Trinculo's Cafe: Exploring the Epicurean with The Stray Gourmet

Ah, Yuletide approaches, and we have painstakingly assembled a true "Fete de Noel" - French Christmas Feast - for admirers of French cuisine. This collection of authentic French recipes will thrill the eye as well as the palate with your artful presentation and each dish's own distinct taste sensations. Wishing you and those you love a blessed Yuletide. Eat, drink and be merry!

FETE DE NOEL MENU MUSHROOM-CHESTNUT SOUP WITH ROASTED FENNEL 6 small fennel bulbs, stalks removed, halved lengthwise Extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter 1 large onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced ½ bunch fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped from the stem 1 pound white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped 1 pound oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped 1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, coarsely chopped 1 pound cooked chestnuts 3 quarts chicken stock ½ cup heavy cream Fresh chopped chives, for garnish Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half-way; season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender – the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame; add the onion and garlic, saute for 4 minutes until translucent. Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish for the soup. Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat and puree the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld or regular blender. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, the roasted fennel, and a sprinkle of chopped chives. BUTTER LETTUCE, FIG & ROQUEFORT SALAD For the vinaigrette: 6 TBSP balsamic vinegar ½ cup olive oil ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp sugar Pinch of salt For the salad: 1 head butter lettuce, washed, drained, and torn into bite-size pieces 12 fresh figs, quartered ½ cup crumbled Roquefort cheese at room temperature In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar with pepper, sugar, and salt. Gradually add oil, whisking continuously until vinaigrette has emulsified. Divide lettuce and figs evenly among four plates. Top with crumbled cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette. WILD RICE WITH SPICED TOASTED CHESTNUTS 3 TBSP unsalted butter ½ cup dark brown sugar 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp crumbled sage ½ tsp salt 1 cup roasted and cooled chestnuts, peeled and sliced or crumbled 2 cups wild rice, cooked Heat oven to 350°. Melt butter in skillet; stir in sugar, paprika, sage and salt. Add chestnuts; toss to coat. Transfer chestnuts to baking sheet and bake at 250° until lightly browned. Cool. Stir into rice, put in serving dish. POTATO AU GRATIN 2 cups heavy cream 1 TBSP Butter 4 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ¾ lb. Gruyere cheese, grated ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp white ground pepper Heat the cream in heavy bottom saucepan just to a simmer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a two-quart casserole dish. Layer half the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole. Cover with half the Gruyere cheese and then season with a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Cover with remaining potatoes and cheese and season again with the salt and pepper. Slowly pour warm cream over potatoes, allowing time for cream to settle between the layers. Cream should reach just over the top of the potatoes. Bake for 1 hour or until a small knife can pass through potatoes with little resistance. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before serving. BITTERSWEET-GLAZED DUCK The Bittersweet Glaze 1 cup fresh orange juice 1 cup strong coffee ½ cup Cointreau Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium heat; reduce by 90%; reserve. The Citrus Sauce 1 TBSP olive oil 2 TBSP shallots, minced 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups fresh orange juice 1 cup Cointreau 12 black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 4 fresh thyme sprigs 8 cups duck or chicken stock Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; add shallots. Sauté until tender. Add wine, juice, Cointreau, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley; cook until reduced by 90%. Add stock and cook until reduced by half. When duck comes out of the oven, add some drippings from the pan. Strain into clean container; season with salt & pepper to taste. The Duck 2 whole ducks Heat oven to 400° F. Place ducks in roasting pans. Brush thoroughly with the glaze so that each duck is entirely coated. Cook until medium (meat will be pink and run juice when tested with knife). Cool slightly and slice on bias. Drizzle citrus sauce over sliced duck and garnish with fresh chopped chives. FRENCH CHRISTMAS CAKE 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 cups sugar 6 large eggs 1 box vanilla wafers, finely crushed 1 7-ounce package of coconut 1 ½ cups chopped pecans ½ cup milk Cream the butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add wafer crumbs and milk alternately a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour into greased and floured 9 inch tube or bunt pan. Bake at 350° F for 1½ hours. Let cake cool completely before removing from pan. It breaks very easily if removed while still warm.