Christmas Markets have been cancelled in many places. But that doesn’t mean the festive fun is postponed till next year. Far from it.
Christmas markets are famous for their foodie Yuletide celebrations, and with the festive season beginning, recipe box company Gousto
(www.gousto.co.uk) has shared some of their Christmas market inspired recipes for you to recreate at home.
Mulled Wine
Is it even December if you’ve not stood feeling slightly soggy with a lukewarm mulled wine in hand? Combine a bottle of red, with orange slices, honey, chili, ginger and gently heat on the stove for five minutes. The essence of Christmas is captured in this festive mulled wine recipe!
One important thing to remember when making your mulled wine – don’t boil or heat it for too long! You’ll cook off all the alcohol and be left with tasty but boozeless mulled grape juice.
Mulled wine’s a pretty personal thing. Some people will swear by adding cloves into the mix, to give it that festive feeling, others will stick to different spices like nutmeg or allspice, or will throw every Christmassy ingredient they can find in there and hope for the best!
Mulled wine needs two things: sugar and spice. Our recipe brings it right back to the basics of how to make mulled wine, then adds one big twist. We’ve used honey for the sugar, but in place of the more traditional festive spices we’ve gone for some actual hot spice in the form of chillies!
Trust us, chillies can help make some amazing spiced and spicy mulled wine – and if you’re a little wary or you’re not a big fan of spicy food (or drinks!) then just go easy and add less than we recommend. (We’ve also listed some optional ingredients below as alternatives if it’s not your thing and you’re not feeling too adventurous!)
Ingredients;
You’ll Need (for 4 servings):
1 bottle red wine
4 tbsp honey
2 oranges
2 chillies
a large, thumb-sized peice of ginger
Optional Ingredients;
1 lemon
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
mulled wine syrup
75ml brandy or 250ml port
Method;
1.
Slice the oranges into quarters, halve the chillies, peel the ginger (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and cut it into a few large pieces
2.
Add the wine, honey, orange quarters, chilli halves, ginger pieces and any optional spices in a large pot and stir to mix in the honey
3.
Cover with a lid and heat gently on the stove for 5 minutes or until hot
Tip: The mulled wine will lose some of its alcohol content when heated, so add brandy or port once it’s been heated if you like your mulled wine nice and strong!
4. Remove from the heat and ladle into heatproof glasses
Currywurst-Dog, Chips & Speedy Sauerkraut
If you’ve been to the Christmas Markets, you’ve probably seen the currywurst – a sausage smothered in delicious curry ketchup.This recipe from Gousto sticks the lot in a hot dog bun and ta-dah! Serve with a quick cheat’s sauerkraut slaw.
Ingredients (Serves 2);
1 Brown Onion
2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
4 Cumberland Sausages
1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder
300g Potatoes
Baby White Cabbage Quarter
Carrot
1 Can Of Tomato Frito (200g)
2 Sub Style Brioche Rolls
Method;
1.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 400°F/ Gas 6. Cut the potatoes (skins on) into chips, then add them to a baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. Slide the chips to one side of the baking tray and add the Cumberland sausages. Put the tray in the oven for 25-30 min or until the sausages are cooked through and the chips are golden and crisp
2.
Meanwhile, boil a kettle. Grate the carrot[s] (skin on). Shred (or grate!) the baby white cabbage[s] finely
3.
Dissolve 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar in 2 tsp [4 tsp] boiled water in a large bowl. Once dissolved, add the white wine vinegar and a generous pinch of salt – this is your pickling liquor.
4.
Add the shredded cabbage and grated carrot to the pickling liquor and set aside until serving – this is your speedy sauerkraut.
5.
Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the curry powder and cook for 30 sec or until fragrant. Once fragrant, add the tomato frito and cook for 3-4 min or until thickened to the consistency of ketchup – this is your curry ketchup.
6.
Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the brown onion[s]. Once the curry ketchup is done, transfer it to a bowl and wipe the pan clean. Return the pan to a medium-low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10-12 min or until soft and caramelised.
7.
Once the sausages and chips are almost cooked, add the brioche sub rolls to a separate baking tray. Put the tray in the oven for 2-3 min or until warmed through. Carefully cut the warmed brioche sub rolls down the middle. Load each with two sausages, a dollop of the curry ketchup and caramelised onions. Serve the currywurst-dog with the chips and speedy sauerkraut to the side. Enjoy!
Irish Hot Chocolate
You can’t beat a steaming cup of creamy hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. And this delicious milky chocolate has the option of an extra bit of oomph when you add a glug of Bailey’s or Amaretto for good measure.
Now the clocks have gone back, if you’re in need of something to give you that heady combination of sugar and alcohol to help you through the dark nights this is the drink for you. Hardly a hot chocolate, this is more of a decadent milky chocolate soup with all the extras, including a glug of Bailey’s and another or Amaretto for good measure. Best thing about it? No one need know you’re on the booze, just make sure the kids don’t get hold of it!
Ingredients;
You’ll Need (for 2 servings):
200 ml whole milk
2 tbsp sugar
100 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (just under 1 cup measured)
splash of vanilla extract, optional
whipped cream, optional
marshmallows, optional
25ml amaretto
25ml baileys
Method;
1.
Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan and place on a medium heat
2.
Melt the broken chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds while the milk is heating. Keep heating and stirring the chocolate every 30 seconds until it has fully melted
3.
Take the milk off the heat when it reaches the scalding point (it will be bubbling on the side), then slowly stir in the melted chocolate
Tip: Be careful to ensure you don’t overheat the milk. Do not let the milk boil, just some bubbles on the side of the pan
4.
Add the vanilla extract, amaretto and baileys and stir to mix
5.
Top with whipped cream and marshmallows, and enjoy!
Cinnamon Swirls
A popular German Christmas Market dish is the Kürtőskalács, a Hungarian pastry that’s baked over the fire and then coated with cinnamon sugar. Gousto’s Cinnamon Swirls are the next best thing.
These Cinnamon Swirls will spice up your festive season with a sublime Christmassy smell, enjoy them for dessert or for an indulgent Christmas day breakfast.
After you make these, you’ll have half the spice mix leftover – why not use it in your festive recipes to add a little bit of Christmas to the flavours (it will work in sweet and in savoury) – spicing the stuffing for your roast, or making the Ultimate Christmas Ice Cream Dessert.
Ingredients for 12 swirls;
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
50g butter
2 tangerines
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp allspice
3 tbsp icing sugar
Method;
1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/ 160°C (fan)/ 350°F/ Gas 4
2.
Mix your spices. Zest the tangerines into the spice mix. Melt the butter in a pan over the stove or in a microwave
Tip: Smell the mix – if it’s not bringing you enough Christmas nostalgia, add extra spices of choice.
3.
Unroll the pastry and spread about 2/3 of the butter onto it. With a sieve, sprinkle sugar evenly over the top, then sprinkle about half of the spice mix
4.
Roll the longest edge of the pastry inwards, making sure it’s tight. Brush the final edge with butter to make it stick. Using a sharp knife, slice into 12 even pieces
5.
Place on a baking tray and use the remaining butter to brush the tops of the swirls
6. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden
7.
Juice one of the tangerines and mix with icing sugar – this is your glaze
8. Paint the cooked swirls with the glaze and enjoy!
