CHRISTMAS LUNCH LOAF

Christmas lunch loaf image

Looking for an alternative to turkey at Christmas? This festive lunch loaf is packed with flavour, plus it's cheaper and easier to prep and serve

Provided by Tom Kerridge

Time 2h10m

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

3 onions , finely chopped
50g butter , plus extra for the tin
700g turkey mince
500g pork mince
250g smoked streaky bacon , finely chopped
70ml port
200g vacuum-packed chestnuts , roughly chopped
100g dried cranberries
1 orange , zested
1 tsp thyme leaves
5 sage leaves , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
80g rye crackers (like Ryvita), whizzed to a crumb, or dried breadcrumbs
trimmings, gravy and bread sauce, to serve

Steps:

Fry the onions in the butter for 15-20 mins until golden and softened. Butter a 900g loaf tin and put in the fridge to chill.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and work everything together to form a large meatball. Remove the loaf tin from the fridge and transfer the mixture to it - it will look like a lot, but should all fit if you pack it in. Use a spatula to shape the top, so that it resembles a loaf of bread.
Cover with foil, then bake for 1 hr, or until the loaf reaches 70C on a meat thermometer. Heat grill to medium, then grill the loaf for 5-10 mins until golden on top. Leave to rest in the tin for 20 mins, then carefully tip the loaf onto a carving board or platter. Serve in slices with the usual trimmings, gravy and bread sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 360 calories, Fat 17 grams fat, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 19 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 9 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 30 grams protein, Sodium 1.1 milligram of sodium