This is the season to have your heart full of gratitude and stomach full of delicious food. To help you with the latter, we have some must-try Christmas dishes, featuring a mix of both mains and desserts:
1. Stuffed Pan-Roasted Chicken with Paolo Potatoes
By Chef Abhishek Pednekar - Head Chef, Woodside Inn
Ingredients: Chicken breast with skin - 1, strawberry (fresh) - 90 gm, camembert cheese - 50 gm, brussels sprouts - 30 gm, chicken stock - 200 ml, roux - 20 gm, thyme fresh - 0.005 gm, butter - 60 gm, orange sweet potato - 100 gm, regular potato - 100gm, black pepper and salt to taste
Method:
• Slit the chicken breast to create a cavity for stuffing, and marinate it with butter, salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
• Stuff the chicken with strawberries and Camembert cheese. Refrigerate it for one hour.
• Heat oil in a pan and put the skin side of the chicken breast first and cook it for two minutes (till the skin turns golden brown and crisp) and then flip the breast to the other side and cook it another two minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked from both sides, put it in a pre-heated oven at 180-degree C for 8 to 10 min or until it is fully cooked.
• To prepare sauce, add chicken stock in a pan, bring it to boil and then simmer it for one minute. Now add roux to it till the sauce becomes thick. Finish the sauce with butter and fresh thyme.
• For Paolo potatoes, slice orange and regular potatoes on a mandolin slicer. Then in a baking tray arrange these slices one after the other and brush it with butter, adding fresh thyme and seasonings on each layer. Preheat the oven around 180 centigrade and cook it for 20 minutes. Afterwards, allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
• For platting, arrange the slice of Paolo potatoes first then place the chicken breast on top, pour the sauce from the sides and then place the charred Brussels sprouts on the top of the sauce.
• Garnish with some fresh strawberries and microgreens.
2. Yule Log
By Rachel Goenka, The Sassy Spoon
Ingredients: For chocolate sponge: Butter unsalted – 85 gms, castor sugar – 85 gms, flour – 55 gms, cocoa powder – 26 gms, baking powder – 5 gms, water - 110ml, salt - a pinch
For the frosting: Callebaut dark chocolate – 150 gms, Amul cream – 100 ml and Amul milk – 50 ml
For assembling: Sugar syrup – 150 ml, mascarpone cheese – 200gms, ganache – 250gms
Method:
• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
• Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix it until creamy and lighter in colour, using a whisk.
• Sieve the flour and add all the dry products into a bowl. Mix everything together and slowly add water to it.
• Line baking tray with butter paper. Put the mixture in the tray at 1 cm height.
• Bake it in an oven for 9-10 minutes or until dark brown and springy to touch.
• For frosting, pour the cream and milk into a small saucepan and place it over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the cream, it's not necessary to boil or simmer it. It just needs to get hot. The cream is ready when you can place a finger in the cream and keep it there for 3 to 4 seconds. Turn off the flame and remove the cream from the stove.
• Scoop the chocolate into the cream. Stir gently so that chocolate is mixed with cream. Keep it aside for some time to set.
• For assembling, unroll the cake and brush with sugar syrup.
• Spread mascarpone cheese and roll it. Set it in a fridge for one hour
• Spread chocolate ganache on top of it and make a wood pattern with a fork on the surface of the roll.
• For garnish, you can use Xmas garnish which is readily available in market
Please find enclosed and attached the recipe for The Christmas Tikka by Chef Shamsul Wahid, Group Executive Chef, Impresario Handmade Restaurants for your reference.
3. Chung Quing Pork Chop
By Krishna Tiwari, Executive Chef, Mediterranean, KYMA
Ingredients: Pork Chop - 250-350 gm, brown sugar - 40gm, star anise - 1, sweet soya sauce - 40gm, dark soya sauce - 5 ml, panda chilli - 15 gm, chinking vinegar - 15gm, Sichuan pepper crusted - 10 gm, sriracha sauce - 30gm, sesame oil - 15ml, butter - 10gm, spring onion - 4 gm, sesame seed - 2gm, salt to taste
Method:
• Heat the sesame oil in a pan, add pork chop and cook 3 to 4 mints or till it turns golden brown on both sides.
• In a stockpot, add water (around 1.5 L) and add star anise, dark soya, panda chilli, 10 ml chinking vinegar, 20gm sweet soya, salt and pork chop. Cooked till it gets soft.
• In another pan, add brown sugar and allow it to melt properly. Now add sweet soya, siracha chinking vinegar and other ingredients (all except sesame seed and spring onion) and cook for two minutes. Now add cooked pork chop and cover it properly with sauce.
• Garnish with sesame seed and Spring onion
4. Dundee Cake
By Chef Selvaraj Marimuthu, Executive Pastry Chef, The Westin, Pune
Ingredients: Butter - 1kg, egg - 10, caster sugar - 1kg, flour - 1.100 kg, black currants - 600 gm, baking powder - 10 gm, blanched almonds - 15 pcs per cake, whiskey - each cake require 75ml
Method:
• Add butter, sugar and whisk to a creamy consistency. Gradually incorporate eggs (to be at room temperature)
• Mix Black Currants, flour, baking powder together.
• Once eggs and butter are incorporated add the flour and mix.
• Grease baking mould with butter and pour the batter. Arrange blanched almonds on cake batter and bake at 180-degree C for 20-25min.
• Once the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and pour whiskey on top. Cool and serve.
5. Pulled Pork Dogs
By Urvika Kanoi, Chef, The Daily & Café Duco
Ingredients: Boneless pork shoulder - 500 gm, brown sugar - 3/4 tbsp, paprika - 1/2 tbsp, garlic - 1/2 tbsp minced, onion - 1 minced, cumin powder - 1 tsp, kasundi - 1 tsp, dried thyme - 1/2 tsp, pepper - large pinch, beer - 90ml, oil - 1 tbsp and salt - as required
To assemble: Hot dog buns, bbq sauce, fresh herbs and slaw
Method:
• Chop up the pork. Mix sugar, paprika, thyme, salt, kasundi, pepper, cumin together.
• Rub this mix all over the pork and add onion and garlic. Let it marinate for at least 6 to 8 hours. • Use a deep pan or a dutch oven that goes into the oven. Heat it up and add oil, add the pork mix and sear it on all sides.
• Add the beer and cover it up with foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 150-degree C for 1-1.5 hours. Remove foil and continue to cook for another 30 minutes - 1 hour, till the pork is tender and easily shreds with a fork roughly.
• Once cooked shred with a fork.
• Slice a hot dog bun and smear bbq sauce. Spoon in the pork generously. Top with fresh herbs and serve with slaw.
6. British Mince Pie
By Sheriyar Ruston Dotivala, Executive chef, Della Resorts
Ingredients: For pastry: All-purpose flour - 350 grams, unsalted butter (cold and cubed) - 225 grams, salt - 1 pinch, Egg (beaten) - 1, Water (cold) - as needed
For Pie: minced meat - 1 jar, confectioners' sugar - 2 tablespoons
Method:
• Place the flour, butter, and salt into a large clean bowl. Rub the butter quickly into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough sand. Stir the egg into the mixture using a cold knife.
• Add the cold water, a teaspoon at a time, and stir until the mixture binds but is not sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• To assemble the pies, preheat the oven to 200-degree C. Choose a muffin or bun tin for the size of the tart you want (you can choose from a standard 12-cup muffin tin down to a small canapé size).
• Dust a work surface lightly with a little flour and roll out 2/3 of the pastry to 1/8 inch thick. Cut circles to line the cups of your tin; don't worry if the pastry doesn't come to the very top.
• Fill the pastry-lined tins 2/3 full with mincemeat. Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness and cut smaller circles to fit as lids on the tarts or, to be decorative, cut stars or other fancy shapes.
• Dampen the edges of the tart bases with a little cold water and press the lids on. Make a small hole in the surface of each pie with a small sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (15 minutes if making canapé-sized ones), or until golden brown.
• Let cool and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
7. Plum Pudding
By Chef Paul Kinny, Culinary Director, The St Regis Mumbai
Ingredients: Refined flour - 500g, castor sugar - 1000g, egg - 10, unsalted butter - 1000g, bread crumbs - 500g, christmas fruit - 2000 g, mixed spice powder - 20g, black caramel syrup - 250g
Method:
• In a kitchen aid bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, flour, christmas fruit, mixed spice powder and black caramel syrup.
• Gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Grease quart pudding moulds. Empty the mixture into the mould.
• In a stockpot, add hot water and add the mould inside and steam bake (at 180-degree C for about 45-50 minutes) covered till a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
8. The Christmas Bauble
By Freny Fernandes, Founder & Pastry Chef, Moner Bistro & Dessert Bar
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Ingredients: For vanilla mousse: Whipping cream – 775 gm, vanilla – 1 pod, Callebaut white chocolate – 172 gms
For caramel apple: Apples – 600gms, butter – 60 gms, brown sugar – 60 gms, cinnamon – 6 gms, vanilla extract – ½ tsp
For cinnamon streusel: Sugar – 100 gms, butter – 100 gms, flour – 150 gms and cinnamon – 1 tsp
For red glaze: Sugar – 300 gms, water – 176 gms, glucose – 300 gms, condensed milk – 200 gms, Callebaut white choc – 300 gms, veg gelatin/agar– 22 gms
Method:
• For the vanilla mousse, heat 1/4th cream. Pour over chocolate & mix until homogenous. Add the rest of the cream and refrigerate. Whip mixture to soft peaks.
• For caramel apple, cut apples into medium dice. Sauté all ingredients together until apples are cooked & tender. Set in 2-inch sphere mould. Freeze.
• For the cinnamon streusel, cream butter & sugar just until combined. Add flour and cinnamon powder, mix. Rub with fingers to make pea-sized crumble pieces, freeze. Press about 15 gms in a 3-inch tart ring to make a circle. Bake at 180-degree C for 8-10 mins
• For the red glaze, bring sugar, water and glucose to boil. Add condensed milk to it and remove the pan from heat. Add gelatin. Pour over chocolate & blend
• For snowflakes, roll white fondant (1/4th inch thick) and use a cutter to make snowflake cutouts.
• To assemble, join the apple compote sphere to make round inserts. Keep frozen.
• Pipe vanilla mousse in sphere moulds about 3/4th way and press in the apple compote inserts. Smooth out with an offset spatula. Freeze for at least 8 hours and de-mould when ready. Place spheres on a wire rack ready for glazing.
• Heat the glaze to 40C and pour over frozen spheres.
• Place the snowflakes cut-outs gently on the frozen spheres once the glaze has settled
• Transfer the spheres directly over the cinnamon streusel base.
9. Gingerbread cookies
By Divya Advani, Brownsalt Bakery
Ingredients: Flour - 156 gms, brown sugar - 30 gms, honey - 60 gms, butter - 57 gms, baking powder - ½ tsp, baking soda - ½ tsp, ginger powder - 2 ¼ tsp, cinnamon powder - 1 ¾ tsp, cloves powder - ½ tsp, nutmeg powder - ½ tsp, green cardamom powder - ¼ tsp
Method
• Mix the flour, baking powder, soda and all the spices together in a bowl (dry ingredients)
• Cream butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy, fold in the dry ingredients and form the dough, wrap in cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
• After resting, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut using a cookie cutter in the Gingerman shape.
• Bake for 12 mins at 180-degree C
10. Turkey Croquettes
By Chef Abhishek Basu, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu
Ingredients: Cooked turkey (chopped) - 150 gm, unsalted butter - 30 gm, all-purpose flour - 35 gm, milk - 80 ml, chicken broth - 50 ml, fresh parsley (chopped) - 15 gm, dried rosemary - 8 gm, egg (beaten) - 1, Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
• Place bread in a blender and blend until soft crumbs form. Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.
• Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Stir flour into melted butter until dissolved. Mix milk and broth into butter-flour mixture; cook and stir until mixture gets thick, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool mixture.
• Mix turkey, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper into a cooled mixture. Form turkey mixture into balls. Place balls on a plate and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Dip balls in the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Press balls into bread crumbs until coated. Arrange balls on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and browned, 25 to 30 minutes.