Recipes, Side Dish Recipes

Val’s Roasted Christmas Apples

By
Five roasted Christmas apples filled with sausage and topped with jelly.

Roasted Christmas Apples Recipe: My very favourite accompaniment for a roasted bird or a trimmed rib of beef, these roasted Christmas apples are as festive as it gets. Stuffed with sausage meat, a touch of ginger biscuit crumble, and topped with a spoonful of tangy redcurrant or bramble jelly, they balance sweetness and savouriness beautifully.

The apples soften in the oven, their skins splitting slightly to reveal a golden band of tender flesh, while the filling becomes rich and aromatic. The crushed ginger biscuits add warmth and texture, preventing the jelly from melting away too soon. Pair these with roast turkey, pork, beef, or even a Christmas cockerel, and watch them disappear from plates in no time.

This recipe is simple enough for a casual gathering yet striking enough to earn a spot at the most elaborate of Christmas feasts. Pair it with my Bread Sauce Recipe Easy for the ultimate festive meal, and watch your guests delight in the perfect combination of traditional and unique flavours. A true seasonal showstopper!

Makes 6

Ingredients

Method

  1. Prepare the Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the sausage meat with 5 crushed ginger biscuits and the cracked black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
  2. Prepare the Apples: Core the apples, ensuring you leave enough of the base intact to hold the filling.
  3. Stuff the Apples: Divide the sausage meat mixture into 6 equal portions and firmly pack it into the core of each apple.
  4. Roast the Apples: Place the stuffed apples on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven at 180°C until the apples are soft and cooked through. You’ll know they’re ready when a visible band of exposed apple flesh appears around the centre where the skin was cut.
  5. Add the Topping: Remove the apples from the oven. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining crushed ginger biscuit to create a barrier that prevents the jelly from melting.
  6. Finish with Jelly: Spoon a dollop of redcurrant or bramble jelly onto the top of each apple for a tangy-sweet finish.
  7. Serve and Enjoy: Serve the roasted stuffed apples alongside roast turkey, cockerel, pork, or beef for a festive and flavourful accompaniment.

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Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer, business owner and broadcaster, with a deep interest in nature, travel and provincial food. He describes his cooking style as ‘International Grandmother’ and combines his strong sense of storytelling with his infectious love of cookery. Val has a deep respect and understanding of ingredients, both wild and cultivated, and has the instinctive ability to rustle up hearty and wholesome meals from whatever’s available. Val is an avid proponent of native food sources, and finds common ground with Swaledale in their work to deliver top-notch meat, within a truthful, ethical and high welfare framework. Originally a trained portrait painter, Val has also authored 5 cookbooks, managed his own catering company and is a co-owner of Taqueria, a West London Mexican cafe. Val is also a partner in the Hepple Distillery in Northumberland and Holmen Lofoten hotel on arctic Norway’s Lofoten island.

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  • One of the motivations for operating a whole carcass butchery model is access to the other bits – offal and ‘butchers cuts’. For us, they are just as important a part of the picture as the more famous, prime cuts. So, it gives us immense satisfaction that we now sell more of these delights then we ever have. For chefs understand that these cuts and organs offer something a little different. Yes, in terms of flavour and value but also, we think, in terms of creativity. A ribeye or a rack of lamb might inspire more classic garnishes, whereas an ox heart or a pig’s tongue allow the imaginations run a little freer. It takes skill and touch to cook these cuts well and the results can be extraordinary. We’ll keep buying the whole carcasses, you guys keep cooking the offal and butcher’s cuts!
  • Small herds, native breeds, and wild game, all farmed and sourced with care, are what we’re about and what we care deeply for. The partridge, often called the hedge chicken, is one of the best introductions to game. Mild, tender, full of flavour, and truly sustainable. In fact, we should be eating more of it to help prevent wastage from wild-shot game. Here’s @grylos with an autumnal take on a classic: a partridge Caesar salad. It might just inspire you to give this delicious wild game a go.
  • Ceps, butter, onglet. A proper celebration of the season. Available via our website… Thanks @grylos
  • Anyone can age beef. Doesn’t make it good beef. Great beef starts at its source. Well bred, right breed for the terrain, working with nature, not against it. Low stress, low stock density, fed on diverse pasture that isn’t overly rich or monocultured. From there it’s about time. Then more time. And patience. And, to be honest, the right kit. As ageing beef has become more popular, you see it in supermarkets and on high streets. But the reality is a lot of the kit used doesn’t stack up. It looks wow but creates mould. People push bad beef too far and try to make it sound interesting. We’ve done our tests. We’ve listened to our chefs. We’ve custom-built our dry ager. And we know that when you start with quality, proper controlled ageing just enhances the flavour.
  • We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
  • We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
  • The whole sirloin produces, well, ten great cuts. Here’s Trevor and George talking through the different ways we break down this choice section, on the bone, off the bone, with the fillet on or taken off. There’s always more than one way to butcher a sirloin. Beautiful beef coming through at the moment, probably the best of the year. Get it on your menus, get it on your tables; you know what to do.
  • We often get told, “I’ve never tried venison and I’m not sure where to start.” Well, for menus or home cooks, there’s an easy answer; the venison loin. Tender, quick to cook, and outrageously delicious. Basically kind of like fillet steak, but just with more flavour. Here is the delightful @grylos showing you how to cook a venison loin and yes, of course, it needs butter.
One of the motivations for operating a whole carcass butchery model is access to the other bits – offal and ‘butchers cuts’. For us, they are just as important a part of the picture as the more famous, prime cuts. So, it gives us immense satisfaction that we now sell more of these delights then we ever have. For chefs understand that these cuts and organs offer something a little different. Yes, in terms of flavour and value but also, we think, in terms of creativity. A ribeye or a rack of lamb might inspire more classic garnishes, whereas an ox heart or a pig’s tongue allow the imaginations run a little freer. It takes skill and touch to cook these cuts well and the results can be extraordinary. We’ll keep buying the whole carcasses, you guys keep cooking the offal and butcher’s cuts!
One of the motivations for operating a whole carcass butchery model is access to the other bits – offal and ‘butchers cuts’. For us, they are just as important a part of the picture as the more famous, prime cuts. So, it gives us immense satisfaction that we now sell more of these delights then we ever have. For chefs understand that these cuts and organs offer something a little different. Yes, in terms of flavour and value but also, we think, in terms of creativity. A ribeye or a rack of lamb might inspire more classic garnishes, whereas an ox heart or a pig’s tongue allow the imaginations run a little freer. It takes skill and touch to cook these cuts well and the results can be extraordinary. We’ll keep buying the whole carcasses, you guys keep cooking the offal and butcher’s cuts!
One of the motivations for operating a whole carcass butchery model is access to the other bits – offal and ‘butchers cuts’. For us, they are just as important a part of the picture as the more famous, prime cuts. So, it gives us immense satisfaction that we now sell more of these delights then we ever have. For chefs understand that these cuts and organs offer something a little different. Yes, in terms of flavour and value but also, we think, in terms of creativity. A ribeye or a rack of lamb might inspire more classic garnishes, whereas an ox heart or a pig’s tongue allow the imaginations run a little freer. It takes skill and touch to cook these cuts well and the results can be extraordinary. We’ll keep buying the whole carcasses, you guys keep cooking the offal and butcher’s cuts!
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
One of the motivations for operating a whole carcass butchery model is access to the other bits – offal and ‘butchers cuts’. For us, they are just as important a part of the picture as the more famous, prime cuts. So, it gives us immense satisfaction that we now sell more of these delights then we ever have. For chefs understand that these cuts and organs offer something a little different. Yes, in terms of flavour and value but also, we think, in terms of creativity. A ribeye or a rack of lamb might inspire more classic garnishes, whereas an ox heart or a pig’s tongue allow the imaginations run a little freer. It takes skill and touch to cook these cuts well and the results can be extraordinary. We’ll keep buying the whole carcasses, you guys keep cooking the offal and butcher’s cuts!
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
1/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Small herds, native breeds, and wild game, all farmed and sourced with care, are what we’re about and what we care deeply for. The partridge, often called the hedge chicken, is one of the best introductions to game. Mild, tender, full of flavour, and truly sustainable. In fact, we should be eating more of it to help prevent wastage from wild-shot game. Here’s @grylos with an autumnal take on a classic: a partridge Caesar salad. It might just inspire you to give this delicious wild game a go.
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
2/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Ceps, butter, onglet. A proper celebration of the season. Available via our website… Thanks @grylos
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Anyone can age beef. Doesn’t make it good beef. Great beef starts at its source. Well bred, right breed for the terrain, working with nature, not against it. Low stress, low stock density, fed on diverse pasture that isn’t overly rich or monocultured. From there it’s about time. Then more time. And patience. And, to be honest, the right kit. As ageing beef has become more popular, you see it in supermarkets and on high streets. But the reality is a lot of the kit used doesn’t stack up. It looks wow but creates mould. People push bad beef too far and try to make it sound interesting. We’ve done our tests. We’ve listened to our chefs. We’ve custom-built our dry ager. And we know that when you start with quality, proper controlled ageing just enhances the flavour.
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/8
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We’ve been gently reminded that, as butchers, we should probably say something about National Sausage Week. Truth is, every week’s sausage week here. We love them. We make a lot of them. And, if we’re honest, we think they’re some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Sausages sit right at the heart of proper whole-carcass butchery. They let us use everything — nose to tail — with care and craft. Made fresh, checked constantly, and built on great ingredients. So yes, we’re partaking. Here’s 7 sausage recipes that you can find on our journal, with contributions from Jorge the Butcher, @grylos, @samnixon18, and @jacobkenedy
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/8
We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We’ve finally made a pie. Well… not quite. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant Josh Whitehead of @finer_pleasures , because, truth be told, we don’t have the space or kit to do it ourselves. What he’s made is an absolute cracker — rich venison, Guinness, bone marrow, Henderson’s relish, and care in every step. Cabbage optional.
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
6/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
The whole sirloin produces, well, ten great cuts. Here’s Trevor and George talking through the different ways we break down this choice section, on the bone, off the bone, with the fillet on or taken off. There’s always more than one way to butcher a sirloin. Beautiful beef coming through at the moment, probably the best of the year. Get it on your menus, get it on your tables; you know what to do.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
7/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We often get told, “I’ve never tried venison and I’m not sure where to start.” Well, for menus or home cooks, there’s an easy answer; the venison loin. Tender, quick to cook, and outrageously delicious. Basically kind of like fillet steak, but just with more flavour. Here is the delightful @grylos showing you how to cook a venison loin and yes, of course, it needs butter.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
8/8