Julia Child is arguably the single best go-to chef when it comes to comfort food.
So when you turn to Julia for Christmastime or holiday options, you know you're in good hands.
Of course, a holiday meal can differ from holiday to holiday and family to family — especially when considering traditions, cost and availability, vegetarianism or veganism, food allergens and the like — but it's a non-negotiable that the recipes be festive and joyful.
With these wonderful options, Child supplies recipes that run the gamut and will certainly add a touch of holiday magic to your family gathering, no matter how or where you're spending the holiday.
01 Butterfly's Breath
This apricot brandy-spiked take on a traditional gimlet is a bright, light yet appropriately festive drink to enjoy during the holidays. It only requires lime juice, sugar, gin, water, lemon or lime zest and the aforementioned apricot brandy, which adds a certain je ne sais quois to the unique drink. Throw in some frozen cranberries to take it up another notch entirely.
Omit the gin and brandy if you're going spirit-free, but toss in a dash of apricot juice to best approximate the flavor.
02 Potage Parmentier (potato-leek soup)
This super classic dish is so aesthetically pleasing, so smooth and so flavorful that it might be the ideal deal soup to serve during the holidays. The ingredient list is pretty limited and the process itself isn't too challenging, which makes the end product all the more satisfying and enjoyable.
The recipe calls for russet potatoes, but you can use whatever you have on hand — and please don't forget to clean the leeks! Use vegetable stock and omit the cream and creme fraiche if you want to take this in an entirely vegan direction. Also, don't skimp on the lemon — it helps to really brighten the flavor and bing out some of the more nuanced flavor notes.
Prepare to have seconds (or thirds).
03 Steam-Roasted Goose
I know — this might be a real undertaking. But you'll just be making it for this singular special occasion and it might even become a new tradition, right?
Making goose on Christmas was once a standard practice. Soon enough, though, the Thanksgiving turkey made its way into December, seemingly displacing the now-often forgotten goose. But there's a certain bombast to making a goose and serving in the middle of your Christmas 'tablescape,' to quote Aunt Sandy.
Julia has some other goose recipes (one involving a foie gras stuffing), but I thought I'd keep it relatively simple with this recipe that features a really unique technique of steam-roasting which results in an especially crispy skin. It's pretty straight-forward otherwise and doesn't require lots of ingredients.
It's a heck of a centerpiece.
04 Christmas Pudding
Sometimes interchangeably called plum or fig(gy) pudding depending on which fruits are used, this pudding is (obviously) very holiday-friendly. It's really quite unique, too: It is a dessert that contains bread crumbs. Otherwise, it's a pretty simple mix of dried fruits (raisins and currants), with a sugar-spice mixture (cinnamon, mace, nutmeg), orange marmalade, some eggs and butter and a touch of almond extract. Toss in other dried or candied fruits, though, to make it your own.
You can also do a fun, show-y flambe moment with rum or whisky — or just omit that whole part and forego singed eyebrows. Up to you!
05 Bûche de Noël
Don't be fooled by the straight-forward ingredient list; this might be more of a task than the goose. It requires many steps and many tools . . . but it's so incredibly worth it. it's essentially a filled, rolled and frosted cake (or "yule log") that can be somewhat finicky to get perfect . . . but you'll be so thrilled with yourself when it turns out beautifully (which it will).
Serving this at the end of your holiday dinner is sure to elicit many compliments and wide-eyed smiles.
