because we cooked it in the oven. Nowadays I just make it on the stovetop because it’s quicker but it can be cooked in the oven or even in the microwave.

Her bread sauce doesn’t really have any measurements, like most things she made. Basically, you fry up a bit of chopped onion, add bread, cover with milk, and season well with salt and pepper.

My grannies Bread sauce

• About 4 inches stale white bread - crusts removed and cut into small cubes

• A handful of onion finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• 1 pint full fat milk - approx (enough to cover the bread and a bit more)

• Salt and pepper to taste

  Directions

• Soak bread cubes in milk

• Melt butter over medium heat

• Sauté finely chopped onion until soft

• Add bread and milk and heat on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens

• season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

BBQ Berkshire Pork Gammon Steaks with Charred pineapple salsa

Gammon Steaks are one of Carl’s favourites. Usually we have it with a slice of pineapple & cheese sauce or eggs and chips but it’s way too hot right now.

When we came to Canada we couldn’t find Gammon so we made our own. A true British favourite made from pork legs that are cured but not smoked.

He loved this new pineapple salsa twist, especially as he had a massive 2lb gammon steak plus chips and pesto mushrooms on the side. Of course this is enough for 2 people.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large Berkshire Pork Gammon Steak

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil

For the Salsa

• 8 oz fresh pineapple

• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butted

• 1/3 cup orange juice

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 crushed garlic clove

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 4 scallions or 1 shallot finely chopped

• 2 red chillies, de seeded and finely chopped (or sriracha sauce to taste)

• 10 fresh basil leaves finely sliced

• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Make 1” Slices in the fat all around the edge of the Berkshire Pork Gammon Steak. This will stop the Steak from curling when you cook it.

2. Mix together soy sauce, honey and melted butter/olive oil and brush on either side of Berkshire Gammon Steak.

3. Cook Gammon on bbq for about 8/10 mins on each side until internal temp is 160F

4. Take the top and bottom off the pineapple and remove skin

5. Slice pineapple into 1/2” slices and brush with melted butter or olive oil

6. Barbeque for 3 - 4 mins per side until golden and charred.

7. Put orange juice, sugar, garlic, white wine vinegar, chopped shallots/scallions, chillies and sliced basil into a bowl.

8. Chop pineapple into bite-size pieces and add to the rest of the salsa ingredients.

9. To serve, pile the pineapple Salsa onto The Gammon Steaks and serve with chips (fries) and grilled mushrooms.

We love ham and pineapple together but it’s another of those great debates - Fruit with meat- what do you think?

Enjoy xxx