FRUIT IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Get your meat out of the fridge and up to room temperature before you cook it.
  2. For the stuffing, peel and finely chop the onions, finely slice the pancetta, then place in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat with 6 tablespoons of oil, the butter and fennel seeds. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, while you finely chop the chicken livers and herb leaves.
  3. Stir the livers into the pan, followed by the herbs and 50ml of wine. Roughly chop and add the dried fruit, along with the pine nuts. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
  4. Finely grate over the Parmesan. Toast the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix them into the cool stuffing.
  5. Place the pork loin on a board, skin side down, open it out and push it down flat. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper, then pour over and massage in half the Vin Santo.
  6. Scatter over the stuffing, pour over the remaining Vin Santo, then roll up the pork, patting on and compacting the stuffing as you go.
  7. Sit it with the seam underneath and tie with butcher’s string to secure it, then score the skin and into the fat with your knife. Season generously and rub all over with oil.
  8. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to full whack (240ºC/475ºF/gas 9).
  9. Wash the carrots and place in a large roasting tray. Sit the porchetta on top, then pour in 500ml of water and the remaining 325ml of wine.
  10. Place in the hot oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and leave to cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is really tender, basting now and again.
  11. Remove the porchetta to a board to rest for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place the roasting tray over a medium heat on the hob.
  12. Skim away most of the fat from the surface into a jar, cool, and place in the fridge for tasty cooking another day. Stir the flour into the tray, mashing the carrots and scraping up all those gnarly bits from the base.
  13. Pour in the stock, and simmer until the gravy is the consistency of your liking, stirring occasionally.
  14. Strain the gravy through a coarse sieve, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon, then season to perfection.
  15. Carve up the beautiful porchetta, and serve it as you wish.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease a 20cm square cake tin with the margarine, then line the bottom with greaseproof paper and dust the sides with gluten-free flour.
  2. In a bowl, beat the margarine and sugar for around 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
  3. Crack in the eggs, finely grate and add the zest from 2 lemons and 1 orange, then mix to combine.
  4. Sieve the flour, baking powder and xanthan gum into the bowl, then fold through. Stir in the juice from 1 lemon and ½ an orange until you have a nice, smooth mixture.
  5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smooth out to the edges, then place on the middle shelf of the hot oven for 35 minutes, or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
  6. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, before turning the cake out onto a wire cooling rack, then leave to cool completely while you make the icing.
  7. Combine the icing sugar with the zest and juice from ½ a lemon and ¼ of an orange. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the icing on top, grate over a little lemon and orange zest, then serve.