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Twelfth night |
In the middle ages, the twelve days of Christmas were dedicated to feasting and fun. It’s the perfect excuse to invite friends and family around and carry on the revelry.
Work plan:
A week ahead: Bake the fruit cake. Up to a week ahead: Make ice cream. 3 days ahead: Prepare punch base. Make caramelised onion for tarts. 2 days ahead: Marinate lamb. In the morning: Cut out pastry shapes for tarts and place in fridge until required. Make salad. Close to serving: Mix punch. Assemble and bake tarts. Cook lamb. Add coriander to salad.
Apple and Rum Punch
Cider-based drinks such as wassail and another known as Lambs’ Wool are traditional Twelfth Night tipples. It was once customary to pour a little cider on apple trees in order to bless them for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
Place half the apple juice in a saucepan with the rum, apple brandy, brown sugar and cinnamon stick. Stir over moderate heat until sugar dissolves then simmer 5 minutes (do not boil).
Leave to cool completely then chill. This base mixture can be made several days before required and stored covered in the refrigerator.
To serve, place the base mixture in a serving bowl or jug with lots of ice. Add remaining apple juice and the cider. Top up with sparkling apple juice and garnish decoratively. Serve in tall glasses. Makes about 16 cups
Caramelised Red Onion and Goats’ Cheese Tarts The onion for these delectable tarts can be cooked several days before needed and stored covered in the fridge, leaving just a simple assembly and brief bake to be done close to serving.
| Caramelised onion:
Onion: Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan or frying pan with a lid. Add onions, stir and add 1 tablespoon water. Cover pan and reduce heat to very low. Gently sweat onions for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Remove lid and cook onions a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as they darken and caramelise. Add rosemary and vinegar 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Season to taste, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Tarts: Preheat oven to 220°C. Place a lined baking tray in the oven.
Cut pastry into eight 10cm rounds. Top each round with the caramelised onion mixture, leaving a small rim around the edge. Remove baking tray from oven and carefully place tarts on the hot tray.
Bake tarts for 8 minutes then remove from oven and scatter crumbled cheese on top. Return to oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese just starts to colour and pastry is cooked and golden.
Remove from oven, sprinkle pine nuts over and drizzle with honey. Serve tarts warm, garnished with rocket leaves. Serves 8
Grilled Honey and Cider Marinated LambA boned leg of lamb roasts well on a barbecue but you can cook it in the oven if you prefer. Grilled apples are a great accompaniment: toss thick wedges in a little oil and lemon juice and sauté on a hot grill plate.
Place lamb skin side down on a chopping board and make a few deep insertions in the thickest parts of the flesh (this will allow the flavours to penetrate and the meat to cook more evenly). Combine marinade ingredients. Place lamb in a large, sealable plastic bag. Pour in marinade, seal the bag and massage marinade into the lamb. Place in a flat dish in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to 2 days if possible, turning several times. Remove lamb from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Preheat barbecue until very hot. Take lamb out of bag and sear on both sides. Lower heat to medium and cook covered (with the barbecue lid down or the meat covered with foil, weighted with a pot lid) for 15 minutes a side for medium rare or 20 minutes for medium. Cooking time may vary depending on the barbecue. Alternatively, cook lamb in a 220°C oven for 20 minutes then lower heat to 175°C and cook for about 40 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before serving on a platter with salad greens and grilled apples. Serves 8 Roast Pumpkin and Couscous Salad
Mixing the couscous with a little oil before adding it to the hot stock helps keep the grains separate; massage it through with your fingers.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss pumpkin with oil, zest and juice, honey and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a lined baking pan and roast until golden and tender, about 30 minutes, turning once.
Bring stock to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add couscous, stirring with a fork. Cover and stand 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains.
In a large bowl place the couscous, pumpkin, chickpeas, nuts, cranberries and onion. Mix dressing ingredients and toss through salad. If making ahead, store salad in the fridge and take out at least 30 minutes before needed. Before serving, mix in coriander. Serves 8
Twelfth Night Fruit CakeThis is a traditional dense, fruity Twelfth Night cake, aka King Cake, named for the three kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus at Epiphany. Traditionally a dried pea or bean was baked in the cake and the person who discovered it was crowned master of ceremonies.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Double line the base and sides of a 25cm round cake tin with a layer of brown paper topped with baking paper. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Gradually beat in eggs. Sift over flour, baking powder and spices and gently fold into the creamed mixture. Add dried fruit, rum and almonds and mix to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared tin, smooth the surface and tap the tin on the bench to remove any trapped air. (Decorate the top with extra almonds and cherries if desired.) Bake for 2-2½ hours or until the cake is firm to the touch. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with a sheet of foil.) Allow cake to cool completely in tin. Cake will keep stored in an airtight container for at least 4 weeks. Serve in slices with glasses of chilled sherry. Makes a 25cm round cake Fruit Cake Ice Cream
Give tradition a modern, summer-dessert twist by using some Twelfth Night cake to make this no-churn ice cream. It has a light, slightly crystalline texture and rum and raisin flavour.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy then add sugar and beat well. Place milk and cream in a saucepan and bring just to simmering point. Pour slowly over the egg mixture, beating constantly. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy and has thickened slightly (about 7 minutes). Fold in fruit cake and rum. Transfer mixture into a freezer-proof container, cover and freeze for about 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and stir, scraping any crystals from the sides. Return to freezer and repeat once more before allowing to firm completely. Remove ice cream from the freezer 10 minutes before needed. Serve decorated with fresh berries dusted with icing sugar. Ice cream will keep in the freezer for a week. Makes about 1 litre . |
| Story: Bernadette Hogg Photographer: Kieran Scott Stylist: Claudia Kozub |  |
