Mince-meat filling encased with Pate-a-Brique with Vanilla Ice cream

When you think of Mincemeat at Christmas you think of mince pies. This recipe is with comes with a twist, I wanted to something a wee bit different but still in-keeping with the Christmas feel! Christmas usually comes with the same old stories – we ate too much and drunk too much, over indulged with the Christmas pudding, and can’t face another bit of turkey on Boxing Day – Still, we wouldn’t change it – tradition and all that!

This recipe is all about the mincemeat, a lot of prepping with the weighing and mixing of the mincemeat, but you will see its very worth it – that is when you eventually get to sit down and taste your hard work.

Ingredients:

120g dried dates (stoned) 100g dried prunes ( stoned )

100g Sultanas 50g seedless raisins

25g chopped walnuts 25g chopped almonds

2 tblspns dark rum ½ zest of lemon

½ zest of orange pinch ground cinnamon

80g light brown muscovado sugar 30g unsalted butter

12 sheets brick pastry/ filo pastry icing sugar ( to dress)

150g caster sugar double cream

Serves 4

Cooking time 1 ½ hours

Pre-heat the oven to 200 oC.

Weighing all the ingredients, soak all the prunes, dates, sultanas and raisins in hot water for about 20 minutes until they are all nice and plump, drain and dry well with a nice clean cloth. Using a large knife chop the fruit and nuts, trying not to make them too fine. Add the zest of both the oranges and lemons, add the rum, spices and muscovado sugar, cover and leave to steep for at least 2 ½ hours, tossing occasionally.

Use the fruit and nut mix for the stuffing. Roll them into cigar shapes about 10-12 cm in length. Lay the sheets of Brick/filo pastry flat and place the fruit and nut mixture, then roll, making sure the roll is nice and tight, seal the edges with a little water.

Place onto a baking tray, preferably non-stick and bake in the oven at 200 oC for about 12-15minutes until a nice golden brown colour and looks nice and crispy. Leave it to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar.

-2- Cut the golden fruit cigars in half and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

When dressing the plate, place the fruit cigars on the top part of the plate with the vanilla ice cream at the bottom, then drizzle with a little butterscotch sauce all around ( to make this – put sugar in a pot and melt down until a light brown colour is formed, then add double cream very carefully and as the cream boils up, add a little butter, whisking all the time, then pass through the sieve to eliminate any lumps you gather along the way, keep warm).

Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or Restaurant, 176 West Regent Street, Glasgow, G2 4RL

Tel : 01412483801 e : info@brianmaule.com www.brianmaule.com