Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family and friends this Christmas, with these great all-in-one roasts
Poussins with potato, celeriac and porcini gratin
PAGE 61
Sage and apricot-stuffed pork tenderloin with roasted pear, parsnip and potato
PAGE 63
Spiced salmon and sprout traybake
PAGE 64
Cinnamon and saffron lamb shanks with roasted roots
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POUSSINS WITH POTATO, CELERIAC AND PORCINI GRATIN
If doing a whole turkey for four people seems a lot of work, this is a great, easy substitute. The birds are baked on top of a rich, creamy gratin, so all you need to do is take the tray to the table and serve.
SERVES 4 GF HANDS-ON TIME 25 mins TOTAL TIME 1 hr 55 mins
◆ 2 rashers streaky bacon
◆ 35g salted butter, softened
◆ a few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
◆ 2 poussins
◆ sea salt flakes
For the gratin
◆ 20g dried porcini mushrooms
◆ 200g young spinach
◆ 300ml double cream
◆ 225ml whole milk
◆ a few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
◆ 1½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
◆ 325g potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
◆ 325g celeriac, peeled and finely sliced
◆ 100g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
1 To prepare the gratin, put the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and set the mushrooms aside (the porcini liquid can be frozen to add as a stock to beef casseroles or mushroom dishes).
2 Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Cook the spinach in the microwave for 1 minute, until wilted (or cook down in a large lidded pan on the hob). Squeeze out any excess liquid from the spinach.
3 Put the double cream, milk, thyme sprigs, mustard and a good amount of seasoning in a pan and bring the mixture just up to the boil, then remove from the heat.
4 Pour a little of the cream mixture into the base of a medium baking dish or roasting tin then layer in roughly one third of the sliced potato and celeriac. Add half each of the spinach, chestnut and porcini mushrooms in a layer and then pour over some more of the cream mixture. Repeat again and finish off with celeriac and potatoes as the top layer, with the rest of the cream mixture poured on top.
5 Bake uncovered, for 45 minutes initially. Meanwhile, dry fry the bacon for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through and starting to crisp. Remove to a board to cool slightly, then chop finely. Mix together the bacon, butter and thyme leaves.
6 Gently tease the skin away from the breast on the poussins, and then divide the bacon butter between the two poussins under the skin, smoothing so the breast is wellcovered. Smooth any remaining butter over the skin and then s
