With the festive season fast approaching, we wanted to help inspire you in the kitchen this year with a few recipes courtesy of our partners over at Miele via their Der Kern page. From heartwarming starts to sweet vegetarian treats – we’ve got everything that you need for a Christmas three course meal below!
A twist on the traditional autumn soup, incorporating a rind of parmesan adds a mellow flavour which perfectly complements the roasted butternut squash, while helping to reduce food waste Ingredients
1kg butternut squash, cut into 1cm cubes
2tbsp veg oil
1 sprig of rosemary
1 onion, finely chopped
Rind of parmesan (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
700ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
75g pumpkin seeds, toasted
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan shavings
Method
Preheat a Miele Combination Steam Oven at 190°C on the Fan Plus setting. Scatter the cubed butternut squash and rosemary on a baking tray, drizzle with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast on Combination mode on Fan Plus at 190°C, with 40% moisture for 30 minutes.
Transfer the squash and rosemary to a deep solid steam container along with the onion, garlic, parmesan rind and stock. Steam for 20 minutes at 100°C.
Remove from the steam oven and stir well, removing the parmesan rind. Blitz the soup in a liquidiser until smooth.
Pass through a fine sieve, pushing through with a ladle.
Serve in cups or bowls and garnish with some toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan shavings and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Seasoned with an array of spices, this roasted whole duck is sure to impress when it’s brought out to the table for carving. Cooking in a Miele Combination Steam Oven ensures the duck is moist with a deliciously crisp, juicy skin. Any leftover paste can be frozen and used as the base of a curry alongside any leftover Christmas meats or poultry.
Ingredients
1x 2kg duck (we would recommend Creedy Carver from Devon)For the spice paste
4 macadamia nuts
2tsp ground coriander
2tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 banana shallots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 long red chillies, coarsely chopped
10g ginger, peeled
2tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp shrimp paste
80ml tamarind extract
30g palm sugar
Method
For the paste, blend the nuts, spices, shallots, garlic, chilies and ginger until smooth. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the paste. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the shrimp paste, tamarind and palm sugar, cook for a further 5 minutes, and then allow to cool completely. Spread three quarters of the paste all over the duck and allow to marinade overnight in the fridge.
Preheat a Miele Steam Combination Oven on Fan Plus at 190˚C. Place the duck inside the oven on a roasting tray and select the following cooking method:
Stage 1 Fan Plus 190˚C 60% moisture > 20 minutes
Stage 2 Fan Plus 100˚C 75% moisture > 110 minutes
Stage 3 Grill Level 2 10% moisture > 25 minutes.
Remove the duck from the combination steam oven and rest for 20 minutes before serving.
Our home economist, Cesar Fernandez shares his recipe and advice on how to cook perfect roast potatoes that are crisp and golden on the outside and soft and fluffy inside
Ingredients – Serves 8
2kg Floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
200ml Beef Dripping or Duck Fat (use vegetable oil for a meat free alternative)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the peeled and quartered potatoes into a large perforated tray. Transfer into a Miele Steam Oven. Steam at 100°C for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked and soft. Alternatively, cook them using rapid steam cooking using a Miele steam microwave on 100°C 300W for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and give them a good shake to fluff the outside of the potatoes.
Heat your oven on Fan Plus 220°C and pour the cooking fat in to a roasting tray and place in the oven to heat through until it is piping hot.
Transfer the potatoes to the roasting pan and toss around to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. If available on your oven, select the Crisping Function or if using a Combination Steam Oven – cook on Combination Mode at 0% humidity.
Cook the potatoes for 45 – 55 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and golden. Serve immediately. If your potatoes are ready but the rest of your meal isn’t, keep them uncovered on the highest setting of a Miele warming drawer or keep them on taste control in the main oven until ready to serve.
Looking to get ahead of your Christmas food preparation? Our vegetarian Christmas Pudding recipe can be made in advance to allow the flavours to fully develop and mature. Traditionally, Christmas Puddings are prepared on Stir Up Sunday, which is the last Sunday before Advent, with each member of the family giving the mixture a stir and making a wish. If you would like to make a Vegan Christmas Pudding, simply omit the egg from this recipe and for a Gluten Free Christmas Pudding, use 170g of Gluten Free Flour and 115g of ground almonds or ground walnuts. Once steamed for six hours in either a steam oven, steam combination oven or on the hob, leave to cool fully and re-cover the pudding basin with fresh greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a dry, cool, dark place until the big day! We like to serve ours with vanilla infused custard, which is prepared at a precise 90°C in the steam oven, which removes the risk of curdling and ensures a perfectly thick velvety sauce every time
Ingredients – Serves 8-12
170g plain flour
¾ tsp mixed spice
115g fine bread crumbs
115g dark brown sugar
115g vegetable suet
30g whole almonds
115g raisins
115g currants
115g sultanas
55g cherries
55g peel
1 small apple, peeled and grated
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 small orange and juice of half
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp black treacle
2 tbsp brandy
75 ml stout
A 1.2L/ 2pint pudding basin
Method
Sift the flour and mixed spice into a large bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs, suet, sugar and nuts. Add the fruits and citrus zest, make a well in the centre and pour in the orange juice, brandy, beaten eggs and treacle. Combine thoroughly. Gradually add the stout, mixing until a smooth dropping consistency is obtained. Cover the bowl and leave to stand overnight.
The following day, lightly butter a 1.2L/ 2 pint pudding basin and fill with the mixture, packing it down firmly. Cover the basin with greaseproof paper and foil. Set your Miele Steam Oven to 100°C and steam for 6 hours. Alternatively, select the Automatic programme on your Steam Combination Oven for Christmas Pudding and follow the instructions in the display.
Once cooked, re-cover the basin with fresh greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a dry, cool, dark place until required. Reheat in your Steam Oven at 100ºC or Miele Sous Chef Warming Drawer at 85°C for 60-90 minutes before serving or use your built in temperature probe to re-heat the pudding to a core temperate of above 82°C.
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