Something Different For Christmas Dinner

Tori Ritchie's Alternative To The Usual; How Does Crown Roast Of Pork With Calvados Sound?

(CBS) 

Apple-Pecan Dressing

Sautéed apples lend a note of sweetness to this dressing, while toasted pecans add a pleasing crunch. The dressing is the perfect side dish for our crown roast of pork.

1-lb. loaf sweet batard, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup apple juice
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
2 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, warmed

Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and let dry overnight. Transfer to a large bowl.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a deep casserole or baking dish.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add the onions and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bread.

Melt the remaining 4 Tbs. butter in the pan and add the apples. Sprinkle with the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 3 Tbs. of the apple juice and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 4 minutes. Transfer the apples to the bowl with the bread.

Pour the remaining apple juice into the pan, set over medium heat and simmer until reduced by one-third. Pour the apple juice over the bread mixture. Add the pecans, thyme, sage, the 2 1/2 tsp. salt, the 1 tsp. pepper and 2 cups of the stock to the bowl and stir gently to mix. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes. If the dressing seems dry, add more stock as needed. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, about 50 minutes.

Serves 10 to 12.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Root Vegetable Gratin with Gruyere

Enriched with cream and Gruyère cheese, this hearty gratin is a delicious accompaniment to our crown roast of pork. A mandoline makes fast work of cutting the vegetables into thin, uniform slices.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 lb. celery root, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
8 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
3 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg and heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Arrange a layer of parsnips, slightly overlapping, in the prepared dish. Arrange a layer of sweet potatoes on top, then a layer of celery root. Pour half of the cream mixture over the celery root, and sprinkle half of the cheese, thyme and parsley on top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and lightly press the gratin down with a spatula. Continue baking until the vegetables are tender and the top is golden brown, 15 to 30 minutes more. Let the gratin stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 12 to 15.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

[uzzisanta]

Grandpa eggs. Yaz take a buncha eggs and whip''em up really good. Then ya add milk and a bit a vanilla. Then ya put it in a steel bowl, and put the steel bowl over a pot of boiling water, and cover it. Grandpa eggs. With lots a salt and pepper? Its like egg pudding on toast.

[ssm9451]

We''re not having a Christmas dinner this year. We read that the food pantry''s are empty.

[sikuvitall]

If people could see how cruelly pigs are treated they would lose their appetites. Should, anyway.