POKING RECIPES

Steps:

• This works great as a stand-alone recipe, but also as a component in Jamie’s Celebration Roast from Together – see the full collection of menus here. GET AHEAD For the stuffing, peel and finely slice the onions, then place in a large non-stick pan on a medium heat, season, and dry-fry for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the butter and cranberries, finely grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice, then pick, chop and add the sage leaves. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the cognac, carefully flame it if you wish, then let it cook away, turn the heat off and leave to cool. Once cool, tear in the panettone, add the egg, and scrunch together well. Sit the pork belly skin side down on 4 x 60cm lengths of butcher’s string. Pat over half the stuffing, then roll up and tie to secure, poking any escaped stuffing back in. Pack the remaining stuffing into the chicken neck cavity, then pull the skin back over it and tuck under the bird. Put the thyme into the other cavity, then tie the legs together with string, also tucking in the wings and tying it around the middle. Cover it all and refrigerate overnight. ON THE DAY Get all the meat out of the fridge an hour before you start cooking, rubbing each piece with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and seasoning with sea salt and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Roast just the pork in a large roasting tray on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, then add the chicken and roast for another 15 minutes. Add the beef, basting the meats with the tray juices, and roast for 1 final hour, or until everything is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove the meats to a platter, cover with tin foil and a clean tea towel, and rest for 1 hour. You can use the tray to reheat your gravy – skim off excess fat, then simmer the gravy on a medium-low heat on the hob until hot through, scraping up the sticky bits. Pour any resting juices into the gravy, then remove the string before carving all the meat.

Steps:

• 1. Stage 1: making a well Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork.
  2. Stage 2: getting it together Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.) Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency – then add the remaining water. Continue to mix until it's stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)
  3. Stage 3: kneading! This is where you get stuck in. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.
  4. Stage 4: first prove Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it's always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.
  5. Stage 5: second prove, flavouring and shaping Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. You can now shape it or flavour it as required – folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever – and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size once more. This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your bread, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread. So remember – don't fiddle with it, just let it do its thing.
  6. Stage 6: cooking your bread Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into the preheated oven. Don't slam the door or you'll lose the air that you need. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes – fandabidozi. Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.