Christmas 2017: Scrumptious dishes to make Yuletide delicious

Festivities are alwasys time to have the most elaborate feasts. And while there are those home-cooked delicacies which are to die for, we always wonder what have the 'professionals' have cooked. Chefs and health experts from across India share their recipes for you to try out this Christmas!

Christmas Plum Cake

Christmas Plum Cake

Ingredients

• Butter: 100gm
• Castor sugar: 90 gm
• Maple syrup: 80 ml
• Black jack: 10ml
• Eggs: 2 nos
• Flour: 110 gm
• Vanilla essence: 5ml
• 5 spice powder: 5gm
• Baking powder: ½ tsp
• Cashewnuts: 50 gm
• Fruits soaked in rum:  75gm
• Candid fruit: 75gm
• Raisins: 50hm
• Cranberries dried: 50gm
• Cherries: 50gm

Method: Cream butter, sugar with yolks, till light and fluffy,  beat whites & keep aside. Cream in the vanilla essence, black jack spice powder and maple syrup into the mixture. Fold in the egg whites and flour with fruits. Pour the batter into moulds and bake it at 170°C for 1 hr. (Recipe shared by Chef Vishal Atreya, Executive Chef JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.)

Plum Pudding

Christmas Plum Pudding

Ingredients

• Butter: 100gms
• Plum mix: 350gms
• Bread crumbs: 40gms
• Flour: 30gms
• Eggs: 50gms
• Wine: 30ml
• Brown sugar: 100gms
• Five spice powder: 5gm
• Vanilla essence: 5ml

Method: Cream the butter and sugar; add in the eggs, bread crumbs, essence, spice powder. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Line the mould with butter and sugar, pour mix in. cover with foil and steam for 2 hrs. (Recipe shared by Chef Vishal Atreya, Executive Chef JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.)

Christmas Roast Turkey

Roast Turkey

10 Portions

Ingredients

• Whole turkey- 4.5 to 6 Kg
• Soften butter- 300 Gms
• Thyme chopped – 50 Gms
• Turkey stock- 200 Ml

Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven. Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Position an aluminium foil tent over the turkey. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan.

Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.

Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. (Recipe shared by Chef Vishal Atreya, Executive Chef JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.)

Crispy Pork Belly with Sriracha Glaze

Crispy Pork Belly with Sriracha Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 kg pork belly/ 60 gms French beans
• For Brine (Soak Overnight): 1 ltr Water/ 40 gms Brown Sugar/ 40 gms Custard Salt/ 40 gms Soy Sauce
• For the marinade : 60 ml soy sauce/ 45 ml rice wine/ 30 gms brown sugar/ 10 gms garlic minced
• For the spice rubs: 2-3 tbsp five spice powder
• For the honey sriracha glaze: 60 gms honey/ 15 ml soy sauce/ 45 gms  Sriracha sauce
• For the cauliflower mash: 300 gms cauliflower/ 30 gms Cream/ 20 ml Milk/ 20 gms Butter

Method: Soak pork belly overnight in brine solution. Cut pork belly skin carefully, keeping in mind not to cut into meat. Marinate and then sprinkle five spice powder on skin after marination. Cook in a oven tray on a bed of mirepoix; garlic, white wine and pork stock at 350F for 45 minutes. Remove and glaze with the honey & sriracha sauce.

Cook for 40 – 45 mins in the oven. Remove and re glaze .

Increase the oven temperature to 400F and cook for 25 – 30 mins.

Saute French Beans in soy sauce and ginger. Check for seasoning.

Cauliflower Mash:

Cut cauliflower florets and cook in milk, cream and seasoning. Make a puree of the same. (Recipe shared by Liton Bhakta, Head Chef, The Daily Bar & Kitchen)

Granola cups

Rustic Granola Yogurt Cups (Makes 4 mini cups)

Ingredients

• Granola- 2 cups
• Plain yogurt- 4 cups
• Wildflower honey- 1/2 cup
• Blueberries for topping

Method: Mix the granola and honey in a bowl. Transfer a few tablespoons to each tart pan and press it down and up towards the sides. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees c. Cool the tarts on a wire rack for about an hour or until its completely cool to touch. Remove the granola tarts from the shell and fill it with the yogurt. Arrange blueberries on top and drizzle it with honey.

Toppings: You can add sliced seasonal fruits, drizzle of honey or handful of granola on top. (Recipe shared by Richa Talwar, Founder, ‘Sustenance’)