Holiday menu from around the world

Preparing your holiday menu? At this time every year the Explorica family comes together to bring you our favorite holiday recipes from around the world. Many incredible recipes were submitted with the stories behind them, so here are our favorites. From our family to yours, we wish you a vibrant holiday season and a new year filled with joy!

Roasted Chestnuts: Italy

Shared by; Laura J., Senior Client Experience Manager

“Roasted Chestnuts are great for the holidays. They remind me of walking around the markets in Italy in the wintertime and smelling the fresh chestnuts roasting on an open fire where people would stand around to stay warm.”

Ingredients

1 ¹⁄₂-2 lbs chestnuts; using a sharp knife cut an X into one side of the chestnut to allow the steam caused by roasting to escape

1 tbsp vegetable oil

¹⁄₄ cup water

Salt (to season)

Instructions

Dry Pan Method:

1. Toss chestnuts with oil.
2. In a dry pan over low heat heat pan till hot, then add chestnuts cover and stir every few minutes for 15 minutes.
3. Add water and continue to roast, covered and stirring until water is evaporated and chestnuts are tender about 5 minutes.
4. Serve hot with salt.

Oven method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roast unseasoned chestnuts for 20 to 30 minutes or until chestnuts are tender, easy to peel, golden brown in color, and the shells are beginning to open. For even roasting, gently stir to turn them over after about 10 minutes. The sliced part of the shells will curl back.
3. Remove the nuts from the oven, make a mound of them in an old towel, wrap them up, squeeze them hard — they should crackle — and let them sit for a few minutes.
4. Meanwhile open a bottle of vino, pour yourself a glass, Peel nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and serve with salt if desired. Because hot chestnuts peel easier than cold ones.

 

Grilled Oysters with Butter Sauce (Huîtres Grillées au Beurre Blanc): France

Shared by Sheila M., U.S. Program Consultant

“This recipe is from France, by way of Boston. The mignonette is French, of course, but us Massachusettsans love the bounty of our cold Atlantic waters. My family always eats these at Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Ingredients  

1 shallot, peeled and minced

¹⁄₂ cup white wine

8 tbsp cold butter

1 tsp chopped fresh chervil

1 tsp chopped fresh chives

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt to taste

12 unshucked oysters

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill. Place shallot and wine into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, about 6–8 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in butter, 1 tbsp at a time. If sauce cools too much as you add the butter, return pan briefly to low heat. Whisk in chervil, chives and parsley, and add salt to taste.
3. Grill oysters flat side up over hot coals until shells gape, about 3–5 minutes. Discard any oysters that don’t open.
4. Pry off top shells, keeping oyster liquor (juices) from spilling, and cut lower muscles to release flesh.
5. Arrange oysters in their shells on a platter. Spoon some sauce over each.

 

Ricotta Gnocchi: Italy

Shared by Regina C., U.S. Program Consultant

“This recipe originates in Calabria, Italy and has been passed down my family for four generations. On Christmas, we eat this as a hearty starter before a roast lamb feast.”

Ingredients

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 large egg, slightly beaten with 2 tbs cold water

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, grated

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour (King Arthur preferred)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Add flour in three parts. Work mixture with hands until a soft dough is formed.
2. Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly until dough is firm and smooth. Dough should be soft, but not sticky. If sticky, keep flouring hands until it feels comfortable to handle.
3. Break off small pieces of dough. Using the palm of your hand roll the pieces to a double pencil thickness about 10 inches long.
4. Cut on a diagonal into 1 inch pieces. Press each piece lightly with a fork dipped in flour to form an indentation.
5. Put pieces on a large cookie sheet and flash freeze. Then, put in a large plastic zip bag and store in freezer until ready for use.
6. When ready to prepare, boil salted water in a 4 quart pot. Drop in the frozen gnocchi. When gnocchi floats to the top, drain immediately and transfer to a bowl.

Serve immediately with a simple marinara sauce, white sauce, or butter sage sauce.

 

Oliebollen: The Netherlands

Shared by Carolyn L., Canadian Program Manager

“These delicious pastries are sold in in the streets in the Netherlands, especially over the holidays. I love making them for my family as a special treat from abroad.”

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast

1  cup lukewarm milk

2 1⁄4 cups flour

2  tsp salt

1  egg, lightly beaten

1 1⁄2 cups raisins

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Powdered sugar (for coating)

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup milk and stir to dissolve.
2. Combine the flour and salt, and add the egg and remaining milk.
3. Add yeast mixture, raisins and apple. Mix well.
4. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Heat oil for frying.
6. Shape balls of batter with 2 metal spoons and drop them in the hot oil, a few at a time.
7. Deep fry for about 8 minutes.
8. Drain on a paper towel.
9. Put powdered sugar in a paper bag, add the drained doughnuts and shake to coat.
10. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, shake them in the sugar again.