Raclette with Traditional Garnish
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Cooking time: 20 minutes prep Cooking schedule: see below for menu instructions |
With so much going on this time of year I love to relax in front of the fire. Put on the Christmas carols, light the candles, pour the wine and relax. If you have a raclette grill get everything organized, light a fire and cook as you eat (boil the potatoes first). If you don't have one, you can use a fondue pot for the meat, and/or you'll need a trip or two to the oven. If you don't have a fireplace, gather up all of your candles and place them strategically. You can see how this easily expands for a party! Non-raclette grill instructions follow.
Raclette with traditional garnish Time: 30 minutes
The Swiss or Alpine version would normally not include meat, just a plate of boiled potatoes covered with the melted raclette cheese and garnished with the pickles and onions.
5 - 6 oz Raclette 2 - 3 oz per person
2 medium potatoes
pickled onions
small French Cornichons, dill pickles or gherkins
Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and cook in boiling water just until done, about 15 minutes. Slice cheese about 1/4 inch (.6cm) thick.
If you have raclette grill: Put potatoes, cheese, onions and pickles in small bowls. Slice bread if needed. Take everything to where ever you're going to eat. Each person serves themselves as they eat. Eat by melting small amounts of cheese and eating with potatoes, onions and pickles.
If you do not have raclette grill: Divide the cheese in half. Place half of the cheese in one or 2 (individual) baking dishes. Put in 375F (185C) oven until melted. Take everything else to where ever you're going to eat. When the cheese has melted, start to eat. When you feel like it put the rest of the cheese in the oven to melt. Each person serves themselves as they eat.
Note: The traditional Swiss way is to put a large wedge of Raclette in front of a roaring fire (on a cold night after skiing, of course). As it melts, they scrape off the melted cheese and serve with potatoes, onions and pickles.
Grilled Veal and Shrimp or chicken, or beef, or whatever.... Time: 15 minutes
The meats are cooked on top of the raclette grill. Save some of the potatoes and bread to eat with the meat.
4 - 6 oz of veal or beef
4 - 6 oz cleaned shrimp or prawns
1 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp olive oil
Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup soft cream cheese 3 oz, (90gr)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Slice meat into large, bite-size pieces. Toss veal and shrimp with 2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp soy sauce each and put into serving bowls. Mix ingredients for sauce and put into small bowls. Grill meat and shrimp (we use fondue forks) until done to your liking, dip and eat.
If you do not have a Raclette grill: You can use a fondue pot...but not with oil. I always found that to be messy and, well, oily. Instead, heat 3 - 4 cups beef broth in a fondue pot, plus a cup of red wine, depending on the size of your pot. Spear the meat with fondue forks and cook in the hot broth. Dip and eat as above. I do not save the stock when we cook shrimp in it ....although you could use chicken stock and white wine, and save it for the basis of a seafood bisque.
We also had a marble cooking stone for a bit - heat it in the oven to 400F first. Then remove and keep warm with tea lights while you grill meat on the surface.
If you have neither: arrange the marinated meat on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes after you take the last of the cheese out of the oven
If you are at the bakery (pâtisserie) to get your Bûche de Noël (chocolate, of course) for Christmas, pick up some lovely fresh bread for dinner. Or, how about:
Garlic Scone Time: 25 minutes
These are delicious warm, but, like many biscuits, barely edible the next day. This is actually half of my original recipe, but it's perfect for two. Double it and make two scones if you want more. This is not going to look like nice bread dough before baking, but it manages to come together in the oven - magic!
1 1/8th cups flour (1/8 =2 tbs)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbs butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup milk
Mix all dry ingredients in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or fork until it looks like 'crumbs'. Add milk and stir until sort of combined. Dump the whole floury mess onto a non-stick baking sheet and pat it into a 3/4 inch round with your hands - but don't handle it a lot, just kind of push it into shape. It will be 5 - 6 inches in diameter. With a long knife carefully divide it into quarters, cutting about 1/2 way through. Bake at 450F (230C) for 12 - 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and serve, warm with butter.
Christmas Cookies with Hot Cocoa
I usually make 3 or 4 (or 8) different kinds of Christmas cookies and eat them every chance I get for about 5 days. Then I freeze them - you can take them to the office... If you're not baking, buy a small tray of assorted Christmas Cookies at the same bakery where you bought your Christmas Dessert
Either make cocoa from scratch if you happen to have cocoa powder or buy whatever gourmet cocoa mix suits your fancy.
Or do it the European way: Melt a bar of good dark chocolate into some hot milk. We pass on the marshmallows but add a tot of Amber Rum (brandy would be good).
Serve cookies and spiked cocoa in a comfy place and enjoy the peace of the evening.
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Cooking Schedule: 30 minutes |
If using the oven for the cheese put it in. |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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