Joanna Collin - Christmas Dinner: Delicious and Easy Dinner Recipes for Festive Christmas Including Mains, Salads, Sides, Desserts, Beverages and More

Servings: 16-20 | Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 3 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bone-in, fully cooked ham of 15-16 pounds
• 30 to 40 whole cloves
• 2 cup dark beer
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Methods:

• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Remove the hams membrane, leaving it intact around the bone. There should be at least a inch of fat remaining. With a sharp knife, score the hams fat on the two diagonals, to form a diamond pattern. Make sure not cut the meat, but only the fat.
• Place the ham in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Insert a clove at the junction of each diamond. Not too deep, you should be able to see them on the surface of the ham.
• Pour 1 cups of beer over the ham. Place the ham uncovered in the oven, and cook for 3 hours. Brush the ham two or three times with some beer.
• Remove the ham from the oven and crank up the oven temperature to 400F.
• While waiting, prepare the glaze. Mix the brown sugar, mustard, ginger, cardamom, and remaining beer in a small mixing bowl.
• Brush the ham generously with brown sugar paste. Place back in the oven, and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes until the ham is well glazed.
• Let the ham rest for 10 minutes before carving. While the ham is resting, remove the cloves.

Servings: 12 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pork loin rib half-crown roast, about 6 pounds and 12 bones
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh sage
• cup fresh thyme
• cup flat leave parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 4 tablespoons water

Methods:

• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, olive oil, sage, thyme, parsley, kosher salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
• Place the pork crown in a roasting pan, bones up. Brush the marinade all over the meat, inside and out. Cover the bones end with aluminum foil, and place a crumpled ball of foil inside the crown.
• Insert a meat thermometer set to 160F in the thickest part of the roast without touching a bone. Place in the oven, and cook for 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature on the meat thermometer reads 160F or more.
• Check on the roast regularly while it is cooking. Add some chicken stock as needed. The bottom of the roasting pan should not dry up. Add cup to cups of stock at a time as needed.
• When the pork is cooked, remove from the oven, and place it on a serving plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Scrap all the bits and pieces from the bottom of your roasting pan with a wooden spoon to get the most flavors. Skim off any excess fat with a spoon. Place the roasting pan on the stove on medium-high heat. Deglaze the cooking juices with the white wine. Bring to a boil.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch with the water until smooth. Add the mixture to the sauce, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Place the sauce in a saucer.
• It makes a spectacular dish to serve at the table with the sauce. You can fill the crown with roasted vegetables, bread stuffing or pilaf rice.

Servings: 2- | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 live lobsters of about 1 pounds each
• Salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat leave parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon

Methods:

• Rinse the two lobsters under cold water. Pat dry the lobsters with paper towels.
• To cut the lobsters in two, lengthwise, place the lobsters on their back. With a sharp knife, cut the upper part of the heads. Place the lobsters back on their stomach, and carve to the tail. Discard the grayish sac, and pull out the black intestine strings. Season it with salt and pepper. Brush the lobster meat with half of the melted butter.
• Preheat the oven to broil.
• Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the lobsters in the skillet, and saut for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the lobster. Place the skillet in the oven, and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the lobster is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and place the lobsters on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley. Reserve.
• Add brandy, the remaining butter, and the tarragon to the cooking juices from the lobsters in the skillet. Crank the heat to high, and cook for to 1 minute until the butter starts to foam and becomes golden.
• Pour the buttery sauce in a saucer, and serve immediately on the side with the lobster.

A red wine sauce complements the caramelized brown sugar coating on the crust of this special-occasion roast.