Christmas Feast

Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la!

The festive season is once again upon us and what better time to host an elaborate lunch with family and friends than on Christmas day! Check out these recipes for a three-course meal which is sure to impress your guests and satisfy their appetites.   

We shall be starting off with a simple appetizer, stuffed mushrooms, and move on to pork roasted in garlic and rosemary for the main course. The main course will be accompanied by two side servings, mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts roasted in garlic and parmesan cheese. Finally, for dessert, we have a delicious Irish cream tiramisu.

Appetizer - Stuffed Mushrooms

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Servings: 10

Ingredients: 

• 40 large white mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper
• ¼ cup roasted bell pepper, chopped
• ½ medium onion
• 3 green onions
• 1 tsp oregano
• 6 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 204.4 degrees Celsius.
2. Clean the mushrooms, remove their stems, and keep them aside. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet, stem side facing downwards. Bake until a liquid starts coming out of the mushrooms and place them on a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid.
3. Take 20 mushroom stems and chop into small pieces. Chop the onion, green onions, red bell pepper, roasted pepper, and parsley too.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add the mushroom stems, red pepper, roasted pepper, green onion and onion to the skillet and sauté. Add the oregano, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for 5 minutes, until the pepper and onion are tender.
5. Place the stuffing into a bowl and let it cool. Add the parsley, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and mix well.
6. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet stem side facing upwards and fill with stuffing.
7. Bake for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Main Course - Roast Pork in Garlic and Rosemary

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 mins
Servings: 8 

Ingredients:

• 1.8kg of pork loin
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic bulbs, cut in half
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190.5^◦C
2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, salt, and pepper together.
3. Place the pork loin on a non-stick skillet and rub with the mix in step 2.
4. Sear the pork over high heat until brown on all sides. Top with more garlic cloves as desired and add the garlic bulbs to the skillet.
5. Roast the pork, uncovered, for 70-80 minutes. Once ready, remove the skillet from the oven, cover with aluminium foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting the pork and serve.

For the gravy:

1. Add 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet and melt.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk together.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes and stir in the heavy cream.
4. Strain the gravy if you would like to remove the herbs and serve.

Side 1 - Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 1.8kg of potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 1 cup half and half cream or milk
• ½ tsp pepper

Method:

1. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill with cold water. Add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to a medium and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and place into a mixing bowl. Mix using a whisk until mashed. Add the butter, cream or milk, pepper, and a pinch of salt.
4. Mix the potatoes until smooth and fluffy and serve.

Side 2 - Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 0.9kg brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 218.3 degrees Celsius. 
2. Clean the brussels sprouts by rinsing in cold water and cutting off the stems.
3. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix in the brussels sprouts.
4. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.

Dessert - Irish Cream Tiramisu

Prep Time: 25 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 500g mascarpone
• 100ml Irish cream liqueur
• 300ml black coffee
• 175g sponge fingers
• 25g dark chocolate
• 2 tsp cocoa powder

Method:

1. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two large bowls. Whisk the egg whites until stiffened. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk for about 5 minutes until thick and foamy.
2. Whisk the mascarpone and Irish cream liqueur into the egg yolks and carefully fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture with a large metal spoon to preserve as much air as possible.
3. Pour the coffee into a shallow dish and dip in the sponge fingers. Layer half of the fingers onto a serving dish and spread over the creamy mixture. Grate most of the dark chocolate over it and repeat with the other half of the fingers and mixture. Finish with a cream layer topped with the leftover grated dark chocolate.
4. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight and serve.

A wide variety of quality ingredients for our recipes are available from Arkadia supermarkets in Malta and Gozo, including Arkadia FoodExpress Swatar and Arkadia Food Market Valletta.

Stay up to date with our seasonal posts - https://arkadiafoodstore.com/seasonal/