Recipes for a perfect Christmas feast
Prepare these dishes ahead of time to make the day easier
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Lifestyle expert Donata Maggipinto's latest cookbook is “Christmas Family Gatherings,” which features holiday recipes, and ideas on how to make the holidays memorable for you and your family. Here's her suggestion for delicious Christmas day meal, plus her advice for handling the cooking on the big day. All of these recipes can be prepared in advance so you don't miss out on the fun.
Donata's Advice for Preparing Christmas Dinner…
Clean as you go! Sounds like extra work (why not leave everything for a broad sweep at the end?) but clutter gets in the way of efficiency and only slows you down. Wash bowls for reuse or put in the dishwasher, wipe cutting boards and knives for reuse, and wipe counters as you go along, You'll be a quicker, more efficient cook. You'll enjoy yourself more, too.
Set the table in the morning. If it's the big day, this is a task perfect for delegating to an older child.
Plot out your dinner table. Set out serving dishes and place a sticky-note in each one indicating the dish that will fill it.
Don't spend time in the kitchen alone! People love to congregate in this “most popular room in the house.” While they're there “keeping you company,” delegate!
Serves 6-8
The meal's centerpiece is a roast prime rib with horseradish whip cream. This is a "stately" dish that is easier to cook than people think!
Why prime rib? By now, you've probably had your fill of turkey and ham from Thanksgiving and every holiday party in between! Donata says the Prime Rib adds sophistication to an already very traditional holiday meal!
Many people believe that cooking a roast is difficult. It isn't. The size may be large and therefore intimidating, but a roast is one of the easiest things to cook. All you do is season it and put it in the oven. And if you have an instant-read thermometer, you're golden! It's the surefire way to ensure a perfectly cooked roast.
Roast prime rib of beef is sometimes called standing beef rib roast. Here the roast is seasoned with thyme and cracked black pepper and served with savory Yorkshire puddings. To ensure the roast cooks evenly, bring it to room temperature. Allow 2 hours for it to come to room temperature before roasting.
Horseradish is a classic accompaniment to roast beef. In this recipe, I combine horseradish with whipped cream to complement the horseradish’s flavor and tone down its piquancy for the children. It looks pretty on the table, too.
INGREDIENTS
Prime Rib
Horseradish Cream Whip
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 475°F.
In a small bowl, combine the thyme, black pepper and salt. Put roast, rib side down (the ribs act as a natural rack), in the center of a roasting pan and rub all over with the oil. Press the thyme mixture into the beef.
Roast beef for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hors more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 115 degrees. Transfer the beef to a carving board, reserving the pan juices, and let stand 25 minutes (Meat will continue to cook reaching about 130 degrees for medium-rare). (When you remove the roast from the oven, increase the temperature to 450°F to bake the Yorkshire Puddings.)
While the meat is resting, make the pan sauce and the Individual Yorkshire Puddings.
To make the sauce: Before proceeding with the sauce, spoon 6 tablespoons of drippings from the pan; reserve.
Place the roasting pan with the drippings of medium heat. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
To make the horseradish cream whip:
In a bowl. Using a whisk or an electric mixer set on medium speed, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the horseradish, lemon zest, and white pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl and pass at the table.
Look for prepared horseradish in your market’s refrigerated section; it will be fresher than the one you’ll find in the condiment aisle.
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