Scandinavian Christmas Ham With Prunes Food

SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS HAM WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325F / 160°C.
• Cut a deep pocket in the cavity of the ham.
• Combine prunes, onion, apple and applesauce.
• Stuff ham with apple mixture, overlap and secure ends.
• Score the fat and place fat side up in a shallow roasting pan.
• Pour consomme over the ham.
• Roast for 30 - 35mins per pound, basting often.
• When cooked transfer to a dish and keep warm, retain the juices.
• Remove the fat from the pan juices and discard.
• Bring the juices to a boil on the hob and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add redcurrant jelly, orange juice, port and salt and simmer for 10 -15 minutes.
• Serve the gravy with the ham.

CHRISTMAS HAM (JOULUKINKKU)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 100 - 125°C.
• Rinse ham with cold water and pat dry.
• Put in a roasting bag and cut a small hole on top of the bag. Push a roasting thermometer into the thickest part of the ham.
• Put the ham on the rack in the oven (or a cookie sheet with sides, if you prefer. IF the roasting bag leaks, you may have a big mess in your oven without the sheet!).
• Bake until the thermometer shows the internal temperature of the ham to be 75-80 C (juicy - well done). It will take about 45 - 55 minutes/1 kg (2 lbs).
• Remove the bag carefully: save some of the pan juice for making gravy. Remove the net (if there is one!), skin and as much of the fat as you like.
• Let ham sit for a few hours or to cool completely before coating.
• Preheat oven to 225°C.
• Mix mustard and honey and coat the ham with the mixture. Press dry breadcrumbs on the coating.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until browned.
• Decorate the surface of the ham with cloves.
• Serve with gravy, boiled potatoes, root vegetable casseroles and boiled prunes.

SCANDINAVIAN ROAST TURKEY WITH PRUNE & JUNIPER STUFFING & CARAMELISED APPLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Rinse the turkey inside and out, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Weigh the turkey to calculate the cooking time, allowing 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg, then 45 mins for each 1kg over that weight. Cut 1 onion into quarters and the other into 6 wedges. Finely grate 1⁄2 tsp orange zest from the orange and set aside for the stuffing. Quarter the orange and tuck it with the onion quarters into the turkey cavity. Rub the turkey all over with the butter, then season with salt and pepper. Put the onion wedges and carrot chunks in the middle of a large roasting tin and sit the turkey on top. Cover with a loose tent of foil, then roast following your calculated time.
• Make the stuffing. Butter a 28 x 18 x 3cm deep baking tray and crush the juniper berries using a pestle and mortar. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, tip in the onions, garlic and celery, and fry for about 12-15 mins until softened and just starting to turn golden. Stir in the crushed juniper berries, then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, apples, prunes, most of the parsley (reserve a small handful, to garnish), the reserved orange zest and the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing loosely into the baking tray, pat it down gently (don't pack it down) then lay a piece of buttered baking parchment on top. Set aside. Can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.
• Thirty mins before the end of the cooking time, remove the turkey and increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the foil, baste the turkey, then return to the oven for a further 30 mins until golden. If you are roasting potatoes put them in now. To test if turkey is cooked, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer - the juices should run clear, not pink. If they are pink, continue to roast, checking at 10 min intervals.
• Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a warm serving platter and rest, covered loosely with foil, for up to 1 hr before carving. Meanwhile, cook the stuffing, and make apple wedges and gravy. Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake the stuffing for 30 mins, then remove paper and bake for a further 10 mins to brown the top.
• Make the gravy, pour off any excess fat from the roasting tin, leave the juices and onions, and discard the carrot. Stir the wine and lingonberry jam or redcurrant jelly into the tin, scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom. Set the tin over a high heat and bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for 8-10 mins until reduced by half. Pour in the stock along with any resting juices from the turkey, and simmer for 10-15 mins or until reduced to your liking (this makes a slightly thinner gravy). Season, if needed.
• Make the apple wedges. Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Tip in the almonds and apples, and fry over a medium heat for about 5-8 mins, moving them around often, until the almonds are toasted and the apples golden and softened, but still holding their shape. Don't worry if the butter starts to turn a nutty brown, it just adds to the flavour.
• To serve, strain the gravy into a pan, warm through, then pour into a jug. Scatter the stuffing with the reserved parsley and cut into squares or wedges. Garnish the turkey with the apples, nuts and flat-leaf parsley sprigs, and serve everything together.