Holiday cooking plans

So festivus is nearly upon us (http://festivusweb.com/ for those unfortunate souls who didnt watch seinfeld). What is everyone's holiday plans for dinner, snacks, entertaining, drinks, etc?

I for one am excited to try out the eggnog recipe and have to start kicking the tires on my Christmas eve menu as we will be home this year and won't be afforded any overcooked ham and turkey this year.

Find more posts tagged with

Everything Else

Comments

DiggingDogFarm_65362

We never do a sit-down dinner for Christmas, always a ham centered informal buffet.

I dry-cured and smoked some hardscrabble hams for the occasion.

I also plan to try the eggnog...as written at first but eventually likely changing out the sugar for an alternative and the milk for almond milk to reduce the carbohydrate content.

Brendan_Lee_56950

I kind of feel like doing something like a fancy charcuterie meal since it'll just be the wife and I. Something like pork rillettes, maybe some foie, and I would love to do some blood sausage if I can find some fresh blood closer to that week. Anyone done blood sausage in the circulator?

DiggingDogFarm_65362

Charcuterie is always great.

I haven't done blood sausage in the water bath because it's so difficult to get good blood....hopefully I can get back to raising oinkers again sometime soon.

Brendan_Lee_56950

Yeah, that's the hardest part of the whole process.

lockgavin

We are having people over 3 days straight (christmas eve, christmas day and boxing day).

Christmas eve is just apps. Chicken wings and potstickers, pretty standard.

Christmas day, we've doing a 72 hour short rib with potato puree and sous vide carrots. Got the demi finished up last weekend and am super jazzed to put it all together.

Boxing day, we're doing a sous vide/deep fried turkey breast porchetta style (a la serious eats), cornbread/sausage stuffing, poatato and brussel sprouts I think. Also, jazzed for this one. Going to do a turkey jus gras (a la modernist cuisine at home).

This past weekend I did some sous vide belly steamed buns.. whoa was that tasty!

Samuel_68313

My Christmas meals are more like an American thanksgiving really.

Samuel_68313

Though my Christmas meal was last night. Since I moved abroad I don't have any family or anything so celebrate my Christmas with a friends a week or two before.

Last night I had 15 people here. A lot for a small kitchen, anyway, we had...

Starter:

- Puff pastry, with pork rillettes, pickles mustard seeds, figs, and smoked salt

- Scotch eggs made with Quail eggs

- Shredded confit duck balls, coated with a zereshk jelly

Main course:

- Sous vide turkey breast (63c internal)

- Turkey breast rolled with chestnuts, shredded confit turkey leg, roasted pork fat, wrapped in skin (sous vide then deep fried)

- Sous vide legs and wings (65c, all deboned)

- Chestnut stuffing

- Roast potatoes

- Potato puree

- Sweet potato mash

- Buttered cabbage

- Yorkshire puddings

- Rutabaga mash

- Roasted carrot and parsnips

- Gravy made from turkey fat, turkey jus, turkey stock, thickened with xanthan.

For fun:

- Flaming lemon sorbet

- Gin and tonic jelly

Dessert:

- Apple caramel cheesecake

I also bought a load of dry ice and played around with it in drinks.

Manfred_18311

Being in Marrakech

over the holydays, I will have to leave it to the chefs in Hotel and restaurants

to surprise me with an oriental feast.

Nicky_J_17040

spritz cookies.

...now it's time for the feats of strength!