Merry Christmas, everyone! The holidays are all about family, food, and traditions. In our house, we traditionally celebrate Christmas Eve with my dad’s side of the family, and our Christmas Eve meal has been a tradition for a while now. The star (in my opinion!) is our marinated shrimp with a champagne beurre blanc!
Today I thought I would share with you guys our family’s Christmas Eve meal traditions. It starts with smoked salmon wonton hors d’oeuvres: crispy baked wontons topped with a cream cheese spread, smoked salmon, and chives. These are so addictive, I recommend making a double batch!
The meal continues with one of my very favorite Bon Appetit recipes: Marinated Shrimp with Champagne Beurre Blanc. This is a deceptively easy recipe that looks stunning when presented as an appetizer. It was such a hit when we first made it for our Christmas Eve meal that it became our staple appetizer! Deliciously plump shrimp are paired with a creamy beurre blanc and fresh herbs. Champagne and champagne vinegar elevate the dish to an even more sophisticated level.
Usually we have a lighter meal on Christmas Eve since Christmas Day is so filled with foods. So after our shrimp, we have a simple potato and leek soup. Pair this with some crusty bread and glass of red wine and it’s a perfectly simple yet filling entree.
We finish the meal with one of my favorite cookie recipes ever (seriously): Coconut Matchstick Cookies! These are sticks of beautiful buttery cookie with toasted coconut incorporated directly into the dough. They are baked and once cooled, the ends are dipped in melted chocolate. Unfortunately the recipe is from a 1995 Gourmet magazine issue and is not available online, so I’ll be sure to post that recipe with photos next season – stay tuned!
Now It’s Your Turn!
Share with me below: what is your favorite family holiday tradition?
- 2 cups Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
- 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
- 2 tbsp. Champagne vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 1 cup Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. minced shallots
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 24 extra-large uncooked shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled with tail left intact, deveined
- 1 tbsp. fresh chives, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces