28 November 2025

Old-fashioned mincemeat from Orlando Murrin

For a mincemeat that really tastes homemade, oozing with fruit and booze, you can’t beat this recipe. Orlando Murrin, food writer and culinary crime novelist brings us his recipe for mincemeat which you could use for particularly tasty mince pies or maybe a pastry slice would that be a Mistletoe Slice?

Orlando's latest book Murder Below Deck, contains six 'killer' recipes, is out in hardback now in paperback next May.  You can preorder the paperback at your local bookshop, uk.bookshop.org or wherever you buy your books. (Having read it, its full of twists and turns with the Paul Delamare showing his culinary flair as well as his detective skills).

 To get the correct texture – soft but with a bite – process half the fruit first.

Makes 3 big jars

Ingredients:

200g raisins
200g currants
200g sultanas
a small Bramley apple, peeled and chopped
200g suet or vegetarian suet
50g blanched almonds, chopped
100g peel
25g crystallised ginger
25g crystallised pineapple
150g muscovado sugar
good pinch of salt
1 teaspoon mixed spice (either the Steenbergs blend, or make your own from ground cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cloves, mace and allspice)
grated zest and juice of a lemon and an orange
about 5tbsp of brandy, rum, whisky or sherry

1. 1 Take half the raisins, currants and sultanas and whizz them in a food processor, till they are roughly chopped. This will give your mincemeat a lovely oozy texture. Put in a large bowl with the remaining raisins, currants and sultanas, apple, suet and nuts.
2. 2 If you are using chopped peel, add that to the bowl. If you are using whole peel (which you can find in good delis - orange, lemon or citron are all great) chop it finely along with the ginger and pineapple. Add to
3. the bowl along with the sugar and spices. Add just half the zest and juice at this point, and stir all together.
4. 3 Stir in 3-4tbsp of your chosen liquor and mix well. You are aiming for a thick, glistening mixture, so add more liquor if necessary. The flavour will take a couple of days to balance out, but you can make a few adjustments at this point. If it tastes a bit dull, add a pinch more salt and spice. If you feel it is too sweet, add more zest. If it is a little dry, add more juice. Put into jars and keep refrigerated. After two days, it is ready.