Best ever Christmas pudding

December 8, 2019 2:22 pm / 24 Comments /

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Time to make the Christmas pudding!

A couple of years ago I discovered this pudding recipe somewhere and scribbled the ingredients down onto a post-it-note.  Apologies to anyone who created it as I don’t remember where I found it but I changed it a little from the alcohol perspective and used an old cherry brandy that I kept for Christmas cooking.  You can also just use regular brandy as I did last year and it was still wonderful.

Christmas pudding is always a traditional one in our family.  None of this ice-cream sort, trifle or pavlova.  My daughter said it’s the best thing about Christmas!  I will never forget we drove 13 hours to have Christmas with my parents once and my mother produced a ‘home brand’ pudding.  Shock – horror, I don’t think she recovered for weeks!  So the pudding last year was said to be the best pudding I had ever made (and that’s saying something!!) so I thought I would share it on the blog for you all to try to make nice and early this year.

Don’t make it the week before Christmas, it needs time to mature and more time for the extra brandy to be lovingly brushed over the top from time to time 🙂

Below are both steam oven and traditional stove top cooking options.  This is where the steam oven really comes into play.  In 6 hours you will need to re-fill the water container several times but that is SO much easier than attending to a pot on the stove.  You can also attend to other things knowing that you have a good 90 minutes of cooking time in each full water bottle (depending upon which brand of steam oven you own.  Please check your instruction book to see how long your water container will last before needing a refill).  You can get a lot done in 90 minutes can’t you?  Most brands will tell you when the container needs more water which is just so convenient.  Overall it was incredibly easy to cook this pudding in the steam oven.

*Over the years I have had lots of comments on this post.  Until now I didn’t think that it was possible to cook the pudding in a ‘cloth’ in the steam oven.  I always have used the basin method and any puddings I have eaten that have been boiled in a cloth had quite a thick outer almost ‘skin’ which I always thought came from immersing it in boiling water.  Tonight I witnessed Maggie Beer cook her Christmas cloth pudding in her steam oven!  Certainly a first to my knowledge for TV viewers.  So, apparently you can, so prepare your cloth in the usual way, fill the pudding, tie securely and cook for the same time as you would on the stove.  Her recipe looked about a small 3 cup size and took 2½ hours.  If you use my recipe which was very similar to Maggie’s then it will make two puddings in cloths, place them both on the large solid steamer tray and cook at 100°C for 3 hours.  Remember to be present to top up the water tank if you don’t own the plumbed in model.

Ingredients: Makes 1 large 8 cup pudding

250g butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
750g mixed fruit
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
3/4 cup dates, chopped
1 cup brandy
1½ cups Plain flour, sifted
1teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon bicarb-soda
½ cup slivered almonds
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Method:

  1. Soak the fruit in the brandy overnight. A couple of days won’t hurt.
  2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a mixer until pale.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   It may curdle but that’s OK. Remove beaters.
  4. Now in a big bowl fold through the fruit, brandy and then sifted dry ingredients, almonds and breadcrumbs
  5. Mix really well.
  6. Grease an 8 cup pudding basin or ceramic bowl well.  Line the base with a baking paper circle and pour in mixture.  Level out the top.
  7. Cover with 2 layers of baking paper that have a ‘pleat’ on the top to allow for rising.  Tie securely with string around the rim of the basin.  If you are using two small, metal steamers then you can just grease the inside of the lid and use that.
  8. Steam in steam oven @ 100°C for 6 hours.  Because it will take a bit more time to go back to temperature after each water refill I ended up removing it about 20 minutes before the end of cooking time.  Let it rest for about 15 minutes then run a knife around the sides and turn out onto fresh baking paper and foil.  I prefer to remove it from the basin while it is hot so it wont stick.  Wrap securely and when cold place in a plastic bag in a cool place until Christmas.  In Sydney I think it’s better to store in the refrigerator just in case it is humid.  This way I can open it up easily and brush with a little more brandy 🙂
  9. Bring your pudding back to room temperature a few hours before reheating, unwrap and return to the basin.  Cover with foil and secure with string again.  Reheat whole pudding, covered in basin for 2 hours @ 100°C.  Line the basin with strips of baking paper you can use as ‘handles’ to get it out easily.  You can do individual slices for approx. 10 minutes each, just uncovered in the solid steamer tray.  This is what I do as it is really quick, I do four slices for about 20 minutes in total.

OR bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Test that the water comes half way up the sides of the pudding and steam for 6 hours being sure to top up the water so it doesn’t boil dry.  You will need to watch it carefully and do this a few times.  If you are cooking in a pot I would also cover with a layer of aluminium foil.

See comment above here * for a traditional ‘cloth’ pudding method.

Serve with your favourite sauce, cream and fresh berries.  Our favourite sauce is an old traditional Ballarat recipe that only one person I know uses.  It is more like a ‘Brandy cream’ and you can find the recipe here.

Note:  To cook two smaller pudding basins, say 5 cup capacity each cook for 4 hours.  For individual 1/2 cup ramekins cook for 1 hour.

 

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Steam Oven

Thai pumpkin soup

May 6, 2019 2:37 pm / Leave a Comment /

I said last year that I wanted to do some more soups and now that it has become chilly in Sydney after a long, hot summer it is a good time to test a soup using the combi oven.

Roasting your vegetables first is a great way to get more flavour and in this version cook your curry paste at the same time.  If you don’t have a combi then saute the vegetables in a splash of oil and the curry paste over a low heat and then transfer to the steam oven to finish the cooking.  You do need to cook out the curry paste.

This is a recipe that you can adapt and play around with yourself.  You might like to roast the vegetables in the first stage a lot longer to give them some colour and try it without the curry paste or use the spices from my Spicy pumpkin soup here.

Whatever option you choose remember to use the one deep dish for the roasting and steaming the soup so that all the flavours you have in the base of the pan will go into your soup, making it even more delicious 🙂

Ingredients:  Serves 6-8

½ Butternut pumpkin, chopped into chunks
½ large Kumera, chopped
4 cloves garlic
knob ginger, sliced
1-2 tablespoons of Red Curry Paste
1 Pandan leaf, split and tied in a knot (optional but nice)
1 leek sliced and washed well OR 1 onion chopped roughly and added with roasting stage.
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  1. Chop all the vegetables except the leek if using into similar size chunks.
  2. Put into a deep steam oven tray or deep large container that will hold over one litre.
  3. Add the curry paste & pandan leaf if using to the centre, cover with the vegetables and cook on Combination mode 180°C plus 90% steam for 30 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove dish from the oven and add the stock, water and leek if using.
  5. Return and change to steam oven mode and cook 100°C for 30 minutes, stirring 10 minutes or so into the cooking time.  This will break up the curry paste now that it has been cooked and remove all the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.
  6. Test that everything is soft and remove from the steam oven.
  7. Set aside to cool.  Add the coconut milk if using and puree until smooth.
  8. Check for seasoning.  If you have used commercial stock the flavour should be OK otherwise season with fish sauce and a little brown sugar for that true Thai taste.
  9. Garnish with fresh coriander to serve.  Yum 🙂
Posted in: Combi Steamer, Soups, Steam Oven, Thai

Hot cross buns

April 17, 2019 2:00 pm / 3 Comments /

Hot cross buns

Hot cross buns are even better cooked in a combi steam oven!  The addition of the moisture in the cooking process produces a lighter crumb and a delicious, crunchy top.  After all, this is how the commercial bakeries cook their yeast breads and buns so you know it is going to be even better cooked at home.

I use to make hot cross buns each year but now that I have a combi and I have to say that there is a remarkable difference.  I remember they were heavier and the top wasn’t as crunchy and delicious.  Worth using the proper bread flour rather than standard plain flour, it is now readily available in your usual supermarket.

It is nearly Easter so get baking now!  Another delicious treat for Easter from the combi steam oven would be the Brioche pear tart here

Ingredients:

450g strong bread flour + extra for kneading
7g dried yeast
50g caster sugar + 1tsp
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
225ml warm milk
1 medium egg, beaten
50g melted butter
100g sultanas
20g mixed peel
50g plain flour

For glaze:
2 tbsp apricot jam or marmalade plus a little water.

Method:

  1. Put the bread flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in the bowl together with the mixed spice and cinnamon, mix well.
  2. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, egg and melted butter.
  3. Mix with a wooden spoon, then transfer onto a floured worktop and start kneading with your hands.
  4. Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  I needed quite a bit more flour as the mix is quite wet.
  5. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Put in a warm place for at least an hour or until doubled in size.   If your combi has a dough proving function you can put the dough in for this time and just leave it, turned off when the set program is finished.  Leave for about an hour in total until doubled in size.  The Miele program for proving is 15 minutes and you can find it in the Auto Programs, “Special”.
  6. After that time transfer back onto a floured surface flatten a bit and scatter over the sultanas and mixed peel.  Knead a few more times.
  7. Divide the dough into 16 even portions and shape into smooth round rolls. Place on the flat combi baking tray, greased or lined with baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise again for at least 30 minutes.
  8. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Mix the plain flour with 4-5 tablespoons of water and 1 tsp of sugar. It should have a thick paste consistency. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe white lines on the rolls to make crosses.
  9. Bake on Combination mode 190°C + 90% steam for 15 minutes then add another cooking stage; 160°C + 30% steam for 6 minutes.
  10. Warm the jam or marmalade with a little water until melted.  Strain it into a clean bowl, removing any fruit.  Brush over warm buns when they are out of the oven.  Makes them look even better!

Delicious served warm with butter and a cup of tea 🙂

 

Posted in: Baking, Bread, Combi Steamer, Easter

Salmon with pistachio crust on pearl barley salad

January 30, 2019 3:14 pm / Leave a Comment /

I love coming up with new flavour combinations, especially for healthy salads.  This dish was a winner for a recent special occasion.  It looks amazing but wasn’t difficult to cook at all in the combi although the salmon does need to be cooked separately.

Use your favourite combination of ingredients for the salad making sure that you have a variety of textures.  As the pearl barley takes the same cooking time in the steam oven as brown rice you can substitute this if you prefer and especially if you are gluten free.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

4 small fillets of salmon or ocean trout, skinned and pin boned
60g butter, softened
½ cup chopped pistachio nuts
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Grated rind of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Salad:
1 cup pearl barley, washed and drained
1¼ cups vegetable stock
1 bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
3 small, fresh radish washed
¼ cup chopped, fresh parsley
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molases
1 tsp honey or to taste
pinch sea salt

Method:

  1. Firstly, cook the pearl barley in the steam oven with the stock on 100°C for 40 minutes.
    When there is two minutes to go on the timer, add the asparagus.  Close the door and let it finish cooking.
    Remove and set aside to cool.  Wipe out the steam oven.
  2. Now combine the softened butter with remaining ingredients for the salmon topping and set aside.  It should be a spreadable consistency.
    Lay a piece of baking paper in a solid steam oven tray, add salmon and spread butter mixture over the top of the fillets. Do this 10 minutes before so to let the salmon come to room temperature.
    Preheat combi oven to 170°C Fan Plus while you prepare the salad.
    Slice the radish with a mandolin or slice very thinly.
    Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake to combine.
    Add other salad ingredients now to the cooled barley, stir in half the dressing and set aside.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  3. Now to cook the salmon; Select Combination Mode 170°C + 90% moisture add salmon and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked to your liking.  Obviously the size of the fillets will determine the cooking time.
  4. Plate up the salad and serve with the pistachio nut topped salmon.  Drizzle with a little dressing and garnish.  Yum!

 

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Dinner parties, Fish, Salads / Tagged: , , , ,

Chinese chicken drumsticks

January 13, 2019 8:59 am / 4 Comments /

Everyone has a recipe like this.  You know, something that you can marinade overnight and cook for a hungry family any night of the week.  The best thing about this in a combi is that the skin is extra crispy and everyone loves these flavours!

Check your Auto program options (depending on your brand and model) for a ‘set and forget’ cooking option.  Go to roast/chicken and see if you have a drumstick option.  Keep in mind that the honey can burn so add it half way through the cooking process for sticky, melt in the mouth chicken!  Don’t forget to add your fat filter for any roasting to keep the fan clean and do a soaking program after you’ve eaten.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

8 chicken drumsticks
¼ cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
knob ginger, grated
½ tsp Five spice powder
¼ tsp ground chilli powder (Optional)
¼ tsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp honey
Sesame seeds to serve

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients except sesame seeds together and pour over chicken drumsticks in a plastic bag or container.
  2. Marinate overnight if possible, turning a couple of times.
  3. Fit the fat filter to the combi oven.
  4. Remove from the marinade and roast in the large stainless steel tray on Combination mode 180°C + 30% steam for 40 minutes.
  5. Add remaining marinade to the drumsticks half-way through cooking. Turn to coat and let them caramelise until sticky and delicious.
  6. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds to serve.
Posted in: Chicken, Chinese, Combi Steamer, Party Food / Tagged: , ,

Kale & salmon salad

January 7, 2019 7:30 am / Leave a Comment /

Kale & salmon salad

Time for some healthy eating after Christmas?

Had to join the health food craze and do a kale salad as it is really delicious with a Dijon mustard dressing and a bit of citrus.  A perfect excuse and another reason to have perfectly cooked salmon from the steam oven 🙂

You can alter the ingredients to what you have on hand.  I have used the baby kale leaves that you can buy now but if you use the large leaves, cut out the centre stem, wash well and slice thinly.

Of course, you can also substitute the lentils for cooked brown rice or quinoa.  This is really one of those delicious salads that is perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

2 pieces of salmon, skin and bones removed or 4 small pieces for individual serves
1 bag or bunch of kale, trimmed and sliced
2 blood oranges, rind removed from one and segmented
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1x 400g can lentils
large handful of green beans
½ cup roughly chopped dill
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Dressing:
3 tbsp. grape seed oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp honey
pinch salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Depending on the size of your salmon, steam @ 95°C for 2-5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Put the green beans into the solid steamer tray, add the washed lentils and cook @ 100°C for 2 minutes.  Remove beans and drain any water from lentils.  Add the rind of one blood orange and stir through. Although the lentils are cooked they will absorb the flavours more if warmed.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar, taste and set aside.
  4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a 140°C oven for about 10 minutes, they are so much nicer than straight from the packet.
  5. Mix most of the dressing through the salad, reserving a little for the top.
  6. Combine all the salad ingredients onto a large platter or individual plates depending on how you are serving.
  7. Flake or place the salmon on top, garnish with more dill, sprinkle over the seeds and serve.

Note:  This would be a delicious salad to serve for Christmas with its gorgeous colours!

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Fish, Gluten free, Healthy eating, Salads, Steam Oven

Galette Des Rois

January 2, 2019 8:00 am / Leave a Comment /

Galette Des Rois

When my daughter was living in France on exchange she was delighted to learn that the French serve this delicious galette on the 6th January as part of their New Year celebration.

It is not at all difficult to make, basically just puff pastry and ground almonds like a frangipani tart.  This recipe is from the lovely book ‘Pies & tarts’ by Stephane Reynaud that I received for my birthday.

When cooking this use the combi if you have one, otherwise use Fan Forced or ‘Supercook’ as some brands call it.  Refer to my function chart here.  As I mentioned in my curry puff recipe, nothing makes puff pastry ‘puff’ like a combi!  Be sure to preheat the oven tray for this.  If you have a combi that also has bottom element only you could do a further stage with 10 minutes bottom element as part of the cooking time.  This will ensure you have a beautiful cooked base.  Or, even better, if your combi (or oven) has a function with the fan and bottom element then use that for the complete baking time. You cannot ‘blind’ bake this galette.

Ingredients:

375g puff pastry
180g blanched almonds
180g castor sugar
180g unsalted butter
4 eggs

Method:

  1. Preheat combi oven with the flat tray @ 180°C
  2. Grease and flour a 20cm tart tin.  I used the traditional French ‘ring’ that doesn’t have a base but a normal tin is fine but try using it without its base (so with baking paper on the bottom only.  See step 6).  This really does help brown and cook the base.
  3. Process the almonds with the sugar in a food processor until finely chopped.
  4. Melt the butter, add it to the almond-sugar mix then incorporate 3 eggs.
  5. Set aside the yolk of the remaining egg.
  6. Roll out two thirds of the pastry to 3mm thick.  Tear off a piece of baking paper large enough for the tin to place your galette on.  As the tin is preheating in the oven, assemble the galette on the paper.  Place the pastry in the tin, allowing the edges to hang over.
  7. Fill with the almond cream.
  8. Glaze the edges with the reserved egg yolk.
  9. Roll out remaining pastry and cover the pie, pressing the edges to seal.
  10. Draw a rosette pattern on top using the tip of a knife.
  11. Brush with egg wash.
  12. Slide the galette on its paper onto the hot oven tray.  Place back into the oven and bake on Combination mode 180°C + 30% steam for 30-45 minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Desserts

Christmas mince pies

December 22, 2018 1:00 pm / 5 Comments /

Christmas mince pies

I have been making these traditional mince pies since I started the Cookwise children’s cooking classes in 2001.  I even found the original recipe hand-out that I gave the kids with the Santa picture on the top.  They are quick and easy to make as the dough is just all mixed in the food processor.

It was a boiling hot day when we made these and this dough is very forgiving.  We rolled it out and lined all the tins then baked them later in the day.  Just keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to do this.

I don’t bother making the fruit mince as the ‘Robertson’s’ jar tastes great.  The pastry is delicious and perfectly short.  Make lots as they won’t last!

Ingredients:  Makes 24

1½ cups Plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup Self raising flour, sifted
1/3 cup icing sugar
150g chilled butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2½ tbsp. iced water
1 jar purchased fruit mince (for double quantity I used 1½ jars)
extra icing sugar for dusting

Method:

  1. Process flours, icing sugar and butter in food processor until well combined and mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
  2. Beat the egg yolk with the ice water and add into the flour with the motor running.   Process until mixture just starts to come together.
  3. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour
  5. Roll out and cut into shapes to line tins.
  6. Fill with 1 teaspoon of purchased fruit mince and cover with a star shape of pastry
  7. Bake at 180°C Conventional or 160°C Fan Forced for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden
  8. OR you can try in the Combi 180°C + 30% steam for 30 minutes
  9. When cold sprinkle with icing sugar to serve

Will keep for 5 days in an air-tight container (if they last that long 🙂

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Pastry

Time to make the Christmas pudding!

November 4, 2018 6:45 pm / 8 Comments /

making-pudding

As the festive season fast approaches now is the perfect time to make the Christmas pudding!

Number one on Google for cooking in the steam oven for several years this recipe has become a firm favourite in my family.  Moist and delicious, it will easily serve 12-15.  There are many comments over the years for cooking instructions to make smaller puddings as well.  See the recipe here.  There is also a gluten free, quick sago pudding option here as well.

So if you didn’t make this pudding in your steam oven last year then try it now.  So much easier than watching a pot on the stove in case it boils dry, cooking it in the steam oven for six hours only means you have to refill the water container a few times which frees you up to do other things with your day!

Christmas pudding

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Desserts, Steam Oven

Chinese spare ribs

July 22, 2018 10:00 am / 5 Comments /

I’ve always loved spicy, sticky spare ribs 🙂

Loved them cooked in the combi oven, it seems to render down the fat and produce a melt-in-the mouth, tender rib.

This is a Chinese version but try different marinades of your choice.  A smokey, American rub would also be amazing.

Ingredients:

2-4 slabs of pork spare ribs
½ cup soy sauce
¼ tsp Sesame oil
½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup Mirin
1 tbsp green ginger, grated

Method:

1.  Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over ribs in a glass dish.  Rub all over with the back of a spoon, cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

2.  Place ribs into the large, solid tray in a single layer and cook on Combination mode 180°C + 50% steam for approximately 35-45 minutes.  The time will depend on the size of your ribs.

3. Turn occasionally and baste with the remaining marinade, they are ready when well browned but still juicy.

4.  Serve with steamed rice here and some steamed Chinese vegetables.  See my timing on steaming the vegetables

 

Posted in: Chinese, Combi Steamer, Main Courses