Pigs in Blankets savoury trifle

What could be a better recipe for Christmas than a pigs in blankets savoury trifle?! Combining two of the signature foods of Christmas – trifle and pigs in blankets – this crazy food idea doesn’t just look epic, but also tastes amazing. Our smokey black treacle bacon wrapped pigs in blankets add a delicious sweetness and smokiness to this recipe, whilst the delicious piped mashed potato gives this savoury trifle that sweetness. The trifle serves 4 and takes 30 mins to cook, 20 mins to prep!

Ingredients

For the cranberry sauce:

150g light Muscovado sugar

100ml Cointreau

400g cranberries, fresh or frozen

For the candied bacon:

6 rashers of Jolly Hog Smoked Streaky bacon

2tbsp brown sugar

2tbsp orange juice

250g Brioche cut into chunks

3 packs Jolly Hog Pigs in Blankets

1.5kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

200ml cream

50g butter

Small bunch of watercress to decorate

Method

• Put the sugar and Cointreau into a large heavy based saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cranberries to the pan with a pinch of salt and stir well. Return to the boil and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
• While the cranberry sauce is cooking, put the bacon into a frying pan and cook until it’s just done but not crisped. Remove to some kitchen roll while you put the sugar and orange juice into the pan. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved then turn up the heat and add the bacon back into the pan. Cook, turning the bacon regularly, until it is browned and caramelised. Remove from the pan to a plate to cool.
• Cut the brioche into chunks and scatter half into the bottom of a deep trifle bowl. Pour over half of the cranberry sauce then put the remaining bread into the cranberry pan and stir. Set aside for the cranberry sauce to soak in.
• Boil a kettle of water, once boiled, pour it into a large saucepan, add some salt and the potato chunks and bring it back to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is very tender.
• While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large frying pan and cook the Pigs in Blankets for 5-8 minutes until browned all over and cooked through.
• When the potatoes are cooked, drain well then return to the hot pan with the butter and cream, and season well. Mash well until completely smooth. Keep warm.
• When all of the elements are ready, lay half of the pigs in blankets on top of the brioche in the bowl. Then repeat with the remaining soaked brioche and the rest of the pigs in blankets.
• Spoon or pipe the mash potato into the top and decorate with the candied bacon and watercress and serve warm.