Our Traditional Christmas Table -Sage & Onion Stuffing.

Christmas is time for family and food, overindulging and making memories.

Up until we left the UK my mum always hosted Xmas dinner and I cooked. Anyone who was going to be alone would be invited, it was usually a very strange crowd but we had so much fun.

Our last big family Christmas was in 2003. Even though it’s just 2 of us I still cook a massive oversized turkey because it’s tradition!

Leftovers are part of Christmas for us and they are freezable! I freeze turkey dinners for Carl’s lunches and Boxing day is left over turkey curry day.

The first Christmas I cooked for a large crowd I really did overextend myself. Nowadays I don’t stress, anything that can be made a day ahead takes some of the pressure off - the stuffing, bread sauce, soup and boiled potatoes ready for roasting can all be done early.

A good stuffing is an essential part of our traditional Christmas and my favourite is sage & onion. ( Back home we used to have chestnut stuffing but I don’t have the patience to peel them so I only make it if I find peeled chestnuts - this year I actually found some in the frozen section of an Asian Grocery store.)

Our stuffings are different from the bread type stuffings that are popular here because they are mainly meat and yes it only uses 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs - which you can leave out if you prefer

I use our Cumberland Sausage or you can use ground pork and I don’t actually stuff the turkey anymore because it takes too long to cook. Instead, I cook the stuffing in muffin tins - sometimes mini muffin tins or even in a loaf tin. I have to make extra because we can’t help picking!

“It’s the best stuffing ever! I made it in a loaf tin and sliced it. - It’s delicious and very easy to make with a few ingredients.”

— Nana K

Sage & Onion Stuffing

2lb Cobblestone Farm Sausages or ground pork

4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 large onion finely chopped

1 heaped dessertspoon dried sage

1 beaten egg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Mix breadcrumbs, onion and dried sage in a bowl.

2) Add sausagemeat/ground pork and egg if using, mix well.

3)Season with salt & pepper. (Fry a little of the stuffing up to taste it)

4)Put in muffin tins or loaf pan (or Stuff into turkey) and cook at 425 degrees for about 40 mins or until cooked through

Cumberland Sausage with Beer & Cheese Fondue

Apparently, I cook with a lot of booze - sometimes you just need to - so let’s not break the habit. Sausage, beer and cheese - what’s not to love!!!

Cumberland Sausages with Beer & Cheese fondue

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

• 1 lb ish (4) Cobblestone Farm Berkshire Pork Cumberland sausages

• 2 garlic cloves grated

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

• 1 can your favourite beer

• ¾ cup water 

 Cheese Fondue

• 1/2lb quality Mature English Cheddar (We use Cricketers) - grated

• 1 oz smoked cheddar - grated

• 1 cup liquid from cooking sausages

• 1 tablespoon English mustard

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• Salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation

1. Toast coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium low heat - until they are fragrant… be careful not to burn them - Then grind in a pestle and mortar.

2. Put onion slices, sausages, ground coriander seeds, mustard seeds & garlic in a frying pan with beer and water.

3. Put a lid on then bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 mins or until liquid is reduced by half. 

4. Strain & reserve beer liquid from sausages.

5. Gently cook sausage until skins are brown - you can add oil or lard if you need to.

6. For the fondue - Mix together the grated cheese, cornstarch & English mustard

7. Bring reserved beer liquid to a boil and add the cheese and mustard stirring all the time.

8. Season to taste

Serve sausages on a bun with onions and fondue

Dublin Coddle - Sausage, bacon and potatoes - what's not to love!

This time last year we celebrated St Patrick’s day with some traditional Irish Food - Dublin Coddle.. A stew made of Sausage, bacon, onions and potatoes that would use up whatever was left at the end of the week (It sounds like my sisters Sausage Casserole - only she would only put 1 sausage in it - it would be like finding the sixpence in a Christmas pudding if you got a piece of sausage.)

My recipe is likely not traditional because I put a can of Guinness in it - who has leftover Guinness? - no one I know!

DUBLIN CODDLE

• 2lb Berkshire Pork Sausages (I use our Cumberland)

• 4 oz  unsmoked British style back Bacon (you can use smoked bacon if you like)

• 2-3lb potatoes 

• 2 onions

• 1tsp cracked black pepper

• 1/2tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 1 x 440ml can Guinness

• 1 cup pork stock (I always use pork neckbone Broth) but you can use chicken stock

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. & put a large casserole pan on med heat.

2. Dice bacon and add to the pan, fry for 2-3 mins until the fat starts to render out.

3. Cut sausages & potatoes into bite-size pieces.

4. Slice onions.

5. Add sausages to bacon. Fry over med heat until browned

6. Then add sliced onions & potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and sprinkle of parlsey.

7. Pour in Guinness and bring to boil. Then add 1 cup pork stock and bring back to boil. 

8. Cook in the oven for 2 hours.

9. Serve with crusty bread.

Do you have a favourite Irish dish? Let me know in the comments below.