Paul Flynn's Christmas dinner: Today

Ingredients

Whipped Goats Cheese and Cranberry Pots

• 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp golden brown sugar
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 x 150g logs soft rindless goat's cheese
• 1 x 180 g tub light cream cheese
• 1 tsp honey
• Roughly chopped salted almonds
• Dried cranberries

Roast Christmas Spiced Monkfish with Clementine and Pomegranate Butter
Serves 4

• 1.5 kg of whole monkfish tail, skinned and trimmed.
• Or 2 x 750g tails.
• 2 heaped tbs Creme fraiche.
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice.
• A good drizzle of olive oil.
• 20 cooked and peeled baby potatoes.
• 500g net of Brussel sprouts trimmed, cooked and cooled in iced water.
• 100g whole blanched almonds.
• Salt and black pepper.

For the Clementine and Pomegranate Butter

• Juice of 2 clementines
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 227g cold butter, diced.
• Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• Sprig of fresh Rosemary

Mulled Wine Pears with Broken Meringue Cream
Serves 6

• 6 pears
• 1 litre mulled wine (you can buy pre prepared)
• 1 tbsp sugar

For the broken meringue cream

• 250ml cream
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 3 meringue nests
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• Edible baubles to garnish

Method

Whipped Goats Cheese and Cranberry Pots

1. Put the apple in a small pot with the water, sugar and cinnamon.
2. Cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the apple breaks down and gets mushy. Help it along with a wooden spoon so it's relatively smooth.
3. Break up the goat’s cheese into a bowl and add the cream cheese and honey.
4. Whisk with an electric hand whisk until it’s light and fluffy.
5. Using nice ramekins or old-fashioned China cups put a layer of apple on the bottom of each cup, followed by the whipped goat’s cheese.
6. Put in the fridge until needed, then scatter with some almonds and dried cranberries.
7. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Roast Christmas Spiced Monkfish with Clementine and Pomegranate Butter

1. Set the oven to 185deg
2. Drizzle some olive oil along the length of a roasting tray and put the Monkfish on top.
3. Spread the Creme fraiche evenly over the top, drizzle generously with olive oil, season and sprinkle over the spice.
4. Put into the oven for 15 minutes, then remove to add the cooked potatoes, sprouts and almonds.
5. Season the veg and then roll everything around in the juices adding a little more olive oil if necessary.
6. Cook for a further 15 - 20 minutes depending on the size of the fish. It should come away from the bone easily, don't be afraid to make an incision to double check.

For the butter

1. Bring the Clementine and lemon juice to a simmer then bit by bit whisk in the butter until it’s all incorporated. Do not boil. Add in the rosemary and pomegranate seeds and keep warm.

To serve

1. Gently crush the potatoes and sprouts so they come together and either spoon on to a large platter with the monkfish on top OR divide immediately onto hot plates. Remove the monkfish from the bone (this is an easy job), then portion, spoon the sauce over the top and serve.

Mulled Wine Pears with Broken Meringue Cream

1. Peel the pears leaving the stalks on but trim the base so they will stand.
2. Place them in a narrow and deep pot as you will need them to be completely immersed in the cooking liquid.
3. Pour the mulled wine over the pears, add the sugar and cover with some greaseproof paper to make sure they are submerged.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 25-30 mins until they are soft all the way through but holding their shape.
5. Allow to cool in the liquid.
6. Meanwhile, whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla into soft peaks then crumble the meringue into it.
7. Serve with the pears with the edible baubles scattered on top.