Recipes: Classic Christmas dishes with a twist

Toiled hard to put together a splendid Christmas spread complete with roasted meats and other main course dishes? Don't stop just yet. By introducing slight gourmet twists to your conventional side dishes, you can amp up the wow factor of your Yule table and win brownie points from your guests. Sonal Ved gets three chefs to turn around classic X'mas sides

Cornbread
Turned into: Grilled Cornbread with Eggs Benedict

Grilled cornbread with Eggs Benedict. Pic/Amit Jadhav

Ingredients
>> 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
>>u00a0160 gm cornmeal
>>u00a090 gm all purpose flour
>>u00a01 tbsp sugar
>>u00a01 1/2 tsp baking powder
>>u00a01/2 tsp baking soda
>>u00a02 large eggs (lightly beaten)
>>u00a01 1/2 cups buttermilk

Ingredients for Eggs Benedict
>>u00a0Few drops of vinegar
>> Four eggs

Ingredients for Hollandaise sauce
>>u00a010 tbsp butter
>> 3 egg yolks
>> 1 tbsp lemon juice
>>u00a01/2 tsp salt

Method
>>u00a0To make the bread, mix cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Mix eggs, buttermilk and butter in a separate bowl
>>u00a0Mix both the mixtures together to form a thick batter
>>u00a0Pour this into a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes on 180 degree Celsius
>>u00a0De-mould the bread and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Cut it into two-inch squares and keep aside
>>u00a0To make the eggs Benedict, fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add vinegar and boil it again
>>u00a0Crack eggs in a bowl and add it to the water one by one. Once the eggs begin to poach, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow it to rest for four minutes
>>u00a0Remove the egg and place one on each cornbread slice
>>u00a0To make the hollandaise sauce, blitz egg yolk, lemon juice and salt in a blender. Churn until the eggs lighten in colour. Slowly drizzle melted butter from top and continue to blend it on slow speed. Once all the ingredients come together into one emulsion, pour it on slices of cornbread and serve

(Recipe by Chef Glyston Gracias from Smoke House Deli)

Mashed potatoes
Turned into: Wasabi-hinted Mashed Potatoes

Wasabi-hinted mashed potatoes. Pic/Atul Kamble

Ingredients
>>u00a0500 gm boiled potatoes
>>u00a0100 ml milk
>>u00a030 gm wasabi paste
>>u00a080 ml fresh cream
>>u00a040 gm white butter
>>u00a0Salt and pepper to taste

Method
>>u00a0In a pan, gently heat milk and cream (do not boil) and keep aside
>>u00a0In another pan, heat butter and keep aside
>>u00a0Toss the potatoes in the same pan and cook until they are thoroughly dry. Mash them using a potato masher and add warm butter, pepper and the cream-milk mixture to it
>>u00a0Mix well and add the wasabi paste at the final stage. Stir and serve warm

(Chef Zarar Khan from Flamboyante)

Au Gratin
Turned into: Clove-dusted Tenderloin Steak with Pan Charred Vegetable Gratin

Clove dusted tenderloin steak with pan charred vegetable gratin. Pic/Amit Jadhav

Ingredients
>>u00a05 tbsp olive oil
>>u00a02 onions (finely chopped)
>>u00a03 cloves garlic (minced)
>>u00a05 gm basil leaves (torn)
>>u00a02 gm thyme leaves (chopped)
>>u00a050 gm tomatoes (sliced)
>>u00a050 gm zucchini (sliced)
>>u00a050 gm red and yellow pepper (sliced)
>>u00a01/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
>>u00a02 tenderloin steaks
>>u00a0Salt to taste
>>u00a0A pinch of clove powder

Method
>>u00a0In a pan, heat olive oil and sauté onions and garlic. Once soft, add basil and thyme leaves and stir well. Spread this at the base of a baking dish
>>u00a0Now, alternate between these until you have exhausted both the mixtures
>>u00a0Cover the dish with an aluminum foil and bake it for 15 minutes at 180 degree Celsius
>>u00a0Open the foil wrap and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Re-bake until the cheese melts and remove from the oven
>>u00a0To make the tenderloin steak, brush the meat on both sides with oil and generously season them with salt and pepper
>>u00a0Grill them on the sides using a grilling pan and transfer themeat onto a separate baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
>>u00a0Once done, allow it to rest for 3-5 minutes and dust clove powder on top
>>u00a0Serve individual pieces with a helping of vegetable gratin

Sauteed Mushrooms
Turned into: Oyster and spinach stuffed mushrooms

Oyster and spinach stuffed mushrooms.u00a0Pic/Atul kambleu00a0

Ingredients
>>u00a0550 gm spinach (boiled and chopped)
>>u00a024 button mushrooms
>>u00a06 tbsp butter
>>u00a0220 gm oysters (cut in 24 pieces)
>>u00a0350 gm artichoke hearts (available in pickled form)
>>u00a01/2 cup onions (chopped)
>>u00a0220 gm sour cream
>>u00a01/2 cup parmesan cheese
>>u00a0Salt to taste

Method
>>u00a0In a pan, melt 4 tbsp of butter and add mushrooms. Sauté for a few minutes and place them in a baking tray (cap side down)
>>u00a0Place one piece of oyster in each mushroom and keep aside
>>u00a0Heat the remaining butter and sauté onions and artichoke hearts in it for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the stove and add spinach, sour cream, ½ cup cheese and salt
>>u00a0Spoon this mixture into each mushroom piece and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top
>>u00a0Bake at 350 degree Celsius for 20 minutes and serve

Tossed French Beans
Turned into: Warm French Beans Salad with Goat Cheese and Cranberries

Ingredients
>>u00a0600 gm green beans (cut into 2 inch pieces)
>>u00a01/2 cup onion (finely chopped)
>>u00a02 tbsp balsamic vinegar
>>u00a04 tbsp olive oil
>>u00a03/4 cup basil leaves
>>u00a03/4 cup goat cheese
>>u00a0A handful of dried cranberries

Method
>>u00a0Parboil the beans and keep aside
>>u00a0Make a salad dressing by mixing olive oil with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
>>u00a0Drizzle it on the beans and add onions and basil leaves to it. Add goat cheese and dried cranberries and give it a gentle toss. Serve warmu00a0

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