ENGLISH CHRISTMAS FEAST FOR SIX

You may ask what does a Yank know about a traditional English Christmas feast?   Well, not much the English might say, but for the past 21 years that I've been with my British-born husband, I've been cooking many English foods, including this menu.   At some Christmas dinners I've made another British staple  --  a joint of meat, specifically a standing rib roast of beef, served with Yorkshire Pudding.   My variation on Yorkshire Pudding is that I make individual popovers instead of one pudding which is then cut into wedges.  There is no question as to what vegetable to serve....it's always and forever Brussels Sprouts.  Again, I vary this sometimes maligned vegetable with sautéed or roasted small white onions or seasoned bread crumbs that have been sautéed in butter until slightly browned and then sprinkled on top of the cooked sprouts. Roasted pecans are also a nice addition to boiled Brussels Sprouts that have been tossed in butter and seasoned with salt & pepper. Even sprout-hating diners might give either of those versions a try.

The appetizer that I've chosen is not typically British but that's the Yank in me.   The rest of the menu should please just about anyone you invite to Christmas Dinner.

Broiled Shrimp with Tomato and Red Wine Sauce
Roast Goose with Apple and Sage Dressing
Crisp Roast Potatoes with Rosemary
Red Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans
Mincemeat Pies with Hard Sauce

Broiled Shrimp with Tangy Tomato  Sauce

Sauce

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until transparent. Blend in the mustard and gradually add the vinegar and broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.   Lower the heat and stir in the tomato sauce.  Cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes until sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened.  Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Shrimp

Wash shrimp, remove shells and de-vein, leaving the tail on.  With a sharp knife, slice shrimp in half lengthwise to within ½-inch of the tail. Place bread crumbs on a plate; pour oil into a bowl and add the shrimp coating well with oil.  Add each shrimp to the bread crumbs and coat lightly.  Place prepared shrimp on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to set on the shrimp.   Preheat broiler.  Cook shrimp under broiler for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until shrimp are browned.

To serve, neatly spread some of the sauce on each of 6 serving plates and place 4 shrimp on each serving. Garnish the plate with a sprig of fresh flat leaf parsley.

Roast Goose

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Remove any excess fat from the body cavity.  Prick the skin with a fork all over to help in rendering the fat as the goose roasts.   Brush on the orange juice, inside and out.  Sprinkle the orange zest inside the cavity.

Make dressing (recipe follows) and bake in an ovenproof casserole, approximately 13 x 9.  Add two tablespoons of goose fat drippings distributed evenly over the dressing mixture as it is baking.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes. If dressing is browning too much, cover dish with foil.

Place goose in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up and roast for 1 hour.  Pour off any accumulated fat drippings. (Reserve fat for roast potatoes - recipe follows)  Lower heat to 325ºF and roast 2 hours longer. Again, pour off most of the accumulated fat drippings and reserve if desired. If remaining drippings begin to burn, add a cup of the goose stock. The goose in cooked if the drumstick moves easily in its socket and an instant read thermometer registers 180ºF when inserted into the breast meat.

Remove goose from oven and transfer to a carving board.  Let goose rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.  Carving a goose is slightly more difficult than carving a turkey, so I recommend that you present the whole goose to your guests and then retreat to the kitchen to tackle the carving.  A good pair of kitchen shears is helpful in cutting the goose into serving pieces.

Gravy

Leave approximately 3 tablespoons of the goose fat in the roasting pan and place the pan on the stovetop over one or two burners on medium heat, depending on its size. Add 3 shallots finely minced and sauté for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of hot goose stock (recipe follows) and cook for 5 minutes, deglazing the pan and scraping up any browned bits in the roasting pan. Bring mixture to a boil.  In a separate bowl, mix together ½ cup red wine or Port and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until dissolved. Reduce heat and add this wine slurry to the pan stirring until sauce begins to thicken. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.  Strain sauce through a sieve into a saucepan and keep warm until needed.

Goose Stock

Add 4 cups of water to a large saucepan and add the goose neck, wing tips and giblets.   Bring to a simmer and skim off any scum that may accumulate.  Add 1 carrot, 1 celery rib, 1 small onion - halved, a handful of fresh parsley and 6 peppercorns.   For a more intense goose stock, add 1 chicken bouillon cube.  Bring stock to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for at least an hour. Strain the stock and use the clear liquid to make the gravy with the pan drippings from the roast goose.

Apple and Sage Dressing

Prepare herbed bread stuffing according to package directions, substituting apple juice for the water. In a large fry pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery and apple for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and nuts and mix well.  Let mixture cool before adding to the prepared stuffing mix.  Bake stuffing along side the goose while it is roasting.

Sautéed Red Cabbage

Bring a large stock pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a tablespoon of coarse salt, cabbage and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Boil for 6 minutes. Drain cabbage.  Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add the apple, and cook until softened. Mix in the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and clove. Add the cooked cabbage and combine with the liquids.  Cook until cabbage is crisp tender, stirring frequently for approximately 10 minutes.

Crisp Roast Potatoes with Rosemary

Coat potato chunks with goose fat and minced rosemary. Place potatoes in a shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet pan with sides and roast for approximately one hour in a 350ºF oven until potatoes are browned and crisp roasted. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve as soon as possible.

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

Wash and trim the ends.  If sprouts are large, cut in half.  Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large sauce pan and cook the sprouts until them are crisp tender. Drain well and transfer sprouts to a serving dish.  In the meantime, melt the butter and sauté the nuts for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add butter and nuts to the sprouts and toss lightly to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mincemeat Pies with Hard Sauce

Prepare at least 7 days before needed

In a large ceramic or glass bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients together in the order as listed.  Keep covered in the refrigerator and stir the mixture daily for at least 7 days, up to 10 days. The yield will be sufficient to make two 10" double crust pies, or up to 24 individual pies using a muffin tin lined with pastry dough. If making individual mince pies, be sure to make a few slits in the top, just as you would if making larger pies. For a shiny crust, brush each pie or individual pies with an egg wash (whole egg beaten with a teaspoon of water).  If not making your own pie crust, purchase Pillsbury ready made pie crusts which you can easily find in the refrigerated section of any supermarket.  The box is red and contains two pie crusts, ready to be formed into your pie pan or if making individual mince pies, cut a a circle of pie crust to fit inside each muffin tin, plus a small circle of pie crust dough to fit on top of each individual pie.  You will need at least 3 packages of ready made pie crust.

Bake pies in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until crusts are golden brown.  Remove large or individual pies from oven and let cool on a rack.  Mince pies are best served medium warm with a large dollop of Hard Sauce (recipe follows).

Hard Sauce

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add nutmeat, Cognac and vanilla and mix again until well combined.  Transfer butter mixture evenly into a  container with a cover. Refrigerate until hard sauce is firm.  Serve a dollop with  warm mince pie or Plum Pudding.  Hard sauce should melt slightly on top of the warm pie or pudding.

Shopping Check List of Ingredients

Produce

Fresh Herbs & Spices

Meats/Seafood

Packaged/Canned goods and Miscellaneous

_{Copyright © 2006 Ann Hall Every, CCP}