Cranberry sauce with red wine and figs

Tags

christmas, cranberries, cranberry sauce, figs, red wine, sauce, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Cranberry sauce is a very American accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey. In fact, I had never eaten it until we moved to the US and then my first experience was at a dinner where the host served the jellied kind that comes straight out of a can, I hated it and could not imagine how an entire nation loved this vile tasting “sauce”. My ex-husband asked to have cranberry sauce with the turkey the following year and so I started searching out a recipe. Low and behold, I discovered that you can actually make your own, from fresh or frozen berries and you did not have to resort to eating jellied cylindrical shaped sauce – and to top it all, it is actually very easy and tastes far superior to any store bought variation. It is a great accompaniment to turkey and and I discovered with my leftovers this year, superb with foie gras. So make some for Christmas lunch and have the rest with your foie gras for New Year!

Ingredients:

1 cup (250ml) fruity red wine

1 cup (170g) diced dried figs, hard stems removed

12 ounces (340g) fresh or frozen cranberries

Zest of 2 oranges

3/4 cup (150g) sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, heat the red wine and diced figs together 

Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes
Drain the figs (keep the wine)
Return the wine to the saucepan
Add the cranberries, orange zest, sugar, and cinnamon and cook, covered, over medium heat until the cranberries have burst and are softened, about 10 minutes
Remove from heat
Add the figs and the vinegar to the cranberries

The sauce can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated
Allow to return to room temperature before serving
Enjoy!

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Strawberries in red wine with mascarpone cream

Tags

cooking with red wine, cream, dessert, fruit, mascarpone, red wine, strawberries

Fresh strawberries do not need much dressing up but these take on another flavour dimension in this incredibly simple yet elegant French dessert.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

400 g / 3/4 lb small strawberries, hulled and halved (if large)
250 ml / 1 cup dry red wine, I used a Merlot
50 g / 1/4 cup sugar
180 ml / 3/4 cup heavy cream
120 ml / 1/2 cup mascarpone
2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped out and reserved
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Preparation:

Place the strawberries in a large bowl and pour the wine over them
Sprinkle in the sugar and stir
Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but not more than 12
Remove from refrigerator just before serving
In another bowl, whisk the cream, mascarpone, vanilla seeds and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form
Spoon some cream into each bowl and top with the strawberries and wine
Enjoy!

 

Melt in your mouth beef shin

Tags

Beef, beef shin, red wine, stew, Veal

 

Beef shin is one of the cheaper cuts of beef yet is without a doubt one of the favourites used in long, slow cooked dishes.Also known as the shank, this is a cut of beef taken from the lower leg of a steer. The shin is a highly worked muscle that is supported by high levels of connective tissue. This connective tissue is broken down through slow cooking over a low heat and results in a moist, tender meat with rich flavour.

This dish has very few ingredients and very few steps to it but the end result is an intensely tender and fragrant stew. No knife needed here, the meat can be eaten with a fork.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2kg / 4lb 8oz shin of beef, bone in (ask your butcher to cut it into 3cm / 1¼in slices)
3 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 bottles full-bodied red wine
1 bouquet garni

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 160ºC/325ºF
In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat
Put the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper
Coat the beef in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess flour
Fry the beef, in batches, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until browned all over
Set aside
Add the onions, garlic and carrots and sauté for a few minutes until softened
Stir in the tomato paste
Return the meat to the pan
Add the bouquet garni and the wine
Add salt and pepper
Gently bring to the boil, cover and place in your preheated oven for 3 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender and can be broken up with a spoon
Taste and check the seasoning, remove the bouquet garni and serve
Serve with a creamy mash or pasta
Enjoy!

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