Christmas is Under Pressure
Some pressure cooker stuff to make Christmas day easier....
I have had one of those months when it is the 30th November one minute and you push Christmas to the back of your mind because there is plenty of time, isn’t there? But then suddenly Christmas is Imminent and you have done absolutely nothing. I blame it on how early it starts – merchandise in the shops by August – because it means you get adept at ignoring it and then it creeps up on you unawares and you suddenly realised you haven’t done all the things you meant to do. Which is is a shame if the build up to Christmas is your favourite bit (and it is mine).
This happened to me on Wednesday when I stopped work on my current project and thought how much I could enjoy the run up to Christmas and realised that it wasn’t remotely possible to shoehorn everything I wanted to do into the 5 days left to me, especially as we were in Bruges for 2 of those days.
Bruges was lovely though. We had 50mph winds at times (made climbing the Belfry literally hair raising, there might be a video of me with hair flying vertically above my head which I might put on Instagram at some point) but it just increased that cosy feeling we got from the warm, golden glow of the Christmas lights. Bruges really knows how to do Christmas beautifully and it was just what we needed, despite the hold ups coming back (4 hours to get through passport control for LeShuttle!). I did find myself wondering at one point whether the wine we bought was screw top (it wasn’t). And a good job too, because wine + no toilets as stuck in the car for 4 hours really not a good idea. We also nipped into the Carrefour next to the port, which is not a place I love, but it is good to be able to buy Picpoul for less than a fiver a bottle and interesting for the children to see for the seafood displays and all the different products - as well this totally OTT Ferraro Rocher display. The antithesis to the lovely artisanal chocolate shopping we had done in Bruges, but fun all the same.
Anyway, the purpose of this post – firstly, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to thank you for supporting my efforts at writing this newsletter this year. I see all the shares and recommendations and treasure every single comment and message I get. Few things make me happier than being useful, so hearing that my recipes are being cooked and that my posts are giving people confidence to use pressure cookers is everything I hoped for. Thank you.
Secondly – to say that if any of you want help with pressure cooking elements of your Christmas dinner – something perfectly possible to do way before you need to put your pudding on to steam – I am here to answer any questions. I use mine for the stock, gravy, par boiling potatoes and parsnips, making a sautéed brussels sprout dish (with chestnuts, bacon and the soaked cranberries in my last post), quickly cooking cauliflower for cauliflower cheese (yes I know lots of people have this as a side on Christmas day), making cranberry sauce and also quick roasting carrots – you are probably going to do these in the oven with the potatoes and parsnips, but if you don’t, the pressure cooker method is a good one. Please shout if you need methods/timings/recipes, I have plenty of time later today to provide.
And finally, a recipe. A quick braised red cabbage recipe, a little different from the ones which are in both of my pressure cooker books and flowing on from the roast red cabbage recipe in my last post.
A Christmassy Braised Red Cabbage
I associate oranges strongly with Christmas and have come to think of pomegranate as a very Christmassy fruit too – I put it in the same category as quince and dates as something that is eaten a lot over the Christmas period – the bright colours and flavours adding warmth and zest to a lot of the beige food I also love at this time of year. I would serve this as part of a Christmas roast, but also as a side dish for a potato and cheese based dish – like a tartiflette. There is a recipe for tartflette in my first pressure cooker book but I am happy to send it to anyone who would like it.
One final thought – if you have seen Seville or blood oranges in the shops, making a quick preserved orange with the zest and juice is a really good idea and can be added to this too. It is very simple to make put both pared zest and juice in your pressure cooker with some salt – ½ a teaspoon for 1 fruit, 1 tsp for 2-3. Bring up to high pressure and cook for 1 minute, then leave to drop pressure. Decant to a sterilised jar – it will keep in the fridge indefinitely. You can use the zest in the same way you might use any preserved lemon or orange and the syrupy, salty juice is excellent in salad dressings, sauces and for adding pep to stews, soups and casseroles.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small red onions, cut into slim wedges
1 small red cabbage (or leaves discarded from wedges), shredded
2 endive, shredded (optional)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp ground allspice
Leaves from 1 sprig thyme
25g dates, pitted and sliced (optional, just in case you want a bit of sweetness)
100g chestnuts, halved
50ml red wine or port
Zest of ½ orange
Juice of 2 oranges
15g butter, finely chopped
Segments from 1 orange
Seeds from half a small pomegranate
Parsley or mint to finish
Heat your pressure cooker and add the olive oil. Add the onion, cabbage and endive, and saute on a high heat for a few minutes, just to get everything started. Stir in the garlic and allspice and add the thyme, dates and chestnuts.
Pour in the red wine or port and deglaze the base of the pressure cooker thoroughly. Stir in the orange zest and pour in the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper, then dot over the butter. Close the lid.
Bring up to high pressure and then how long you cook it depends on the texture – for a texture reminiscent of Delia’s famous oven braised red cabbage dish which normally takes over an hour in the oven, cook for 3 minutes and fast release, or for 1 minute, natural release. For a firmer finish, cook for 1 minute and fast release.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the orange segments, pomegranates and the herbs.
I just made the red cabbage braise. Really delicious, although I subbed a bit of sugar for the dates.
Another lovely red cabbage dish - thank you. Electrician, who hasn’t finished, off work for Christmas, so at last a couple of days to try out more pc cooked dishes.