A 1780 Festive Christmas Feast in a French Vineyard Mansion
The long oak table in the château's dining hall was laden with delicious offerings for the Christmas feast. The vineyard owner's family gathered together, wearing their holiday best. The children's eyes widened at the spread - plates of oysters, bowls of consommé with sherry, a whole poached salmon decorated festively.
The main event was a grand bouef en daube, made from prized cattle raised on the estate. The beef was braised with red wine, onions, mushrooms, bacon and herbs for hours until meltingly tender. It was served with roasted potatoes and a red wine reduction sauce. A salad of winter greens from the greenhouse provided brightness.
A buche de Noel cake drizzled with chocolate completed the meal. Father Jacques led the family in prayer and blessings for the meal. The children laughed and played as the adults enjoyed the food, wine and joyous atmosphere. Truly, a wonderful Christmas feast celebrating the season.
Oysters on the Half Shell
Ingredients:
12 fresh oysters
Lemon wedges
Cracked black pepper
Hot sauce
Lemon juice
Instructions:
Shuck oysters carefully leaving on the deep shell. Discard flat shell.
Arrange oysters over ice on a platter.
Garnish with lemon wedges, cracked black pepper, and hot sauce.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over oysters before serving.
Consommé with Sherry
Ingredients:
6 cups beef or chicken stock
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1⁄4 cup dry sherry
Instructions:
In a pot, combine stock, vegetables, and herbs. Simmer 30 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Return broth to pot and simmer 15 minutes more.
Stir in sherry just before serving.
Poached Salmon
Ingredients:
2 lb salmon fillet
3 cups white wine
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
5 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Place all ingredients except salmon in a pan. Add enough water to mostly submerge salmon.
Bring poaching liquid to a gentle simmer.
Add salmon fillet, skin side down. Poach 7-10 minutes until opaque.
Remove salmon and serve garnished with lemon slices.
Bouef en Daube - French Braised Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs beef chuck, cubed
1 bottle red wine
2 onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
10 white mushrooms, halved
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 strips bacon, chopped
Flour, oil and seasoning
Instructions:
Coat beef in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown the meat in batches in hot oil.
Add wine, vegetables, tomato paste and herbs. Bring to a boil then simmer 2-3 hours until tender.
Remove bay leaves. Adjust seasoning and serve stew over potatoes.
Buche de Noel - Yule Log Cake
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
Powdered sugar
Chocolate buttercream
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a jelly roll pan and line with parchment.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in vanilla.
Whisk egg whites with salt into soft peaks. Fold 1/3 into yolk mixture, then fold in remaining whites.
Fold in flour and cocoa powder. Spread onto prepared pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Loosen from pan and roll up in towel to cool.
Unroll, spread with buttercream and re-roll. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Read about this family in the book: Templar Freemason: The Circle Completes
Also check out the video Secret Bloodline: French Christmas Feast Shrouded in Danger, protected by lineage of Templar Knights
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