Hairy Bikers Christmas tips! The boys want to help you plan a magical Christmas
Their new BBC1 series, The Hairy Bikers Home For Christmas, is shown on BBC1 this week.
Enjoy a Hairy Bikers Christmas! Dave and Si share their tips for a cracking Christmas feast...
Tantalising turkey
Si: "My number one tip is to buy the best bird you can afford, free-range if possible. If you buy great produce, you’ll get a great dinner."
Dave: "Stuff your turkey the old-fashioned way with two stuffings: a fruit stuffing in one end, chestnut in the other. It flavours the bird, keeps the meat moist and, as it soaks up the juices, it’ll taste sensational."
Ravishing roasties
Dave: "Blanch the potatoes for five minutes in water, drain, and shake in a pan to scruff up the surface. Put them in a roasting tin with searing hot fat – goose fat is best."
Si: "An old chef’s tip is to sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of semolina or polenta on top, which gives them a crispy shell whilst staying soft and fluffy inside. Don’t forget to season!"
Perfect parsnips
Si: "There’s nothing better than parsnip puree with Christmas dinner. Add finely chopped chestnuts, butter, salt and a tiny bit of sage to mashed parsnips – fantastic."
Dave: "I prefer them roasted. Roast in hot fat and five or ten minutes before serving, paint them in honey or maple syrup. But don’t leave them too long in the oven else they turn black!"
Sprout stunners
Dave: "Blanch the sprouts, fry some pancetta off in a pan and add the sprouts and either chestnuts or cashew nuts. Brilliant."
Si: "A splash of maple syrup goes a long way too – putting heat through the syrup gives a savoury note, which goes great with these little beauties."
Cracking Christmas pud
Dave: "We’ve given the traditional pudding a twist in the show and invented Christmas pudding trifle – try it! People often only manage a mouthful of traditional pudding as they’re so full; as a trifle, they get to enjoy the beast at its full potential!"
Si: "Layer up the pudding - making it as boozy as you’d like – and add homemade custard and cream on top. It’s a great way to use up leftovers."
Mouthwatering mince pies
Si: "Add some orange zest and a splash of orange juice to your pastry – guaranteed to bring a smile even to Ebenezer Scrooge!"
Dave: "We make an Austrian Linzertorte as a variation on mince pies. Think of an open tart: make your own marzipan (or buy it), roll it out and add that to your pastry base, before piling on mincemeat and a crisscross pastry lattice topping. Slicing down and seeing the baked layers is epic! Happy Christmas everyone!"
The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas is on BBC1, Monday to Friday, at 3.45pm.
