MENU: Christmas Dinner 2018 - Raclette and GF Buche de Noel

When we host Christmas Dinner, we always serve raclette, which is both festive and easy.  I'm going to post the menu here, and links to all the recipes, so that others can copy it.  It's wonderful for New Year's Eve as well.

Raclette is a wonderful way to entertain because most of the prep work can be done the day before.

We like to start with vegetable-based appetizers since the meal is so rich.

Christmas Dinner 2018

Appetizers
Endive boats with blood orange, almonds, and quark
Carrot coins and green beans with Roasted Cauliflower Dip

Cocktails
Pumpkin Martini (using Sunshine Kabocha puree)
OR Pumpkin Maple Martini (using Sunshine Kabocha puree)
Guava Mimosa (using guava syrup)
Fig and Raspberry Christmas Cocktail (coming soon!)

For the Raclette Grill
Raclette cheese, sliced 3/8" thick
Red and white potatoes, par-boiled and sliced 1" thick
Raw Beef tenderloin, sliced 3/8" thick
Chipolata (or any other mild cooked) sausages, room temperature
Asparagus, lightly steamed
Sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Broccoli, roasted
Cayenne peppers, minced

Condiments
La Quercia Ridgetop Prosciutto
Fermented dill pickles
Raw Peruvian olives

Sauces (these are generally best made the day before)
Curry sauce
Coffee butter
Harissa mayonnaise
Pesto and Chive Blossom Aioli
Horseradish tarragon cream sauce
Roasted red pepper and balsamic butter 
Thai dipping sauce with ginger, garlic, miso and curry paste

White wine:
Tablas Creek Biodynamic Roussanne
J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling

Dessert: Gluten Free Buche de Noel

Buche de Noel
Almond pinecones
Chocolate pinecones
Meringue mushrooms
Dried cranberry 'berries'
Sugared rosemary branches
Sugar plum acorns with hazelnut caps

With all the leftover bits and pieces, I made Fire Cider.

The photo below is the table right before we ate with the sausages, cheese, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and beef ready to be cooked.  In the center, on the lazy susan, are the sauces.  In the upper left is the dish with the potatoes.

We use specialty plates for this meal with wells for the different sauces.  You don't need these plates to serve or enjoy raclette, but they do make it easier to keep the sauces from running into each other. 

The drinking glasses are all to the left of the plates because most people use their right hands to manage their food on/in the grill.  Don't put the glasses too close to the grill - they'll get hot!

Christmas Dinner 2018 - Raclette

Here's a photo of my plate filled with food:

We always serve more food than we need because we love leftovers.  Here's how I use them:

The leftover vegetables go into salad (the sauces make great dressing)

Potato Raclette strata  (using rosemary instead of thyme) 

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff, with steamed green beans on the side

Brussels sprouts with prosciutto and balsamic

Parsnips with pesto aioli 

Oven roasted sausage and potatoes