Order of Battle For the Cook's Christmas Day

Rather than consult a host of cookery books, or, infinitely worse, trust my memory, I like to print out a sheaf of recipes for the day and one or two preceding which I meditate upon during those clusters of moments when my frazzled ego screams at my dazed id: Fer gawds sake what comes next? Here is a sketch of one such. I will add to it to make it more complete:

Shopping List
Xmas 2006

Quantity	Unit	Item
10-12	lb	goose
1	lb	almonds
1	tsp	allspice
1/3	cup	bleu cheese
2	each	apples
1	qt	cream
2	lbs	bulgar
1	lb	filberts
1	lb	carrots
1	each	garlic
1/2	tsp	cloves
		olive oil
1	tsp	fennel seed
1/2	lb	pecans
1	bunch	Italian parsley
6	oz	shallot
1/2	tsp	nutmeg
1	cup	shitake
1	cup	oatmeal
1	bunch	broccoli
1	tsp	paprika
2	cups	buttermilk
6	slices	red onion
1	rib	celery
1 1/2	tsp	sage, thyme etc
1		curly endive
1		squash
12		eggs
1/2	cup	wild rice
13	cup	flour
1	lbs	brown sugar
1/2	tsp	ginger root
1 1/2	lbs	chicken breast
1		orange
42	oz	chicken stock
1 1/2	tbl	vegetable oil
1/4	cup	cider vinegar
1	cup	watercress
12	oz	cranberries
1		red pepper
6	cup	lard
12		red potatoes
1	tbl	molasses
6	med	onions
2	cup	sugar

Breakfast:
Popovers
Yield: 6 Servings

3 Eggs	1 Cup Cake Flour
1 Cup Milk	2 Tbl Butter

Preheat oven and popover pan (muffin tins) to 375°f. Beat eggs light in electric mixer or with whisk. Slowly add milk and flour until a consistency of heavy cream is reached. Add a dash of salt. Divide the butter into each cup. Fill with Pop over batter. Bake for 35 minutes.

Buttered Eggs With Sausage

1/2 Lb Ground Chicken	Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Matzo Meal	1 Tbl Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves. Smashed	6 Eggs
1 Tsp Sage	2 Tbl Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Thyme	4 Tbl Butter
1/2 Tsp Rosemary,Crushed	1/4 Cup Italian parsley
1/8 Tsp Cayenne

Mix Chicken, Matzo meal and herbs. Refrigerate overnight.
Make patties and saute in olive oil or schmaltz until done. Place on a serving dish to stay warm. Add a bit of oil or butter if needed. Crack the eggs into the pan. When the whites begin to set, add the cream and salt & pepper. Stir gently. When almost done, add parsely and butter.

Lunch
Crecy Soup
Yield: 6 Servings
Great British Cooking

1 tbl butter	20 oz water
1 lb carrots	1 tsp sugar
1 orange, juiced	3 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped	1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all purpose flour	salt & pepper
20 oz chicken stock	1 cup watercress, chopped

Cut carrots in 2" pieces. Melt butter in stock pot. Add carrots, onions and garlic. Saute for about five minutes. Add flour. Stir well and gradually add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sugar and simmer 10 minutes more. Remove from the stove and puree in a blender. Return soup to stock pot. Add orange juice and cream. Season. Reheat it very gently. Do not boil! Garnish with Watercress. OR, to serve cold: Transfer to a clean bowl and chill for at least three hours.

Christmas Goose

10 lb goose	1 tsp celery seed
1/2 lb apricots, dried	1/2 tsp cayenne
1 miniature Frangelico	1 cup hazel nuts, chopped
2 tbl olive oil	1 cup tart apples, diced
2 cups wild rice	1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped fine
2 cups bulgar	20 oz chicken stock
6 cups water	1/4 cup flour
1/4 lb butter	1 qt buttermilk
1/2 cup onion, diced	2 cups peaches
1 tbl caraway seed	2 tbl butter

If frozen, thaw goose completely. Soak apricots overnight in Frangelico. Preheat oven to 350°f. Reserve innards. Remove fat (Save to render) Slide finger or rubber spatula between meat and fat layer under skin. Carefully prick skin to fat, but not into meat. Brush with olive oil. Cover loosely with foil. Put 2 cups water in pan. Place bird, breast down, on rack over pan. Roast 1 hour. Pour rendered fat and water out of pan. Reserve. Turn bird breast up. Simmer innards on top of stove. Return to oven. Raise temp. to 400°f. Roast 1½ hour more. Cook wild rice and bulgar in water. Add 6 tbl. butter at finish. Chop onion, apples, nuts and parsley. Saute onion in 2 tbl butter until translucent. Crush caraway and celery seed in a mortar and add with cayenne. Add apples, nuts, parsley and stock. Simmer 10 minutes. Mix into rice and bulgar. Fill casserole dish. Cover. Bake 30 minutes at 350°f.When bird is done, set out of the way for 20 minutes. Then move bird to platter. Pour off fat. Save for later use. Deglaze pan with water from innards. Reserve drippings.Make a roux of 6 tbl goose fat and ¼ cup flour. Cook. Add pan drippings and cook til thick. Add buttermilk. Saute peach halves in butter until brown to garish platter and plate.

Turnip Yer Nose
Yield: 6 Servings
-ml- 1999

3 lbs turnips	1 tbl sesame oil
3 tbl cilantro, chopped	1 tbl sugar
3 garlic cloves	1 tbl sesame seeds
3 tbl rice vinegar	2 tbl Canadian bacon, chopped fine.

Peel and cube turnips. Boil til just cooked. Drain. Mix remaining ingredients. Add to turnips and toss to coat.
--ml
tags: Feast of Holidays, solstice, Christmas goose, Christmas menu