This year Catherine takes charge of the Christmas Ham on the RTE Today Show Christmas Special with Maura Derrane and Daithi ÓSé. Here she share all the recipes she prepared in the RTE Today Show Studio from a delicious recipe for your festive ham to a lovely light starter of savoury panacotta to begin preceedings and all the trimmings for the perfect Cheese Board to end the perfect Christmas dinner. All recipes are from Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken Cookery School.
Smoked Salmon, Pink Grapefruit Goats Cheese Pots (Serves 4)
- 200g soft goat’s cheese
- ½ pink grapefruit, juice and zest
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 150ml cream
- 1½ gelatine leaves
For the dressing
- 4tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g diced smoked salmon, for the top
- Sprigs of dill, to garnish
- Thin slices of toasted sourdough, to serve
- 4 small glasses or ramekins
Combine the goat’s cheese, grapefruit juice and zest, paprika, a little salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl and stir well until smooth. Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium low heat.
Soak the gelatine leaves in 100ml cold water until just softened. Squeeze out the excess water and add the softened gelatine into a warm cream and whisk until the gelatine is dissolved.
Mix the cream into the grapefruit goats cheese mix and stir well. Spoon / pour into the jars or ramekins and place them in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, blend all the ingredients for the dressing and check the seasoning adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
To finish the pots, spoon a thin layer of the dressing over the goats cheese mic, followed by the smoked salmon on the top of each pot, spoon over some caper dressing and garnish with sprigs of dill and grapefruit.
Serve with the toasted sourdough.
CATHERINE’S CHRISTMAS FESTIVE HAM
Whiskey, Mustard and Orange Glazed Ham with Cucumber, Orange and Pomegranate Salsa (Serves 6 to 8)
For the ham
- 3kg ham, soaked overnight in cold water
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 700ml cider
- 2 litres water (you may need more)
For the glaze
- 4 tbsp orange marmalade
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp muscovado sugar
- 3 tbsp Whiskey
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 2 tsp ground ginger
For the salsa
- 1 cucumber, seeds removed and diced
- 4 shallots, finely diced
- 100g pomegranate seeds
- 3 oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To decorate
- 2 oranges, sliced thinly
- Cloves, to insert
To prepare the ham, weigh the ham before you begin to cook. The cooking time for ham is 20 minutes for every 500g plus an additional 20 minutes.
Place the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and add the cider and enough cold water to cover the ham, bring to the boil and simmer according to the calculated cooking time. Keep topping up the water level and scoop the foam off the top.
In the meantime, mix all the ingredients for the glaze together and set aside.
Carefully remove the ham from the liquid (keep the liquid for making soup).
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Lift the ham onto a large roasting pan. Cut away the skin leaving a thin even layer of fat.
Score the layer of fat in a diamond pattern and spread some of the glaze over the top.
Insert the cloves and orange slices roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden. Keep an eye on the ham and spread more glaze after 10 minutes of roasting. Allow the ham to rest for 20 minutes before carving, keeping warm.
To prepare the salsa, combine the cucumber, diced shallot, pomegranate seeds, orange segments and olive oil together and mix well, set aside, ready to serve.
Place the ham on a carving platter and spoon the salsa around.
CATHERINE’S FESTIVE CHEESEBOARD WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS
The perfect way to end the Christmas Dinner is with a fabulous Cheese Board complete with all the trimmings… See below Catherine’s take on an Irish Artisan Cheeseboard with
4-5 Irish artisan cheeses, choose your favourites, this should served 6-8 people. Mine include Wicklow Ban, Wicklow Blue, Bellingham Blue, St. Gall and Gubbeen Farmhouse cheese.
For the Apple crisps
- 4 Pink Lady apples, washed sliced very thinly
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
For the sherry grapes
- 300g seedless red grapes, divided into small bunches
- 3 tbsp sherry
For the candied pistachios
- 100g pistachios
- 100g caster sugar
- Sesame Biscuits (see recipe)
Thyme, bay leaves and rosemary, to garnish
To prepare the apple crisps, preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the thinly sliced apples on the tray, sprinkle over the cinnamon and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving or seal in an airtight container.
To prepare the sherry grapes, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the grapes on the tray, drizzle with the sherry and roast for about 10 minutes on one side and turn them and roast for about 8 minutes on the other. The cooking time depends on the sweetness of the grapes – sweet grapes will burst open if left too long in the oven. Baste the grapes from time to time until softened and caramelized.
To make the candied pistachios, line a baking tray with parchment and brush lightly with a little oil. Place the pistachios onto the parchment paper. Pour the sugar into a non stick saucepan and heat until just amber in colour. Pour the caramelised sugar over the nuts and leave to set, then break into shards.
When ready to serve, choose a sturdy board, arrange cheeses on the board with the biscuits, apple crisps, sherry grapes and candied pistachios in between the cheeses. Garnish with thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and you are ready to serve.
SESAME BISCUITS Makes about 20 depending on size
- 150g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- 100g softened butter
- 2 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tsp very finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tsp finely chopped thyme
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 to 4 tbsp water
To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Place the flour, salt and paprika into a bowl and rub in the butter to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add the ground almonds, chopped rosemary and thyme, sesame seeds and enough cold water to form a biscuit dough. Wrap up and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out thinly, using a cutter, shape biscuits and place onto the parchment lined baking trays.
Bake for about 15 minutes depending on the size of the biscuits. When cooked, leave to set on the tray for about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
We wish all our valued customers and friends a very happy and healthy Christmas & New Year and hope you enjoy some of these delicious recipes with friends and family.
Festive Cheeseboard
Recipe: Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken Cookery School
Serves 6 to 8
4-5 Irish artisan cheeses, choose your favourites
(I used Wicklow Ban, Wicklow Blue, Bellingham Blue, St. Gall and Gubbeen Farmhouse cheese)
For the Apple crisps
4 Pink Lady apples, washed sliced very thinly
1½ tsp cinnamon
For the sherry grapes
300g seedless red grapes, divided into small bunches
3 tbsp sherry
For the candied pistachios
100g pistachios
100g caster sugar
Sesame Biscuits
(see separate recipe)
Thyme, bay leaves and rosemary, to garnish
To prepare the apple crisps, preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the thinly sliced apples on the tray, sprinkle over the cinnamon and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving or seal in an airtight container.
To prepare the sherry grapes, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place the grapes on the tray, drizzle with the sherry and roast for about 10 minutes on one side and turn them and roast for about 8 minutes on the other. The cooking time depends on the sweetness of the grapes – sweet grapes will burst open if left too long in the oven.
Baste the grapes from time to time until softened and caramelized.
To make the candied pistachios, line a baking tray with parchment and brush lightly with a little oil. Place the pistachios onto the parchment paper. Pour the sugar into a non stick saucepan and heat until just amber in colour. Pour the caramelised sugar over the nuts and leave to set, then break into shards.
When ready to serve, choose a sturdy board, arrange cheeses on the board with the biscuits, apple crisps, sherry grapes and candied pistachios in between the cheeses.
Garnish with thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and you are ready to serve.
Sesame Biscuits
Recipe: Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken Cookery School
Makes about 20 depending on size
150g plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
100g softened butter
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 tsp very finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 to 4 tbsp water
To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Place the flour, salt and paprika into a bowl and rub in the butter to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add the ground almonds, chopped rosemary and thyme, sesame seeds and enough cold water to form a biscuit dough. Wrap up and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out thinly, using a cutter, shape biscuits and place onto the parchment lined baking trays.
Bake for about 15 minutes depending on the size of the biscuits. When cooked, leave to set on the tray for about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Good living