Christmas is back, says chef and Gastrono-me co-founder Gemma Simmonite, with festive delights aplenty at her Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge restaurants
Here we are only a matter of weeks before Christmas day and I’m happy to report its full festive throttle at our restaurants; mulled wine warming, friends wreath making, strains of Mariah Carey ringing out from our karaoke bar, and parties already a’plenty. Yes, without a doubt it’s fully Christmas time at Gastrono-me, and oh my goodness aren’t we glad about it!
I’m sure we all agree it certainly hasn’t been an easy year. I don’t think any one of us could have foreseen the troubles in the Ukraine and the horrors that are still very much in play after nine awful months. The financial challenges that we are all facing can make tinsel and tree trimming seem a little trivial, but I for one am very grateful for the distraction, and I think that’s the only way forward.
Being around revellers, of course, makes it far easier – seeing groups laughing and clinking glasses is very heart-warming, something that we missed out on last year with everyone fearful of infection and following the advice not to gather. This year, we can finally see our Christmas creations enjoyed, and once again we’ve delighted in making some completely light-hearted ‘Gastrono-me style’ dishes for our Christmas parties to enjoy. This season we’ve even created a Christmas dinner crammed right into a giant Yorkshire pudding and then rolled burrito style!
For the first time ever we had a fab time hosting a selection of wreath-making sessions at the restaurants in Bury and Cambridge.
We were in the very talented and capable hands of Adrienne Monteath van Dok, owner of the beautiful flower shop Battersea Bloem in Cambridge. Our guests got the chance to get together over prosecco and brunch, and then with Adrienne’s assistance they created, from scratch, their very own front door wreaths.
I can’t describe to you the aroma of Christmas on the days of the sessions and the fixed concentration on everyone’s faces as they hand-picked their baubles, ribbons and even dried chillies to make their creations pop.
There was a lot of laughter and enjoyment, and I know there will be some stunning creations adorning doors in Bury and Cambridge – I for one am definitely signing up to make one next Easter, as being in charge of the camera this time I missed out.
This season we’ve also had fun introducing our new Dine and Diva offering, where guests can enjoy a meal with friends and family before going downstairs to sing their hearts out in their very own private bar and karaoke room. I would be lying completely if I said management didn’t partake in the odd singalong now and then.
Will, our fabulous general manager, doesn’t need any encouragement at all to nail a Lady Gaga number at a moment’s notice! The team, when not busy serving or cooling, have excitedly been choosing each other’s Secret Santa gifts, and I’m happy to say overall there is a real excited buzz and pep in the air.
I’ve decided to share with you one of our specials from this year’s Christmas’s menu, the Christmas Cheeseboard Mac n Cheese.
It’s based on our popular Return of the Mac recipe, but for December we’ve added a delicious sage and onion crumb, and a little seasonal stilton, which really gives it a fabulous extra depth and kick. It would make a perfect dish to make in the run-up to Christmas day, comforting and cosy, or even in between the festive period when nobody actually remembers what day it is, and especially when there’ll probably be some tasty chunks of cheese leftover from the cheeseboard.
I hope that whatever you’re doing this Christmas, you have fun and that you enjoy the season. And remember, it’s not measured by the amount of gifts under the tree, the gifts won’t be remembered, but the memories of fun definitely will endure.
CHRISTMAS CHEESEBOARD MAC AND CHEESE
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
250g macaroni
80g crumbled stilton
125g mozzarella pearls
60ml of double cream
Cheese sauce:
60g butter
60g plain flour
700ml milk
150g cheddar grated
2 teaspoons of English mustard
1 pinch of white pepper
5g of salt
Topping:
80g of breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
½ teaspoon of onion powder
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 175C.
2. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and cool the pasta under running water, then drizzle the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the mustard, white pepper, and then stir in the flour and stir constantly until a paste forms. Cook for a further 2 mins.
4. Whisk in the milk gradually to the roux, until you get a thickened, smooth sauce, season with salt.
5. Add half the cheddar to the sauce and whisk until melted, remove from the heat.
6. Add the pasta to an ovenproof baking dish, pour over the sauce, then add the crumbled stilton, pour over the double cream and give it all a good stir.
7. Dot the mozzarella pearls over and sprinkle over the rest of the cheddar.
8. In a frying pan, melt the oil and the tablespoon of butter, add the breadcrumbs, parsley, sage and onion powder, and stir well until coated. Continue to pan fry until the crumb is lightly golden and crisp.
9. Scatter over the crumb topping and bake for 20 mins until bubbling and golden.
Gemma is executive chef and co-creator of Gastrono-me, Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds and Bridge Street, Cambridge
Call 01284 277980/01223 651325
