Christmas Nipples

Directions

1. Gently warm the sloe gin in a pan and add the dried cranberries to plump them up and steep them in the gin. Once good and plump take off the heat and fish out the cranberries and let them cool. Keeping the gin for the Glaze

   
   

2. Pop a pair of food safe gloves on and Mix, with your hands, the Mince with the lardons, chestnuts, steeped cranberries, onion powder and season with salt and pepper.
   

   Form into 30g balls,

   
   

3. Cut the Black pudding into 6mm ¼” discs

   Smear the top of the disc with chestnut puree and pop one of the balls on top in the centre, slightly squashing the ball down.

4. Take a rasher of bacon and wrap around the edge.

   
   

5. Pop them onto the perforated Stainless tray and and a fresh cranberry to the top.

   Pop them into the Traeger to smoke at 225F/ 110C for 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile make the glaze.

7. In the pan of sloe gin add the Cranberry sauce, Honey & cinnamon powder. Let that reduce till it’s glossy and a bit thicker.

8. Once the Nipples have been in the smoke for an hour Glaze them with a brush/ mop.

9. Crank the heat up to 325f/ 160C for about 45mins to 1hr till the internal temp is 165F/ 73C and the bacon crisp, re-glaze every 20 mins or so to build up a glossy layer.

10. Pick the sage leaves and shred lengthways and put them on some greaseproof paper and pop them on the top shelf to crisp up (keep an eye as they go quite quickly)

11. Serve with a bit of fresh sage atop the nipple, set at a jaunty angle.