Asian style Honey & Lemon glazed Goose

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Friday, 05 December 2014 07:45

Written by Northern Living

The second in our series of alternative Christmas recipes, Asian style Honey & Lemon glazed Goose. As with the Spiced quince Pork recipe the main absent ingredient is the turkey....

Ingredients:-

1 whole goose

Honey Syrup Mixture

1 lemon

4 cups water

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2/3 cup rice wine or dry sherry

To Garnish

Sliced orange and fresh bay leaves

Method:-

(1) If the goose is frozen, thaw it thoroughly. Rinse the goose well and blot it completely dry with paper towels. 

(2) Using a sharp knife, cut the lemon into 1/4-inch slices, leaving the rind on. Combine the lemon slices with the rest of the honey syrup ingredients in a large pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

(3) Using a large ladle or spoon, pour half of this mixture over the goose, until all of the skin is completely coated with the mixture. 

(4) Preheat the oven to 475F, 240C. 

(5) Meanwhile, place the goose on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Put the goose into the oven and roast it for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F, 180C and continue to roast for 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the bird.

(6) At half hour intervals baste the goose with the remaining syrup. On the last occasion place the sliced orange and bay leaves on the crown of the breast and pour the remaining syrup over them.

(7) Remove the goose from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before you carve it.

You can extend the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours, if you wish by slightly reducing the cooking temperature. This will result in the meat being cooked to the point where to can shred it between a couple of forks, crispy duck style. 

Spiced Quince Pork Recipe

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Wednesday, 03 December 2014 10:02

Written by Northern Living

If you are looking for an alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey this year, we'll be adding a few suggested recipes as December progresses. Christmas ham with a mustard crust is traditional in Scandinavia, but this pork and quince version is just as good.

Ingredients:-

For the Pork

3 star anise

2 red chillies, chopped

2 tbsp black peppercorns

1 head of garlic

2 onions, halved

300g root ginger, chopped

3 tbsp coarse sea salt

5kg piece leg of pork, bone in

For the glaze:-

100–200ml Quince Syrup

10 star anise

Method:-

1. Mix all the ingredients for the pork in a very large pot, adding enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for two to two and a half hours, or until the temperature in the centre of the pork reads 55°C on a meat thermometer. Leave the ham in the liquid until it has cooled completely, then take it out and set aside for up to two days, covered and chilled, until you want to roast it.

2. On the day of serving, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

3. Remove the rind from the ham, leaving the fat behind, and cut a diamond pattern in the fat. Brush the quince syrup over the ham and press a star anise into 10 of the diamonds. Place in a roasting tray and roast for 20–25 minutes, until golden. 

Kaczka z jabłkami - Roast Duck with Apples

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Sunday, 30 November 2014 10:35

Written by Northern Living

We had an email from a Polish gentleman saying he loved the site, but struggles with English. So we've added multi-lingual support. So here is a Polish Sunday lunch classic.

This is as simple and easy to roast a duck at home as a chicken. This popular, traditional Polish dish goes down nicely with a bottle of dry red wine 

Ingredients:-

2 kg (4½ lb) duck

2 medium sized apples

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1kg (2lb 3oz) small potatoes 

1 tablespoon caraway seeds 

Method:-

(1) Preheat the oven to 240C (475F).

(2) Rinse the duck with water and pat dry. Wash, peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks and stuff the cavity of the duck. Rub the skin well with the marjoram, the garlic, and salt and pepper. Place on a large plate, cover, and leave to stand for 45 minutes to marinate.

(3) Place the duck in a roasting tray. Collect any marinade left in the plate, and add some more water to make up one cup of liquid. Pour this liquid around the duck in the roasting tray.

(4) Roast the duck uncovered for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160°C (325°F) and cook for 2 hours. Every half an hour or so use a fine skewer to pierce the duck skin with holes to release its juices and then baste the duck with the liquid that collects in the bottom of the pan.

(5) Clean the potatoes and cut into halves or quarters (there is no need to peel them). When the duck still has about an hour to cook, salt the potatoes, place them in the tray with the duck and sprinkle with caraway seeds. They should start to fry gently in the duck fat. When you next baste the duck, turn the potatoes, making sure they are well covered with the duck juices. Add another sprinkle of caraway seeds if you like.

The duck should be so well cooked that it can be easily pulled apart and served in chunks. 

Moist sweet carrot cake recipe

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Thursday, 27 November 2014 07:24

Written by Northern Living

This is a basic carrot cake recipe that is easy to make. It calls for self-raising flour, carrots, walnuts and cinnamon - no other spices, pineapple, raisins, etc. The Cream cheese icing is also easy to make and really delicious. Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar in the cake if you prefer your cakes less sweet. Because carrot has a naturally firm texture and very high water content adding grated carrot to a cake mix guarantees a moist light texture with the added bonus that the carrot contains natural sugars. 

Ingredients (Cake):

250g self-raising flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

400g caster sugar

350ml vegetable oil

4 eggs

350g grated carrots

120g chopped walnuts

Ingredients (Cream cheese icing)

225g cream cheese

110g margarine, softened

450g icing sugar

120g chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:-

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease two 23cm round cake tins.

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon and sugar. Add the oil and eggs, mix until blended, then stir in the carrots and nuts. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two prepared tins.

2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven. A skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks before removing from tins.

3. To make the icing: In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese, add the sugar and cream well. Stir in the nuts and vanilla. Use to fill and ice the cooled cake layers.