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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 3, Thursday
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Daily Recipes:
Christmas Day Dinner or Christmas Lunch
Smoked Salmon Salad
Glazed Ham with Mustard sauce
Scalloped Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
Bûche de Noël, Christmas Cookies
Cooking time: 2 leisurely hours for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
I don't bake Christmas Desserts or Puddings; the bakeries do a lovely job so I don't have to. This is an easy dinner and easily expanded for a larger group. I skip the deviled egg for the starter with a meal this big....
Smoked Salmon Salad
Total time: 10 minutes
If you are buying the shrink-wrapped, dry-smoked kind 1 package should be enough. If you are buying the moist, European kind that is pre-sliced, paper thin, you will want 2 - 3 slices per person depending on how big the slice.
Ingredients:
- Smoked salmon, 2oz (60gr) per person
- Lettuce - enough for small salads per person
- 2 - 4 tsp capers
- Olives, nice ones for garnishing
- Vinaigrette
- 1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 large
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
Instructions:
- Mince shallots and garlic, snip chives and tarragon if using fresh and put all in medium bowl with vinegar, juice and mustard.
- Whisk well.
- Add oil very slowly whisking all of the time. It should incorporate as you add it. If it does not, stop adding oil for a few moments and just whisk. Continue until all oil is added.
- Add salt & pepper if desired.
- Tear enough lettuce for small salads and put in a medium bowl.
- Add 2 - 3 tbs vinaigrette and toss well. Taste and add more vinaigrette if desired.
- Divide salad and put on dinner plates - off to the side.
- Artfully arrange salmon by lettuce, sprinkle each plate with capers, add desired amount of olives and serve.
Baked Ham with Mustard Sauce
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
A fully cooked ham should be baked to an internal temp of 140F (60C), about 20 minutes per lb.
A ham that must be cooked should reach an internal temp of 150F (65C), 35 minutes per lb. for small hams and 22 minutes for larger (over 5 lbs) hams. All times assume a 325F (165C) oven.
Ingredients:
- 1 small ham, about 4 lbs (2000gr)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
Instructions:
- Put ham on rack in roasting pan and roast in 325F (165C) oven.
- About 30 minutes before it's done mix the sugar, mustard and vinegar.
- Remove the ham from the oven. Remove the skin if there is any, score the fat with a sharp knife (diamond pattern is pretty).
- Pat the brown sugar mixture over the top of the ham and return to oven. Finish baking.
- Remove ham and allow rest for 15 - 20 minutes before slicing.
Mustard Sauce
Time: 10 minutes
A timeless tradition in my large, extended family. The original recipe came from "The Anderson House", a small family run hotel in my home town. For some, it's the only reason to have ham! Can be made ahead.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) cider or white vinegar
- 2 tbs dry mustard
- 1 egg
- pinch salt
- 2 tbs butter
Instructions:
- Crack the egg into the top of a double boiler and whisk until beaten.
- Add sugar, milk and mustard, whisk well.
- Cook over simmering water for about 5 minutes, until sugar and mustard are dissolved and mixture is hot, stirring occasionally.
- Add vinegar and continue to cook until thick.
- Remove from heat, stir in butter and salt.
- Refrigerate. Good with almost everything and keeps a long time.
Note: if you don't have a double boiler, put a metal bowl on a saucepan partially filled with water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
Scalloped Potatoes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Scalloped Potatoes have long been a favorite at our house. They're easy and easily expanded to serve more. This serves 4 or will be for 2 meals.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium potatoes, app. 20oz (600gr)
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) milk
- 3oz (90gr) Gruyère, either shredded or sliced (if shredded, 3/4 cup)
- 1 onion
- 1 tbs butter
- pinch of nutmeg
Instructions:
- Cut onion in half, then in half again, (so you have onion quarters) and slice as thinly as possible.
- Slice potatoes as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
- Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté until soft.
- Remove onto a plate and set aside. Add potatoes, 1/2 cup milk and heat to just below boiling.
- Remove skillet from heat.
- To assemble: Put 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of deep baking dish, spreading out with a spoon or spatula.
- Spread the onions evenly on top of the potatoes.
- Layer the cheese on the onions.
- Top with the rest of the potatoes.
- Pour the remaining 1/2 cup milk over all, cover with foil and bake (375F, 185C) for 60 minutes.
- Uncover for last 15 minutes of baking time.
- Remove and serve.
Note: Whenever I am baking potatoes with a liquid: gratin, scalloped, Savoyard, etc. I always put the baking dish/dishes on a baking sheet covered in foil. They almost always bubble over and this saves on oven clean up. Just wrap up the mess and toss.
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
Total time: 50 minutes
This is a classic on British holiday tables.
Instructions:
- 20 - 25 Brussels sprouts - I normally serve 6 - 8 per person
- 18 - 24 chestnuts, fresh or canned
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) beef stock if using fresh chestnuts
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock if using canned chestnuts
- 3 tbs butter
- 1 tsp thyme
- sea salt and fresh pepper
Instructions:
- If using fresh chestnuts: With a sharp knife cut an 'X' through tough outer shell.
- Put in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat. Removing 1 chestnut at a time peel off shells and inner skin. Chestnuts must stay hot to peel easily. If they cool down too much while you are working, bring them to a boil again.
- Put peeled chestnuts into a saucepan, cover with beef broth, bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.
- Drain.
- If using canned chestnuts: Rinse and drain.
- To cook Brussels sprouts: Slice a bit off of the stem end and peel away the outer leaves - any that are damaged, wilted or discolored.
- With the tip of your knife make a small X in the stem end - that, supposedly, aids even cooking.
- Put into a saucepan with 1/2 cup beef stock, and enough water to almost cover. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until done, 10 - 15 minutes. They should be just tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
- When done remove, drain and set aside.
- Both steps can be done earlier in the day and finished at the last minute.
- To finish: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add thyme and pepper and combine.
- Add sprouts and chestnuts and sauté about 5 minutes (longer if sprouts and/or chestnuts are cold).
- Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 2 lazy hours |
Prep salad if needed MERRY CHRISTMAS! |
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