Holiday Roast Box

30 minutes before cooking, remove the beef from the refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil. Transfer the seasoned beef to the sheet pan. Roast 28 to 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°F.* Remove from the oven.

*This cook time will yield a final internal temperature of 125°F (medium-rare) after Step 2. The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 145°F for beef. Roast the beef an additional 4 to 6 minutes to achieve this. 

Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. 

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the roasted beef. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (125°F), or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness.  Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes.

While the beef rests, wash, dry, and thinly slice the chives. Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium-high until hot. Add the broth (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), mustard, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, crème fraîche, and demi-glace. Cook, whisking occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted and combined. Stir in half the sliced chives. Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested beef; slice crosswise against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve the sliced beef with the pan sauce. Garnish the sauce with the remaining sliced chives.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the potatoes. Once boiling, add the diced potatoes to the pot and cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until slightly tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, peel 1 clove of garlic; using a zester or the small side of a box grater, finely grate into a paste. In a separate, medium pot, combine the cream (shaking the packet before opening), béchamel, crème fraîche, demi-glace, and quatre épices; heat on medium-high until simmering. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic paste.

Grate the fontina on the large side of a box grater. Transfer the cream sauce to the pot of boiled potatoes; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a large baking dish; evenly top with the grated fontina and parmesan. (If making the night before, tightly cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate. Before baking, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 1 hour, then remove the foil.)

Bake the casserole 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If desired, turn your oven to the broil function; broil 2 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown (watching carefully so it doesn’t burn). Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Serve the baked casserole garnished with the chopped parsley.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise. Halve the orange crosswise. Roughly chop the pistachios. In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, the juice of both orange halves, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Transfer the halved carrots to the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in an even layer, cut side down. Roast 24 to 26 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Transfer the roasted carrots to the bowl of glaze. Toss to coat. Serve the glazed carrots garnished with the chopped pistachios.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Remove and discard any stems from the grapes. Pick the rosemary leaves off the stems; roughly chop the leaves. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; roughly chop the leaves. Quarter, core, and thinly slice the pear. In a medium bowl, combine the maple syrup, half the chopped rosemary (you will have extra), and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. To make the dressing, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, dijonnaise, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Place the grapes on one side of a sheet pan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in an even layer. Place the walnuts on the other side of the sheet pan in an even layer. Roast 6 to 8 minutes, or until the grapes are slightly softened and the walnuts are browned. Remove from the oven. Transfer the roasted walnuts to the bowl of spicy maple syrup. Toss to thoroughly coat.

To the bowl of dressing, add the chopped lettuce and arugula; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Serve the salad topped with the roasted grapes, sliced pear, spicy maple walnuts, and goat cheese (crumbling before adding).

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the pie crust on a sheet pan, leaving it in its tin. Using a fork, lightly prick (or dock) the bottom of the pie crust all over to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cooling rack and let stand about 30 minutes, or until room temperature.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the peanuts. Line a plate with parchment paper (or lightly grease). In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), combine the chopped peanuts, caramel shards, and 2 tablespoons of the cream (shaking the packet before opening). Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 6 to 9 minutes, or until the caramel is melted and the peanuts are thoroughly coated. Transfer to the prepared plate (immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired) and let cool completely.

When ready to serve, place the remaining cream in a medium bowl (or the bowl of stand mixer). Whisk constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (if using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on high 2 minutes), or until stiff peaks form. Cut a small corner off the bag of chocolate mousse. Working directly from the bag, pipe the mousse into the cooled pie crust and spread into an even layer. Serve the finished pie topped with the whipped cream. Garnish with the candied peanuts. Enjoy!