Liam Charles’ recipe for deep-fried mince pies

There is a certain fast-food purveyor of legendary apple pies. Why are they so good? They’re fried, with a super-crisp pastry and a piping hot filling. Here’s my take on them and, hey, since it’s Christmas, I thought I’d introduce some festive flavours. My friends, I bring you deep-fried mince pies.

Deep-fried mince pies

You will need a deep-fat fryer or a deep pan and a cooking thermometer.

Prep 30 min
Chill 30 min
Cook 5-6 min a pie
Makes 12
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600g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground mixed spice
Zest of 1 large orange
375g butter, frozen (pop it in the freezer for two hours or so)
2 litres sunflower oil, for deep-frying 600g mincemeat (homemade or shop-bought)
1 egg, beaten, for brushing

For the brandy glaze
250g icing sugar, sieved
75ml milk
75ml double cream
1 tbsp brandy

Start with the pastry: put the flour in a large bowl and stir in the salt, mixed spice and orange zest. Grate half of the butter into the flour and give it a quick toss. Repeat with the rest of the butter and mix through the flour mixture with a table or palette knife – you want to make sure all the butter is well coated in the flour.

Slowly pour 190-200ml cold water into the mixture, constantly stirring, until it comes together into a light dough. Divide the dough into two squares, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan – you need it to come up to 180C/350F. Roll out the pastry to about 3mm. Using the base of a 15cm springform cake tin, or anything flat and round of that size, cut out as many pastry circles as you can; gently knead together offcuts to make more circles.

Now spoon a couple of heaped tablespoons of the mincemeat on to one half of each pastry circle. Brush around the edges lightly with the beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling to make a crescent shape and press together the edges with a fork.

Fry the pies a few at a time for two to three minutes on each side, until golden brown. Carefully remove the pies with a slotted spoon, to drain off the excess oil, then pop them on to paper towels to absorb any remaining oil.

Put all the fried pies on a wire rack with a baking tray underneath. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl.

While the pies are still warm, coat them with the glaze, one side at a time, using a pastry brush. If you fancy a little extra sweetness, go for two coatings.

Wait for the icing to harden and … Merry Christmas!

Tamal Ray’s clementine and lemon syrup cake recipe

I see this sort of cake as the antidote to those towering sponge-beasts, slathered in buttercream, that you see in bakery windows. This is delicate and moist, showing off its caramelised fruits with pride. The bulgur wheat is an ingredient you may not have baked with before; I tend to use it instead of polenta, as it provides texture but also a pleasing, nutty flavour that complements the citrus.
Clementine and lemon syrup cake

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8

100g double cream
50g fine bulgur wheat
6 clementines, washed and dried
2 lemons
150g unsalted butter, plus extra, melted, for greasing
60g sugar
125g caster sugar, plus 100g for the syrup and 60g for scattering
2 large eggs
150g ground almonds
1½ tsp baking powder

If you’re short on time, you can skip the poaching of the citrus rounds and just lay them straight into the tin with the sugar. The extra poaching, however, ensures that they will perfectly tender.

Pour the cream into a bowl and warm in a microwave (about 30-40 seconds). Stir in the bulgur wheat, then cover with a plate and leave for a few minutes. Start by givingGive the clementines and lemons a good wash, scrubbing them under warm water. Pat dry, then zest one of the clementines and one of the lemons. Set the zest aside in a small bowl.

With a sharp knife, slice the remaining clementines and lemon as thinly as you can: you will only be able to get about three slices from each clementine; save the rest for juicing later. I find they start to fall apart after you’ve got about three slices from one, so once you’re finding it difficult to slice evenly, set the remainder of the clementine aside and move on to another. Put the slices in a small saucepan and pour in enough hot water to just cover them (roughly 100-150ml). Put a lid on the pan and set it to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, by which point the peel should be soft and translucent, but still holding their shape.

Heat the oven to 150C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3 and line the base of a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper, then brush the base and sides with melted butter. Scatter with 30g sugar, then carefully remove the slices of peel from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and arrange over the base. Scatter over another 30g sugar.

To make the cake batter, beat together the butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, cream, citrus zest, bulgur wheat, ground almonds and baking powder. Carefully spread the batter into the cake tin, taking care not to disturb your tessellation of citrus. Bake for 30-35 minutes – a skewer poked into the centre should emerge clean with no batter on.

Meanwhile, prepare the citrus syrup: add the juice from the remaining fruit to the saucepan of poaching water, along with 100g sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced and thickened slightly.

Once the cake is ready, poke holes all over with a skewer and pour over three-quarters of the syrup. Leave to absorb the syrup, then and it from the sides of the tin by running a knife along its edge. Put a large plate over the cake then, holding the plate tightly to the top of the tin, flip the whole thing over on to a plate. Remove the cake tin and brush the revealed citrus top with the rest of the syrup.

Joe Wright’s recipe for mackerel with aubergine, fennel and orange salad

Salted, charred mackerel skin reminds me of childhood family holidays in Portugal – every restaurant had the amazing smell of barbecuing fish. This quick, tasty recipe can also be easily be cooked using a griddle pan, or under a hot grill, if you prefer. The aubergine has a delicious smoky flavour and soaks up all the juices, which cut right through the oiliness of fish.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

1 aubergine
2 fennel bulbs
½ garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for cooking
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp capers
1 orange
2 whole mackerel, gutted

For the yoghurt:
200g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp sumac
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
Pinch of salt

Slice the aubergine into 1cm discs and cut the fennel lengthways in 1cm slices (keeping the root attached to hold it together).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, parsley and capers. Cut the skin and white pith away from the orange, slice into rounds and add to the bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the yoghurt.

Drizzle a little olive oil and salt and pepper over the aubergine and fennel slices, place on the hot barbecue, pan or grill and cook for two to three minutes each side, until tender and lightly charred. Add to the large mixing bowl and toss in the dressing.

Dry the mackerel skin using paper towels (this will help prevent it sticking to the grill), drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with plenty of sea salt. Grill for about five minutes each side, until just cooked through.

Once cooked, place the fish in the middle of the plates, spoon out the aubergine, fennel and orange salad and pour over any remaining dressing. Serve with a dollop of the sumac yoghurt.

Joe Wright is the chef and owner of Joseph Benjamin and Porta in Chester.

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