X'mas Dinner 2009

First of all, Merry X'mas to all!

This is our first X'mas in London and since there are no public transport or shops open today, we have decided to try out some new dishes.

We stocked up our 'premium' ingredients from Waitrose and the Borough Market the day before.

A week before, we picked a new dish from one of our favourite French cookbook. We bought this cookbook from a clearance sale. At that time, we thought it was very good value. It was only AUD$10 and there were many pictures in the book. We have since cooked a number of dishes from the book and have certainly recoup the full value! :-)

Our first dish is scallops with an orange sauce. This dish is inspired by La Recreation. Of course it isn't as simply as just orange in some sauce. SP wouldn't share his recipe with me though!!

The second dish is much more fancy. It is a warm pâté of duck in a potato crust. We arranged the fried onions, wild mushrooms (including cepes!!), foie gras, fried duck slices and some herbs on sliced fried potato which is arranged in a rose pattern. The whole thing is then fried in goose fat again. I had a taste of the surplus filling and it was sooooo delicious. I almost melted on the spot!

Here it is during the frying. Some of the pieces have come off as we didn't have a slicer and the potato was a little too thick for wrapping.

This is the end product. Totally yummy. The fillings are divine and the Madeira sauce is amazing too. The potato is a great complement to the fillings and the sauce. It is way better than plain mash potato or fried potato. The taste is at Michelin-starred level! :-P

We then had some cheese and finished off the meal with a piece of Carré Chocolat from Ladurée.

Yum, yum, yum!

I wish X'mas will come again soon :-P