So I subjected the four pack (what I call it when all my family is together at once) to a 48 hour Christmas bonanza. Don't worry...I've split it into a few posts to make sure that no one post is too...just...much. Because that's what Christmas was. It was WONDERFUL, GLORIOUS amounts of "too much"
:)
So let's call this one the "Christmas Eve" post. Let me start with I prepped for DAYS up to this point. Dough making....mix prepping....pickling jars....there was a lot. The plus side of this was the fact that when it actually came down to the day of, the whole process was absolutely stressless. Only a luxury of the unemployed (I'd like to call it "inbetween projects").
In the morning, we started with a Swedish tradition (I think...remember the theme was Scandinavian) of porridge and almonds for luck. The way that this works (again..I think) is that you make a big pot of porridge (oatmeal for all you Americans who don't have old English grannies) and mix one almond in so that you don't know where it is. You dish out the porridge to the family and whoever finds the almond in their bowl has good luck for the coming year! Hiding the almond was harder than I thought, but we mixed up the bowls a bunch of times and was grand. Best thing was...I got the almond! Woop!!!!
For Irish style porridge, like I made, you simmer two cups milk for every one cup oats in a sauce pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens. I usually add just a pinch of brown sugar and garnish with salt OR honey...depending on whether you would like savory or sweet. It was Christmas so, of course, I went with the sweet option. This does take a while, much longer than sticking milk and oats in the microwave for a minute. For me, it is totally worth it to take the extra time. Rather than grainy oats, the mixture is thick, creamy and smooth. I think most Americans are used to the instant microwave style oatmeal...I learned how to make it the real way while I lived in Ireland.
So the idea behind the evening meal was that it would be delicious (DUH), fit the theme, but be a "one pot" kind of dish.
So for the main, I made a beer braised pork belly. I got this recipe out of the Bon Appetit Holiday Issue (mentioned in previous posts). Just for the sake of space, I've attached the recipe from the website HERE. It turned out perfectly, and I did follow the recipe pretty closely. Because it cooked for almost six hours, the pork was so tender and rich (pork belly is very fatty). I would highly recommend this for any cold night, but again, as a one dish kind of dinner.
Since we didn't really have a big lunch, I did prepare a pickled herring spread for cocktail hour. This was a total experiment, but I love pickled herring and have been trying to do a dish where it acts as a centerpiece for a while. I also robbed this recipe from the Bon Appetit holiday issue. The mixture involved the herring, fresh chives, one finely chopped shallot, lemon juice and zest, sour cream, and dijon mustard (whole grain). I then jarred it and put it in the fridge for four days. The resting period is critical because it allows for all the flavors to blend and....essentially..."funks" it up a bit. Which, when you're eating pickled herring, is totally the point. All that wonderful funky flavor. It turned out splendidly, and was actually the highlight of the night. I served it on whole grain baguette and hearty sour dough. Any earthy, crusty bread would do. The zesty, bright quality to the spread was also a great contrast to the heavier pork roast.
As my Christmas gift, my brilliant mini-me of a brother went to his local Paso Robles wineries and paired wines with my Christmas menu. Two of the wines he bought were for the herring and the pork (consecutively). The pairing with the spread was a WONDERFUL Grenache Blanc blend (with Roussaine, Viognier, and Picpoul) and the pork was paired with a Syrah, both from Halter Ranch. They were both absolutely delightful, and totally revved me up for my trip out there in a few days!
I'll leave this one at that...it already is probably a little too long!
Until Part Deux....
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