two clever Christmas recipes

It’s all a matter of perspective. Take your old china, vintage dishes bequeathed by grandma, or chipped plates found at a flea market: for those who know how to look after them, the old will have charm, not weariness. he found the treasure. There is no need to buy holiday tables, they will have a new life on your table on Christmas Eve. The same with the menu of the day: why not combine it with the table? It’s easy to put small dishes in big dishes by creating a simple and smart kitchen, which will delight all guests thanks to a good trick and small details that make a difference and will match your shabby chic decor.

Also read – Christmas: our selection of regional pastries

This smart, handsome, old-school spirit fills the book Second hand (La Maison Hachette practical, €35) is made by a shocking trio: François Motte, passionate about China, the art of entertainment and great party organizer; Sonia Ezgulian, inspired and complimentary chef, expert in inventive recipes and unusual tips; Caroline Faccioli, passionate and precise food photographer. The three co-authors gathered their talents by following the opposite of the usual approach: the recipes were prepared from already established tables.

Use your imagination

We rediscover forgotten dishes with the elegance of the trivial and the charm of the details, even kitsch! They give the nostalgia of large kitchens where you can store a fondue bowl, a napkin ring, a fish plate, a knife rest, a mazagran or a slip, a naturalistic decorated ceramic with a relief, as Sonya imagines Caesar and white asparagus. and bottarga sauce. There’s also a “lion head bowl” with detox broth, a large casserole dish serving “gluten-free mushroom rolls” and Minton china reimagined for a “TV dish fit for a Queen.”

Also read – Madeleines, Petit Beurre… when cookies are revisited by great chefs

The whole book encourages you to happily open your cupboards, use your imagination to invent tables and spontaneous recipes without summoning an expensive shopping deluge. Why not apply this state of mind on Christmas Eve? Make a smart New Year’s Eve with grandma’s food and good and easy recipes. “little extra thing” that makes it classy. Sonia Ezgulian accepted the challenge and presented two recipes that we will prepare for the day to impress her guests.

1 – Spread the celery pie crust

As a rule, the word express is not included in the lexical area of ​​the pie, because this monument of the kitchen requires time and patience. But sleep is allowed with this clever recipe! The important thing is to choose celery that is not too large, ideally the size of a melon. If you have time, make the pastry by replacing a third of the butter with lard for extra crunch. Otherwise, choose a good commercial batter, pure butter.

For the filling, you can also change it up with whatever you have left in the fridge: ham heel, foie gras starter, leftover chicken from the holidays mixed with some chopped and seasoned bacon.

Ingredients for 4 people

1 celery

100 g of minced pork

50 g leftovers (chicken, foie gras, white or raw ham, etc.), chopped

1 egg + 1 yolk

3 pinches Olivier Roellinger’s Fairy Powder (or allspice)

1 C. flour

120 g short pastry

Fine salt and ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Brush the celery under running water and cut both ends flat. Steam for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine meat, eggs, flour, spices in a salad bowl and mix well.

Hollow out the celery, just enough to slip into the filling, but not too much so that there are no gaps when cut.

Cover the celery with the pastry dough. If you have time, make small decorations (leaves, stars), always have a small effect. Brush everything with a beaten egg yolk and a little water with a brush. Bake in the oven at 190°C for 40 minutes.

2 – Last minute Christmas notes

Making homemade meringue always leads to a cold sweat, especially when it’s a matter of getting the sugar well incorporated without lowering the beaten egg whites and, above all, controlling the cooking. When it comes to whipped cream, here’s a trick for sure-fire success: put the cream in the freezer for 30 minutes, preferably with the bowl you’ll be using to set it up with.

Ingredients for 6 people

1 cake (or good gingerbread)

2 tbsp. heaped tablespoon orange marmalade (or chocolate-hazelnut spread)

2 tbsp. tablespoon limoncello (or amaretto)

100 g of cream

100 g of chopped dark chocolate

Candied fruits and dried fruits to finish

Cut the cake lengthwise into three slices. Orange marmalade is spread (or spread) between the layers of the cake. Switch the two slices to get the original shape of the cake.

In a small saucepan, heat the whipping cream, then turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Smooth and then pour the melted chocolate over the cake to cover completely.

Garnish with candied fruit and dried fruit. Your journal is now complete!