Cooking for the holiday season can be a lot of fun and can also be stressful. Today we are sharing some tips and tricks for a successful holiday party as well as a couple of our favorite recipes.
The Perfect Charcuterie and Cheese Display
Charcuterie is the branch of cooking that is dedicated to cured meats. First developed for meat preservation before refrigeration, in the last few years Charcuterie has become trendy and desired for the variety of tastes. A typical charcuterie includes ham, cured sausages, terrines, and/or pates and confits, mostly from pork.
For a quick and easy, no-stress charcuterie, we recommend a couple of sausages and a chicken liver pate. For the sausages select differences in texture, preparation and taste. Try a hard salami for one sausage and a kielbasa (crisped in a pan with butter or oil) for the second sausage. Serve the kielbasa with a good mustard.
The cheeses should also be diverse. Rule of thumb: One hard cheese like a good cheddar or manchego, a soft cheese such as brie or camembert and a blue cheese. For the soft cheese, drizzle with honey or flavored honey, such as lemon or chestnut honey. You can also macerate fruit with a liquor and once cooled our over the cheese.
To finish your display, include a condiment or two for the cheeses, such as apricot butter, or passionfruit spread; good olives; cornichons or small dill pickles; dried fruit, fresh grapes and seeds.
Holiday Recipes
Chicken Liver Mousse
Ingredients
1 pound chicken livers
8oz butter
2 oz butter for cooking livers plus one tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 diced shallots
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup Madeira wine
1 tablespoon cognanc
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Drain the livers and saute them in 2 batches in 2 tablespoons of butter and grapeseed oil over medium-high heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until just barely pink inside. Don't overcook the livers or they will be dry. Transfer them to a large bowl and let cool (place in the fridge)
In the same pan, saute the shallots over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add the Madeira and cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping the sides, for about 15 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the livers. When the livers are cold, transfer them into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the reduced liquid and softened butter and pulse to combine. For smooth pate, force the mixture through a sieve and transfer into a terrine lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. Chill completely (for at least 4 hours). Serve the mousse with cornichons and toasted sliced French bread.
Appetizer Empanadas
Empanada Dough (makes 24) Ingredients
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold lard, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Directions
Combine dry ingredients. Add lard and butter. Using pastry blender, blend until it resembles coarse meal. If you have a food processor, pulse until it resembles coarse meal.
Whisk together the egg yolk, water, and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the mixture to the dough, pulsing until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead until it just comes together. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Roll out thinly. Cut into 3-inch circles. I use the top of a Chinese soup bowl.
Fill each dough round with some of the filling. Seal the edges with a little water and crimp with a fork. You can either fry or bake the empanadas. To fry, heat your frying oil to 350-360. Fry, turning halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Serve with ranch dressing
Filling: Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
4 cups shredded chicken
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Your favorite hot sauce – to taste. Recommend at least ¼ cup
Directions
Melt butter and add garlic and hot sauce. Shred chicken and add to the butter hot sauce mixture until warmed through and chicken has absorbed butter hot sauce. Chill.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
The Perfect Charcuterie and Cheese Display
Charcuterie is the branch of cooking that is dedicated to cured meats. First developed for meat preservation before refrigeration, in the last few years Charcuterie has become trendy and desired for the variety of tastes. A typical charcuterie includes ham, cured sausages, terrines, and/or pates and confits, mostly from pork.
For a quick and easy, no-stress charcuterie, we recommend a couple of sausages and a chicken liver pate. For the sausages select differences in texture, preparation and taste. Try a hard salami for one sausage and a kielbasa (crisped in a pan with butter or oil) for the second sausage. Serve the kielbasa with a good mustard.
The cheeses should also be diverse. Rule of thumb: One hard cheese like a good cheddar or manchego, a soft cheese such as brie or camembert and a blue cheese. For the soft cheese, drizzle with honey or flavored honey, such as lemon or chestnut honey. You can also macerate fruit with a liquor and once cooled our over the cheese.
To finish your display, include a condiment or two for the cheeses, such as apricot butter, or passionfruit spread; good olives; cornichons or small dill pickles; dried fruit, fresh grapes and seeds.
Holiday Recipes
Chicken Liver Mousse
Ingredients
1 pound chicken livers
8oz butter
2 oz butter for cooking livers plus one tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 diced shallots
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup Madeira wine
1 tablespoon cognanc
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Drain the livers and saute them in 2 batches in 2 tablespoons of butter and grapeseed oil over medium-high heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until just barely pink inside. Don't overcook the livers or they will be dry. Transfer them to a large bowl and let cool (place in the fridge)
In the same pan, saute the shallots over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add the Madeira and cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping the sides, for about 15 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the livers. When the livers are cold, transfer them into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the reduced liquid and softened butter and pulse to combine. For smooth pate, force the mixture through a sieve and transfer into a terrine lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. Chill completely (for at least 4 hours). Serve the mousse with cornichons and toasted sliced French bread.
Appetizer Empanadas
Empanada Dough (makes 24) Ingredients
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold lard, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Directions
Combine dry ingredients. Add lard and butter. Using pastry blender, blend until it resembles coarse meal. If you have a food processor, pulse until it resembles coarse meal.
Whisk together the egg yolk, water, and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the mixture to the dough, pulsing until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead until it just comes together. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Roll out thinly. Cut into 3-inch circles. I use the top of a Chinese soup bowl.
Fill each dough round with some of the filling. Seal the edges with a little water and crimp with a fork. You can either fry or bake the empanadas. To fry, heat your frying oil to 350-360. Fry, turning halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Serve with ranch dressing
Filling: Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
4 cups shredded chicken
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Your favorite hot sauce – to taste. Recommend at least ¼ cup
Directions
Melt butter and add garlic and hot sauce. Shred chicken and add to the butter hot sauce mixture until warmed through and chicken has absorbed butter hot sauce. Chill.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
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