From Christmas pudding to yule log with Grand Marnier, the Michelin star chef reveals how to master Christmas cooking
Christmas can be a stressful time for everyone, but especially for the chef of the house. And Michel Roux Jr would know.
“I’ve lived in the the UK most of my life, so we do Christmas the British way on the 25th, but like the French, our celebrations run over a few days,” says Roux.
“There is always a lot going on and a lot to do, but as a family of chefs, we take turns to make some spectacular meals. One of my favourites is Christmas pudding. I’ve always loved it. We serve ours with a crème anglaise that we make a couple of days before. I like to infuse mine with bay leaves or fig leaves, which give it a slightly bitter taste that perfectly balances with the pudding – absolutely delicious.”
Having run the two Michelin-starred restaurant La Gavroche for three decades, Roux knows a thing or two about how to create a seamless meal while under pressure. His secret? Delegate.
“If you’re hosting a large gathering, ask guests to contribute a dish or bring dessert,” says Roux. “Sharing responsibilities lightens the load and adds variety to the meal. You can also opt for a smaller bird to reduce cooking time and the risk of dryness. There’s also simple tricks like par-boiling potatoes the day before and letting them dry in the fridge overnight for perfectly crispy roasties – and always use goose fat to cook them in. When it comes to the stuffing, I also like to add a pinch of Espelette pepper to give it a real hit of punchy flavour.”
Most importantly, Roux emphasises the importance of enjoying the day and not to isolating yourself.
“If you have an open plan kitchen, invite your guests to have drinks there whilst you’re cooking – that way, you won’t miss any parts of the day, and you can get everyone involved if you need a hand,” adds Roux. “Remember, Christmas is a time for everyone, even the cook.”
Yule log with Grand Marnier
Michel Roux’s yule log (Cristian Barnett)
Serves 6 – 8
For the Ganache:
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up
200g double cream
Splash of Grand Marnier
For the sponge:
6 free-range eggs, separated
150g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
70g plain flour
30g pure cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
30g butter, melted
2 tbsp icing sugar
For the caramelised hazelnuts:
About 20 whole peeled hazelnuts
250g caster sugar
Wooden toothpicks
“The classic yule log is the perfect finale to a Christmas feast. Start by making the ganache. Put the chocolate in a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan and bring it to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate and mix until smooth. Leave to cool, then add Grand Marnier to taste. Whisk until light and fluffy.
“For the sponge, line a baking tray measuring about 30 x 40cm with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Beat the egg yolks with 100g of the sugar until pale, then add the flour, cocoa powder and salt, followed by the melted butter. Whisk the whites until frothy, then add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then spread over the baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
“Lay a clean tea towel on your work surface and turn the sponge out on to it. Remove the baking parchment. Dust the sponge with a little of the caster sugar, spread some of the ganache over it and roll the sponge up as tightly as possible into a neat log. Leave the sponge to cool, then cover it with the rest of the ganache and leave it to chill in the fridge.
“To make the hazelnut decoration, stick a toothpick into each hazelnut and set them aside. Have something ready to stand the toothpicks into while the nuts harden, such as a piece of polystyrene. Heat the sugar in a heavy-based pan until you have a golden-brown caramel. One by one, dip the hazelnuts into the caramel, then stand them in whatever you have prepared and leave them to harden. Drizzle any remaining caramel in a criss-cross pattern over a piece of baking parchment and leave it to harden.
“Dust the log with icing sugar and arrange the caramelised nuts on top. Scatter over the pieces of caramel to look like hay.”
Potatoes Dauphinoise
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
750g potatoes, cut into slices about 2mm thick
500ml whipping cream
Grating of nutmeg
Salt and black pepper
“Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Rub the inside of an ovenproof dish with the cut garlic. Mix the potatoes with the cream and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then transfer to the dish and cover with foil.
“Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.”
Recipes extracted from Michel Roux At Home: Simple and delicious French meals for every day by Michel Roux Jr (Seven Dials, £26)