12+ courses!
Just the four of us this year, but I did want it to be extra special, for so many reasons.
Planning was part of the enjoyment and preparation was key if the night itself was to be as much fun for me as my family. I prepared as much as I could ahead of time, and made a promise to myself to enlist help at the earliest inkling. I've attended dinners where hosts slave in the kitchen and there is an air of resentment... who wants an angry meal on Christmas Eve?
I designed a menu of courses for elegance and simplicity and high impact and am so pleased with how everything turned out!
- Absinthe served at the fountain.
- Amuse bouche of blushing pickled eggs with capers, garnished with parmesan crisps and served on Chinese soup spoons
- H'ordeurves of endive with candied walnut & gorgonzola, garnished with pomegranate seeds, arranged in a circular burst as a flower
- Beet soup, garnished with lemon zest, kefir yoghurt and tarragon; served in white bowls to be sipped from antique silver soup spoons
- Salad of greens with heirloom tomatoes and golden beets, drizzled with balsamic vinegar
- Appetizer mezze of pea spread with smoked feta, served with onion flatbread crisps
- Scallops, pan seared and dotted with black garlic jelly and served with lemon wedges
- Chicken (brined) and wrapped in prosciutto, served with cranberry and kiwi relish
- Palate cleanser of lemon sorbet and prosecco
- Beef sirloin, with farro and cauliflower
- Cheese course: guinness cheddar / chevre / iberico with rosemary / gorgonzola / Langrese AOC (Champagne region), with jellies and nuts and dried fruit
- Dessert, beautiful tarts from McKewan's patisserie
- Mignardise, of a single chocolate truffle
- Digestiv / pousse cafe / liqueur
Festive water was on the table, in a clear jug with free floating lime circles and pomegranate seeds; a swirl of colour.
To keep wine pairing simple I stuck with a progression of sparkling white / pinot gris / pinot noir / liqueur, rather than picking something specific for each course.
Things went mostly according to plan, with a few small hiccups. Timing was impeccable until we got to the palate cleanser when the sorbet was so frozen solid we couldn't spoon it out. So we skipped ahead to the beef, which wasn't quite done yet and had to be returned to the oven for a quick broil. We lost the rhythm then, and just didn't have the appetite for the cheese course, so saved it for another day and went straight to dessert!
Savoured ahead of time in anticipation, enjoyed in the present, and preserved as a memory. The perfect holiday meal.
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