JUST ADD A JAR
See-through gifts for those who need a helping hand in the kitchen . . .
DRY CHRISTMAS PUDDING MIX
In a jar layer 500g dried and chopped fruit cake mix, 6 soaked and chopped pitted dates, 100g (½ cup) brown sugar, 315g fresh bread crumbs (about 9 slices), 10ml (2 tsp) ground mixed spice, 3ml ground nutmeg, pinch of salt, and 2 medium grated carrots. Seal and refrigerate.
Include recipe on a tag: “Beat 3 eggs with 125ml (½ cup) brandy and fold in these dry ingredients with zest of 1 lemon plus 5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice. Add 60ml (4 tbsp) white wine and 240g minced suet (or a vegetable fat or butter). Place in a pudding bowl, cover with foil and place on a trivet in a pot with boiling water that comes ¾ up the sides of the bowl. Simmer for 6 hours, topping up water as necessary. Serve with brandy butter or custard.
MARINATED PEACHES
Cut 8 peaches (or nectarines) in half, removing the pips. Heat 400ml water, 500ml (2 cups) sugar, 6 star anise and 1 stick of cinnamon in a saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove star anise and cinnamon and set aside. Lower syrup temperature and slowly reduce. Add star anise and cinnamon and cool slightly. Place the peach halves in a medium jar, pour syrup over and leave overnight for the flavours to develop. Decorate the lid with Christmas material and tie it down with raffia.
JUICY TURKEY KIT
SEASONING: 1 grinder of coarse salt and braai salt; use to season turkey before roasting.
DUCK FAT: Keep extra fat from roasting a duck. Strain through muslin into a sterilised jar and refrigerate. Or buy duck fat. Brush fat all over turkey before roasting, and use extra, with pan juices, to baste frequently. STUFFING: Sauté 1 chopped onion and 150g chopped streaky bacon and set aside. Bring a pot of water to the boil and poach 125g cleaned chicken livers and set aside. Slit the skin of 250g pork sausages and remove the meat. Roast a handful of roughly chopped pistachio nuts. In a sterilised jar layer the sausage meat, sautéd onion and bacon, poached livers, 60g of fresh breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and nuts. Seal and refrigerate. Decorate jar with ribbon or rafia. To make up the stuffing, mix ingredients in the jar with 2 eggs and 45ml (3 tbsp) brandy and use to stuff the turkey cavity and under the skin.