Good Morning.
I like the Brits. They are our closest allies but probably think we've gotten a bit dotty in the past year. The Brits have a sense of reasonable conduct, otherwise known as decorum. They wear big, colourful hats to weddings and horse races, have tea every afternoon, and bow or curtsy to the queen. They have pubs with madrigal-sounding names like The Dog and Bacon, The Widow's Son, and I Am the Only Running Footman. They also manage to swear like sailors and make it sound respectable. In any case, as a small token of my appreciation for all things British, I offer a traditional Christmas dinner that probably dates to the time of Dickens.
We begin with a Wassail.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 quarts apple juice
1 pint cranberry juice
1 tsp. Angostura bitters
1 cup rum
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. allspice
1 navel orange, sliced
Dissolve the sugar in the juices, then add the rest of the ingredients. A crock pot works wonderfully well. Simmer the wassail on low for at least four hours, otherwise use a big pot on the stove. Simmer, do not boil.
In the town of Woodstock, Vermont, there's a long-standing tradition called Wassail Weekend. It happens in mid-December and features a parade with beautifully decorated sleighs and horse-drawn carriages. The townspeople get dressed up in
period costumes, there are carol sings at the churches, and people go from house to house to sample the various kinds of
wassail. Woodstock may be the most beautiful small town in America. There are no fast food joints, no chain anything, and no convenience stores. Charming, family-owned shops line the streets including one entitled Who is Sylvia? that sells fine linens. There are bed and breakfast places, a couple of larger inns, and a variety of restaurants. If you go to a party, you're likely to run into the high school math teacher, the mailman, an attorney, a member of the clergy, an artist, and the guy who owns the general store. They all get along, imagine such a thing.
Next we have a Watercress Soup.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, rough chopped
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound leeks, white and pale green parts thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 bunches of watercress
1 cup heavy cream
In a large sauce pot over medium heat, warm up the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the diced potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leeks, raise the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to wilt, maybe 4 or 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes. Strip the watercress leaves from the stems and throw the stems away. Add the leaves to the soup and cook until they are just soft enough to puree, about 3 minutes. Put the soup in a food processor or blender and process, in batches if necessary, until very smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper.
Have Gwyneth, the maid clear the soup and present the Roast Goose with Chestnut Stuffing.
An 8 or 9 pound goose
Bacon
2 7 1/2 oz. jars cooked chestnuts
8 cups whole wheat bread, cubed
1 tube Jimmy Dean sausage
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound white button mushrooms - wipe them clean with a paper towel and slice them
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
Dash of salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
In a skillet, brown the sausage, crumble with a fork, drain, and set aside. Add the olive oil to the pan and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic for the last minute. Now add the mushrooms and saute them until soft. Place the bread cubes in a large pot, add the sausage, onions, mushrooms, dried cranberries, seasonings, and chicken broth. Stir with a spoon to combine well. Wash the goose and pat it dry. Stuff the goose with some of the dressing and place the rest in a casserole, or place all of it in a casserole. Place the goose on a rack in a roasting pan and lay strips of bacon over it. Bake at 375 degrees for 2 hours or until you stick the thigh with something and the juices are clear. Bake the stuffing in the casserole, covered, for 30 minutes. Not to worry if you haven't room in the oven; the goose should come out and rest under a nice tent of aluminum foil while the other stuff cooks. Reduce the heat to 350 to cook the stuffing.
Add your favorite mashed or roast potatoes and a traditional British vegetable, Brussels Sprouts Gratin.
2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups Half and Half
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs, fresh better
Boil the sprouts in salted water for 4 or 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for at least a minute. Whisk in the Half and Half and stir until smooth. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese, a bit of salt and pepper, and stir until you have a very nice sauce. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole and sprinkle the bottom with half the bread crumbs. Add the sprouts and pour the cheese sauce over them. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the remaining
bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes in the same oven with the stuffing.
The Brits make fabulous cheddar and there's also a great cheese called Huntsman that is half cheddar and half Stilton, the British blue, that would knock the knickers off this dish. Suit yourself.
And what else for dessert but Figgy Pudding.
1 stick of butter at room temp
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2 cups dried figs, stems removed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and molasses and beat well. Add the figs, lemon peel, buttermilk, and walnuts. Blend for one minute. Add the dry ingredients and blend. Grease and flour a 4x8 souffle dish and pour in the batter. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Spoon onto plates and top with whipped cream. God bless us, everyone.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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