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Christmas Food & Wine Pairings: C&B Company Reserve Claret 2016 with Christmas Roast Essentials & Trimmings

October 23, 2020

Christmas Food & Wine Pairings: C&B Company Reserve Claret 2016 with Christmas Roast Essentials & Trimmings

Bread Sauce & Gravy

A Christmas roast isn’t complete without a delicious home-made bread sauce and gravy to accompany the star of the show. A perfect match with our Corney & Barrow Company Reserve Claret Maison Sichel 2016.

For the bread sauce
  • 660ml milk
  • Half a large white loaf
  • 1 onion
  • 6 cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Good pinch of nutmeg
  • 100ml double cream
  • Knob of butter

Method

1) Pierce the peeled onion with the cloves and place in a saucepan together with the milk and bay leaves. Bring slowly to the boil, simmer very gently for 10 minutes and leave to infuse, off the heat, for 20 minutes.

2) Remove the crusts from the bread and discard. Cut the bread into cubes of about 2cm and leave on a tray in a warm place to dry out a little.

3) Strain the milk infusion and place back on the heat. Stir in the bread, once it has broken down add the double cream, the butter, the nutmeg and season to taste.


For the gravy
  • 3kg of chicken on the bone – wings, carcass, even feet!
  • Optional – pigs trotter (split)
  • The turkey neck
  • 1 head of celery
  • 2 leeks
  • 4 large carrots
  • 2 large onion
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 200ml red wine

Method

1) Roast the bones and the neck in a 190c oven until the skin is a deep golden brown. Put in a big deep pan, add the trotter and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep skimming any froth that comes to the top.

2) Roast the chopped vegetables in a hotter oven until they are nicely caramelised – add to the pan with the herbs and the wine. Simmer for at least 6 hours, ideally for 10.

3) Strain the liquid with a fine seize and boil until reduced to about 1 litre. The stock should start to look a little glossy and should taste meaty.

4) To make the gravy use the stock as a base and add in any roasting juices from the bird. If you would like it to be a bit thicker – make a “beurre maine” – 1 tablespoon of flour kneaded with 1 dessert spoon of butter and whisk in small amounts until you reach the right consistency. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some flour on the roasting juices.


For the pigs in blankets (classic)
  • 6 Cumberland Chipolatas (or 12 cocktail sausages)
  • 4-6 rashers of unsmoked streaky bacon

Method

1) Cut the rind of the bacon and roll the around the sausages – about 1/3rd of a rasher is normally enough.

2) Put in next to your bird for the last 30 mins of cooking. Or roast in a hot oven for 20-30 mins.


For the “Cerdos en Mantas”
  • 6 chorizo – we prefer the spicy ones – or 12 mini chorizo
  • 6 slices of pancetta

Method as above although no need to cut the rind of the pancetta as it is sliced so thinly.


Recipe created by the Gatherers
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