Ravioli of Pancetta, Cranberries and Chestnuts
Serves 4
400g pancetta
200g fresh or frozen cranberries
250g vacuum packed chestnuts
2 shallots
Small bunch of thyme
100g butter
Splash Sherry vinegar
50g bitter chocolate
500g 00 flour
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
Method
1. Dice the pancetta. Soak in warm water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain & pat dry.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan & fry the pancetta over a medium heat until golden & crispy.
3. Strain the pancetta and save the butter.
4. Place 150g of the cranberries in a small roasting tin and place in the oven at 100°C for 10
minutes to soften.
5. Take 200g of the chestnuts and blitz in a food processor with 1 tbsp of water until they form a
purée. Roughly chop the remaining 50g of chestnuts.
6. Finely dice the shallots and gently fry them with 1tbsp of your saved butter.
7. Mix the filling ingredients together: the pancetta, the shallots, 150g cranberries, and the
puréed chestnuts (save the 50g chopped chestnuts for the garnish.).
Make the pasta
1. Put the flour in the food processor.
2. Whisk the yolks and whole eggs together.
3. Add the eggs to the pasta, 1/3 at a time until you have a smooth dough.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and gently knead and bring together.
5. Rest the dough in the fridge for two hours.
Assemble the Ravioli
1. Make the pasta using a pasta machine. Start off using the thickest setting and keep putting the
pasta through the machine twice on each setting before moving to the thinner level.
2. Once your pasta is thin enough lightly dust your worktop with some pasta flour. Lay the pasta
on top so it doesn’t stick and cover with a damp tea towel.
3. You will need a 6cm and 9cm round cutter. Cut out 12 9cm rounds and 12 6cm rounds.
4. Place a tbsp of the filling in the centre of each 6cm round.
5. Place the 9cm round on top and mould it round the filling squeezing out all the air as you go.
Seal the ravioli by squeezing round the edge.
6. Using your 6cm cutter, cut off the excess pasta.
Cook your Ravioli
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add some salt (I use 8g of salt for every 3l of water).
2. Once the water is boiling drop the ravioli in and cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
Finish the Dish
1. Put the remaining butter in a frying pan and add your left over cranberries and chopped
chestnuts and a few thyme leaves and lightly fry for 2 minutes. Add a splash of sherry vinegar.
2. Place your ravioli in the centre of warmed bowls, spoon over the dressing mix and finish by
lightly grating some bitter chocolate over the top.
Christmas Pudding Soufflé
Serves 4
1 small Christmas pudding (approx. 300 - 400g)
100ml sherry
100ml water
50ml good quality olive oil
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g soft butter
8 egg whites
2 tbsp caster sugar
Cinnamon and nutmeg
4 ramekins (oven proof)
Method
1. Crumble the Christmas pudding into the food processor & add the sherry, olive oil and water.
Pulse until mixed but not puréed.
2. Line the ramekins with melted butter including the lip. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes &
then repeat. Mix 1tsp of cinnamon and 1tsp of nutmeg into the 2tbsp of caster sugar. Sprinkle
the spiced sugar on the inside of the ramekins.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a spotless bowl until stiff. Slowly add the caster sugar a tsp at a time
to make a meringue.
4. Place ½ the Christmas pudding mix in a large bowl. Stir in 1 large spoonful of the meringue to
loosen the mix & then carefully fold in almost all of the remaining meringue.
5. Place 1tbsp of the Christmas pudding mix (without the meringue) in the base of each ramekin.
Carefully spoon in the Christmas pudding meringue until the ramekin is overfilled. With a
palette knife shape the top to look like a Christmas tree.
6. Place in the oven at 200°C for 9 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with brandy sauce or vanilla ice cream.