Recipes and Wine Tips for the Holidays
Looking for wine tips and fresh recipes for the upcoming holidays? Look no further. We’re our best recipes that pair with wine for the holidays!
Get into the holiday spirit with these exceptional holiday recipes to share with your family and friends. These are La Crema’s Chef Tracey Shepos Cenami and Wine Educator Ben Fine’s top wine picks paired with delicious holiday recipes.
Oysters with Rhubarb & Pink Peppercorn Mignonette
Wine Pairing: Saralee’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé
Oysters with Rhubarb & Pink Peppercorn Mignonette
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 rhubarb stalk, trimmed
- 2 large strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise
- 1/2 cup red verjus
- 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 24 small-to-medium oysters in the shell
- 2 qt crushed ice
Instructions
- Cut the rhubarb stalk crosswise into thirds, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick squares to create a brunoise cut. Put the rhubarb in a small heatproof bowl and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup.
- Fill a bowl with water and ice. In a small pot, combine the strawberries and verjus and bring just to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and scoop out and discard (or eat!) the strawberries. Pour the hot liquid over the rhubarb and let stand 2 minutes. Rest the bowl in the ice bath until the rhubarb is completely cold. It should still have a little texture.
- Rub the peppercorns through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, capturing the berry portions in the bowl and the pink skins in the sieve. Set the berry portions aside. Add the peppercorn skins, shallot, and vinegar to the rhubarb and stir to combine. You should have 1 cup mignonette. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Rinse the oysters with cold running water and clean with a scrub brush. Squeeze each oyster, and if it does not stay closed, discard it. Wrap a folded dish towel around your nondominant hand and, holding an oyster flat side up, insert the tip of an oyster knife into the pointed, hinged end and twist the tip until the hinge pops. Slide the knife between the shells and then run the blade along the top shell to release the oyster from the shell. Lift off the top shell, then run the knife along the bottom shell to free the oyster. Be careful not to spill the oyster “liquor.” Give the oyster a quick sniff; it should smell like the ocean. Set it aside and repeat with the remaining oysters.
- Spread the ice on a rimmed platter and sprinkle with the reserved peppercorn berries. Place the mignonette in the center of the platter. Arrange the oysters in the half shell around the bowl. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the mignonette onto each oyster, then serve with the remaining mignonette.
Warm Mushroom Holiday Dip
Wine Pairing: Saralee’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Warm Mushroom Holiday Dip
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1.5 lb mushrooms (such as hedgehog, maitake, or chanterelle), cleaned, stem ends trimmed, and torn into large uniform pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1⁄2 cup minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1⁄2 lb Vella Toma or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1 baguette, sliced and then toasted if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and have released their water. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and reserve.
- Return the sauté pan to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the shallots, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the shallots and garlic are golden brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any browned bits from the pan bottom, then cook for 1 minute. Pour in the cream and soy sauce and cook for 3 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half. Add the reserved mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a broiler-proof serving dish. Top evenly with the cheese and broil until the cheese melts and is golden brown.
- Serve the gratin hot with the baguette slices on the side for dipping.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Dried Cherries
Wine Pairing: Saralee’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Dried Cherries
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bacon, cut into lardons
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 sprigs rosemary, 1-inch length
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 ounces dried cherries
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 8 minutes until rendered and crispy. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reserve 2 teaspoons of bacon fat in the pan and add sprouts, flat-sides down. Make sure all sprouts are touching the pan – try to avoid overcrowding! Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes on until browned. Turn each sprout over and add garlic and rosemary; cook another 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, cherries, reserved bacon and remaining salt; cook 1 additional minute.
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