Tuesday, December 29, 2009

christmas dinner

Can't wait till next year!! 





 
Crown Roast with Fennel Apple Stuffing and Cider Bourbon Gravy
Serves 12.
Taken DIRECTLY from Fine Cooking.  (I just didn't have time...)
For the sauce:
1 quart apple cider
2 cups bourbon
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. cider vinegar; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing:
1 lb. Tuscan bread (or similar crusty artisan-style bread), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (8 to 9 cups)
8 oz. bacon (8 to 10 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2-1/2 oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter
2 medium-small yellow onions, cut into small dice (about 2 cups)
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into medium dice (about 3 cups)
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 Tbs. bourbon
2 Tbs. apple cider
2 Tbs. chopped fresh marjoram
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly chopped or pulsed in a spice grinder
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 to 2-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
For the roast:
16-rib crown roast of pork (8-1/2 to 9-1/2 lb.), chine bone removed and bones frenched; see sidebar below for more information
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Make the sauce reduction:
Tip: The sauce can be made to this point and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead.
Put the cider, bourbon, and chicken broth in a 3- to 4-quart (preferably 8-inch-wide) saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a very brisk simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced to 1-1/4 cups, about 1 hour. Set aside until the roast is done.
Make the stuffing base: Put the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and let it sit out to dry overnight.
Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until just crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a large mixing bowl. Pour off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat. Add 3 Tbs. of the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, fennel, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until nicely browned on a few sides but still firm, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix the bourbon with the apple cider and 3 Tbs. water. Carefully add it to the pan, scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits stuck to the pan. Cook until the deglazing liquid has reduced and coats the apples, about 1 minute. Add the apples to the bowl. Add the marjoram, sage, fennel seeds, and allspice and stir to combine.
Stuff & cook the roast: Let the roast sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. If the stuffing base was refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature, too.
Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 500*. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Put the roast on an oiled flat rack set in a roasting pan or heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. Cover the bones tightly with aluminum foil. Roast the pork for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the dried bread into the stuffing base. Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth over the mixture and stir to combine. If the bread immediately sucks up the liquid, add the remaining 1/2 cup broth. The bread should be moist but not soggy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Take the roast out of the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325*. Remove the foil from the bones and loosely fill the center of the roast with stuffing, mounding it half way up to the top of the bones (don’t worry if the roast doesn’t hold very much stuffing; just put in as much as you can). Cover the bones and stuffing tightly with aluminum foil.
Set a timer for 1 hour and return the roast to the oven. Wrap the remaining stuffing in a double layer of aluminum foil and set aside. (Or put into buttered baking dish.)  When the timer goes off, put the wrapped stuffing seam side up in the oven next to the roast. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
When the timer goes off, remove the foil from the roast and open the package of stuffing so the top can crisp up. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, start checking for doneness: Insert an instant-read thermometer into the meat between two bones without hitting the bones. The roast is done when the thermometer reads 155*. Check the temperature in two or three places. The total roasting time will be 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Slide a wide spatula under the roast to keep the stuffing in and transfer it to a carving board or serving platter. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, continue to bake the package of stuffing until the top is crisp and then turn off the oven. Leave the stuffing in the oven until ready to serve.
Finish the sauce: Shortly before serving, reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the sour cream and vinegar. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and additional vinegar. Transfer the sauce and the additional stuffing to serving bowls.
Plate & serve: Remove the strings from the roast. At the table, carve the roast into chops by cutting between the ribs into the stuffing. Serve the sauce and additional stuffing on the side.

*The stuffing base can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Add the bread and chicken broth just before stuffing the roast.

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 12.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
1-1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, toasted up with some butter
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
About 8 ounces grated Gruyère
About 4 ounces grated Parmigianno Reggiano cheese
1 pound penne pasta

Preheat oven to 375*. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time, making sure its smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, and all the Gruyère.  Set the cheese sauce aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until almost done, 4-5 minutes. Drain the pasta well. Stir into the reserved cheese sauce.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the Parmigianno and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. 
Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli
Serves 12.
4 pounds broccoli
1/2 cup chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat your oven to 425*.
Wash and dry broccoli and cut into florets.
Put into a large skillet and add stock.  Cover and steam for about 5 minutes, until broccoli is almost done and stock is gone.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven for about 10 minutes, or until broccoli is getting crispy on the edges.
Toss with lemon juice and zest and serve! 




Black Bottomed Lemon Cheesecake
Serves 12.
From my bestie, Carlie!
1 1/2 rows Oreos
1/2 cup melted butter
4 8 ounces packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Grind the Oreos in a food processor.  Add melted butter and process until just combined.  Press into a 10" springform pan.  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Cream the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Pour into prepared dish.

Bake until set, about 45-55 minutes. 
Meanwhile, combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Let the cheesecake set for about 15 minutes then spoon sour cream topping on.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Refrigerate 4-48 hours.
Decorate with lemon slices and dark chocolate shavings!

4 comments:

  1. Everything looks beautiful! Bravo for that extravagant meal.

    ReplyDelete
  2. everything was excellant, couldn't have been better

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks!!! Can't wait till next year!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. going to miss your cooking-going to miss you cajoling us to eat new/different/weird foods-going to miss all your planning meals-going to miss our early morning shopping expeditions-going to miss you..love, anony.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...