Carrot Almond Mincemeat

Its probably a little late in the season to post about mincemeat. Like its name, the taste and smell of the mincemeat is crazily intruiging. It reeks of winter but tastes like summer, its cozy like a warm blanket when your feet feel stubbornly cold, but it can also be brazen like a sultry summer but mainly it holds the promise of a well kept secret. Naughty and nice.

I remember the Christmas parties at my mum's unit mess in Dehradun and luscious fruitcakes made by an anglo indian family friend. Chattelier Uncle had a way around cookies and cakes, such a fabulously talented craftsman - carpenter - chef. His specialities were petits fours, marshmallows, nougats, macaroons and cakes of all sort. And for every christmas, birthday and diwali he and wife would dutifully drop off a mixed bag of these goodies at our place. Aunty ofcourse never ventured near the kitchen, and claimed that it was not the place for her 'lily white hands'. I think my mother secretly disapproved and I remember telling her that her hands were lily white too. I really thought so.

So this christmas I've been wanting to make mincemeat pies. A few of mum's recipe books have found their way to my house and one of them contains a picture of these pies & tarts that I've been drooling over for many many years. So first up, tackling the mincemeat. And a little departure from the traditional apple base - here's a carrot and almond mincemeat recipe from my kitchen. (I had no apples at home that's why.)


Carrot (fairly plump) - 3
Cinnamon - 1 stick

Chopped Almond - 1 cup
Chopped Prunes, dried fruits (figs, dried cherries, mixed berries) - 2 cups
Glazed cherries - 100 gms
Candied peel - 100 gms
Muscovado sugar - 1 cup
Lemon rind - 1 tsp
Rind of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 large orange
Powdered clove - 1/2 tsp
Powdered cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Grated nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 walnut sized knob
Whiskey - 4 Tbsps

Method:
1. Cut up the carrot in chunks and pressure cook along with a stick of cinnamon - for 1 whistle. Take off fire. Let cool, then remove the cinnamon and excess water and mash the carrots using a potato masher. (I got about 1 + 3/4 cups of mashed carrot)

2. Mix the mashed carrots, dried fruits, cherries, peel, sugar, almonds, orange juice, rinds, melted butter, and spices in a large bowl.

3. Add the whiskey (or sub it with a little more orange juice). Mix again, leave it covered with a tea towel for 24 hours.

4. Mix again - let all the flavours come together - inhale exhale, sneak a bite, pour yourself a drink - feel the glow.

5. Pour into clean, dry glass jars and let rest. Leave to mature for 3, 4 weeks.

The mincemeat tasted FANTASTIC - the carrot gave it a distinct rich, red festive colour, the taste had depth (could it be the whiskey? hic). I decided to use only almonds because I think carrots and almonds make a neat combination.

Now it remains to be seen how long it will keep - the traditional mincemeat keeps for a couple of months, I still have to figure out the longevity of my carrot almond mincemeat. I will update the post in a little while.

Its so much easier to prepare than jam, and I think its totally okay to experiment with flavours. In the spirit of the season, Carrot Almond Mincemeat is off to Lore's Original Recipe at Culinarty.