Christmas Dinner ?

[AndyPandy]

Oh wow - I'm really impressed at the menu's on offer. They all sound gorgeous. I'd probaly head over to Metaphacts or Pipers based on food alone.

Hot over here - so roasts and the like are usually off the menu.

Simple for us this year
Blue Eye Cod fillets - baked - with lemon & herbs
Dutch Cream Potatoes
Green leaf salad with probably a chilli garlic dressing.

Pavlova for dessert (my favourite). Berries/Strawberries on top.

All with a lovely Riesling I picked out. German chocolates (the kind with the 3 layers inside), aged cheddar,apple & Port to finish.

Ham off the bone sandwiches for boxing day - along with the traditional "Boxing Day Test Match" - our annual cricket test between Australia and a visiting team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Takes 5 days and starts on boxing day..that is what I do on my holidays - watch/listen to the cricket. Oh and i have a bottle of dark beer home brew a mate dropped off - we had one when he came over and I'll enjoy the other on Boxing day with Bridget. He makes a really good home brew: dark like a porter.

[jwhite613]

Andy... I just Googled Pavlova. That sounds really tasty. Might see if the wife will make it for us soon!

[AndyPandy]

Oh Jeff - you haven't lived till you have had pavlova: it is delicious. hellish difficult to make. Mine always collapse. Bridget is a dab hand.

Best recipe we have found is from the Australian Women's Weekly:
INGREDIENTS

4 egg whites
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
300ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon icing sugar
METHOD

Preheat oven to very slow (120°C/100°C fan-forced). Line oven tray with baking paper; mark 18cm circle on baking paper.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add caster sugar, beating until sugar dissolves between additions. Fold in cornflour and vinegar.

Spread meringue inside circle on tray. For best results, do not squash or flatten
mixture but shape side up and in towards the centre, like a mound. Make furrows up side of meringue using spatula, level top. Bake, uncovered, about 1¼ hours or until dry. Turn oven off; leave meringue to cool in oven with door ajar.

An hour before serving, beat cream, extract and sifted icing sugar in small bowl
with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fill pavlova with cream and fruit of your choice.

Per serving: 13.9g total fat (9.2g saturated); 1070kj (256 cal); 30.1g carbohydrate; 2.6g protein; 0.0g fibre

Side note: Pavlova is said to have been invented by Perth chef Bert Sachse in the 1930s. It was so named because it was considered to be as light as the dancer Anna Pavlova. This super recipe was introduced to the Test Kitchen in 1968 by Peggy Frizell; originally her mother’s recipe, it has been known fondly ever since as Peg’s pav.

[-E-]

Originally Posted by metaphacts

Crown Roast of Lamb
Wild Rice
Creamed Peas and Onions

Sassicaia 08

Poor lil' Sass, it's not even out of its infancy!

[metaphacts]

Originally Posted by Vesuvius

Poor lil' Sass, it's not even out of its infancy!

True but it was given to me as a gift for this meal. So I'll open it very early and drink slowly.

[-E-]

Quadruple decant...

[metaphacts]

Originally Posted by Vesuvius

Quadruple decant...

Whatever it takes it will be worth it.

[Amfibius]

My Christmas menu:

- Home made gravlax with a dill mayonnaise on pumpernickel bread. A traditional gravlax requires 72 hours of curing, but my short cured gravlax has a much nicer texture than a long cure.

- Barbecued turkey. Brined with lemon juice, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Will be smoked tomorrow until the breast reaches 60C and legs 70C. I achieve the temperature differential by cooling the breast with ice in a zip-lock bag before it goes into the Kamado.

- Jansson's Temptation (a Swedish potato gratin with onion, cream, and anchovy)

- Home made Choucroute. Started fermenting mine 2 weeks ago. Checked it this morning just in case - it was heavenly!

- Home made cranberry jam

- Bombe Alaska (a real blast from the 70's!) - I have made the ice-cream, the filling, and the sponge. All I need to do tomorrow is encase it in meringue, bake it, and flambe it at the table.

[jwhite613]

Andy... Thank you very much for the recipe. My wife is really good at baking. She is looking forward to making this. Will let you know how it turns out.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

[Removed]

Look like everyone is having some great eats!!!! for the lat 25 years or so we always do Cioppino at the holiday's but this year we decided to keep it simple and do Dungeness Crab, have some nice 2.25 pounders to feast on with some good french bread, Pasta, Salads, wine and assorted deserts