Luckily, I was well enough to prepare Christmas and New Year's dinner. Since New Year's dinner was just a repeat of last year's dishes (see entry 1/5/13), I decided to share my Christmas with you. For Christmas dinner I made a Roasted Duck with a Cherry-Grand Marnier Glaze, Mushroom Risotto and Bacon Wrapped Aspargus Bundles. Yeah, yeah... So I'm a little late or just extremely early, but in my opinion Christmas should be celebrated every day of the year. Not because of the giving and receiving of gifts but because of those feelings of hope and joy that surround us during that time. And of course, let's not forget the food. The time of year where the word "diet" is cursed and banned. If only Christmas was year round. Aahh... to dream...
Roasted
Duck with Cherry-Grand Marnier Glaze
Serves 4Ingredients:
- 1 5-6 pound duck
- Kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 oranges, halved and quartered
- 6 peppercorns
- 1 large clove garlic, minced finely
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 cup fresh cherries
- 1 cup cherry preserves
- 1 cup Grand Marnier
1. Preheat oven to 425°F and position oven rack on its lowest level.
2. Wash, drain, and dry the duck cavity. Remove any visible excess fat from the duck.
3. Rub inside well with 1/4 orange before stuffing. Salt and fill cavity with garlic, oranges, and peppercorns. Rub outside skin with minced garlic, garlic powder, and salt. Truss with string. Prick the duck with a sharp fork multiple times so liquefied fat will drain off during cooking. Place duck breast side up on an elevated rack in a roasting pan. Roast uncovered.
4. Rubbing the duck’s exterior well with salt helps to crisp the skin.
5. Fire the duck in the center of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and cook for 2 hours. After the first hour, prick skin with a sharp fork quickly and continue roasting for another hour.
7. Glaze the duck during roasting by spreading over the skin. Test for doneness.
8. Total cooking time 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
9. Remove duck from roasting pan and rest in a warm place for 15–25 minutes.
For The Glaze:
- Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minute.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze onto the duck skin. Make sure all parts are glazed.
- In between every 20 minutes, remove the duck from the oven and baste the glaze and some duck fats onto the skin.
- Remove from the oven and let the duck rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced arborio rice
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
1. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about two minutes until it is thoroughly coated with the butter and toasted a bit. Add the wine and let everything simmer for another minute or two until the wine has evaporated.
2. Set a timer for 18 minutes. Add about half a cup of hot broth to the risotto and stir constantly until it is absorbed. Add another half cup of stock and repeat this process, adjusting the amount of liquid you add to the needs of the rice, until 18 minutes is up. The closer the rice is to being done, the less liquid you will need to add. Add the rosemary, thyme and a final bit of broth, if necessary, and stir vigorously to combine. When risotto has once again become thick and creamy, add the mushrooms and grated cheese and stir again to combine. Finally, finish the risotto by stirring in the heavy cream and adding pepper and salt to taste.
3. Serve immediately while hot.
Bacon
Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
Serves 6 to 12
Ingredients:
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed off
- 12 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Divide asparagus spears into 12 bundles (3-4 pieces each). Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting 1/2" from bottom of the tips. Arrange bundle in an aluminum lined baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the bundles asparagus and sprinkle with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then flip each asparagus over and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the spears have begun to wilt and bacon looks fully cooked.
Wine Pairing:
Frederic Esmonin "Clos Prieur" Gevrey-Chambertin 2011
The perfect wine with roast duck is a Red Burgundy (aka a French Pinot Noir). Why is that, you ask? Duck contains a good deal of fat so it's best to pair it with a wine that is fresh and has some acidity. It also works well with the red fruit found in Pinot Noir such as cherries and plums. I chose to pair this dish with a charming Gevrey-Chambertin that I received as a birthday gift from my boss. Thank you, Leo!
This wine is a sleeper especially for its price as compared to a lot of Premier Cru Burgundies. It has a lovely, dark berry nose with a whiff of floral. The fruit here is pure, supple and elegant with a good underlying structure. I found this wine to be racy and intense with fine tannins. The way I like it. Great balance and a refreshing finish.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and having an even, better New Year!
And as always, let's Eat Up & Wine Down... and don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and now on Instagram!
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