Dinner 2025

[Shelby]

12 hours ago, Duvel said:

For Christmas, we are alternating between our families in Germany and in Spain. This year we will be in Spain, so we „preponed“ our German Christmas gathering with my parents and my sisters family to this weekend. My fathers as well a little ones birthday was just the week before, so we had a couple of celebrations together. As a added benefit we met at my parents in the North and had some icy nights & mornings to get into Christmas mood …

 

 

I made classic holiday fare. Spice bread with whole foie gras …

 

 

A chestnut „cappuccino“, made from roasted chestnuts, cream, five spice and topped with milk foam …

 

 

Duck two ways: breast, dry cured and SV for 4h @ 54oC, then seared. Just perfect and served with a tart cherry sauce. Legs, also presalted two days in advance and SV 36h @ 70oC with thyme, butter, quatre épices and finished under the broiler. Classic dark duck sauce. Red cabbage, lingonberry jam and homemade dumplings from raw potatoes. In the heat of the battle, only little one made a picture of the mains …

 

 

There was pear schnapps as dessert for the men, any other (solid) options were declined due to being completely  pigged (ducked ?!) out …

 

No complaints 😎

I just love reading your posts.

[TdeV]

@Duvel, re: Spice bread with whole foie gras …

 

What was the spice bread made of?

 

[KennethT]

I got a couple of duck legs in Chinatown this weekend with the intention of experimenting making betutu (from Bali). Unfortunately, dark forces intervened and I lost a day or so.... I didn't want to waste them so I just slow roasted them in the CSO with a short stint at 400° air fry... with duck fat potatoes.

 

[rotuts]

@KennethT

 

would you share how you did those duck legs and potatoes ?

 

I have a CSO , and potatoes , and can look into a pair of duck legs.

 

that duck look perfect 

[KennethT]

9 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@KennethT

 

would you share how you did those duck legs and potatoes ?

 

I have a CSO , and potatoes , and can look into a pair of duck legs.

 

that duck look perfect 

Steam-bake duck legs on a rack at 275 for 1.5 hours.  After 60 minutes, slip the potato halves under the rack.  To finish, turn the CSO to convection bake at 400.  For those with the air fryer function (hello, Canadian CSO-500), use the airfryer; 5-10 minutes.  The skin was perfect, but the meat was a bit dry - but, I got the legs in Chinatown and they were very lean to start with.

[Maison Rustique]

Grilled turkey, Fantasma sugar-cured bacon and Pave cheese.  Finally had some turkey!

 

[YvetteMT]

Potato fish cakes with halibut.  And broccoli. 

 

I usually make a remoulade to go with but didn't bother, and didn't miss it. 

 

[Honkman]

Variation on Fideua with Chorizo and Tomatoes - chorizo is pan-seared until slightly crispy and removed. Fideo pasta gets seared in the chorizo oil until browned and afterwards gets cooked with onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, thyme, parsley and white wine in chicken broth. Finished with a little bit of sugar and lemon juice