Christmas recipes we love

In case you need something new for Christmas, here are two recipes to add to your repertoire. Happy cooking and eating this Christmas and through the holiday season!

Cranberry Duck Tagine | Serves four

“We love this recipe as a festive alternative. Slow cooking makes the duck meat very tender, the spices give great flavour, and the cranberries add fabulous colour and a touch of sweetness.” – Expat Kitchen

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cranberry jelly/sauce
• 3 large onions, thickly sliced
• 300g parsnips (or any root veg)
• 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger, coriander and cumin
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 4 strips orange zest (use vegetable peeler)
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• 1.2 litres hot chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons almonds, lightly toasted
• 280g couscous
• Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

2. Put the duck legs in a shallow roasting tin and rub with salt, pepper, ground cinnamon and the oil. Roast for 25 minutes.

3. Heat the cranberry jelly until thick and syrupy, then brush all over the duck and return to the oven for 20 minutes.

4. Peel and halve parsnips and place in a heavy based casserole dish along with the onions. Sit the duck on top. Sprinkle the spices and half the sugar over the duck and tuck the orange zest and cinnamon sticks around. Add 600ml of the stock so the duck sits in a shallow puddle. Cover and bring to a bubble on the hob; then place in oven for 1 hour.

5. Add the almonds, cranberries and remaining sugar and cook for a further 30 minutes uncovered to let the duck crisp up.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous by placing it in a heatproof bowl. Pour over 600ml hot stock, cover and leave.

7. To serve, fluff up the couscous, place on a plate and top with a duck leg, some vegetables, nuts and cranberries. Spoon over the rich juices from the pan and scatter with mint leaves.

Don’t miss Expat Kitchen’s kids’ Christmas baking class on 14 December! For more details, visit expat-kitchen.com.

Gluten-free Gingerbread Cookies | Makes approximately 70 cookies

“This recipe has been passed down for generations in our family. Normal baking flour can be used for those who don’t have any gluten-free requirements.” – Dr Andrea Rajnakova, gastroenterologist

Ingredients

• 600g gluten-free flour
• 200g icing sugar
• 150g butter
• 3 whole eggs
• 6 spoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon minced cloves
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda (or baking powder)
• Optional: 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Instructions for dough

1. Mix together the dry ingredients (sifted flour, baking powder, sieved icing sugar, ground cinnamon, minced cloves and cocoa powder).

2. Add in the butter (cut into small slices and softened at room temperature), honey and whole eggs.

3. Mix well with your hands to make dough (it won’t be very dense).

4. Cover the dough with foil and put in the fridge for at least 24 hours. (It can even be kept in the fridge for several days.)

Instructions for baking

1. Place the dough on a coarse food foil or baking paper (the dough will be sticky), roll it to the thickness of about 3mm and cut out the cookies in different shapes with shape cutters. Using a knife, gently transfer the cookies to the lined baking tray.

2. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 5 to 8 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cookies).

3. After cookies cool, decorate with icing!

Send us a recipe! If you have a favourite dish you’d like to submit for an upcoming issue, please send an email titled “Recipe Corner” to contribute@expatliving.sg with your recipe, a photo of yourself, and a few words about your dish.

Like this? Read more in our Wine and Dine section.

This article first appeared in the December 2019 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!