Feed your imagination

Imagination Gabrielle Fagan presents a guide to alternative Christmas dinners

Some people love the rituals of Christmas, and wouldn't change a thing right down to having the same dishes year after for the festive meal.

If that's starting to drive you crazy, and your taste buds are screaming for variety, then it's time to try something different. Remember turkey's not compulsory, and you could pick another - and arguably more succulent meat such as goose or duck.

Vegetarians probably equally dread being offered the oh-so predictable nut roast. Luckily, it's not necessary to be that unimaginative as nowadays there are an enormous number of interesting dishes on offer.

And even Christmas pudding isn't to everyone's taste, as it can be too rich and filling after a day of snacking and feasting, so ring the changes with a lighter but just as tasty dessert. We pick the best alternative Christmas dinners...

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Danish Red Cabbage (serves 4)

• 1 red cabbage, about 1.5kg
• 50g unsalted butter, plus 1tbsp extra
• 1tbsp sugar
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon or 1tbsp vinegar
• 125ml cherry or blackcurrant juice

Cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the stem and shred the leaves finely. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar over gentle heat, add lemon juice or vinegar and half the fruit juice and bring to the boil.

Add the cabbage and turn in the liquid. Cover and steam until tender, about two hours, stirring frequently and adding more juice if necessary.

Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes, then add a lump of butter and extra lemon juice if the cabbage is too sweet.

Sometimes a few caraway seeds or apple slices are added too.

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Scandinavian Roast Goose (serves 6)

• 1 goose, about 6kg
• 250g pitted prunes
• 500g tart apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• 75ml red wine
• 1tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1tbsp water
• 150-300ml chicken stock
• 3-4tbsp cream
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Boiled potatoes browned in sugar
• Sweet pickles
• Danish Red Cabbage*
• An instant-read thermometer

Dry the goose inside and out with kitchen paper, then rub with salt and pepper and prick the skin all over with a skewer or sharp-pronged fork. Scald the prunes with boiling water and stuff the goose with the apples and prunes. Rub the skin with salt. Put the goose breast up on a rack in a roasting tin. Put in a cold oven, turn to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and roast for 45 minutes. Add a little cold water to the pan and roast for 3 1/2 hours or according to size. Take care not to let the water dry up - add extra as necessary. The goose is done when an instant read thermometer reaches 82C (180F). Alternatively, the juices should run clear when you prick the leg at the thickest part. Waggle the leg bone a little - it should move in the socket. Transfer the bird to a platter.

Lift all but two tablespoons of fat from the tin into a gravy separator. Pour the gravy juices into a small bowl and stir in the cornflour mixture (keep the goose fat for another use). Increase the oven temperature to 250C/500F/Gas 9. Return the goose to the roasting tin, pour two tablespoons cold water over the breast and return the bird to the oven. Pour the wine into a clean saucepan, add one tablespoon of the goose fat, bring to the boil and reduce until syrupy. Add the gravy juices mixture and the stock and return to the boil, stirring all the time. Season well with salt and pepper and stir in the cream.

Carve the goose and serve with the gravy, boiled potatoes browned in caramel sugar, sweet pickles and Danish red cabbage.

From Roasts
by SoniaStevenson, published byRyland Peters & Small,priced £16.99

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Aubergine Charlotte (serves 4)

• 4 large aubergines Olive oil (optional)
• 8 oven-dried tomato halves
• 4-8 basil leaves

Goats Cheese Custard:

• 1 egg
• 250ml (9fl oz) double cream
• 200g (70z) goat's cheese, plus more to finish.

Mushroom Stuffing:

• 15g (1/2oz) butter
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Handful of herbs, ideally including basil, parsley and thyme,
• chopped 200g (7oz) mixed wild mushrooms (ideally including ceps) wiped and finely chopped.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. From each aubergine, take a slice off the end opposite the stalk to remove the curve, then slice off a disc about 5mm (1/4in) thick to act as the base for the charlotte. Then cut the aubergines lengthwise into slices about 5mm (1/4in) thick. Chargrill the aubergine discs and slices or fry them briefly in a little oil until just tender. Allow to cool on kitchen paper.

To make the mushroom stuffing, heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based pan and gently sweat the shallots with the garlic and herbs until the shallots are softened. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for four to five minutes.

To make the goat's cheese custard, beat the egg into the cream and bring slowly to a simmer. Immediately take off the heat, crumble in the cheese and mix in well. Line four charlotte moulds with foil, leaving lots of overhang. Then drop in the aubergine discs for the bases and line the sides with the slices, overlapping and again allowing the ends to overhang.

Arrange the oven-dried tomatoes in the bottom of each aubergine, follow that with the mushroom stuffing, then the goats' cheese custard and top with the whole basil leaves. Finish with a slice or two of extra goat's cheese. Bring the overhanging slices of aubergine up and over to seal the top of the charlottes and bake them for about 15 minutes.

From The Gate Vegetarian Cookbook,
by Adrian and Michael Daniel, published by Mitchell Beazley, price £25.

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Apple and Mincemeat Filo Wreath(serves 8-10)
(Make this on the day, rather than in advance otherwise the pastry will go soggy)

• 3 large apples
• 200g (7oz) mincemeat
• 75g (3oz) dried cranberries or raisins
• 100g (4oz) soft brown sugar
• 2tbsp brandy
• 100g (4oz) butter, melted
• 10 sheets filo pastry 30x45cm
• 100g (4oz) ground almonds
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Extra cranberries
• Holly leaves for decoration
• Single cream

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Butter a large baking tray. Peel, core and slice the apples. Mix with the mincemeat, cranberries, soft brown sugar and the brandy. Stir well.

Melt the butter. Lay one sheet of filo pastry flat on the work surface. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with one-sixth of the almonds. Repeat twice more, then lay a fourth sheet of pastry on top. Spoon half the apple mixture over the pastry leaving a 5cm (2in) border around the edge. Roll the pastry from one of the long sides to enclose all the filling. Shape into a semicircle and place on the baking tray.

Repeat with four more sheets of filo, butter, the remaining almonds and apple mixture. Place the second semicircle onto the same baking tray and tuck the ends together to form a complete circle.

Brush the whole thing with melted butter. Cut one of the last two sheets of filo in half and use to wrap around the joins on the filo ring. Brush with a little butter. Cut the remaining sheet of filo into stars using a small pastry cutter. Brush with butter and place decoratively on top of the ring. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a few cranberries and holly leaves before serving warm with plenty of fresh cream.

From 100 Great Desserts,
by Mandy Wagstaff, published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, priced £14.99.