Coming together with family and friends has to be one of my
favorite parts of Christmas. The other favorite part of the holiday
is cooking the big meal. In our family, those who attend the
celebration contribute side dishes and desserts, and the host
contributes the main course.
Coming together with family and friends has to be one of my favorite parts of Christmas. The other favorite part of the holiday is cooking the big meal. In our family, those who attend the celebration contribute side dishes and desserts, and the host contributes the main course.
In the same tradition, today’s paper features collaboration columns from Elizabeth Gage and myself, in which we create a whole feast.
When people come together for a celebration, their favorite dish may be representative of their rich heritage. Our collaboration will yield an Anglo-Italian fusion meal.
The first appetizer is one of the most traditional items that reminds many people of Christmas: chestnuts. According to Tom Wahl, author of “The Chestnut Grower’s Primer,” chestnuts have been cultivated as a commercial crop for more than 5,000 years.
The United States imports about 40 million pounds of chestnuts and produces less than 1 million pounds of chestnuts annually. That works out to be about one-tenth of a pound of chestnuts consumed by each person in the United States, making chestnuts a relatively unconsumed product.
Now that the new crop of chestnuts is in, consider roasting chestnuts not just on an open fire but on the grill.
The second appetizer is part of the Italian culture but with a slight seasonal twist. Made of dense fresh bread, bruschetta is one of the simplest appetizers to prepare. Bruschetta is toasted or grilled slices of bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and a light dusting of salt and fresh-cracked pepper.
Although tomato and basil can be found in most supermarkets year-round, they’re not of the best quality this time of year.
For this meal, however, Elizabeth and I had to think through it. Seasonal produce and flavors were important in creating something new, Late Fall Bruschetta.
Instead of tomato, we will use fuyu persimmon. In addition, we wanted to balance the flavors with a soft and mild goat cheese. If you desire, the persimmon may be substituted with an apple, and the goat cheese may be substituted with fresh mozzarella.
You may also choose to grill one side of the bread, and when you start to toast the opposite side, add the fruit and cheese to the side that has already been toasted. This will slightly warm the fruit and slightly melt the cheese.
The main dish is the focus of any meal, but that’s especially true during the holidays. One main dish that is gaining popularity is prime rib. Also known as rib roast, this main dish is in the English Christmas tradition, which calls for oven-roasting the prime rib. The roast drippings are collected for Yorkshire pudding. Find out more about Yorkshire pudding in Elizabeth’s column on the front page of the Lifestyles section.
The nice thing about preparing these courses of the meal is multi-tasking on the grill. Toast the bread on one side of the grill while the roast is direct-searing on the opposite side of the grill. When the heat is changed for indirect grilling, the concentrated heat will be perfect for roasting the chestnuts.
Grilled Chestnuts
Serves 10
30 chestnuts
Step 1: Rinse chestnuts in cool water and dry. Use a knife to score the flat bottom of the nutshell with an X. This will allow the steam to escape and prevent exploding.
Step 2: Place chestnuts on the grill directly over the heat of the coals or gas flame. If you are roasting a prime rib, cover the grill to allow the roast to continue cooking. Roast for 10 minutes.
Step 3: After the first 10 minutes, turn the chestnuts over and continue roasting for an additional 10 minutes.
Step 4: When chestnuts are done, they should be soft but firm. Remove from the heat and cool slightly to prevent burning your fingers. Remove the outer shell when the chestnuts are still warm.
Late Fall Bruschetta
by Elizabeth Gage and Mitch Mariani
Serves 10
20 slices of baguette, approximately 1/2- to 3/4–inch thick
2 fuyu persimmons, peeled, cored of seed and sliced (or apples)
8 ounces of soft goat cheese (or fresh mozzarella)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Step 1: Toast both sides of the sliced baguette, approximately 1 minute per side depending upon heat from the grill.
Step 2: Layer the persimmon and cheese on top of the toasted bread.
Step 3: Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the prepared bruschetta just before serving.
Grilled Prime Rib
by Mitch Mariani
Serves 15
Approximate cooking time: 70-80 minutes, depending on heat
Prime rib roast, about 15 pounds
1/3 cup course salt
1/4 cup course pepper
Step 1: Remove the prime rib roast from the refrigerator and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for about 60 to 90 minutes. Mix the salt and pepper and sprinkle on the roast.
Step 2: Prepare the grill. Preheat all of the grill surface area of the gas grill. For charcoal, construct a tower of about 30 pieces of charcoal in the center of the charcoal grill grate, light the charcoal and allow them to ash, then spread them for direct grilling.
Step 3: Sear each side of the prime rib roast over direct heat. Each side should not have direct heat for more than 3 minutes. Transfer the prime rib roast to a disposable roasting pan with a rack. Make sure the part of the roast with the thickest fat is facing up. In this position, the roast will self-base itself.
Step 4: If you are using a gas grill, turn off the burner where the roasting pan will sit. If cooking over charcoal, move the heated charcoal to opposite ends of the charcoal grill grate and add an additional 10 to 14 pieces of charcoal to each side. Make sure all vents are open to allow air circulation. Place the roasting pan with the prime rib roast directly over the part of the grill without the direct heat and cover the grill with the lid.
Step 5: After 1 hour of grilling, add five pieces of charcoal to each pile.
Step 6: Continue grilling the prime rib roast until the center is 135 degrees.
Step 7: After the prime rib roast is off of the grill, tent it with foil to keep it warm. Allow the the prime rib roast to sit for 20 to 25 minutes prior to slicing
