A Victorian English Christmas Dinner

The image of a English Christmas that many of us hold in our minds, is most likely derived from the Victorian era. Queen Victoria popularized many of the Americanized symbols of Christmas, adding Santa Claus to the English version of Christmas around 1837. but it was Charles Dickens in 1943, with the publication of A Christmas Carol, that transformed English ideas about the Christmas holiday. He took a country of Scrooges, and turned them into mushy sentimental advocates of Christmas, encouraging giving to the poor, and a holiday from work theme to Christmas for all Englishmen and women.

The centerpiece of the Christmas dinner in England is the roast bird, which can be a Christmas goose, but more commonly, a turkey-just like the one that Scrooge bought for the Cratchett's Christmas dinner in A Christmas Carol. There would be some stuffing and some form of potato, either creamed or roasted. A popular side dish for the roast bird would be Brussel Sprouts, and of course for dessert, the quintessential brandied Plum Pudding and English Eggnog.

Roasted Nutty Brussel Sprouts

If you've never eaten fresh Brussels sprouts, then please, for your Victorian Christmas dinner buy fresh ones. Many grocery supermarkets carry them on the "rack", a long branch of Brussel Sprouts. While you can plop your fresh sprouts in some boiling seasoned water and cook for about five minutes, a delicious and simple way to prepare Brussel Sprouts for Christmas dinner is to heat your oven to 450. Take about 1 lb of your sprouts, 2 ounces of Pancetta, 1 garlic clove, 1 T. olive oil, degrees. Mix together and spread in a thin layer in a baking dish. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes and then when fork tender, add ¼ c. of warm water with 1 t. of balsalmic vinegar and stir to loosen any nice juicy crusty bits and serve warm. Sprinkle with fresh roasted almonds or English walnuts.

Rashers with Pigs in Blankets

An additional favorite meat on the English table is rashers with sausages along side the roast bird. A wonderful recipe that adds a bit of special gourmet flavor to that traditional dish is:

Take 8 slices of bacon (rashers), lay them flat on work surface. Place a sprig of fresh sage on the end of a piece of bacon, add a few slices of sweet onion, and a good quality sausage, wrap the bacon around the sausage and sage stuffing, Lay on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown. These are quite addictively delicious and bad for you. But hey, it's Christmas dinner in English style!

Plum Pudding
The piece de' resistance of any Christmas Dinner is the Plum Pudding, Plum Pudding has evolved from the medieval flumenty, a dish of cooked grains and milk, with bits of fruit and even meat added to it. Through the years brandy wrappings and exotic ingredients found its way into the traditional flumenty and Plum Pudding became the English Christmas Pudding spoken of in Dicken's, A Christmas Carol.

Recipes vary, but this is a fairly traditional standard recipe for A Christmas Plum Pudding

Ingredients:

2 c. of raisins

1 ½ c. golden raisins

1 c. of dates, chopped

1 c. mixed candied fruit

The zest of one lemon and one orange

1 large grated carrot, about ½ c.

1 c. of butter

½ c. almonds, chopped

2 c. of white breadcrumbs

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. all purpose flour

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. allspice

4 eggs

½ c. whole milk

2 c. apple juice

To get the traditional round dome shape of the English Plum Pudding, use a crockery bowl that is oven safe. This recipe will make 2 Plum Puddings.

Put two large kettles with water on the stove. Put a steaming rack in the bottom of each pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.Mix in butter.

Add prepared dried and candied fruits and grated carrots

In a med mixing bowl, beat together egg, milk, juice, brandy, and fruit zests. Add to the butter and flour mixture. Mix well.

Spoon batter in the prepared bowls. Cover each pudding with parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. Secure with strings around the top of the bowls.

Place in pans on racks. The water should reach about half way up the bowls.

Boil for about one hour. Remove from pan, Let cool then turn out of bowl.

These can be made ahead and stored until time to serve. You can soak cheesecloth in brandy and wrap the plum puddings with the brandy or rum soaked cakes. Store in cool place, covered until time to serve.

At serving time, drizzle ¼ c. brandy over the plum pudding and ignite at the table for a flaming special Christmas dinner finale. Serve with whipped cream or a hard brandy sauce. You'll be feeling the Christmas spirit with all the brandy.

Don't forget the eggnog!

In the words of Tiny Tim, "God Bless Us Everyone!"

Resources

Charles Dickens

http://www.biblicalquality.com/Christmas7.html

Recipes of Betty Malone