Christmas eve/day menus

[kennethpollock]

Going to NY tomorrow and having dinner at the Old Homestead. Lamb chops probably.
Leg of lamb is one of my favorites, but hard to find in NY restaurants or any other USA restaurant, however. I suspect that is because it is slow seller here and most of the leg is going to go to waste. And when I do find it in NY I usually avoid it. For some stange reason, most supposedly fine French NY restaurants tend to serve it with what tastes like canned redish colored (tomato based?) gravy. Ugh!

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

Mr. Dawson, I could see, indeed, how the garlic would be shielded. Let us know how it turns out!

In the meantime, I have decided to do an entire Belgian meal for Monday's lunch.


I definitely will. I'm about to go to the kitchen and prepare the puree now so I can baste the lamb and let it sit for 24 hours.

What, exactly, is a Belgian meal? My wife and I are planning our next major holiday to Brusseles for the architecture and the antiques not the food. I guess we aren't aware of anything particular besides the chocolate and beer.

bob

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

I definitely will. I'm about to go to the kitchen and prepare the puree now so I can baste the lamb and let it sit for 24 hours.

What, exactly, is a Belgian meal? My wife and I are planning our next major holiday to Brusseles for the architecture and the antiques not the food. I guess we aren't aware of anything particular besides the chocolate and beer.

bob

Turns out you and I are doing the same thing. I lost track of the time and didn't get to the store in time to pick-up a roast. So then I had to call around to see what I could get my hands on. Leg of lamb it is! I was going to try the recipe out of Bouchon but I'm missing a couple things. I do have plenty of garlic though.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Yesterday: Grouse, matchstick potatoes, creme-fraiche sauce. Today: Reindeer roast, boiled alomond potatoes, red coleslaw, red wine sauce. Yes, I just ate Rudolph.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

Yesterday: Grouse, matchstick potatoes, creme-fraiche sauce.

Today: Reindeer roast, boiled alomond potatoes, red coleslaw, red wine sauce.

Yes, I just ate Rudolph.

You ate reindeer for Christmas dinner, eh? How was it?

 

[Tck13]

My family is not a 'foul' family so we had roast beef, stuffing, corn, green beans with almonds, sweet potatos (mixed with apples?), homemade mac and cheese with tomato sauce.

The salad we always have is mixed with a warm dressing, bacon, hard boiled eggs. Can't remember what it's called. Very Pa. Dutch.

Finally, apple pie / pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream / whipped cream.

Can you say...


LEFTOVERS!!!!!

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

Today: Reindeer roast, boiled alomond potatoes, red coleslaw, red wine sauce.

Yes, I just ate Rudolph.


Well, how was the reindeer? I had reindeer sausage in Anchorage Alastka once and it was quite good. How's an entire roast?

b

 

[rdawson808]

I have to admit, I didn't care for it too much. I think I had lost some of my appetite from all of the preparations anyway. Normally I'm fine cooking and eating, but it was stressful in our little kitchen yesterday. I really didn't have a taste for much aside from the beer bread. Oh and the chocolate bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream. That was amazing.

Anyway, I overcooked hte lamb a little so it tended to be a little dry. Everyone else said it was wonderful (and that was evidenced by their clean plates and second helpings). Myabe a sauce of some sort would have helped.

I think I'll try a roast beef or some foul next time.

b

 

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Damnit, Huntsman, good timing. The second I read that an image of my wife saying last night "I think I'll make popovers"...well, popped into my head. Yup, that's the stuff.

b

Your wife makes popovers? Lucky man!

Lamb is a funny thing. Sometimes it's just not...what it is supposed to be. However, if the guests were pleased, just chalk it up to the chef never being happy.

Regards,
Huntsman

 

[Piobaire]

I made prime rib for the entree. My method is very simple but exceedingly good (if I do say so myself).

Course chop 3-4 parsnips and 3-4 carrots, quarter one large or two medium onions, quarter a head of garlic, put in roasting pan and drizzle a little olive oil on 'em. Make a paste of 5 gloves garlic, 1/2 cup medium kosher salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/2 cup horseradish, 1/2 cup olive oil, some fresh rosemary, thyme....any fresh herb you like on prime rib. Put prime rib in pan, ribs down, rub paste on the meat. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes per pound for that perfect pink center (internal temp 145, let stand "tented" in foil for 15 mins).

Discard the veggies, they were for aromatics only, scrape off the salt crust on top, slice and serve. The best thing is you stick it in the oven and just leave it until your 25 mins/lbs is up. Oh yeah, take it out of the fridge about 2-3 hours before cooking, you want it room temp.

 

[Huntsman]

Here goes:

• Blini-sized potato pancakes, smoked sturgeon, osetra, sour cream (enlivened with a hint of horseradish and honey), dead cold Trimbach Riesling
  
• Main Course: Bone in rib roast, which I serve with gravy, not merely jus; little red creamer potatoes, peeled, sauteed hard, and then braised in a little herbed stock; and tossed with butter and parsley, medley of vegetables, and naturally, popovers. Bottle of late 90s Chateauneuf-du-pape (forget which one).
  
• Dessert: Rum cake (from scratch, naturally), coffee.
  
• Afterwards: had a B&B.

All were satisfied, surprisingly even the chef. Tonight's dinner was leftover roast, ham (from Christmas Eve), two kinds of kielbasa, more sturgeon, more potato pancakes, good bread, mimolette, comte, Brillat-Savarin, apples, jardinere (also made on the premises), followed by leftover cherry-ricotta cheesecake.

Regards,
Huntsman

 

[RoyalTuxedo]

We hosted Christmas Eve for our families (about 24 total attendees) and went with the Italian traditional 7 fishes in sauce -- bacala, calamari, clams, mussels, shrimps, scallops and baby lobster tails in marinara served over linguine; a tray of chicken parmigiana layered with proscuitto and eggplant; and a tenderloin dry-rubbed with garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary, then seared on the grill and oven-roasted. Dessert was tartuffo, tiramisu, and a pecan-bourbon pie with dark chocolate chunks.

Suddenly, I'm off to the 'fridge to scout leftovers....

cheers,
RT

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

I definitely will. I'm about to go to the kitchen and prepare the puree now so I can baste the lamb and let it sit for 24 hours.

What, exactly, is a Belgian meal? My wife and I are planning our next major holiday to Brusseles for the architecture and the antiques not the food. I guess we aren't aware of anything particular besides the chocolate and beer.

bob

You're in for a nice surprise. Belgium has excellent restaurants and can boast solid culinary traditions. I never had a bad meal in that country, and I'm picky.

My Belgian meal was: Mussels marinière (steamed in white wine, shallots, etc.) served with buttered bread, waterzooi de poulet (a chicken dish that is like a stew, minced vegetables as a base, finished by a cream/lemon juice mixture right before serving), braised brussels sprouts with prosciutto. Even those who do not like Brussels sprouts ate them and said they were the best they had ever had. I cheated on the dessert and served panettone instead of a cramique, I'm not much of a baker.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

What, exactly, is a Belgian meal? My wife and I are planning our next major holiday to Brusseles for the architecture and the antiques not the food. I guess we aren't aware of anything particular besides the chocolate and beer.

bob

you will enjoy - pm me for some recs if you want, but suffice to say that French people consider the Beligians obsessed with food.

make sure you hit the MusÃ

es Royaux des Beaux-Arts while you are there, as well as the museum of colonial art (although I think that they jsut renamed that)

 

[Lucky Strike]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

...French people consider the Beligians obsessed with food.
Confirmed. It seems to be a common, good-natured sort of prejudice among the French. You have something to look forward to, Bob.