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12 Recipes to Impress Your Guests at Christmas

These 12 out-of-the-ordinary recipes are a beautiful way of gathering your loved ones around a delicious meal during the holidays. Plan each step and let the magic happen, knowing that you’ll have the opportunity to impress everyone without having to spend a lot of money on extravagant ingredients.

1. Bocconcini Skewers with Grapes and Rosemary

An edible centrepiece inspired by Christmas wreaths? Why not! Make this one with fresh herbs gathered into a circle on a large plate. Decorate it with grapes and bocconcini skewers (marinate the cheese beforehand in oil seasoned with rosemary). A lovely nod to the baubles that adorn our Christmas trees.

2. Cream of Leek Soup with Fried Ham

What could be better than savoury, comforting soup to whet your guests’ appetites? Especially if you add a little festive touch! This version combines broth and milk as well as leeks and potatoes. Serve it as an appetizer garnished with fried ham and parsley neatly forming a circle, like a wreath.

3. Chicken Liver Mousse Terrine with Cranberry Jelly

Terrine is a fantastic option when you’re looking for an idea for a refined starter. This version is inspired by boreal cuisine and made with poultry liver mousse seasoned with juniper berries and topped with cranberry jelly. Serve this recipe with shallot chutney flavoured with gin and warmed up a little just before serving.

4. Herb and Cheese Monkey Bread

Get your guests talking with this salty version of monkey bread, with an extra moist texture. Make bread dough, divide it into pieces and shape them into balls. Each one is stuffed with cheese and coated in herby oil (which is also used in the dough preparation). Once the brioche is baked and cooled down, sprinkle it with Parmesan and serve it with the aperitif. Guaranteed success!

5. Beet Salad with Herbed Yogurt

This salad has everything going for it with red and yellow beets. Cut them into uniform wedges and place them on a bed of yogurt. Add Brussels sprout leaves and mixed herbs. Pumpkin seeds, lemon and shavings of Pecorino bring the finishing touches to this colourful salad, which has a good chance of getting elevated to classic status.

6. Family-Style Coquille St. Jacques

This large format version of coquille St. Jacques simply wows everyone every time. Spread a purée made of mashed potatoes and celeriac over the seafood sauce. Create pretty rosettes with the purée using a pastry bag. The addition of cheese gives the dish its golden colour and a sprinkling of chervil enhances its presentation, which promises to have a mouth-watering effect on everyone.

7. Stuffed Chicken Legs with Mushrooms and Parsley

Switch the traditional turkey to a chicken recipe that will satisfy everyone at the table. Stuff the legs with a mixture of bacon and pork that’ll infuse the flesh with flavour and give a plumper look to each leg. To ensure a beautifully lacquered surface, baste the chicken with honey broth while cooking. A far cry from weekday recipes!

8. Flaky Pork Pie with Maple Mustard

Somewhere between French pies “en croûte” and English sausage rolls, this dish is perfect to make you forget the traditional tourtière. The recipe includes flaky shortcrust pastry and delicious ground pork stuffing. Take the silhouette up one notch by decorating the crust with thin strips of excess dough. Multiply the coats of egg wash for an extra golden, appetizing look.

9. Roasted Pork Loin with Sage and Sweet-Sour Red Onion Sauce

With its naked bones and tender, tasty flesh, a rack of pork roast always takes a prominent place on the holiday table. Brush the meat with a mustard and sage mixture, then slip it into the oven with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts. You’ll get optimal results if you aim for medium-rare doneness and leave the meat to rest before serving it, sliced, with red onion sauce.

10. Tiramisu Yule Log

Inspired by tiramisu, this yule log is a great way to end your meal in style. Make a genoise infused with coffee and spread a layer of mascarpone cream on it, followed by a sprinkling of cocoa powder, then roll the cake. Cover the dessert with ultra shiny icing that contrasts beautifully with the velvety finish of the chocolate bark that decorates the log. A treat that may very well become the highlight of the evening!

11. Creamy Affogato

Affogato is a super simple dessert that marries hot and cold ingredients. Divide ice cream scoops between glasses and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to serve. Then pour espresso coffee in each glass, adding a hint of refinement with a touch of vanilla cream liqueur. An easy recipe that will no doubt charm your guests.

12. Croquembouche

With its sophisticated look and conical shape reminiscent of a Christmas tree, the croquembouche will elicit cries of wonder among your guests. Make this set piece with cream puffs garnished with whipped cream made from dried caramelized milk powder to give it a brown butter taste. Ideally, divide the preparation into stages to better plan your time in the kitchen. Pure, unadulterated happiness for the sweet tooths in your life!

For even more ideas, it’s worth exploring our dedicated holidays search category, which includes over 800 recipes.