Spirit of the XMAS-haves!

Black Forest Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 15 nos eggs    
• 500 gm sugar    
• 500 gm flour     
• 30 gm cakegel    
• 200 gm oil    

For Chocolate Mousse

• 485 gm dark chocolate    
• 300 gm cream     
• 50 ml milk     
• 400 gm whipped cream     
• 100 gm sour cherry    
• 100 ml sugar syrup   

Method

• In a bowl, whip eggs and sugar until fluffy.
• Add flour to the above mixture, oil and mix well.                                                                                        
• Add mixture to the greased round cake baking pan.
• Bake it at 170 *c for 15- 20 minutes, and remove from oven and let it cool.
• Prepare chocolate mouse first by boiling the cream and milk. Subsequently add chocolate and make a chocolate mix and let it cool.
• Once it cools down, add whipped cream to the chocolate mixture, then cut the sponge, half horizontally.
• Soak with sugar syrup and add chocolate cream mixture onto the sponge and finish with whipped cream and garnish with sour cherries.

German style Pork Knuckle Bavarian Bread Pudding

INGREDIENTS

• 2 no pork knukle     
• 50 gm salt     
• 100 ml olive oil    
• 250 gm butter     
• 25 gm caraway seeds     
• 30 gm pepper     
• 120 gm celery (sliced)    

For Bavarian Pudding            

• 290 gm butter    
• 8 nos slices of bread     
• 4 nos beaten eggs    
• 20 gm raisin    
• 3 cup milk    
• 40 gm white sugar    
• 15 gm ground cinnamon    
• 5 gm vanilla extract    

Method

• Marinate pork knuckle with salt pepper and caraway seed and some olive oil and leave overnight.
• Heat oven at 170  degrees and roast the marinated meat for two-and-a-half hours. Baste in between with butter or with beer for crispy skins.      
• For Bavarian bread, soak old bread in milk for an hour.
• Mash bread with hands and add eggs, cinnamon, sugar, raisins and vanilla extract.
• Add mixture to a baking tray, bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Serve hot.  

Roasted Guinea Fowl 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 nos Guinea fowl (cleaned and gutted)
• 100 gm Finley chopped carrot     
• 60 ml olive oil    
• 200 gm butter     
• 50 gm onion     
• 50 ml leeks     
• 30 gm celery    
• 20 gm thyme     
• 50 gm salt     
• 30 gm garlic    
• 100 gm carrots     
• 100 gm leeks     
• 100 gm celery     
• 100 gm onion     

Method

• Take the fowl and wash it under cold water. Burn any leftover feather with a blowtorch.
• Marinate fowl with salt, pepper, oil and thyme, leave for four hours.
• In a bowl, add butter and chopped carrots, leeks, celery, onion and mix well.
• Working with the fowl skin, stuff the mix in between the skin and breast.
• Take a pan and roast the diced carrots, onion, celery, leeks and keep the fowl on the vegetables and roast in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 45 minutes depending on the size of the bird.
• Carve it and serve with the pan gravy.                   

Green Pea and Bacon Soup 

INGREDIENTS

• 500 gm green pea
• 100 gm bacon
• 60 ml olive oil
• 100 gm butter
• 50 gm onion
• 50 ml leeks
• 30 gm celery
• 20 gm cream
• 50 gm salt
• 30 gm garlic
• 500 ml chicken stock

Method

• In large skillet, add olive oil and bacon and fry until crisp.
• Remove bacon, add onion, leeks, garlic and saute for 5 minutes. 
• Add green peas and saute for 4 minutes.
• Add chicken stock to it and simmer until green peas are soft ,blend the soup well and strain.  Add butter and cream.
• Add crumbled bacon on top and serve hot.