How to cook a New Year's dinner and stay alive

The last thing you want to think about on New Year's Eve is cooking. If you could not merge and cook dinner for a few people still have, you can do it with the least loss. How - says the author of culinary courses Pinch of Cinnamon Maria Sorokina.

Yes, having access to the cookery of good supermarkets and fast food restaurants, the task of preparing food for several people can be solved without going into the kitchen. But in fact, if you organize the process wisely, cooking dinner itself is much easier than it seems.

First, you need to choose impressive, but simple dishes. There are thousands of them. Everyone is already familiar with Russian classics, but in the kitchens of England, France and Italy there are a lot of wonderful ideas that get along wonderfully at one Christmas table. I have not found a better main dish for the New Year than a baked duck. All you have to do is buy it at the supermarket, spice it up and send it all to the oven; in two hours the bird will be in perfect condition. And if you add honey and orange zest to the spices, the duck instantly gains a Christmas spirit. And no turkey, even if you tinker with it properly, will never turn out so bright and juicy. If you have the strength to go to the market and tinker a little longer, you can bake pork ham or lamb leg - to taste and appearance, they also turn out to be impressive. Another thing is if the format of the evening is closer to the party than to dinner: here you need food that you can take with your hands. "Sticky" chicken wings, and glazed pork ribs, and fried shrimps with garlic are perfect. Officially, with the separation of snacks from the main course, can also be set aside and just serve it all together, along with good bread, cheese and crispy salad - guests with completely different taste preferences will be comfortable. Secondly, it is better to do everything possible in advance, including the purchase of products. In any menu, most likely, cooking will be too much for one evening. In fact, only some things need to be done immediately before serving, and many dishes benefit a lot in taste, if you let them stand. This primarily refers to snacks: homemade chicken pate or hummus can be made literally half an hour the night before and put in the fridge to harden - before the hour, X will only have to break fresh bread. If there is a mood, homemade onion marmalade can be prepared even a week before the holiday: during this time it will only get better. Thirdly, do not hesitate to cook at a party, including with children. Most likely, they will only be happy to help and observe (choose what is more comfortable for you). Well, the most important and simple: you need to choose exactly what you want to eat this evening, and not try to please all the guests at once. And it would be good to leave for yourself the next morning something cool, like a piece of cake or a jar of pate.

Dinner menu

Option for a full meal: crispy toasts with homemade chicken pâté, onion marmalade and green apple. Then - roast duck with orange and quince, for dessert - spicy hot cake with ice cream. Everything, except a duck and a pie, can be made in advance.

Chicken pate with cognac and apple

In a large frying pan, heat two tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until transparent. Add an apple, continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Put everything in the bowl of a food processor. Return the pan to the fire. Melt another tablespoon of oil. Add liver, season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. The liver will turn brown on the outside, but will remain pink inside. Reduce heat and pour brandy. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Transfer the liver with the juice from the pan to the onions with the apple. Add cream and grind to a smooth consistency. Cut the remaining butter in small pieces and add to the paste one at a time, continuing to grind. Try adding salt and pepper if necessary. Cover with cling film and cool in the refrigerator (at least 2 hours). Serve on crispy toast, for example, with onion marmalade (recipe below) and a slice of green apple.

Red onion marmalade with thyme

Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or saucepan with a thick bottom. Add the onions, cover and cook on medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are limp and begin to fry. Add salt, pepper and thyme and continue cooking under the lid for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn brown. Add both types of sugar, wine, vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking without the lid, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes, until the marmalade thickens. Let cool and serve on crispy toast, for example, with chicken pate (recipe above) and a slice of green apple. For long-term storage, scald the glass jars with boiling water. Spread hot marmalade in them and close tightly with lids. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks or longer in the refrigerator.

Roasted Duck with Orange and Ginger

If you are using frozen duck, let it completely defrost (best in the refrigerator for a day). If possible, get the duck out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before baking, so that it warms to room temperature. Remove giblets from the duck and set aside (it is better to cook them separately). Rinse the duck carcass with cold water and dry well. Cut off the excess fat on the underside of the abdomen and set aside to prepare a quince side dish (recipe below). If desired, remove the bow (V-shaped bone in the upper part of the breast), then the finished bird will be easier to cut. With a wooden skewer, lightly pinch the skin on the breast (so that fat is easier to melt when baking). In a small bowl, mix the orange zest, ginger, white pepper, salt and oil. Rub the duck with the spicy mixture inside and out. Fold the wings back and lay the duck on the back in a baking tray. Bake duck at an average oven level at 180 ° C for about 2 hours. After the first hour, remove the duck, pour it with the released fat and return it to the oven. Repeat this 2-3 more times until the end of baking with an interval of 15-20 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven. Make sure that it is ready by piercing the leg with a knife or a skewer in the thickest place. Flowing juice should be transparent. Cover the duck with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Before serving, cut the duck into portions. First, cut the legs in place of the hip joint. Then the wings. Then cut the breast into thin layers. Serve with a quince garnish (recipe below).

Quince stew with fennel, nuts and raisins

Put the duck fat in a wide frying pan and put on a slow fire. Let the fat melt (it will take about 10 minutes). Remove cracklings. Increase the fire to medium-strong. Add onions and fennel. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring the vegetables until soft. Add quince, orange juice, raisins, sugar, season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat under the lid for 15 minutes, until the quince is very soft. Remove from heat, try. If necessary, add salt, sugar and pepper. Add nuts and mix. Serve warm as an addition to roast duck.

Spicy hot christmas cake with ice cream

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients of the dough (flour, 100 g of brown sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg). Add egg, milk and vegetable oil and mix until smooth. It should make a batter. Pour the dough into a deep baking dish about 24 by 18 cm in size. Distribute the dry toffee sauce ingredients over the dough (200 g muscovado dark brown cane sugar, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ). Cut the butter into small pieces and spread over the sugar and spices. Boil 500 ml of water and pour in the form over the dough and sugar. Carefully transfer the form to the oven, preheated to 220 ° C. Bake for 30 minutes. During this time, the cupcake grabs and rises, and the remaining ingredients are combined in a thick caramel sauce. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Arrange in small bowls or serving bowls. Add on top of a scoop of ice cream or pour in vanilla sauce and serve.

Party menu

Fried shrimps with garlic and chilli, spicy chicken on skewers, crispy pies with cheese and spinach and red hummus in chicory leaves. Caribbean grog and English chocolate-cherry dessert in glasses. Dessert and hummus do in advance, and the rest can be prepared right along with the guests.

Shrimps fried with garlic and chilli

Put the shrimp in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix. In a wide pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chili and paprika and cook for 10 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until they turn pink and lose transparency. Remove from heat, add parsley and stir. Put the shrimp in serving bowls with garlic and butter. Serve immediately hot, with slices of baguette.

Crispy cheese and spinach pies

If you use frozen dough, completely defrost it. While cooking the pies, cover the sheets of dough with a wet towel to protect them from drying out. Cut each sheet lengthwise into four strips (stripes should be about 8 cm wide and about 40 cm long). Heat a little butter in a wide pan. Add the spinach and green onions and cook over medium heat, stirring until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, add feta, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Put a strip of dough on the work surface. Using a cooking brush, brush the entire surface of the dough with butter. Put one tablespoon of filling on the edge of the dough strip. Roll the strip into a triangular pie. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough. To prevent the cakes from bursting during baking, do not wrap them too tightly (leave some space inside so that the filling can slightly increase in volume). Place the patties on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Grease each patty with butter on top. Bake at 180 ° C for about 15 minutes, until the cakes turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Red hummus with baked pepper in chicory leaves

Lay the halves of the peppers cut up on a baking sheet covered with a sheet of foil. Bake in the oven at 200 ° C for about 20 minutes (until the skin begins to turn black). Remove the peppers from the oven, cover with foil and allow to cool slightly. Remove blackened skin. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl of kitchen processor and grind to a smooth mash. Try, if necessary, add salt and lemon juice. Serve with lettuce leaves.

Lebanese spicy chicken skewers

In a large bowl or sealed plastic bag, thoroughly mix all the ingredients of the marinade. Add chicken, mix, close tightly and leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. An alternative is to do it in advance and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce, cover and refrigerate before serving. Slide the chicken tightly onto the skewers, leaving at least 5 cm free on each side. Arrange the skewers on a baking tray. Cook in an oven under the grill at 200 ° C (5 minutes on one side, then 5 minutes on the other side). Serve hot, with warm bread and cold yogurt sauce.

Cherry Chocolate Traifl

Cook the chocolate cream. Chocolate break in small pieces. Beat egg yolks with 75 g sugar until whitening. Sift cocoa in them and mix. Combine 300 ml of milk and 200 ml of cream and bring to a boil. Gradually pour into the yolk mixture, constantly beating it with a whisk. Pour the milky-yolk mixture into a saucepan with a thick bottom and put on a slow fire. Cook constantly stirring until the cream thickens. Remove from heat, add broken chocolate and mix until smooth. Pour into a bowl, "paste" on top of the cling film and allow to cool slightly. Cook cherry compote: combine cherries in a saucepan, 3 tbsp. l sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and add sherry. Slice a chocolate muffin a little thinner than a centimeter and make "sandwiches" with cherry jam. Place the sandwiches in dessert or plain wide glasses. Pour over the base with the liquid from the cherry compote and place the cherry on top. Put the cream on top and slightly flatten it. "Stick" on top of the cling film, put tribal in the fridge and let it cool completely and brew for 3-4 hours or night. Before serving, combine strongly cooled cream (300 ml) with powdered sugar and salt. Beat up to the consistency of soft peaks. Add a spoonful of sherry and mix. Put the cream on the trayfl and serve.

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