Recipes: The perfect starters for Christmas Day dinner

We continue our series of recipes and tips to help you prepare for Christmas.

Here students Helena O’Brien, Skye Philips and Rebecca Colbert, members of the Year 3 Chef de Partie Apprentice course at Munster Technological University, share three wonderful starters to choose from for your Christmas Day menu.

Beetroot Cured Salmon, Bloody Mary Jelly & Pickled Carrot Salmon

Ingredients

2 Supremes of salmon approx. 100g each

500g raw beetroot

3g fennel seeds

20 chopped tarragon

150g caster sugar

300g sea salt

Method:

• 1. Peel the beetroot and cut into pieces. Add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and process to create the cure.
• 2. Place half the cure on a tray placing the salmon on top, cover with the rest of the cure.
• 3. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 10 hours. Turn the salmon, re-cover and place the salmon back in the fridge for a further 10 hours.
• 4. Tip away the juices and wash of the cure, pat dry with kitchen paper and chill until needed.

Horseradish Mayonnaise

60 ml Mayonnaise

2 tbsps. Horseradish

Method:

1. Combine the two ingredients to a smooth paste, reserve.

Pickled Carrots

3 purple carrots

100 ml Cider vinegar

100 ml of water

75g caster sugar

1tsp caraway seeds

1tsp mustard seed

1 tsp black peppercorns

Method:

• 1. Peel and slice the carrots, blanch in boiling water for 60 seconds.
• 2. Place all the ingredients in a pot and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
• 3. Place the carrots in a kilner jar cover with the pickle, leave in the fridge for 24 hours allowing the pickle to be absorbed.

Bloody Mary Jelly

3 leaves of gelatine

250ml tomato juice

3 tbsp of Vodka

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash tobacco sauce

Method:

• 1. Soak the gelatine in cold water for four minutes
• 2. Combine the juice, vodka, Worcestershire, and tabasco in a pan and gently warm over a low heat.
• 3. Add the gelatine to the mix and stir until dissolved. Pour into a shallow dish and let to set.

Assembly

• 1. Slice and cube the cured salmon.
• 2. Cut a circular disc of the bloody Mary jelly and place on your serving place.
• 3. Top with the salmon and some pickled carrot which has been dried with kitchen paper.
• 4. Place the horseradish Mayonnaise around the dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.
• 5. Finish with some fresh fennel herb and nasturtium leaf.

Salad of Grilled Bluebell Farm Honey & Thyme Goats Cheese, Fig, Plum & Hazelnut

Ingredients (2 people)

150g Goats Cheese

3 figs halved

2 plums cut in wedges

60 g Membrillo Jelly diced

30 g Toasted Hazelnuts

2 tbsps. Olive oil

20 g Beetroot jelly

1 tsp sea salt crystals

Method:

• 1. Roll the goats cheese gently to form 6 small balls.
• 2. Place the figs, plum, hazelnuts, on a metal tray and drizzle with olive oil.
• 3. Place under a grill and cook until golden in colour.
• 4. Add the goat’s cheese to the tray and place back under the grill until heated through.
• 5. Arrange on a plate with the membrillo jelly, beetroot, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, serve.

Mushroom & Chestnut Risotto with Coolea Cheese

Ingredients

500g Mixed Mushrooms cut or sliced evenly

100g unsalted butter

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

250g Aborio Risotto Rice

100ml White wine

750 ml of Vegetable stock

100g of cooked Chestnuts

50 g of Shaved Coolea Cheese

Tbslp Olive Oil

Sea salt/ ground pepper

Method:

• 1. Begin with 50g of butter and fry the mushrooms in a pot until lightly browned. Add the chopped shallot, chopped chestnut and garlic and cook until soft for about another minute.
• 2. Stir in the rinsed rice and cook until translucent. Pour in the wine and stir once.
• 3. Add the stock a little at a time stirring constantly until all is absorbed and creamy in tex ture and the rice is cooked.
• 4. Season with sea salt and pepper, add in the oil and final 50 g of unsalted butter.
• 5. Finally add in the Coolea cheese and serve.