Holiday magic

Serves 10

250 ml (1 cup) vodka
250 ml (1 cup) white, amber or spiced rum
750 ml (3 cups) apple juice
750 ml (3 cups) ginger ale
3 cinnamon sticks
500 ml (2 cups) ice cubes
1 apple (green or red), thinly sliced

1. Combine the vodka, rum and apple juice in a punch bowl. 2. Add the cinnamon sticks. 3. Cover, refrigerate and let macerate for at least 3 hours. 4. Before serving, add the ice cubes and ginger ale to the punch bowl. 5. Serve in old-fashioned glasses. 6. Decorate the glasses with thin slices of apple.

The perfect punch

What better than this Christmas punch to welcome guests to your holiday table? Combine vodka, white or brown rum like our Diplomatico Reserva, apple juice, ginger and cinnamon. And garnish with your choice of fruit: cranberries, pomegranate seeds, slices of orange, apple, lime..

+Have a punch bar, It’s fun and different – a surefire hit with your guests!

Indispensable antipasto

It’s practical, festive and a seasonal bonus. Basic antipasti include charcuteries, marinated vegetables or stuffed bell peppers. Our recipe includes Campari olives, grapes wrapped in nuts and goat cheese, Parmesan artichokes, Gorgonzola candies and devilled eggs. But keep in mind that these goodies are meant to be appetizers, so try not to overload the platter. Think quality, not quantity.

Artichoke and parmesan gratin

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cost per unit: about $0.50
Makes 16

8 canned artichoke hearts, halved lengthwise
60 mL (1/4 cup) bread crumbs
45 mL (3 tbsp) parsley
1 small clove garlic, minced
80 mL (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Lemon quarters, olive oil

1. Thoroughly drain and, with a paper towel, dry off artichokes. 2. Preheat oven to broil. 3. Place artichokes on baking dish, cut-side up. 4. Season with salt and pepper. 5. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with parsley and garlic. 6. Spread mixture over artichokes and sprinkle with Parmesan. 7. Broil a few minutes, until cheese toppings turn golden. 8. Serve hot with lemon quarters and a dash of olive oil.

Campari olives

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Cost: about $7
Makes 500 mL (2 cups)

15 mL (1 tbsp) olive oil
4 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme, plain or lemon
2 bay leaves
500 mL (2 cups) mixed olives, drained
30 mL (2 tbsp) coriander seeds
45 mL (3 tbsp) Campari liqueur
Orange zest and juice

1. Heat oil and cook herbs and coriander until aromas emerge. 2. Add olives, Campari, orange juice and zest. 3. Simmer until juice is reduced to half. Transfer olives to a jar.

Goat-cheese and nut-wrapped grape bites

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Cost per unit: about $1
Makes 18

18 seedless red or green grapes
1 150-g (¼-lb) log goat cheese
1 sprig rosemary, minced
125 mL (½ cup) bread crumbs
125 mL (½ cup) pecans, crushed
60 mL (¼ cup) flour
2 eggs, whisked
Vegetable oil, for frying
Honey (optional), to taste

1. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, pecans and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Coat each grape in goat cheese, rolling between your palms to evenly spread the cheese. 3. Dip grapes in flour, then eggs, then pecan mixture. 4. Heat oil in a skillet. Fry in oil until golden and crunchy. 5. Drain grapes of excess oil and serve hot, adding a fine drizzle of honey, if desired.

Gorgonzola candies

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Cost per unit: $1.34
Makes 12

Stuffing
150 g, or about 250 mL (1 cup), Gorgonzola cheese
125 mL (½ cup) roasted walnuts, crushed
60 mL (¼ cup) dried cranberries
45 mL (3 tbsp) 35% cooking cream
15 mL (1 tbsp) honey
Freshly ground pepper
6 phyllo-pastry sheets
Melted butter
Honey (optional), to taste

1. Stuffing: In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Season with pepper and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF). 3. Cut each phyllo-pastry sheet into 2 halves to make 12 equal rectangles. 4. Place a scoop of the Gorgonzola mixture on one end of each half-sheet and roll it en papillote. 5. Pinch both open ends of each roll to seal, making them look like of a wrapped candy. 6. Brush lightly with melted butter. 7. Bake in oven until golden, 10 minutes. 8. If desired, drizzle with honey before serving.

Sun-dried tomato devilled eggs

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cost per unit: about $0.50
Makes 12

6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
30 mL (2 tbsp) mayonnaise
30 mL (2 tbsp) minced sun-dried tomatoes
15 mL (1 tbsp) chopped chives
5 mL (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
5 mL (1 tsp) minced capers
1 anchovy filet, minced (optional)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated Parmesan, to taste
Basil leaves, to taste

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise, scooping the yokes into a bowl. Set aside the egg whites. 2. Add remaining ingredients to egg yokes and mix. 3. Stuff egg whites with the mixture. 4. Garnish with grated Parmesan and basil leaves.

What to drink with this antipasto

Our hors-d’oeuvres go well with different wine types – an ideal matchmaker for the cocktail hour. The Domaine du Vieil Aven has both freshness on the palate and a smooth aftertaste. Try it with our goat-cheese-and-nut-wrapped grape bites, or our devilled eggs with candied tomatoes, basil and anchovies. The Forget-Brimont Champagne’s mellow character makes it an impeccable partner for our Gorgonzola candies, while the Belgian lager Martens Pilsner is a pleasant match for the artichoke-and-Parmesan gratin. Its thirst-quenching qualities delicately underscore the saltiness of this dish.

Coconut shrimp

If you’re a shrimp lover, these cocktail nibblies will charm your taste buds. They’re sweet and savoury, just like many Creole dishes. The shrimp are first coated in flour and coconut flakes, then fried and served with a caramel sauce – a distinct departure from the usual Creole seafood stew. This is an ideal dish to bring to a festive potluck. Serve lukewarm, or pop it in the oven for a few minutes beforehand.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 2 to 3 minutes
Cost per unit: about $9.00
4 servings

Shrimp
12 large 6/8 shrimp
125 mL (1/2 cup) flour
2 eggs, whisked
250 mL (1 cup) grated coconut
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Sauce
125 mL (1/2 cup) sugar
45 mL (3 tbsp) water
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
30 mL (2 tbsp) sherry vinegar
Orange zest and juice

Garnish
Fresh coriander
Orange zest

1. Orange-caramel sauce: In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, green onion and chopped pepper, and cook until caramel forms. 2. Deglaze with vinegar and orange juice. 3. Add zest and set aside. 4. Coconut shrimp: Coat shrimp in flour, dip in egg, then roll in coconut. 5. In a skillet, fry a few minutes until golden. 6. Season with salt and pepper. 7. Serve with orange-caramel sauce and garnish with coriander and orange zest.

What to drink with this coconut shrimp?

Champagnes like Paul Goerg 1er cru are great with fried food. The crispness and fizz will cut through the rich shrimp batter. In this case, the hints of brioche and butter in the Chardonnay will bring out the sweetness of the dish. There are two other Chardonnays we recommend: Adega de Pegões, which has notes of peach and vanilla, and La Crema, with notes of apple, toasted hazelnut and maple. You won’t go wrong with these three cuvées, virtually custom-made for this flavoursome dish.

Discover our holiday theme ideas: Is your style vintage or green?

Traditional three-meat pie

Every family says its own tourtière recipe is the best! But if you’re ready for a change, our three-meat version might come in handy. Adapt it any way you wish. For example, you could use game meat with boreal spices and wild mushrooms. If a taste of Alsace tempts you, replace the lamb with lardons and add a little white wine. Or go Moroccan with cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Tourtières can be prepared in advance and kept in the freezer for weeks until the big day finally arrives. It’s also a handy dish to bring to a yuletide potluck affair.

Preparation: 45 minutes
Cooking: 1 h 40
Cost per serving: $6.75
4 servings

Meat
225 g (1/2 lb) each: veal, turkey and lamb, small cubes grain-fed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
250 mL (1 cup) each: diced carrots, minced celery
2 bay leaves
5 mL (1 tsp) dried thyme
80 mL (1/3 cup) red wine

Sauce
15 mL (1 tbsp) butter
22 mL (1 1/2 tbsp) flour
310 mL (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock
2 rolled dough pieces
375 mL (1 1/2 cup) peeled potatoes, diced
1 egg, beaten

1. Meat: Mix all ingredients. Keep refrigerated for 4 hours, then remove bay leaves. 2. Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and stock, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer until thick. Let rest until warm. 3. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 4. Cover the bottom and sides of a 23-cm (10-in) springform pan with the rolled dough. 5. Mix meat preparation with potatoes and season generously. 6. Add to pan, add sauce and cover with dough. Brush with egg and cook in the centre of the oven for 90 minutes. 8. Let rest for 20 minutes before removing from oven.

What to drink with this tourtière?

A Châteauneuf-du-pape will certainly elevate the celebratory mood! What’s particular about this appellation is that 13 varieties of grape (including white ones) combine to form its unique character. Grenache and Syrah – typical of Rhône wines – are the most prominent among them. Robust, structured, with notes of black fruit and cedar, the Fiole du Pape suits the meatheavy tourtière to a tee. You’ll find similar aromas in the Masciarelli, an Italian red redolent of spice and underbrush. The tannic Cabral Reserva from Portugal’s Douro region is another suitable match, made entirely of local grapes including the Touriga Nacional.

+Learn how to assemble the perfect holiday combo of wines and spirits

Fice-spice pulled pork

Five-spice powder is a Chinese seasoning mixture of cinnamon, Szechuan pepper, clove, star anise and cardamom. The combination can be adapted to suit your personal taste or available ingredients. Our pulled-pork marinade also includes soy sauce, fresh ginger, lime and fennel. The recipe is easy to follow, and the finished product will impress your guests. The pork is used as filling for the mantous, those steamed buns sold fresh or frozen in Asian grocery stores. Supermarket brioche rolls are good substitutes, if necessary.

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: about 5 hours
Cost per serving: $3.70
12 servings

1 4-kg (8-lb) bone-in pork roast
45 mL (3 tbsp) canola oil
60 mL (1/4 cup) light soy sauce
60 mL (1/4 cup) fish sauce
30 mL (2 tbsp) rice vinegar
30 mL (2 tbsp) sugar
15 mL (1 tbsp) sesame oil
15 mL (1 tbsp) fennel seeds
5 mL (1 tsp) Szechuan pepper
Lime zest and juice
8 green onions, cut into sections
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
12 slices ginger
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 star anise
Salt and pepper
12 steamed buns* or brioche-style buns

Garnish
Chopped green onions, fresh coriander

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF) and season pork with salt and pepper. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil and brown meat on all sides. 3. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, fennel seeds, Szechuan pepper and lime zest and juice. Pour mixture and remaining ingredients over the meat. 4. Add water in skillet to mid-level and roast meat in oven until fork-tender, about 5 hours. 5. Skim fat off the cooking juices. Transfer juices to a saucepan and reduce by half or until slightly thickened. 6. Adjust seasoning. 7. Shred the meat and place it in steam buns, adding sauce, chopped green onions and fresh coriander.

*Available at Asian grocery stores

What to drink theses pulled-pork buns?

The Santi Nello has hints of anise that will highlight the scent of fennel in the pulled pork. Or try the Folonari Ripasso, whose aromas of red fruit and spice will complement the dish. Made from grapes grown in the Valpolicella region, the cuvée is a classic. If you feel like serving a modern Pinot Noir, then the Oregon-based, medium-bodied Cloudline will fit the bill with its generous tannins and interesting notes of small fruit and plums.

HEARTY SPANISH RAGOUT
Pork-hock stew is a global classic, with variations around the world. Add different ingredients for a more exotic taste. For example, Spain’s potaje consists of pork hocks and, sometimes, stewing beef chunks, black blood pudding, Swiss chard, white beans and pasta or rice. A true delicacy!