Some new twists on the traditional feast

APART from Santa's never-ending wish list, the other inventory that seems to incite equal amounts of panic and excitement over the coming weeks is the Christmas shopping list. Trolleys towering with everything from bread to Brussel sprouts slowly move through the supermarket aisles as their despairing drivers sink deeper and deeper into the vinyl tiles. Yes, we do have a tendency towards shopping for Christmas like we're stocking the kitchen in the ark - even Noah had the sense to take just two of everything - we choose the multi-packs. The absent-minded few who dare breeze around with a mere hand-basket receive scornful looks from those fighting over the last aluminium roasting tray, and are forced to leave in shameful record time through the ten items or less checkout. Even if you've edited your list to within an inch of the last lemon, the peer pressure of others wielding a trolley in either hand while they nestle ten litres of milk next to the super-dupersized 50-pack of assorted crisps, and boxes of luxury Belgian chocolates for when starving visitors call, can't be fought off and you succumb to picking up a tub of brandy butter that you know no one at home can stand. When it comes to the calorific feast itself, those who fail to produce some type of previously feathered form on the plate obviously are undercover alien invaders, and while a legless turkey might be acceptable as a new-age Christmas craze, a suggestion of steak will have the traditionalists calling the Croí ambulance on speed-dial. No matter how many ways or twists the celebrity chefs offer us with the traditional feast; whether they suggest cooking the bird inside out, upside down or drowning in Guinness - we don't stray too far and tend to release our experimental side elsewhere on the menu. How you cook yours (bird that is), is really up to you and while it may be tried and trusted, a family secret, or more often, a mystery to yourself, as long as it doesn't end up in flames you're doing pretty well. Instead we're offering a little inspiration for the before and after - to liven up those pale melon balls or give the stodgy pudding a miss for once. If you're going to really challenge your digestive system on December 25 with a possible 6,000 calories, at least give it a surprise from last year's menu. So here are some suggestions from a famous chef and one not so famous but both will definitely put a smile on those scrapping the plates at the end. Cherry Pie Christmas would not be the same without it, says Claregalway-based food author Móna Wise. 'I know. Not terribly Irish, right? Being married to a Yank has opened up a door to a whole new world of food tradition in our house. With myself hailing from Claregalway where Christmas would not be right without Christmas pudding smothered in rich, yellow custard, and him, the chef, hailing from Alabama where Christmas cannot be had if it is not finished with a nice cherry pie. 'We have â€ËœChristmas compromise' down to fine art here at the Wise household; it is easy. He makes it, we eat it and I do the dishes. Cherries are not the easiest fruit to come by at this time of the year but you can find them in the freezer at most of the larger grocery shops. The good ones mostly come from Belgium and it is best if you use the sour (or tart) cherries. We have used the tinned (in syrup) variety you can find at the shops but always find the fruit to be a lot nicer with the frozen variety. Seeing as we are preparing for Christmas, you can take it easy on yourself and get the pre-made pastry. Ingredients: 1 box of pre-made pastry, ready to roll. Filling 360 g sour cherries 90 g sugar Arrowroot, for thickening Glaze 1 egg Sprinkle of light brown sugar Method: â€Â¢ For the filling, put the cherries and sugar into a heavy-bottomed pot and allow to simmer for ten minutes. â€Â¢ Mix a spoonful of arrowroot into a cup with a little water until it has dissolved. You could use cornflour (with water) also but arrowroot is better with fruit and cornflour is better in stews. â€Â¢ Add the arrowroot (liquid) into the cherry mix in the pot and stir until the mix turns clear (not cloudy). Once thick, you are done. Take the cherries off the heat and set aside for a few minutes. â€Â¢ Butter a tart pan (or pie dish) and set aside. â€Â¢ Roll out the pastry to a nice thin size and line the tart pan. â€Â¢ Trim off the extra dough and roll it out into a square. â€Â¢ Cut the trimmed or extra pastry into thin strips (half inch) and use them to top the pie in a criss-cross fashion. â€Â¢ Glaze, using a beaten egg (with a drop of water) and brush liberally over the pastry. Sprinkle with brown sugar. â€Â¢ Bake for 45 minutes at 190Ëš C. â€Â¢ Serve with a nice dollop of vanilla cream and a spring of mint. Smoked Salmon Rolls with Cream Cheese and Red Onion 'IT seems every house or office party I go to has smoked salmon of some sort on offer,' says celebrity chef Neven Maguire. 'We can't get enough of it! So that's why I'm including a starter with smoked salmon. These are really easy to make and can be made ahead of time, which is always handy. You can have them as a starter or make lots of them as snacks for a party,' suggest Neven. Ingredients: 1 red onion, finely diced 12 oz / 350 g pre-sliced smoked salmon 3 oz / 75 g cream cheese 2 tablespoons crème fraîche 1 rounded tablespoon finely chopped chives 4 large slices of wheaten bread 1 lemon (1/2 zest only,1/2 sliced for garnish) 8 whole chives with flowers if in season Seasoning Method: â€Â¢ In a small bowl combine the finely diced red onion with 1/4 pint/150 ml of boiling water and drain off immediately. This softens the raw flavour of the onion. â€Â¢ Mix together the cream cheese, crème fraîche, chopped chives and red onion. Season to taste. â€Â¢ On a sheet of clingfilm, place three slices of smoked salmon together, overlapping slightly to make one large slice. â€Â¢ Spread the cream cheese mixture on the salmon. Roll into a neat sausage shape. Repeat this process with remaining slices and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve. â€Â¢ Using a small scone-cutter, cut four rounds out of each slice of wheaten bread. â€Â¢ To serve, slice each chilled smoked salmon roll into four small rolls and lay each roll sideways on a bread round. Place four rounds per person on a plate, garnish with some lemon zest and serve with lemon slices (and chives with flowers if in season). Neven's tip: When buying smoked salmon, make sure you know what you're really getting. â€ËœIrish smoked salmon' may only be smoked in Ireland, but â€Ëœsmoked Irish salmon' is definitely Irish and, in my opinion, it's the best. Mulled fruit trifle THIS is another dessert alternative to Christmas pudding. Chef Neven Maguire assures us that it's quick and easy to make. 'The trifle can be made on Christmas. It really is a dessert that all the family will enjoy,' says Neven. Ingredients: Custard 300 ml milk 200 ml cream 5 egg yolks A few drops of vanilla essence or vanilla pod 1 1/2 tablespoon cornflour Method: â€Â¢ Place the milk and cream in a heavy-based pan. Heat gently until almost boiling. â€Â¢ While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla essence in a large, heat-proof bowl until thick and pale. â€Â¢ Pour the hot milk and cream mixture onto the egg mixture, whisking well until smooth. â€Â¢ Return to the pan and heat gently, stirring until thickened. Leave to cool. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin forming on top. Trifle 150 ml /1/4 pint port 75g /3oz caster sugar 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice 1 500 g bag frozen forest fruits 200 g/7 oz Madeira cake broken into chunks 500 ml /1/2 pint whipping cream chocolate curls to garnish Method: â€Â¢ Place the port, sugar and mixed spice in a saucepan, bring to the boil. â€Â¢ Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes until syrupy. Stir in the frozen forest fruits. â€Â¢ Scatter the Madeira cake over the base of a 1.4 litre/21/2 pint trifle bowl. â€Â¢ Spoon over the forest fruits and syrup. Top with custard. â€Â¢ Whip the cream to form soft peaks. Place spoonfuls of cream on top of custard. â€Â¢ Chill for one hour before serving. â€Â¢ You can make this 24 hours ahead, but finish with whipped cream just before serving. Sprinkle with chocolate curls and enjoy.