AS A RULE, YOU WON’T FIND A SCRAP OF MEAT in today’s fruit- and nut-based version of mincemeat, which is more of a dessert than a savory dish. The roots of this highly spiced dish can be traced to the eleventh century, and the return of the Crusaders to Britain from the Holy Land. Historical recipes used vinegars and wines to preserve the meat, along with Middle Eastern spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Christian associations were layered onto the food, and soon the exotic spice trio was linked to the three Magi, the oblong piecrusts into which the mince was baked was said to represent the cradle of the Christ child, and it became the custom to eat one handheld pie on each of the twelve days of Christmas.
Each season, I make vats of the delicious mixture to make pies, to mix into Holiday Flapjacks (page 294), to stuff baked apples, and to warm and spoon onto vanilla ice cream.
MAKES ABOUT
1 QUART / 1 LITER OF MINCEMEAT (ENOUGH FOR TWO 9-INCH / 23-CENTIMETER PIES OR ABOUT A DOZEN SMALL HANDHELD PIES)
2 medium-size tart green apples, peeled, cored, and minced
8 tablespoons / 113 grams unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen hard (you can substitute suet, if you prefer)
6 ounces / 175 grams sultanas
4 ounces / 110 grams raisins
6 ounces / 175 grams dried cranberries
2 ounces / 55 grams candied fruit peel, finely chopped
1 cup / 175 grams light brown sugar, loosely packed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Zest and juice of 1 orange
¼ cup / 25 grams walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons Jameson Irish whiskey
In a very large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the brandy and whiskey, and mix lightly. Cover and let sit overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 225°F / 100°C. Transfer the mixture to a Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until all the butter has melted and the solid ingredients have begun to soften and meld. Allow the mixture to cool in the Dutch oven. Once completely cool, stir in the brandy and whiskey and spoon into hot, sterilized jars (see page 17). Use immediately as a dessert topping or Holiday Flapjacks ingredient (see page 294), or to spoon into your own homemade or store-bought piecrusts or tart shells. To store, seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
