Tis the season: Wine and dine with these Christmas recipes

Mumbai: Merry Christmas! It’s that time of the year when our house is donned in shades of red, green and white. The lighting shimmers all around the globe. We sleep every night with a new wishlist and wait for Santa to come and grant us of all these wishes.

Roasted lamb chops, Chicken marina, creamy plum cake pudding, turkey, adorns our dinner table.

This day marks the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. It’s his teachings and principals that formed the foundation of Christianity.  

This festival is a catholic practice that has been embraced around the globe and celebrated in high spirits.

What makes this affair so wonderful is its competency that let everyone be a part of this festival without any religious restrictions.

The Christmas dinner is a vivacious feast. The table is filled with delicacies that can make you go crazy for it. From gingerbread to cinnamon cookies and varieties of bread is something the feast begins with. 

Turkey or roast chicken is an important part of the fest, which is often stuffed with various kinds of meats. Plump pudding, classic Yule log cake, rum balls are definitely a must try.

Few facts that are really interesting about is that cookies and milk are specially placed for Santa and legends believe that Santa nibbles on these snacks. Not many are aware of this, but the concept of making houses from ginger cookies and biscuits gained popularity after it was included in the famous story, Hansel and Gretel.

A festival as royal as this is never complete unless we bring some ultimate recipes for your Christmas dinner from popular and renowned chefs of Gaylord Resturant, Mumbai.

These recipes are the best gift you need today to treat you family and loved ones.

Recipe: Chicken Marina

Cooking tender chicken is an art. This dish offers pot roasted breast and thighs of chicken cooked in creamy pomegranate sauce. Stuffed with mushrooms and spinach, it’s served with mash potatoes.

Ingredient:

• 2 pieces chicken leg stuffed
• 100 gms spinach
• 100 gms mushroom
• 1 pcs spring onion medium size chopped,
• Salt as per taste
• 5 gms mustard powder
• 5 gms pepper powder
• 5 gm oregano,
• 150 ml pomegranate cream sauce

Method:

• Debone the leg pieces, flatten it with a hammer, then take little oil in a pan, put the chopped mushroom in it.
• Add the boiled chopped spinach, mustard powder, pepper powder, oregano & salt to taste, after cooking it cool it and stuff it in the leg pieces, roll it and then grill it with little flour.
• Take some white sauce add some cream, brandy & pomegranate juice when the sauce is ready to pour it over the grilled chicken stuffed legs & serve.
• Chicken Marina is one of the most prominent dish on the special Christmas menu of Gaylord, Mumbai. Not only it is tender and juicy but cooked to perfection.

Recipe: Lamb chops

These juicy chops are slow cooked in an oven with a reduction of Espagnole sauce. To give it a perfect blend of falvours red wine is added to it.

Ingredient:

• 2 pieces Australian lamb chops
• 10 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 5 gms Mustard powder
• 5 gms Pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
• 150 ml Espagnole sauce
• 30 ml Red wine

Method:

• Marine the Lamb chops with salt, mustard & pepper powder & Worcestershire sauce, put it in the oven and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Take the Espagnole sauce add some red wine reduced in a pan and pour it on the cooked lamb chops.
• If lamb chops are your weakness, then this dish will make its space on your dinner menu.

Recipe: Plum pudding with brandy sauce

A meal is never complete without a perfect dessert and this one is indeed a treat that you can’t resist. This is a star of Christmas season served with brandy sauce.

Fruit mixture

• 50gm Blackcurrant
• 100gm Black raisins
• 250gm Tutti fruit 
• 250gm Orange & lemon peels (dried & soaked in syrup)
• 150gm Brown raisins
• 50gm Cashew nut
• 60gm Dry cherry
• 250gm Mix fruit jam
• 75gm Rum
• 3gm All spices powder
• 3gm Ginger powder    
• 2.5gm Brandy essence    

Cake mixture

• Margarine 125gm
• Butter 125gm
• Sugar 250gm
• 6 Eggs
• Liquid Glucose 15gm
• Caramel 50 ml
• Rum 30gm
• Refined Flour 250gm

Method:

• In a mixer cream the cake mixture in the traditional manner, with butter and margarine, sugar, liquid glucose and jam. 
• Slowly add the beaten eggs with the brandy essence and rum. 
• After thoroughly creaming the mixture add the flour and incorporate fully. 
• Lastly, add the fruit mix along with burnt caramel.
• Mix together at a moderate speed for 5 minutes and pour in 100 gm greased aluminum moulds and steam in a water bath for 30 min.
• Or place in the moulds in a tray container water and bake in the oven for 50 minutes at a temperature of 180degree Celsius.

Brandy Sauce

• 100gm double cream
• 300gm whipped cream
• 80-100ml Brandy
• A drop of Caramel
• Standard Custard preparation 200gm

Incorporate the above ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and whip gently.

Chef’s tip: Serve the plum pudding with the brandy sauce topping.

"This is our star dessert and I can guarantee you that no one can say no to it. Your Christmas isn't complete unless you make this," says Anthony Pereira, Restaurant Manager at Gaylord Restaurant, Mumbai.

All the recipes are contributed by Gaylord Restaurant, Mumbai