Stray Foodie Christmas Recipe: Cheese Stollen

Stray Foodie Christmas Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

Over the festive period, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

 

This recipe is designed to use all your odds and ends up from the fridge during this period.  Making a tasty base to load on preserves, meats, salad, grains or anything you wish!  We are calling this a Cheese Stollen, a savoury effort modelled on Bettys‘ simply delicious sweet marzipan stollen which is a treat for me every year. We have made a Stollen from a brioche dough and a basic bun dough. It sounds complicated, but it certainly isn’t as you will see as you read through the recipe.

Stollen is traditionally a fruit bread made from spices and candied fruits and by heritage it is Germany’s answer to Italy’s panettoni. At this time of year there seems to be a muddled variety as far as quality and authenticity is concerned.

Our cheese stollen is a brioche wrapped in a bun dough with a small amount of mixed peel, raisins and cheese.

For the Brioche Dough

The ingredients can be halved, but I like to keep a little in the fridge for general use. It is so handy to bring out of the fridge, knead it, shape it and pop it in the oven for that fabulous warm brioche at breakfast.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water and let it work for a couple of minutes.

Add the beaten eggs and pour into a mixing bowl.

Add the flour and salt and mix to a stiff dough either by hand or using the dough hook of an electric mixer.

When the mixture is smooth, beat in the butter in small pieces. The finished dough should have a silky appearance.

Place it in an oiled bowl, loosely cover and rest overnight in the fridge.

For the basic bun 

This bun dough is great for donuts and other buns too.

Dissolve the yeast in the water at blood temperature.

Sieve the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.

Rub in the butter and then add the eggs.

Add the yeast and enough water to obtain a soft dough.

Cover and rest the dough for 10 mins.

Knead well until the dough becomes firm and springy.

Place in a bowl dusted with flour and allow to rise until double in size –  this should take approximately 30 mins.

Take the rested brioche out of the fridge and knead with flour, then rest again for 30 mins.

Knead the cheese into the brioche and roll into a sausage.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle and egg wash.

Sprinkle over the mixed peel and raisins.

Roll it around your brioche sausage.

With the remaining beaten egg, wash the bun dough.

Place on a baking tray and let it double in size.

Place in a heated oven at 210c and cook for approximately 30 minutes.

When cool, slice and the light cheese brioche with the slight hint of sweetness from the peel and raisins and the crisp bread is simply scrummy!

If you would rather not have the raisins and peel keeping it completely savoury you could use mixed, chopped fresh herbs or a pesto.

If all this is just too much, have a good walk and reward yourself with a lunch or take away at our Paradise Food Wagon, where we will be happy to serve you from Tuesday 29th December.

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Stray Foodie Christmas Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Terrine

Stray Foodie Christmas Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

In the run-up to Christmas, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

This Chocolate Ganache Terrine is the most delicious, rich chocolate cake that is highly suitable for chocoholics and perhaps a big treat to have at Christmas. It should be noted that a little goes a long way!

Many chocoholics would consider this as being called divine.

Originally in chocolate history the Mayans believed the pods of the cocao tree were an offering from the Gods to man.  When a Swedish botanist gave if a formal classification in the 18th Century he called it the Theobroma Cacao meaning the “drink of the Gods” from the Greek Theos (God) and Broma (beverage).

Up until the 19th Century chocolate existed in a liquid form when it became solid the early British producers were Quakers. They recognised their product might help their crusade against the evils of alcohol! Ironically my recipe has a lot of alcohol in it and together they form a powerful product.

For the Ganache

For the Topping

Line a heavy based terrine mould, approx. 10 inches with a double layer of cling film.

Separate the Eggs and whisk the egg white and sugar together.

When stiff, add the egg yolks.

Melt the chocolate carefully over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave.

Add to the egg mixture.

Mix the instant coffee granules in to the rum, whip the cream, add the instant coffee in to the whipped cream.

Fold in the gluten free flour and then the whipped cream in to the chocolate. (Make sure this is done in this order.)

Place the chocolate mixture in the terrine and place in a roasting tin of water, a bain marie. Cook at 150c – 180c, dependant on oven variation for 35 mins or until the chocolate has set.  Cool in the terrine mould overnight in the fridge.

For the topping the next day melt the chocolate, mix in the cream and pour over the ganache. Let it set up. This is now ready to thinly slice and serve with whipped cream or an accompaniment of your choice.

The divine smoothness of the chocolate lends itself to the aroma of a “cheffie” pine bud garnish or orange for the more conservative. The Rum from Harrogate Tipple in it makes the perfect taste sensation.

We have already talked in our previous recipes about Harrogate Tipple Christmas Gin and their Rum is equally superb. Taylors of Harrogate have a selection of marvellous blended coffee which I would recommend. Perhaps I would suggest Mundo Maya Arabica Coffee for its intensity and complexity, but you could great fun here sampling the different blends.

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Stray Foodie: a hint of Festive flavours

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

Throughout lockdown, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

As we are beginning to get a little Christmasey here at Paradise takeaway (for the moment!) to cheer ourselves up during these quiet November days, the seasonal and warming flavours of this dish produce an excitement on the palate and makes us think of all the good things to come!

This week’s recipe is Chestnut, Yellow Beetroot, Clementine and Sticky Ham.

A large glass of Ginger Wine enhances the earthy, healthy flavours making once more a very versatile dish that can be extended or made more delicate, as required.

For the ingredients, per portion, you will require:

Chestnut, Yellow Beetroot, Watercress, Clementine and Sticky Ham

Method:

Roast the Beetroot at 200c for 30 mins with a little oil, garlic and mixed herbs.

After 15 mins add nipped Chestnuts (with the skins cut to stop them exploding!)

Cook for a further 15 mins and remove the beetroot and chestnuts from the oven.

Peel the clementine and remove pith and segment.

Cut the fresh ginger into thin strips.

Slice the bacon into 1cm thick strips.

Put the orange juice, maple and shallot in a pan and bring to the boil.

Add bacon and ginger.

Cook until nicely caramelised, approx. 15 mins.

Add the beetroot and chestnuts.

Arrange on a plate with lots of dressed watercress and the Tapenade.

A dollop of Sour Cream or Yoghurt adds a touch of luxury.

A Recipe for the dressing:

Mix together.  This will make a great dressing for the watercress and will stand you in good stead kept in the fridge for future use.

Once again, adding fresh herb such as rosemary, coriander and basil will always enhance further.

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