From a creative standpoint, Christmas dinner is the most challenging of the holiday meals, the one that allows the cook to try something new.
I see Christmas dinner as a juxtaposition of the old and the new.
Steve Langlois, chef of Prairie Restaurant in Chicago, has created a Christmas menu in keeping with my convictions.
In his recipes are some accustomed ingredients for Christmas.
Take duck, Langlois` choice for the main course. For some Midwesterners it is the Christmas meal of choice, superseding turkey and roast beef.
Dessert strays far from pumpkin or mince pie traditions, but German-inspired schaum tortes are a worthy diversion.
Relishes are traditional in the Christmas meal, whether they be carrots, olives and celery sticks or pickled watermelon rind. This one is a typically Midwestern combination of corn and sweet red peppers. Roasting the peppers lends a slight smoky taste that is an interesting contrast to the sweet/sour effect of the vinegar and brown sugar.
CORN AND ROASTED RED PEPPER RELISH
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 2 days
Yield: 2 pints
1 large onion (6 ounces) peeled
2 medium red peppers (12 ounces total) roasted, see note
1 large stalk celery
3 cups fresh or canned sweet corn kernels
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon each: dry mustard, ground turmeric
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. Dice onion, roasted peppers and celery, cutting them into pieces that are the same size as the corn kernels.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large pan and heat to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 30 minutes from the time the mixture comes to a boil.
3. Transfer to glass jars and refrigerate at least two to three days or up to three weeks before serving.
Note: To roast peppers, stand them on a board and cut the sides off in four slabs. Arrange them, skin side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil 6 inches from heat until skin is blackened. Transfer to a paper bag and seal tightly. Slip off the skin when they are cool enough to handle.
A glistening, bronze turkey is brought to many Christmas tables, but according to Langlois, duck is popular fare for many Midwesterners. If you can shake the turkey habit, you`ll find that duck is a delicious alternative, especially when you`re cooking for a small group. Here, it`s accented by an intensely flavored sauce of cherry and Port wine.
DUCK BREASTS WITH PORT WINE SAUCE AND TART DRIED CHERRIES
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Sauce:
4 large shallots, peeled
2 cups ruby port
1/4 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 1/2 cups demi-glace, see note
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Duck and garnish:
2 whole boneless duck breasts
32 dried cherries
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1. For the sauce, mince shallots. Put in a 2-quart non-aluminum pan and add port, preserves, vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme. Cook over high heat until reduced to a syrupy glaze, 40 to 45 minutes. Add demi-glace and simmer only until the flavors are well blended. Sauce can be made a day in advance to this point, covered and refrigerated.
2. Split duck breasts and score the skin in a crisscross pattern, going all the way through the skin, but not cutting the meat itself.
3. Fifteen minutes before baking, heat oven to 500 degrees.
4. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron). When it is hot, add duck, skin side down. As soon as fat begins to accumulate, pour it off. Reduce heat to medium and return pan to heat. As more fat accumulates, pour it off. Continue cooking this way, always with the duck skin side down, pouring the fat off five to six times. Turn breasts over and quickly sear other side. Turn them over again and remove from heat.
5. Put skillet directly on the bottom of a gas oven or on the lowest rack of an electric oven. Bake, skin side down, just until the meat is pink rather than red, 3 to 5 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
6. Finish the sauce while the meat is resting. Heat sauce to just below boiling point. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, waiting until each one is melted before adding another. Pour through a fine strainer, add salt and pepper to taste, and set aside to keep warm.
7. Cut the duck crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. An electric knife works well. Pour about 1/3 cup sauce on each of four dinner plates. Arrange sliced duck as the petals of a flower. Garnish each plate with dried cherries and a sprinkling of chives. Serve immediately.
Note: Demi-glace is a highly reduced brown sauce. As an alternative to homemade, demi-glace concentrate, made by Minor`s, can be bought in many large supermarkets. Make according to the package, except do not add any additional wine that may be called for.
Schaum torte is a culinary reminder of the German influences that color Midwestern cooking, especially Wisconsin. In its traditional form, it is usually quite plain, with a large meringue split in half and filled with berries. Langlois has made a marvelously good and rich rendition, adding walnuts, ice cream and caramel sauce.
WALNUT AND CARAMEL SCHAUM TORTES
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Baking time: 38 to 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Meringues:
3/4 cup toasted minced walnuts, see note
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Caramel sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Assembly:
2 pints best-quality vanilla ice cream
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
Confectioners` sugar
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1. For the meringues, put the rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Generously butter eight muffin cups and sprinkle the inside with granulated sugar.
2. Combine walnuts, bread crumbs and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites until they are foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition, then continue to beat until whites are thick and glossy. Fold in the nut/bread crumb mixture with a rubber spatula.
3. Divide among muffin cups and bake until they are dry and light brown, 38 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan, then loosen them with a knife and remove from pan. Unless it is humid outside, the meringues can be made a day in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
4. For the caramel sauce, combine 1 cup water and sugar in a small, heavy pan. Cook over high heat until it is a rich amber color. As it is cooking, brush down any sugar crystals from the side of the pan. At the exact point when the color is deep brown, but not burnt, remove the pan from the heat and slowly and carefully pour in the remaining water. It will bubble up-be careful not to get burned. The water will cause the caramel to harden. Return it to the heat and cook until it is completely smooth and is the consistency of honey, then add lemon juice. Sauce can be made in advance and reheated on the stove or in the microwave oven at serving time.
5. For the assembly, split the meringues in half crosswise. Put the bottom half of each in a serving bowl and top with a big scoop of ice cream and a small dollop of whipped cream. Add the top of the meringue. Put strawberries around the side, top the meringue with whipped cream, sifted confectioners` sugar, walnuts and finally the caramel sauce.
Note: To toast walnuts, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until light brown and fragrant-
