Christmas is one of the biggest holidays, which can bring joy, happiness, love, respect, forgiveness, family to our home. According to the current situation, that Christmas will not be the same as before. That's why you should stop thinking about pandemic problems for one day, so try your best to make this holiday special, because of your family, because of yourself. We are here to help you. After decoration, we should think about yummy food. So, let's see what do we have in this first menu. It will be more. Grab your snack and read it, you will be hungry after reading this. :)
APPETIZER: CHEESY MINI POTATO GRATIN STACKS:
Ingredients: ▢ Oil spray
▢ 1 kg / 2 lb potatoes, large long ones
▢ 2 tbsp / 30 g butter
▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1/2 cup cream, heavy / thickened
▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
▢ 1/2 tsp salt
▢ Black pepper
▢ 1 cup grated melting cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella)
▢ Fresh thyme leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Spray a standard 12 hole muffin tin with oil.
- Peel potatoes. Stand upright then cut into cylinder shapes, then slice potatoes into thin slices around 2mm/ 1/10" thick.
- Place butter, garlic, cream, salt, pepper and dried thyme in a microwave proof cup or bowl, then melt in 30 second bursts.
- Stir, then set aside.
- Place potato slices into the muffin tin so they go halfway up the muffin tin holes. Try to match by size to make them into neat stacks.
- Drizzle each potato stack with 1/2 tsp of cream mixture.
- Sprinkle HALF the cheese over the potato stacks.
- Top with remaining potato slices. Drizzle with remaining cream mixture and remaining thyme.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake without foil for 10 minutes or until golden and the potato is soft.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before removing. Use a tablespoon or butter knife to help scope them out.
2. MAIN DISH: STANDING RIB ROAST
Ingredients: ▢ 2.5 kg / 5 lb standing rib roast / prime rib , bone in
▢ 1 onion , unpeeled, quartered (brown, yellow, white)
▢ 1 head of garlic , unpeeled, halved horizontally
▢ 5 sprigs thyme
▢ 3 sprigs rosemary
Garlic Herb Butter: ▢ 150 g/ 10 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
▢ 5 garlic cloves , minced
▢ 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
▢ 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
▢ 2 tsp salt
▢ 1 tsp black pepper
Red Wine Sauce: ▢ 1.5 cups (375 ml) beef broth/stock, low salt
▢ 2.5 cups (675 ml) dry red wine
▢ 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
Prepare Beef: - Bring Beef to room temp: Take beef out of the fridge 2 - 3 hours before cooking to bring to room temp (key tip for even cooking). Pat dry with paper towel.
-Preheat oven to 240C/460F (standard) or 220C/430F (fan/convection). Adjust shelf so beef will be sitting in the middle of the oven.
- Garlic Herb Butter: Mix together.
- Place onion, garlic and herbs in a heavy based oven proof skillet (or use a roasting pan).
-Slather: Spread a thin layer of butter on the underside of the beef (ie the bone side). Place beef on onion etc, butter side down. Spread most of the rest of the butter on the top and sides (reserve a bit for 1 baste).
-Hot oven: Roast 20 minutes.
-Slather 2: Remove, spread over remaining butter. Turn oven down to 120C/250F (standard) or 100C/212F (fan/convection).
-Slow roast: Roast for a further 1.5 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the juices in the pan, until the internal temperature is 48°C/118°F in the centre (for medium rare, Note 4). Start checking the internal temp early.
- Rest: Transfer beef to plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 20 - 30 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 52°C/125°F (medium rare).
- Slice beef and serve with Sauce!
Red Wine Sauce: - Place skillet with onion and garlic left in it on the stove over high heat. Add wine and beef stock, rapidly simmer for 10 minutes until it reduces by 2/3 or so, down to 1.5 cups or liquid.
- Lower heat to medium. Mix cornflour with 2 tbsp water. Drizzle in half and stir. Sauce will thicken in 1 minute or so. Add more cornflour water mixture if you want it thicker.
- Strain into bowl, pour into sauce jug.
Internal temperature of cooked prime rib:
The internal temperature of medium rare prime rib is 51.7°C / 125°F. Take it out of the oven when the internal temperature is 48°C/118°F. While resting, it will rise by 3 – 4°C / 5 – 7°F to 51.7°C / 125°F.
Rare is 49°C/120°F. Remove from oven when it is 46°C/115°F.
Medium rare is 51.7°C / 125°F. Remove from oven when it is 48°C / 118°F.
Medium is 55°F / 130°F. Remove from oven at 51°F/123°F.
Medium well done is 57°C/135°F. Remove from oven at 53°C/127°F.
SALAD: AVOCADO CORN SALAD
Ingredients: ▢ 2 corn on the cob (or 400g / 14 oz canned corn, drained)
▢ 1 avocado , cut into large dice
▢ 200 g / 7 oz cherry tomatoes , halved (or 2 large tomatoes, cut into large dice)
▢ 2 shallots / scallions , finely sliced or 1 small red onion finely chopped
▢ 1/3 cup finely chopped coriander/cilantro (or parsley)
▢ 2 tbsp lime juice or 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
▢ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
▢ Salt and pepper
Instructions: - Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook corn on the cob for 3 minutes. Drain corn, run under cold water to stop cooking further. Once cool to touch, cut corn off the cob. Cool.
- Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle over lime juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss gently, serve.
DESSERT: CHRISTMAS TRIFLE
Ingredients: ▢ 1 x 450g / 14 oz Madeira cake, store bought
▢ 1/3 cup / 85 ml orange or other fruit flavored liquor, or apple juice (or 2 tbsp brandy)
▢ 4 x 85g packets flavourless Aeroplane Jelly ("Create a Jelly")
▢ 5 cups / 1.25 L no added sugar Cranberry juice
▢ 2 - 3 punnets strawberries, halved
▢ 1 each punnet blueberries, raspberries
Cream: ▢ 600 ml / 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
▢ 3 tbsp / 55g white sugar
▢ 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Homemade Thick Custard (or 900g 1 tub Pauls Double Thick Vanilla Custard): ▢ 750 ml / 3 cups milk (full or low fat)
▢ 1/4 cup / 55 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
▢ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
▢ 1/4 cup / 55 g caster sugar (superfine sugar), extra
▢ 4 egg yolks
▢ 1/2 cup / 80g cornflour / cornstarch
Instructions: - Cut cake into 3 cm / 1.2" cubes. Cover bottom of 3.5 L / 3.5 qt trifle dish with cake (might not use all) and sprinkle with liquor or juice.
- Optional extra: Scatter over 1/2 to 1 punnet halved strawberries (this is not in ingredients list).
Cranberry Jelly: - Bring 3 cups of the Cranberry juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Add jelly, mix until dissolved. Add remaining juice.
Jelly Layer 1: - Pour HALF the cranberry jelly liquid carefully over the cake in the trifle dish. Refrigerate uncovered for 1.5 hours until it is partly set – still quite soft, but not watery (if you gently place a strawberry on it, it will stay on the surface).
- Pour remaining jelly in a bowl and leave on the counter (do not refrigerate).
- Meanwhile, make the custard (see below).
Custard Layer: - Remove trifle from fridge. Spoon over the custard, smooth surface, press on glass to seal (stops jelly bleed). Refrigerate for 1 hour until surface has firmed up a bit - just enough to hold the jelly (jelly is soft so custard doesn't need to be fully set).
- Put remaining jelly in the fridge at the same time (to thicken a bit, but not too much, see video. If sets too much, next jelly layer doesn’t set clear, will look broken and bubbly). CHECK jelly at 30 minutes, just to ensure it's not setting too fast.
Jelly Layer 2: - Remove trifle and jelly from fridge. Jelly should be sloppy. Carefully spoon over jelly, smooth surface. Scatter over 1 punnet halved strawberries (or half each raspberries and strawberries). Refrigerate for 3 hours+ (can leave in fridge for 48 hours, until ready to assemble).
Assembling: - Cream: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until softly whipped.
- Once jelly is set, just before serving, top with cream, then pile over remaining berries. Dust with icing sugar.
- Serve!! PS It is imperative to ensure every servings includes a bit of every layer in the trifle
Homemade Custard: - Bring milk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup sugar and yolks, then whisk in cornflour until smooth.
- While whisking, carefully pour in about ½ cup of milk mixture. Once mixed in, slowly pour in remaining milk while whisking. Once incorporated and smooth, pour back into saucepan.
- Return saucepan to stove over low heat. Whisk constantly until it becomes thick and custardy – this will happen quite quickly, about 45 seconds ( it is liquid when you start, then suddenly it thickens). Once thickened, remove immediately from heat – it will continue to thicken.
- Pour into a bowl and cover with cling wrap, pressing onto surface. Leave on the counter until trifle is ready to layer with custard. Makes 750ml.
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