Bah Humbug! Christmas Carol recipes for your home

Theatre Calgary's first new adaptation of A Christmas Carol in eight years (adapted for the stage by Geoffrey Simon Brown) opens this Friday.

Half the cast is new, but some traditions remain — yes, Stephen Hair returns in the role of Scrooge for his 26th year.

Because it has become a traditional evening out for many Calgarians during the holiday season, Thomson's at the Hyatt is adding to the experience with a special set menu inspired by A Christmas Carol for those going to the theatre afterward.

They asked me to collaborate on a special Dickens-style dessert, but I also put together a menu you could make yourself at home, whether you plan to see the live performance or watch one of the made-for-screen versions on your own couch. 

Bookmark cbc.ca/juliesrecipes to keep up with all of Julie Van Rosendaal's dishes

Food plays a key role in the story, addressing the issue of food insecurity with the Crachits, who are excited to roast a small goose for their festive dinner at a communal oven. (Their meal is rounded out with mashed potatoes and applesauce.)

Scenes involve Londoners roasting chestnuts on the street, the ghost of Christmas present sits on a massive pile of food — fruits, sausage links and other items that signified abundance at that time.

Toward the end, Scrooge asks the boy on the street to go buy the prize turkey (which at the time was more rare and expensive than goose) in a shop window to deliver to the Crachits.

There are references to mince pies and flaming plum pudding, and in the final scene, when Bob Cratchit comes into work the next morning, Scrooge suggests discussing their new partnership over a bowl of Smoking Bishop — a Victorian-era mulled wine made with roasted oranges.

Here are a few recipes, from steamed pudding to roast goose and flaming bishop, that will help you recreate A Christmas Carol dinner at home!

Roast Goose

Goose is becoming a popular alternative to the usual Christmas turkey. It's richer, with more fat underneath the skin, so when you prep it, poke holes in the skin with a bamboo skewer in several places to help release the fat. You'll need to pour it out of the pan as it renders, but pour it into a jar and keep it — goose fat makes the most delicious roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 fresh goose

canola or other mild vegetable oil

salt

1 orange and/or lemon, quartered

A handful of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and parsley

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Pat your goose dry with paper towels, poke the skin in several places with a sharp bamboo skewer or the tip of a knife (this will allow the excess fat to render out).

If you like, set it in the sink and pour a kettle of boiling water over it — some people do this to tighten up the skin. Pat dry again if you do this, and then rub all over with a light drizzle of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stuff the cavity with a quartered lemon and/or orange and a handful of fresh herbs.

Cover the goose with foil and roast for 15 minutes per kilogram, plus an extra half hour. You'll need to pour off the excess fat a few times (store it in the fridge to use to roast potatoes and things), and uncover the bird for the last half hour or so of cooking.

Your goose is done when a meat thermometer inserted into a thick part of the breast or thigh reads 150-160 F. Tent with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Steamed Carrot Pudding

This recipe comes from the Centennial Museum Archives in Nanaimo. It was contributed by the Phillips family, who had been making it for about a century when it was included in the cookbook Elizabeth Baird's Favourites: 150 Classic Canadian Recipes in 1984.

Steamed puddings were often served with hard sauce: whip a 2:1 ratio of sugar (white or brown) and butter, with a shot of brandy if you like. (Caramel sauce is delicious, too.)

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped or grated suet or butter, plus extra for bowl

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup grated carrot (1 large)

1 grated raw potato (1 medium)

1 cup dark raisins

1 cup currants

½-¾ cup chopped mixed peel

½ cup dried cranberries or cherries

¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds

3 tbsp brandy (optional, I like Eau Claire Distillery's apple brandy)

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, carrot, potato, raisins, currants, mixed peel, cranberries or cherries and almonds. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt and stir just until combined.

Spoon into a buttered Pyrex bowl, pudding mould or individual 1-cup jars and place into the bowl of a slow cooker. Pour in enough water to come about halfway up the side, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the puddings are springy to the touch. Serve in wedges, topped with caramel or hard sauce.

Serves 12.

Mincemeat (for pies and tarts)

Suet is beef fat, and is traditionally used in mincemeat. Many butchers sell it, particularly during the holidays, but butter is a perfectly suitable alternative. 

Ingredients:

Mincemeat:

4 apples

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange 

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 cups packed brown sugar

1½ cups dark raisins

1 cup currants

½ cup butter or suet, grated 

½ cup chopped candied peel

2 cinnamon sticks

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

¼-½ cup brandy (optional, I use Eau Claire Distillery's apple brandy) 

Tart(s):

pastry for a single crust pie

1 egg, beaten (optional)

Preparation:

Coarsely grate the apples, or finely chop them (I don't bother peeling them) into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir or toss with your hands to combine. Cover and refrigerate for up to two months.  

To make one or more tarts, preheat the oven to 375 F. Roll pastry out 1/8-inch thick and for a single, galette-style tart, transfer to a parchment-lined sheet, cover with about half the mincemeat, leaving about a 1½-inch border, and fold the pastry over the edge. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until deep golden. (For smaller tarts, cut the pastry into rounds and press into muffin tins, fill with mincemeat and top with a pastry round or star, and bake for 20-30 minutes.)

A galette serves 6-8, or makes about a dozen tarts.

Smoking Bishop

Ingredients:

2-3 large navel oranges

whole cloves

¼ cup brown sugar, or to taste

1 750 ml bottle red wine

1-2 cups port (optional) 

Preparation:

Poke whole cloves all over the skin of each orange, and cut in half. Roast on a baking sheet at 450 F for 20 minutes, or until soft and charred. (Alternatively, place cut side down in a hot skillet with a small drizzle of oil until well browned.)

Transfer to a pitcher and add the sugar; roughly mash (or squeeze the fruit into the pitcher) to release as much juice as possible. Leave the squeezed oranges in the pitcher and add the wine and port.

Let sit for at least an hour before serving.

Serves 4.