Christmas Dinner

[blueboy]

 

[jymmiejamz]

Walnut Negroni? Like with Frangelico or Amareto? or something? Curious…

So I had one at a bar in LA that was just not good, but I liked the idea of it. The one I had in LA was made with toschi nocello and was just way too sweet. I make a regular Negroni and add two to three dashes of black walnut bitters

 

[hillstrubl]

View attachment 26308

F%$#ing love lobster. Frohe Weihnachten!

 

[rocky]

Only have one son home for Christmas as the other is with his GF’s family this year….That’s a first for us but it was bound to happen sometime….

But they’re coming here on Boxing Day.

Steaks marinating for Christmas Day.

 

[Nick&Nora]

Nick & Nora, how do you go about cooking the goose? In my estimate one of the toughest game birds to cook.

The first time I cooked one was the first Christmas I hosted my parents. We had a too-small oven, and when the fat splattered, our apartment could easily have been mistaken for a tire fire. Fortunately, the cook at the bar downstairs was kind enough to finish it for us.

So, now, I remove as much visible fat as possible (and render it later). I try to separate the skin from the bird as much as possible, which I also do with chicken. I carefully prick the skin in areas with a lot of fat so that it exits the bird in a pretty controlled manner. Our family recipe is all about tons of caraway and salt, but you can go any direction you want, obviously. Season it inside and out, and I generally lightly stuff it with some aromatics.

I put the goose breast side down on a rack. Pour hot water in the bottom of the pan, making sure it's below the rack. Cook at about 375 for 40 minutes or so, then flip it over and roast for another 60, 90, 110 minutes depending on the size. I aim for a thigh temperature of 180. Tent it and let it rest for a bit. You may have to top up the water in the pan as it cooks away. At the end, it'll be a mix of water and plenty of goose fat, which you can also render slowly to boil out the water.

My great grandmother's recipe from the farm in Nebraska, presumably influenced from her bohemian roots, has you pour boiling water over the bird to before cooking it at a higher temperature, and for longer. I've tried the boiling water, and I'm not sure it makes much difference.

I've seen recipes where you remove the breasts part way through and just crisp them in a pan when the rest of the bird is done, and frankly, that's probably a great way to do it.

 

[evilfij]

Yumm

 

[javelinadave]

Kosher Chinese food and a nice sampling of desserts. I fail to take any pictures.

 

[MountainD]

My mom threw a party, loads of food.

Here is the thing. She is 90, and a widower. Fawking smart as a tack, graduated with 2 degrees from Univ of Chicago at 17 in math and chemistry (being a woman, in 1949 at the time, a rather chauvinistic environment) and still rocks 11 person parties without plastic cups or paper plates. Not a great pick to show the spread. Yeah. Thankful this year… for a mom like THAT!

Her side-eyeing me for making a fuss about if she needs help…