Christmas dinner, obviously one can vary a menu based on one's preferences and those of one's guests; but here's a sample offering of what I might do.
Its based on Hors d'oeuvre, served to company as they chat in the living spaces; sit-down salad, main meal w/sides, dessert.
Christmas cocktail:
Cinnamon liqueur, orange liqueur, straight-cranberry juice, a hint of pomegranate and topped up with cold ginger ale for the sparkle.
Hors d'oevre
Caramelized onion, apple and (fresh) andouille sausage tart, served in an open-shell of puff pastry.
or
Cocktail meatballs on toothpicks, glazed in homemade mint, bbq sauce, and served with a chipotle aoili dip.
Salad
Mesclun Greens with thinly shaved red onion, heirloom grape and cherry tomatoes halved, 1/2 moons of English cucumber in a champagne vinegar and clementine vinaigrette.
Serve with white wine of choice, I like a dry reisling here.
Main
Striploin Roast Beef - well marbled, minimum 21 day dry aged, more is better; pan-seared in browned butter, then finished in the oven to medium rare.
Served with a gravy of pan-jus, blended w/garlic, rosemary, onion jam, good Tuscan Red Wine, beef stock, demi-glace, and finished with a squeeze of lemon, and nob of butter for that perfect sheen.
Serve w/red wine of choice, I like something bold here like a California Cab.
Sides:
Roasted Carrots, done in w/the beef, along side onion, soaking in the jus with fresh rosemary.
Haricot Verts (the French-styled thin green beans, only with the stem on, remove yourself), blanched for like 90 seconds, then added back to pan with pancetta, lardons, and pork stock*, and slow-cooked for 60 minutes, with a few beans added from raw
15 minutes before the end to add some crunch, and freshly crisped pancetta over the top.
Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, boiled in chicken stock with one bunch Thyme tied with twine, then drained, add lots of butter, a grated clove of garlic, freshly chopped chive and mash. Add salt as required.
Fresh warm Garlic-Rosemary Foccaccia for the bread. A good cheat is the ACE brand one, which comes frozen/par-baked.
Dessert:
Decadent Peppermint Dream Cakes.
A dense, fudgey Brownie as the bottom half, with a hint of mint extract and good vanilla, layered over by dense chocolate icing, with mint, then finished with a thin layer of chocolate ganache with a hint of cinnamon in it; dust w/powdered sugar; and served with chocolate painted mint leaves, and a scoop of your best vanilla ice cream ( I would recommend a brand called Belly)
* you may have to make your own; alternatively sub a good chicken stock, dark if possible.
