Christmas in New Orleans

Jeff Green | Dec 20, 2023

New Orleans is a singular United States City. By US standards it is not a very large city. Hemmed in by Lake Pontchartrain to the north and a tributary of the Gulf of Mexico to the east, the “Crescent City ‘’ has a population of about 350,000, and the greater metropolitan area has about 1.3 million inhabitants, less than the City of Ottawa.
Yet it is a global destination for music fans, drawn by its unique blend of influences. Jazz, R&B, Blues, Cajun and Zydeco music all have roots in New Orleans.
It has a reputation as a food destination as well, with a mix of French and Southern influences infusing every dish.
At Christmas time, New Orleans residents love to sing, and eat.
One of the highlights of the season takes place a week or so before Christmas Day, a community carol sing at Jackson Square, a 2.5 acre park at the northern edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans. It is put on as a community event and fundraiser by a group called “Patio Planters of the French Quarter”, which was founded in 1946. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the beauty of the French Quarter and the adjacent Garden District.
At the carol sing, people arrive in droves at about 6:30pm, this year on the 17th of December, and candles and songbooks are distributed among the crowd. Carolling goes from 7pm to 8pm, after which the crowd disburses and many head to restaurants to enjoy another New Orleans tradition, this one borrowed from France and Quebec, the Reveillon Dinner.
Reveillon Dinners are meals prepared for after midnight mass on Christmas Eve and on New Years Eve, in the French Catholic tradition. In New Orleans, restaurants prepare special pre-fixe, four or five course Reveillon dinners throughout the month of December.

Some of the recipes used for Reveillon Dinners in New Orleans mirror those that are popular in Quebec, but with a twist. Others are pure New Orleans. Below are a number that we plan to try out this year in our household, along with a pitcher of Parsnip infused Gin and Tonics, using the recipe from our friend Greg Butler of the Cardinal Cafe. The first recipe is for a version of a Tourtiere, which is a Christmas necessity throughout Quebec, but in place of beef, pork, or lamb, it uses chicken, sausage and chestnuts. The recipe requires a pie crust. I often use simple butter pastry, and for a pot pie I would only put the crust on top and make it in a deep dish pan

Chicken and Sausage Pot Pie with Fennel and Chestnuts

makes two pies, enough for 10 people

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chopped fennel
• 2 cups chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1-pound mild Italian sausage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 (7.4-ounce) jar whole-roasted chestnuts, chopped
• ½ cup dry vermouth
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Piecrusts

• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter and flour until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and thyme; cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add sausage, garlic, and fennel seeds; cook 10 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and vermouth; cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.
4. Add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add butter mixture, and stir until no lumps remain. Bring sauce back to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add parsley, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.
5. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll Piecrusts into 2 (10-inch) rounds. In a small bowl, stir together egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.
6. Transfer chicken mixture to 2 (9-inch) pie dishes, and top with prepared Piecrusts. Trim excess edges, and crimp to seal. Cut 4 slits into top of crust, and brush top with egg mixture.
7. Bake until crust is brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

Chicken Liver Mousse with Pomegranates

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 shallots, chopped
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
• ¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Whole-grain mustard (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt; sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add liver and cook until browned but slightly pink inside, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to the work bowl of a food processor.
2. Add orange liqueur to the skillet, and cook over high heat. Boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add liqueur and cream to liver mixture. Let stand 15 minutes.
3. Process on high speed until very smooth; add remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Serve at room temperature on toasted baguette slices topped with pomegranate seeds and mustard, if desired.

Chestnut Crème Brulee

(Note – Chestnut Puree is available at specialty stores and large supermarkets. The easiest brand to access is Bonne Mama, the popular producer of jams and jellies. Also, when contemplating making this recipe, note that it requires 12 egg yolks, so cooks might consider making meringues, lemon pie, or even a Pavlova along with it, to get all they can out of a dozen eggs)

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
• 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup sugar
• 12 egg yolks
• ⅔ cup canned chestnut purée
• Pinch salt
• 8 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and cover. Let stand 15 minutes, then remove vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks.

In the container of a blender, add egg yolks. Turn to low speed, and slowly pour in cream mixture. Add chestnut purée and salt; blend until combined.

Divide chestnut mixture evenly between 8 (6-ounce) ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish,

and fill dish with water until about halfway up the ramekins.

Bake until custard is set, about 45 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, let cool to room temperature in water; remove from water and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Position oven rack 6 inches from broiler. Preheat oven to broil. Top each custard evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Broil in groups of 4 until sugar is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.