APRICOT & HAZELNUT STUFFING BALLS

- 150g breadcrumbs

- 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped

- 75g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

- 1 small onion, finely diced

- 1 stick of celery, finely diced

- Zest of one lemon

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 5 fresh sage leaves

- 30g butter

- ½ tsp grated nutmeg

- Seasoning

- Olive oil

For decoration:

- 10 fresh sage leaves

1 - Melt the butter in a frying pan or sauté pan. Sauté the onion and celery until softened and just starting to turn golden. Add the 5 sage leaves and sauté with the onions for a few minutes along with a grinding of pepper. Take off the heat.

2 - Meanwhile, blitz the breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, zest, nutmeg and dried apricots in a food mixer. Add the onion mix to the mixer and continue mixing on high speed until all combined. Add the beaten egg. Pulse the mixer until a dough starts to form.

3 - Divide the dough and start to roll into the same size balls, roughly making 10 balls. Place the stuffing balls on the greased tray. Brush a little oil over the top of the balls and lightly press a sage leaf over each with a little more oil brushed over the top.

4 - Bake in the pre heated oven for 25- 30 minutes until just turning golden. Alternatively, they can be baked around the turkey for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

5 - Serve straight away. Or leave to cool and serve later. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

1 - Melt the butter in a frying pan or sauté pan. Sauté the onion and celery until softened and just starting to turn golden. Add the 5 sage leaves and sauté with the onions for a few minutes along with a grinding of pepper. Take off the heat.

2 - Meanwhile, blitz the breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, zest, nutmeg and dried apricots in a food mixer. Add the onion mix to the mixer and continue mixing on high speed until all combined. Add the beaten egg. Pulse the mixer until a dough starts to form.

3 - Divide the dough and start to roll into the same size balls, roughly making 10 balls. Place the stuffing balls on the greased tray. Brush a little oil over the top of the balls and lightly press a sage leaf over each with a little more oil brushed over the top.

4 - Bake in the pre heated oven for 25- 30 minutes until just turning golden. Alternatively, they can be baked around the turkey for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

5 - Serve straight away. Or leave to cool and serve later. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

5 - Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks together with the remaining caster sugar until pale and creamy looking. Add the egg mixture to the infused milk and heat gently over a low heat. Stir continuously until the milk thickens to a custard consistency. The custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Spoon the custard into a clean bowl and to stop the custard from cooking any further, place the bowl in a sink filled with a little cold/iced water. Continue to stir intermittently as the custard cools.

6 - While the custard cools, whisk the cream until it is thick and forms soft peaks, being careful not to over whip.

7 - When the custard has cooled completely, carefully fold the whipped cream through the custard. Add the juice from one lemon and stir though. Taste and if needed, add the juice from the second lemon bit by bit until the preferred intensity of lemon flavour is achieved.

8 - Next, churn the custard in an ice cream maker* as per instructions.  

9 - Place the ice cream in a freezable container either with a lid or a sheet of grease-proof paper over the top and then wrap securely in tin foil. Place in the freezer until ready to serve.