At The Cottage in the Wood, the Festive season is one of our favourite times of year, and this year is no different. Our halls are decked with traditional red and gold decorations, and the whole hotel has come alive with sparkling lights and Festive cheer. We are open throughout the season and we’d love to see you here high in the Malvern Hills. What’s more, we are Tier 2 friendly with a large outdoor heated terrace space overlooking the Cotswolds and Severn Valley. For more information and bookings, you can watch our Festive video and explore here.
Whilst many of you will be joining us this December to enjoy Festive dining, overnight stays, and delicious Afternoon Teas, we know that due to the latest Government guidance this won’t be able to be the case for everyone. That’s why this year we wanted to bring a slice of a Cottage in the Wood Christmas to your home this season too.
Our fantastic bar and kitchen teams have shared their favourite Festive cocktail recipe, and a dish that you won’t want to enjoy Christmas at home without. They’re both simple recipes that you can enjoy making at home, but both very effective. We’ve added a couple of time saving tips too, so that you can sit back and take in the magic of this special time of year.
The best stuffing recipe
Pork, Apricot, and sage stuffing
This very festive stuffing recipe can be made the day before and stored in the fridge in a roasting tray, alternatively you could make well in advance and store in the freezer. Then defrost overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Here at The Cottage in the Wood, we wrap it around our Turkey breast, and then wrap this in smoked pancetta. The sausage meat surrounding the turkey ensures that the breast meat does not dry out.
We then roll this tight in cling film and allow the turkey roll to set overnight in the fridge. It is then poached and finished in a hot pan to crisp up the pancetta on the exterior.
This pork, apricot and sage stuffing recipe is great wrapped around Christmas turkey, but it is also fantastic to have as a side dish for many other roasted meats. The flavorings are very versatile, you can change them to your personal preference or to something that will go with the meat that you are cooking. It is a really simple but effective recipe that you can do well in advance, allowing you to focus on other parts of the meal on Christmas day.
To make this delicious stuffing recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- 500g good quality sausage meat
- 150g dried apricots (Finely chopped)
- 150g cooked chestnuts (finely chopped)
- 150g of white breadcrumbs
- 2 shallots (finely chopped)
- 20 x fresh sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ grated nutmeg
- 1 lemon zest
Optional additional ingredients:
Dried cranberries, Pistachios, Dates, Prunes, smoked bacon, Fig, Nuts, Thyme
Method
To make the stuffing mix, start by finely chopping the apricots, chestnuts, shallot, sage, and garlic.
- 150g dried apricots (Finely chopped)
- 150g cooked chestnuts (finely chopped)
- 2 shallots (finely chopped)
- 20 x fresh sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
When chopped put into a large mixing bowl and add the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and zest of 1 lemon. And mix well.
- 500g good quality sausage meat
- 150g of fine white breadcrumbs
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ grated nutmeg
- 1 x lemon zest
Festive Cocktail Recipe
Perfect to enjoy as a Christmas cocktail or New Years Eve drink, our delicious cocktail – Chin Chin.
To make a Chin Chin cocktail, you will need:
Ingredients
- 1/2 spoon of honey
- 30ml Scotch whisky
- 15ml apple juice
- Top brut Champagne
Method
- Stir honey with whisky at the bottom of a shaker, add apple juice, ice and shake till cold. Pour into a champagne flute and top up with champagne.
- alternative if you don’t have a shaker, stir honey and whisky at the bottom of a glass, add one cube of ice and apple juice, top with champagne flute.
If you make either of these delicious recipes, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with your pictures. We’d love to share this magical time of year with you too and spread some Festive cheer!
We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and we look forward to seeing you this Festive season, or to welcoming you back in 2021.
From all of us at The Cottage in the Wood.
