Let’s Talk Food: A Christmas meal

Christmas is this weekend and, hopefully, you decided what you are cooking to celebrate.

An English Christmas can include a rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and sticky pudding.

Yorkshire pudding originated in Yorkshire, England, and is made with the pan drippings from the Sunday roast. However, if the families were poor, the pudding was served as the main course, with gravy or sauce to moisten the pudding, usually drippings and blood.

Here’s a recipe for Yorkshire pudding from The Food Lab, which claims an overnight rest will make an extra-tasty shell and lightly chewy center.

Yorkshire Pudding

Makes: 8 popover-sized or 12 muffin-sized puddings

4 large eggs

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup beef drippings or vegetable oil

Combine eggs, flour, milk, water and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Let batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate batter overnight or up to three days. Remove from refrigerator while oven is being pre-heated.

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Divide drippings or oil evenly between two six-well popover tins or one 12-well standard muffin tin.

Preheat in the oven until the fat is smoking hot, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the pans or tins to a heat-proof surface and divide batter evenly between each well. The wells should be filled between half and three-quarters of the way.

Immediately return to oven. Bake until the Yorkshire puddings about quadruple in volume, are deep brown all over, crisp to the touch and sound hollow when tapped, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately or cool completely.

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The American version of Yorkshire pudding is popovers. They were given that name because during baking, the batter puffs up and pops over the baking tins.

Popovers

2 large eggs

1 cup flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour popover tins. If you do not have one, use six 6-ounce custard cups.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Beat in flour, milk and salt until just smooth, but do not overbeat. Fill half full.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperatures to 350 degrees and bake for 20 additional minutes. Immediately remove from tins or custard cups and serve piping hot.

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If you are cooking a Korean Christmas meal, this Korean barbecue paste, from chef Hooni Kim, is a must to brush on barbecued meats, as a condiment for lettuce wraps or as a dip for crudites. The three essential Korean sauces are doenjang, ganjang and gochujang and this paste uses two of those essential sauces.

Ssamjang (Korean Barbecue Paste)

Makes: 3/4 of a cup

5 tablespoons doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)

3 1/2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chile paste)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

1 1/2 tablespoons rice or corn syrup

1 tablespoon minced white onion

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon green onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients, whisk until combined well. Use the sauce immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one month.

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A Thai Christmas would be a nice change. This recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine is from Root Down in Denver, using pork tenderloin.

Green Curry Pork Tenderloin

Serves: 4

Tenderloin marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 (1 1/2 pound) tenderloin

1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil

Combine soy sauce, orange juice, maple syrup and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add tenderloin, press out all air and seal. Chill, turning once between four and 12 hours. Remove tenderloin from marinade and pat dry, discard marinade. Season lightly with salt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat grapeseed oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tenderloin, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about five minutes. Transfer to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 130 degrees, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

While the meat is cooking, make sauce:

Sauce and Assembly:

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil

1 medium shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup prepared green curry paste

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for serving

Unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot and garlic, stirring often, until softened, about three minutes. Add curry paste and lime zest and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is slightly darkened in color and very fragrant, about four minutes. Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 20-25 minutes.

Let curry mixture cool. Transfer curry mixture to a blender, add agave, lime juice, 1/4 cup cilantro and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until very smooth. With motor running, add remaining 1/2 cup oil in a steady stream, blend until sauce is thick and emulsified. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warmed through. Serve cut pork over sauce topped with cilantro and pumpkin seeds. Serve with jasmine rice.

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Merry Christmas, and may you have a wonderful Christmas celebration.

Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.