christmas Recipe

Red ribbons, bells, a Christmas tree, and lots of amazing food, Christmas is just a few days away. It is the time of the year when everything around us is merry!  Nothing can be merrier and exciting than celebrating Christmas over scrumptious dishes with your family and friends. Executive Chef Abhijeet Thakre, Taj City Centre Gurugram, is ready to brighten up your ‘much-needed’ celebration with his Christmas special delicacies.

 YULE LOG

 INGREDIENTS

For the cake

For the icing

METHOD

Preparing the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until thick and peaking and while whisking sprinkle 50 gms caster sugar.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining caster sugar until the mixture is thick. Add the vanilla extract, sieve the cocoa powder over and fold both in.
4. Lighten the yolk mixture with a couple of dollops of the egg white folded in. Fold in the remaining whites.
5. Line a Swiss roll tin with butter paper.
6. Pour in the cake batter and bake for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

 Icing

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and let it cool.
2. Put the icing sugar into a processor and blitz to remove lumps, add the butter and process until smooth. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and the tablespoon of vanilla extract and pulse again to make a smooth icing.

Assembling the Yule Log

1. On a large sheet of butter paper, place the chocolate cake. Trim the edges.
2. Spread some of the icings thinly, going right out to the edges. Roll tightly to form the log.
3. Spread the icing all over the Yule logo and create a wood-like texture.
4. Serve

ROAST TURKEY

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1. Rinse the turkey inside and out with water. Pat with a kitchen towel to dry.
2. Mix lemon juice, carrots, onions, rosemary, and seasoning in a bowl. Marinate the turkey well and set aside for 3 hrs in the refrigerator.
3. Stuff the turkey with onion, parsley, carrots, and celery and tie using a kitchen string. Place the turkey in a baking pan and cover with foil
4. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Cook the turkey on medium in a pre-heated oven for about 2 hrs at 350 degrees.
6. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cook for another 30 mins.
7. Once cooked, remove the foil and cook for 15 mins at 500 degrees. Baste the turkey with its own fat during this time.
8. Allow the turkey to rest for an hour.

Making Turkey Gravy

1. Scrape off the drippings from the baking pan and put them into a saute pan.
2. Adjust seasoning, blend it inside a blender, strain & serve hot with turkey.

DUNDEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1. Soak raisins, orange peel, crushed almonds, lemon rind, and orange rind with rum for 4 hours.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until light.
3. Combine flour with baking powder and fold into the wet mixture.
4. Add in the soaked fruits.
5. Spread the batter into a foil-lined round baking pan. Arrange the blanched almonds on top.
6. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for about 1 ½ hour , until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.
7. Remove cake from pan and serve.