Spiced Cranberry, Apple and Sage Stuffing Cake

Stuffing ingredients:

• 50g butter

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

• ½ tsp mixed spice

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 200g fresh breadcrumbs

• 2 eating apples

• 250g cranberries

• 50g dried apple, cut into small pieces

• 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped

• 750g sausage meat

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

• Grated zest of a small orange

• 1 large beaten egg

• 8 rashers rindless streaky bacon

• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F / gas mark 8.

To prepare the stuffing, heat the butter and rapeseed oil until the butter has melted. Add the onion and mixed spice, fry gently until well softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic and breadcrumbs and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl, leave to cool.

Peel the apples, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into small cubes. Mix the cubed apples, cranberries, dried apple, sage, sausage meat, parsley and orange zest with the onion mixture, season well with sea salt and black pepper using clean hands and then mix in the beaten egg. The mixture should be quite firm.

To make the stuffing cake; take a 18-20cm spring form cake tin and grease with a little rapeseed oil. Arrange the bacon slices in the tin, leaving a 5cm strip on the base, then lay them up around the sides, let the excess hang over the edge.

Carefully fill the tin with the stuffing mixture, making sure it is level on top. Fold the bacon over the top of the stuffing, gathering and twisting the ends loosely over the centre. Place the tin on a baking sheet to catch any juices that escape, then bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Before you turn out onto a serving plate, place some poached cranberries on top for decoration, cut into wedges and serve.