Most folks keep it simple for the main attraction of their holiday meal, with some form of roast beast dominating oven space and countertops.
Sorry to break it to the carnivorous creatives, but there are only so many ways to make a holiday ham, turkey or pot roast stand out from last year’s … or last decade’s.
Where creativity shines is in the auxiliary dishes.
We asked two local chefs and a bartender to craft a side dish, dessert and cocktail recipe to complement any December dinners where the goal is to dazzle. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy titles (they’re written by artisans, they can’t help it) — these three recipes can be re-created by anyone who knows how to follow directions. The results will impress guests and yourself. They may even boost your confidence in the kitchen and expand your palate.
Galloway’s Cocktail Bar culinary lead Eli Heinz did not write a side dish recipe for the frozen-aisle diehards, nor the people who consider Applebee’s a fancy dinner joint. His “Polenta and Blue Cheese Bechamel” takes poetic license from the classic Italian boiled cornmeal dish.
Heinz’s polenta is shaped, crusted and cut much like a cornbread. Topped with a Gorgonzola bechamel, the absorbent polenta dons a funk that pairs nicely with the umami flavor of the balsamic tomatoes scattered atop it. Pomegranate seeds, charred corn and crispy prosciutto are optional garnishes, according to the recipe, but necessary flavor punches, according to this reviewer.
Nate Hansen, chef de cuisine at The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive, understands the crossover between breakfast and dessert. His “Æbleskiver with Pear Compote” could shine at 8 a.m., but for your purposes, you’ll want to serve this some 12 hours later, after people awake from their tryptophan-induced naps. First, let’s address the elephant in the room: What is Æbleskiver? A Danish dish of fried batter.
Pair — or should we say pear — this with Hansen’s fruity, spice-forward compote, and it’s the perfect burst of warmth to close the curtains on a winter meal. The pastries themselves are denser than a doughnut, but maintain an appealing fluff.
Foxhole Bar Manager Mackenzie Carter made such a crowd-pleasing cocktail, you’ll have to watch how many you suck down if you want to be upright by the time guests arrive. The “Jack of Hearts” is a refreshing and sophisticated holiday spritzer whose main characters are gin and rosemary grenadine.
Gin can be divisive, but it’s the perfect spirit to complement this herbaceous and bubbly beverage. Effortlessly classy and impressive in presentation, this cocktail could (and should) replace the champagne, wine or sparkling cider you bring to the table. Skip the liquor and swap the prosecco for sparkling water or club soda, and you can even serve this at the kid’s table.
Polenta ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2–5 ounces Asiago cheese
1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Polenta directions: In a medium pot, bring chicken broth to a light boil.
Add cornmeal while stirring, and immediately turn down to medium-low.
Stir occasionally until thick and homogenous. Should be able to see the bottom of the pot behind the spoon while stirring.
Remove from heat and add butter, cheese and seasoning. Stir until homogenous again.
Pour into a greased shallow pan. Smooth the top, and let cool to room temperature.
Once at room temperature, store in the fridge for 2 hours.
Remove from the pan once set in the fridge and cut into desired portions.
On a nonstick pan, sear polenta pieces on medium heat until a crust develops.
Bechamel ingredients
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces Gorgonzola
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
Bechamel directions: On low heat, mix butter and flour to make a roux.
Stir occasionally until roux is golden brown and smells slightly nutty.
Whisk roux quickly while very slowly adding milk. If milk is added too fast, the sauce will have clumps.
Turn to medium heat and continue to stir.
The sauce will noticeably thicken after a couple of minutes.
To test if done: Dip a spoon in the sauce. The sauce should stick on the spoon, and a finger should leave a trail going through the sauce.
Remove from heat. Add cheese and seasoning. Stir until homogenous.
Balsamic tomatoes ingredients
About 20 cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
4 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic tomatoes directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut tomatoes in half.
Place in a rimmed baking pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Chef’s notes: Toppings are optional. I added pomegranate seeds, charred corn and crispy prosciutto. All add some texture to the dish. This can also be baked in the pan it was set in until warm and then topped with the sauce, tomatoes and whatever toppings you see fit.
Æbleskiver ingredients
2 cups flour
4 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
Shortening (for frying)
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Æbleskiver directions: Beat egg yolks and sugar.
Add buttermilk to egg yolk mixture.
Sift dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture, stirring in between.
Beat egg whites and fold into batter.
Add a small amount of shortening to a Danish baking pan and fry dollops of batter for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Flip and cook 1 more minute.
Dust finished Æbleskiver with powdered sugar.
Pear compote ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspices
1/2 stick cinnamon
3 large pears diced small
Pear compote directions: Combine water, spices and sugar in a saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves.
Strain out spices. Return sauce to saucepan.
Add diced pears to sauce and cook on low until pears soften.
Serve compote on top of or to the side of the finished Æbleskiver.
Jack of Hearts
Ingredients
1 ounce rosemary grenadine (see below)
.75 ounce London dry gin
About 4 ounces prosecco
Rosemary sprig garnish
Directions: Add grenadine, gin and prosecco to a wine glass.
Top with ice and garnish with rosemary sprig.
Mixologist note: To make a dryer version, drop the grenadine to .75 ounce.
Rosemary grenadine ingredients
3-4 sprigs rosemary, removed from stem and roughly chopped
16 ounces pomegranate juice
2 cups white sugar
Small pinch of salt
Rosemary grenadine directions: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Strain out the rosemary and refrigerate.
Lasts about 10 days and makes about 2.5 cups.
