Last minute Christmas recipes, edible gifts and save-the-day snacks

Take the stress out of the big day

This ‘chuck it all in and leave it’ recipe is surprisingly easy (Maldon Salt)

No matter where you are in your Christmas preparations, take the stress out of the big day with these recipes for a delicious three-course festive feast, easy homemade edible gifts and save-the-day snacks.

Kicking off the menu, we’ve got beetroot cured salmon. Using beetroot in the curing process not only gives the fish a magnificent maroon colour, but also sweet and earthy undertones.

For the main event, we’ve chosen glorious duck legs, slow cooked in the warming, festive flavours of blackberries, oranges and cinnamon, and paired with celeriac mash.

And for dessert, go for pistachio souffle with cranberry coulis. While souffle is often regarded as one of the most difficult dishes to perfect in the kitchen, this simple recipe will have you mastering the technique and impressing your guests in no time.

If you’re stuck for a personal and thoughtful gift this year, one of our edible festive treats should do the trick. From chocolate and amaretto truffles to rum and raisin fudge, there’s something for everyone.

And if things don’t go as planned, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up in your pocket. Whip up a batch of salmon pate or beetroot hummus to keep your guests entertained while you tackle any disasters in the kitchen.

Most importantly, sit back, relax and enjoy! Planning your day with these recipes from Maldon Salt should help you do just that.

Starter

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Beetroot cured salmon

This new way of curing salmon will impress your guests (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: no cook, 3 days curing time

Ingredients:

1 side of salmon (approximately 800g)

3 large raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

3 juniper berries

Handful of dill, roughly chopped

6 tbsp Maldon salt

1 tbsp horseradish sauce

200g golden caster sugar

Method:

1. In a food processor blitz together the beetroot, orange zest, lemon zest and juniper berries. Pulse until it resembles a smooth paste. Tip into a large bowl and then mix with the dill, Maldon Salt, horseradish sauce, and golden caster sugar.

2. Place the salmon, flesh side up, in a baking dish which comfortably fits it, and then spoon and press the beetroot cure on to the fish. Press and pack it in firmly and make sure it is covered all over. Then tightly wrap the tray in cling film and place in the fridge for 2-3 days.

3. Once a couple of days have passed and it’s time to serve the salmon, remove it from the fridge and wash the cure off. Then place on a board and use a sharp knive to thinly slice. Serve the salmon with the fennel salad, lemon wedges, slices of soda bread and caper berries.

Main

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Slow cooked duck legs with blackberries, orange and cinnamon

A tantalisingly good showstopper (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

4 duck legs

5 shallots, peeled and halved

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

250ml chicken stock

200ml red wine

1 orange, sliced

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

Some rosemary sprigs

300g blackberries

A pinch of Maldon Salt

Serve with: Sautéed greens

For the celeriac mash:

1 large celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped

500ml vegetable stock

200ml whole milk

A large knob of butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.

2. Place a large casserole onto heat. Brown off the duck legs on both sides, starting on the skin side. Once browned, remove from the pan and add the shallots and sliced garlic, frying them until they soften and start to go golden.

3. Next add the flour and cook into the sauce for a few minutes until it has thickened. Then add the red wine and stock, allow it to bubble and come to the boil.

4. Add the duck legs back into the casserole along with 2/3 of the blackberries, the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise a pinch of Maldon Salt and rosemary sprigs.

5. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1-hour 30mins. Once cooked add the remaining blackberries and serve.

6. To make the mash, add the celeriac to a pan with the stock and milk and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the celeriac is tender. Mash or pass through a ricer and then stir through a knob of butter and a pinch of Maldon Salt.

7. Serve the duck legs with the celeriac mash and some sauteed greens.

Dessert

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Pistachio souffle with cranberry coulis

This souffle recipe is stress-free (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 6

Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients:

250ml whole milk

25g cornflour

A pinch of Maldon Salt

25g pistachio cream

50g caster sugar

140g caster sugar

200g egg whites

25g pistachio cream

Unsalted butter and icing sugar (to prep ramekins)

For the cranberry coulis:

200g cranberries

Juice of 1 orange

3 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

1. Start by making the base of the souffles (the panade). Add the milk to a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour and a pinch of Maldon Salt until dissolved. Stir in the sugar and pistachio cream and place onto the heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens (3- 5 minutes). Then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool place in the fridge to cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up (this will help the souffles rise).

3. Prepare the ramekins by greasing with butter and the dusting out with icing sugar. Set aside.

4. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foaming. Then slowly add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until all the sugar is adding and the meringue has reached medium soft peaks.

5. Measure out 300g of the chilled panade mixture and add the final 20g of pistachio cream. Then carefully fold in the meringue egg whites being mindful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and smooth off the top with a palette knife. Then use a cutlery knife to “top hat” around the top rim. Place into the oven on the baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes (do not open the door).

6. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with pistachio ice cream and cranberry coulis.

Festive homemade edible gifts

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Chocolate and amaretto truffles

Another tipsy-tipple added to a sweet treat (Maldon Salt)

Makes: 12 truffles

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes, plus cooling time

Ingredients:

220g dark chocolate, finely chopped

120g double cream

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp amaretto

90g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes at room temp

1 pinch of Maldon salt

Coatings: finely chopped pistachios, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder

Method:

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before whisking until smooth. Add the butter, amaretto, almond extract, and pinch of Maldon Salt and then whisk again until smooth.

2. Transfer to a shallow tin and allow to cool at room temp before adding to the fridge to firm up (2 hours). When cooled, roll the ganache truffles in your hands in balls, keeping in the fridge whilst you do the rest. Then roll the truffles in either desiccated coconut, finely chopped pistachios or cocoa powder before serving.

Rum and raisin fudge

This fudge will put a childish grin on the grownups’ faces (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 1 hour, plus cooling | Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

50ml dark rum

100g raisins

1 tsp vanilla extract

397g condensed milk

100g unsalted butter

A pinch of Maldon salt

500g light muscovado sugar

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Soak the raisins in the rum for 1 hour minimum or overnight.

3. In a pan place the condensed milk, butter, and sugar and bring to the boil. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil for 10 minutes until it reaches ‘soft ball’ stage on a thermometer.

4. When the mixture reaches this stage, remove from the heat, and quickly add the rum and raisins, Maldon Salt, and vanilla. Stir until it thickens, then tip immediately into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Then you can cut into squares and serve.

Pistachio and dark chocolate cookies

Pistachio and dark chocolate are a match made in heaven (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 15

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus cooling| Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

250g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

50g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the topping:

100g dark chocolate, melted

50g finely chopped pistachios

Pinch of Maldon salt

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 190C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, and then add the flour and cocoa powder. Knead in the chopped chocolate until smooth and well mixed. Roll into a rough disc and wrap in cling film, then place in the fridge to chill.

3. On a light floured surface, roll the dough until is it 2cm thick and then use a 7cm cutter to cut roughly 25 cookies. Place onto the baking tray and bake for 8 – 10mins.

4. Take the cookies out the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, dip one half in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of Maldon salt

Last minute Christmas recipes to whip up

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Salmon pate with smoked salt

Pate is one of the easiest dishes to make (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: setting time

Ingredients:

150g smoked salmon, cut into pieces

180g cream cheese

2 tbsp crème fraiche

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Small handful of dill

Small handful of chives

1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

1 tsp smoked Maldon salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Put the ingredients into a mixing bowl

2. Mix together so everything is combined

3. Serve with rye bread, lemon wedges, and an extra sprinkle of dill

Beetroot hummus

Let beetroot shine in this delicious dip (Maldon Salt)

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: no cook

Ingredients:

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 medium cooked beetroot

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp olive oil

A large pinch of Maldon

1 tsp ground cumin

Top with: nigella seeds, carraway seeds

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the elements break down and it becomes completely smooth.

2. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of nigella seeds, carraway seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of Maldon salt.

3. Serve with your favourite crudites, toasted bread or crackers.

For more recipes using Maldon Salt, visit maldonsalt.com/recipes-tips-blog.