Delicious Australia – (12)December 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY

BEN DEARNLEY

STYLING

KIRSTEN JENKINS

MERCHANDISING

EMMALY STEWART

I LOVE...

A FESTIVE

FIASCO

OH,THEPRESSUREweputonourselveseveryChristmas,before
thingsinvariablyunravel.Forme,thesedisasterscanberankedlike
stormsandhurricanes,sohereis myownfestiveversion of the
revisedSaffir-SimpsonHurricaneWindScale.
CATEGORYT WO: Objectingtoyoursistersplayinga NeilSedaka
ChristmasalbumbecauseThePogues’'FairytaleofNewYork'is
theperfectsoundtrackmaynotbea majordisaster,buthasthe
potentialtoexplodeintotoa full-blownCategorySeven.Toavoid
this,bediplomatic– suggestonlysongsthathavethesame
patentedChristmaschordprogressionanduselotsofsleighbells.
CATEGORYTHREE:Forgettingtobuycranberrysauce,not
steamingenoughbrusselssprouts,orforgettingthelong-running
vendettabetweenUncleColinandcousinBert,andsittingthem
oppositeeachother.Theserankalongsideothereasilyavoided
Christmasdramas,likenotbuyingbatteriesortheill-judgedgift

• thoughI standbymyclaimthatthebicarb-filledplasticmonkey
  youhungin thefridgetosoakupbadodourswasa greatpresent.
  CATEGORYFOUR:ThewomanI loveandI bothcomefrom
  familieslitteredwithwhatI lovinglycall'ChristmasNazis'.The
  secrettoavoidingtensionhereis toaccommodatebothsides.
  I am,however,a littlelesspliantwhensomeone suggests that
  Christmaslunchcanstartat 4pm.
  CATEGORYFIVE:Thesearethedisastersthatcan’tbeavoidedby
  betterplanning.Likethetimemygrandmotherusedrealcandleson
  thetreeandsetit onfire.Thenthere’sthetimemyfriendPhoebe
  tookoysterstoherparentsin thebushandbroketheoysterknife
  openingthefirstone.Theyhadtogettheelectricdrilloutinstead.
  CATEGORYSIX:Thesealmostalwaysrevolvearoundtheturkey,
  whetherit’sthankstotheoldblokesdecidingthattheturkey
  shouldbecookedontheWeberwithoutreallyunderstanding
  how,ortheoventhatturneditselfoffhalfwaythroughcooking.
  CATEGORYSEVEN:Thesedisastersarebestsummedupbya tale
  toldbymysister'spartner,ofa lovelyoldwomanin hislocalvillage
  whodecidedtomakeChristmaspuddingsforallherneighbours.
  Shehada wonderfulfamilyrecipethatfeaturedthetraditional
  inclusionofbeefsuet.Thetroublewas,thesuetwas off, and the
  wholevillagewastakenill onChristmasDay.
  Ofcourse,in termsofscale,allthesecalamitiesareeclipsed
  bymisjudgingChristmasastheperfecttimetodropa bombshell
  onyourparents(whenit definitelywasn’t).Afterthat,anyculinary
  disasterspaleintoinsignificance,sorelax– it’sjustanothermeal!
  Maximise your time with the people there, not the kitchen.

MattPrestoncomesupwitha scientificway

to measure the severity of Christmas disasters.

CHRISTMASPUDDINGWITH

SALTED-CARAMEL GANACHE

SERVES8-10

Beginthisrecipe2 days ahead. You will need a 2L pudding

basin with lid.

(^2) / 3 cup(100g)plainflour
1 tspeachgroundcinnamon,nutmegandmixed spice
50geachbrownanddarkbrownsugar
200gdriedsuetmix(fromsupermarkets)
100gfreshwhitesourdoughbreadcrumbs
1 GrannySmithapple, peeled, grated
175gcurrants
225gsultanas
250gseedlessraisins
100gdriedcranberries
75geachdriedapricotsandpittedprunes,cut into 5mm pieces
75gdriedsourcherries,roughlychopped
100gwholeblanchedalmonds,finelychopped
2 tspeachfinelygratedorangezestandlemonzest
1 tbseachtreacle,orangejuice,lemon juice and brandy
(^1) / 3 cup(80ml)Guinnessor stout
2 eggs,lightlybeaten
100gunsaltedbutter,melted
Fresh pitted cherries and custard, to serve
SALTEDCARAMELGANACHE
150gdark(70%)chocolate,finelychopped
(^1) / 3 cup(80ml)pure(thin)cream,hot
(^1) / 4 cup(85g)dulce de leche, room temperature
2 tsp sea salt
Tomaketheganache,placechocolatein a largebowlovera
saucepanofgentlysimmeringwater.Pouroverthehotcreamand
whiskuntilcombinedandsmooth.Removefromheatandwhiskin
dulcedelecheandsaltuntilcombinedandsmooth.Refrigerate,
stirringoccasionally,untilcoolbutstillsoft,thenshapeganache into
aball.Placeona linedtrayandfreezeuntilreadytouse.
Sifttheflourandspicesintoa largebowl.Addsugars,suet,
breadcrumbs,apple,driedfruit,almonds,andorangeandlemon
zest.Stirtogetheruntilwellcombined.Placeremainingingredients
in a separatebowlandbeattogether.Pourmixtureintothedry
ingredientsandstirthoroughly.Coverandrefrigerateovernight.
Thefollowingday,stirthebatter.Pourhalfthemixtureintoa
well-buttered2Lpuddingbasin,followedbyganacheball,then
remainingbatter.Coverwithbakingpaperandlid.Placein a large
saucepanfilledwithwater,makingsurethewaterreacheshalf-way
upthesideofthepuddingbasin.Bringtotheboil,thenreduce
heattolowandsteamfor4 hours.(Topupwithwater if necessary.)
Setasidetocool,thenrefrigerateovernight.
Whenreadytoserve,re-steampuddingfor1 houroruntilhot,
thenrestfor 10 minutesbeforeturningontoa plate.Servewith
fresh cherries and warm custard (recipeondelicious.com.au).
I’M LOVING.
66 delicious.com.au