Cheer fare
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ADVENT starts next Sunday, rather late; it will only just manage to squeeze itself in before Christmas day. But before that we must not forget dear St Andrew or the Scots might be hurt. His feast, 30 Novem- ber, is far more patriotically celebrated in Scotland than the weedy efforts made by the English on St George's day. A good traditional dish for St Andrew, apart from the usual whisky and haggis, comes from Jane Warren's A feast of Scotland: Howtowdie with drappit eggs
3Ib roasting chicken For stuffing 3oz fresh breadcrumbs 1 small onion chopped 1/2 level teaspoon dried herbs (I would use fresh in larger quantities) Pinch of paprika 2oz chopped ham 2oz butter 4oz butter 8 button onions 6 peppercorns 3 cloves 3 allspice berries 1/2 pint chicken stock 6 standard eggs 2lbs spinach.
Reserve the chicken's liver. Combine the stuffing ingredients, binding together with the butter. Place in the chicken and truss it. Melt the 4oz butter in a casserole, add the chicken and onions and let them brown all over. Add peppercorns, cloves, allspice, stock and salt to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and cook in a preheated oven at Gas 4, 350 F, 180 C, for 1-11/4 hours until the bird is tender. Meanwhile cook the spinach, purée it, beat in a little thick cream and butter. Season. When the bird is cooked, strain the liquid into a saucepan and poach the liver in it for three minutes, leave on one side. Poach the eggs in the stock, then make six nests of spinach around the edge of a large dish, place an egg in the centre of each nest with the cooked chicken in the centre of the dish. Rub the liver through a sieve into the stock, adjust seasoning, pour some over the chicken and serve the rest separately.
Now for Christmas I suggest you all make a good piece of dry-pickled, spiced beef to have up your sleeve. It is quite delicious and can be cut very thin, excel- lent with a baked potato and an endive salad. Straight from Dame David and Mr Hutton from Harrods. Spiced beef for Christmas
10-131b 5-6Ib joint joint Joint of fresh silverside beef 5-6 az Light brown Barbados sugar 3 oz
1 oz Saltpetre (from chemist) lh oz
6 az Sea or rock salt 4 oz
1 oz Allspice berries 1/2 oz 2 oz Black peppercorns 1 oz 2 oz Juniper berries 1 or Buy the meat in a long shape, without fat. Rub the beef all over with the brown sugar and leave for two days in a glazed stoneware receptacle. Crush the spices saltpetre and salt in a mortar until well broken up. With this mixture you rub the beef thoroughly each day for 9 to 14 days according to which size you have chosen. Gradually with the salt and sugar the beef produces its own aromatic liquid. Keep it covered, in a cool airy place. Before cooking, wipe off any of the spices adher- ing to the beef. Put the joint into a deep cast-iron oval pot where it fits as snugly as possible with little space to spare. Pour in Vz pint of water. Cover the pot with three layers of foil and its well fitting lid to avoid any evaporation of the juices. Bake in a very low oven at Gas 1, 290 F, 143 C, for five hours for a 5 to 61b joint and, though the time isn't given for the larger joint, I imagine another hour and a half would suffice. Take it from the oven carefully and leave to cool for two to three hours, but pour off all the liquid before any fat sets. Wrap the beef in foil, place on a board, put another board or tray on top and a 3-41b weight. Leave until next day. Once cooked, the meat will keep fresh for several days in a larder or refrigerator provided it is kept wrapped in clean greaseproof paper frequently changed be- tween carvings.
If it has been stored in the refrigerator get it out for a good two hours before eating or the taste will be impaired. This joint must be cooked in a slow oven. It won't work on .a slow burner above.
Harrods produces this meat beautifully but it costs £4 a pound whereas good silverside can be bought at under £2 a pound, so it is well worth taking the trouble. It would also be a different and interesting offering if you are staying with people for Christmas. So an early bon Noel
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