Planning for a Christmas feast? Here are three classic French recipes which have been given a festive twist
Christmas is a big affair in Julien Mercier’s hometown in Saint Etienne, France. The executive chef of Claudine, who moved to Singapore last year to helm the French restaurant, tells us that on Christmas day, his whole extended family would celebrate at their home. “It’s a potluck so everyone brings a dish. Someone always prepares a starter, another aunt brings a turkey, and a cousin brings the oysters,” he recalls, and the feasting would often start at 12pm and end very late at night.
The festive season and memories of Christmas gatherings back home have inspired Mercier to give classic French recipes a holiday twist. His foie gras, for example, has a touch of five spice, dried fruit and nuts, while the duck rillettes is made more festive with the addition of orange. Harking back to the time when he and his family would forage for mushrooms in October, which were then dried and used during the festive season, he also created the pâté de campagne.
“I tried to make these recipes as beginner-friendly as possible,” he affirms. Even better, these can be prepared well in advance, so you don’t have to rush on the day of your Christmas party.
Read more: The Best Gourmet Christmas Menus to Enjoy This Festive Season
Nougat de Foie Gras
Ingredients
- 1 foie gras deveined (500-600g)
- 40 ml cognac
- 80 ml red port wine
- Salt and pepper
- 30g pistachio (skin removed)
- 30g pine nuts
- 30g almonds (skin removed), diced
- 30g dried Cranberries
- 30g dried Apricots
- 1 pinch of Chinese five spice powder
Note: This recipe needs to be prepared at least 3 days before serving.
Method
- Three days before your gathering, marinate the foie gras with cognac, port wine, salt and pepper. You should use 12g of salt and 2g of ground pepper per kilo of foie gras. Keep refrigerated overnight.
- Cut the apricots into small cubes and toast the pine nuts and almonds. Mix all the dried fruits and nuts together.
- The next day, cut the foie gras into large cubes (about 5 cm) and mix it with the dried fruit mix. Add a pinch of five-spice powder and mix gently.
- Press the foie gras in an oven-proof terrine mould and cover it with tin foil. Let the mixture return to room temperature before you place it in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 85 degrees and place the terrine in a bain-marie¹ for about 20 minutes or until it reaches 54 degrees in the middle of the terrine².
- Remove the terrine from the oven. Let it sit for 1 hour and then refrigerate³ for 2 days before consumption.
Tatler Tips
¹ To create a bain marie, place the terrine mould in a baking dish and fill the dish with warm water until it is halfway up the sides of the terrine mould. This helps with temperature control and reduces the potential for overcooking.
² You will need a temperature probe for this.
³ To achieve a nice shape, place the terrine with weights after it has cooled down to room temperature. Wrap a piece of cardboard in clingfilm, place it on top of the terrine and weigh it down with your preferred weights (I usually use a carton of milk) before placing it in the fridge. While in the fridge, leave the weights on for 3 to 4 hours and then remove them.