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Christmas is a bright, spiritual holiday that inspires hope and sincere joy in the hearts. It is priceless to share this extraordinary feeling with those you love. We gather at the festive table to wish each other all the best and celebrate a wonderful holiday together. We offer you to remember the culinary traditions of Christmas and the main dishes, without which you can not imagine it.
Traditions from the depths of centuries
In the Russian tradition, it has long been customary to celebrate not only Christmas, but also the holy evening preceding it on the eve — Christmas Eve. The name comes from the word “sochen”. So in Russia they called unleavened tortillas made of thinly rolled dough, fried in hemp oil. This is a traditional Christmas treat.
What was prepared on Christmas Eve? Since ancient times, there was a custom — to put 12 dishes on the table, according to the number of the apostles of Christ. These were borscht, mushroom soup or ear with unleavened ear pies, as well as fish dishes, all kinds of porridges, lean cabbage rolls, pancakes and dumplings. Of course, kutya was always prepared, which was endowed with a special sacred meaning. The grain from which it was cooked represented eternal life, honey-heavenly bliss, and nuts and poppy seeds — prosperity. It was believed that the tastier and more satisfying kutia, the more happiness there will be in the house.
Today, there is no strict tradition to cook exactly 12 dishes for a Christmas dinner. And yet, as before, they appear at the festive feast in one form or another. We suggest remembering the most popular recipes.
Pancake curls
Many housewives prepare delicious pancakes with fillings for the Christmas table. We offer to support the tradition. Beat the egg with a whisk with 500 ml of milk. Sift portions of 4 tbsp. l. with a hill of flour, add 1 tbsp. l. sugar and 0.5 tsp. coarse salt, gradually knead the liquid dough. Pour 70 ml of boiling water and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. We give the dough to” dissolve ” for 15 minutes and start frying pancakes.
Next, we take a ready-cooled pancake, grease it with cottage cheese, spread a few slices of lightly salted salmon, roll up a tight roll. In the same way, we prepare the remaining pancakes and send them to the refrigerator for an hour. Then we cut them into portioned rolls, serve them on a platter and decorate with fresh herbs — an exquisite festive snack is ready.
Salmon in oranges
The main fish dishes should be on the Christmas table by all means. The recipe for salmon in citrus marinade is exactly what you need. Mix the marinade from the freshly squeezed juice of half an orange, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp honey and 2 tsp soy sauce. We wash the red fish steak, soak it with a paper towel, pour the marinade over it and leave it for 20 minutes. During this time, we will brown 0.5 tsp of pepper with peas in a dry frying pan and rub it together with the same amount of coarse salt in a mortar.
In a greased form, we put the orange circles. Place the marinated steak on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put 2 sprigs of thyme and cover with orange circles again. Bake the fish in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180 °C.
Calculate the number of servings based on the number of guests. We recommend serving string beans with a fresh salad as a side dish.
Kutya is extraordinary
Kutia can rightly be called the main culinary symbol of Christmas. Wheat, rice, barley or bulgur are most often taken as a basis. Choose cereals at your discretion.
We steam 3-4 tablespoons of poppy seeds in boiling water, then drain the excess liquid and knead it properly with a pestle or grind it in a coffee grinder. Also, we steam 50 g of light raisins in hot water for 5 minutes, after which we dry them well.
Boil 200 g of pearl barley in water without salt until ready, throw it into a colander and cool it. Mix warm pearl barley with 2-3 tablespoons of honey. Dry 100 g of walnuts in a frying pan without oil, crush them not too finely and pour them together with raisins to the grits. Some of the raisins can be used for decoration. Serve the kutya in beautiful cremans. Place a separate bowl with kutia in the center of the table.
Festive vinaigrette
Vinaigrette occupies a special place among Christmas salads. In one saucepan, cook 2 small beets for 1-1. 5 hours, in the other — 3 medium potatoes and a large carrot until softened. We cool the vegetables, peel them and cut them into the same neat cubes. It is better to cut the beets separately and immediately mix with 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil. In this form, it will not “color” other ingredients so intensively. Also, we cut 2 pickled cucumbers and a small head of onions into a cube.
We combine boiled vegetables, cucumbers and onions in a deep container, add 4-5 tbsp. l. canned peas, salt and pepper to taste, season with sunflower oil. For a beautiful serving, put the vinaigrette on plates using a molding ring and decorate each portion with a lettuce leaf.
Pork in honey-mustard glaze
What is a Christmas menu without baked pork? We suggest preparing it as follows. Pork ham weighing 1.5-2 kg is washed in water and dried. We pass a peeled head of garlic through the press. Knead it with 1 tsp of coarse salt, a mixture of peppers, add the juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard and honey to taste. You can put your favorite spicy herbs. Carefully smear a piece of pork with marinade from all sides and put it in the refrigerator for at least a day.
Before baking, the pork should be allowed to warm up to room temperature. We wrap it in foil so that a layer of air remains, and bake it in the oven at 220 °C for an hour. Then we open the foil, lubricate the meat with a glaze of 6 tbsp. l. mustard powder and 1 tbsp. l. honey, return to the oven for another 20 minutes. To serve, cut the baked pork into slices and garnish with rosemary sprigs.
A very important goose
In Russia, as in many countries, it is customary to cook a baked goose for Christmas. The gutted carcass is washed in water and dried. Rub it inside and out with salt and a mixture of spices. It can be black and white pepper, paprika, curry, ginger, crushed garlic — whatever you like best.
We steam 100 g of dried apricots and raisins in boiling water, drain the water and dry it. Boil 250 g of buckwheat groats until half-cooked, mix with softened dried fruits. We fill the carcass loosely, sew up the hole with cotton thread and place it in the baking sleeve. Inside, you can put vegetables on a side dish, for example, Brussels sprouts. Do not forget to make a few punctures in the sleeve.
Bake the goose at 200 °C for 1.5 hours, then cut and open the sleeve, cook for another 30-45 minutes. At the very end, we lubricate the bird with a mixture of the juice of half a lemon, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of honey. It is better to serve the baked goose entirely on a large platter, overlaid on all sides with Brussels sprouts and garnished with sprigs of greens.
Fruit dance
In the old days in Russia, they always put a brew, or a compote of dried fruits, on the Christmas table. The main rule: the more different dried fruits, the tastier.
We take 100 g of dried apples and pears, the same amount of dried apricots and prunes. We soak them in water all night, dry them and put them in boiling water with a volume of 1-1. 5 liters. At this stage, we add aromatic spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ground cloves, ginger. You can also put lemon or orange zest.
After boiling, boil the fruit assortment for 2-3 minutes, cover tightly with a lid and insist for at least 4 hours. Next, filter the broth, add honey to taste and completely dissolve. Serve the uzvar in clear glasses with whole dried fruits and tangerine slices.
This is how the menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas can look like. Take these recipes to your culinary piggy bank, be inspired by our ideas and delight your family with delicious festive dishes. Look for even more traditional Christmas treats on the website “Healthy Food Near Me”. And what is prepared for Christmas in your family? Share branded recipes in the comments.