Christmas hampers combine the two best things about the festive
period – food and gifts. But what are the best things to put in a festive
hamper?
1. Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is a real festive luxury, and also incredibly easy to
prepare. Wild Scottish smoked salmon is considered the best, as the fish eat a
natural diet.
2. Dessert wine
This goes well with Christmas pudding, and the traditional Christmas
evening snack of cheese and biscuits. And if you have some left over on Boxing
Day, try raisins soaked in dessert wine with ice-cream.
Tip: Wine buffs say that dessert wines should always be sweeter than
the dessert you eat them with.
3. Coffee
After a Christmas roast, you need a coffee you can taste! Choose one
that has been roasted a long time, as this brings out a strong, smooth flavour.
Arabica coffee is particularly good – remember to save some for your first day
back at work!
4. Dark chocolate
Connoisseur chocolate is the perfect way to finish off a Christmas
meal, and it also goes well with strong coffee. Chocolates by artisan makers
like Paul Wayne Gregory and Damian Allsop are a perfect addition to Christmas hamper
gifts.
5. Christmas pudding
The best Christmas puddings contain beer – its slightly bitter taste
counteracts the sweetness of the pudding and also seems to improve the texture.
The pudding should also contain fruit soaked in a stronger alcohol. The leftovers
can be sliced and fried in butter, or used to make Christmas pudding ice-cream.
6. Soup
Soup is a perfect light dinner for Christmas Day. Festive flavours
include broccoli and stilton, carrot and cranberry, lobster bisque, spiced
pumpkin and bacon.
7. Goat’s cheese
A good ingredient to have on standby, goat’s cheese can be used to
add a distinctive bit of flavour to just about anything. Try rolling out some
ready-made pastry, adding sundried tomatoes, goat’s cheese and olive oil, and
baking for 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Porchetta
An Italian delicacy, porchetta is a large sausage-shaped joint of
pork, big enough to replace the Christmas turkey if you fancy a change. It is
traditionally stuffed with herbs, but sometimes caramelised apples and brandy
are used instead.
9. Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen is a traditional German treat, which was invented by monks
around 700 years ago. It is a bit like gingerbread and traditionally eaten at
Christmas. You don’t often see it in Christmas food
hampers, which is a shame, because it is a tasty and fairly healthy treat.
10. Wild boar salami
Boar looks set to come back into fashion, as it is used in Heston
Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant, and the Waterside Inn in Berkshire – both of
which have three Michelin stars. Boar apparently works well as salami, and
though not very festive, it will at least provide a good talking point.
Resource box
The Guardian’s Christmas food and
drink page
The BBC on how to make Christmas hampers
The Telegraph on a British boar farm
that makes well-regarded salami
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