Recipe from Nigella Christmas.

So here it is, Merry Christmas, or should I say Nigella Christmas. This is the first recipe of this challenge to come from Nigella’s Christmas book, which is I have to admit, my favourite of her collection. I am a huge fan of Christmas and the build up, and always have been, and a big part of this was knowing I was soon going to eat food that I hadn’t eaten since last Christmas! The pictures of the food, and the recipes bring so much joy and comfort, so much so that when I’m under the weather I often curl up with a warm drink and this book to flick through and imagine warmer, joyful times.

The recipe for the week was the Panettone and Italian Sausage Stuffing, and immediately I had two major issues, no where local sells Italian sausages, and no where nationally sells Panettone outside the holiday season. I ventured to an Italian deli to ask and he apologised and suggested a Summer Panettone, so a sweet bread containing summer fruits, raisons and the like, but that wouldn’t be the authentic ingredient used in this book and specifically for this recipe. I did manage to find a loaf on the internet which came in a beautiful tin which I have already assigned to hold some Christmas ornaments later in the year. The Italian sausagemeat was another internet find, but rather than purchasing it ready-to-use, it was a recipe to make your own, which is simple enough it seems, just mix up some minced pork with a hellovalota spices, much fennel, chilli flakes. It does give the meat a bit of a kick. 

I spent more time focussing on procuring the main two ingredients than it takes to make the stuffing in total. Once the Panettone cubes are toasted (which scent the kitchen wonderfully with Christmassy spicy aromas), you cook up the sausagemeat with a few extra pieces, mix the two together in a serving dish, cover with stock and cook! 

I served this alongside a roast chicken and roasted veg, a very basic Christmas dinner, on what was at the time the hottest day of the year, I guess this is how the Aussies do it? My Dad described the stuffing as “interesting”, but apparently not in a bad way. We’re very used to the PAXO out the box stuffing so anything with a different flavour will seem “interesting” at first. I was surprised at how much of a kick the chilli flakes and spices gave to the sausagemeat, but this did partner well with the sweet Panettone bread. 

Would make again, but maybe when it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.