Isabel Maestre and her festive menu to succeed this Christmas and look like a king or queen

The cold arrives, in the streets the lights turn on and the body asks us to enjoy and celebrate, especially around a table and a great meal. With this idea in mind, we have proposed to

(owner of the renowned catering and the homonymous workshop) to design a special menu for METRÓPOLI with which to succeed in these Christmas celebrations. And, escorted by her

, a right-hand man for more than twenty years, she has set about it. Because if this woman from Donostia, a pioneer in catering in Spain who has fed illustrious people from around the world, knows anything about cooking. A tireless worker, she opened her workshop in Madrid 41 years ago,

(today in Fernando Caro, 7) to which they have joined

in the Gourmet Experience of El Corte Inglés de Serrano and Goya.

Its festive menu consists of two starters, two main ones and a dessert, a delicate, elegant and rich proposal to replicate at home.

Isabel Maestre, with her daughter Marta.

Vol-au-vent DEL LETRADO (and THE MOVIE 'EL GATOPARDO')

Ingredients

(8 people).

A

large and high

(although the ideal would be to do it ourselves, you can order or buy it already prepared in a specialized store), mushroom tortellini (about 5 to 6 per person), 2 liters of cream, 400 grams Parmesan and filleted truffle, if desired, to decorate.

Elaboration.

"Before getting into the matter, just note that this starter (our version of the famous and tall macaroni timpani that was served in

, a Luchino Visconti film from 1963) pays

, lawyer and influential person of the

He died a little over two years ago, who felt devotion to this dish, "says Isabel Maestre. Let's go with the recipe. The first step will be to put the cream on the fire and let it reduce to 1.6 liters. Then, cook (three minutes) the

and, once ready, take them out carefully so that they do not break and cool them with water.

Add the parmesan and pasta to the reduced cream and cook together for a minute.

With this, fill the

(although it can also be eaten, here its function is more of a

for our tortellini) and present it on a beautiful tray.

When serving, if you like, add some truffle slices.

French onion soup, second starter.

French onion soup

Ingredients

(8 people).

700 grams of onions, 150 grams of butter, 2 liters of poultry broth, 60 grams of flour, salt and pepper, 600 grams of Gruyère, stale bread and 1 glass of brandy.

Elaboration.

Start by peeling the onions, the star of our recipe, and cut them into very thin rings. Sauté them in a heavy-bottomed pot with the butter and stir frequently until golden brown. Then add the flour and cook for one minute, then add the poultry stock and season to taste. Let

for about 30 minutes. Then add the glass of cognac and season again. When the alcohol evaporates, you will have the first part of the plate ready: the soup.

Cut into thin slices and toast lightly.

Cut the cheese into two halves, grate one and cut the other into very thin slices.

Take an individual tureen or the casserole in which the dish is to be served (they must be suitable for the oven) and put the bread toasts on the bottom, followed by the onion soup and cheese.

Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese on top and

until the surface is golden brown.

This is the French version, but an easier option is to

the bread, soup and cheese

without going through the oven.

One of the main ones, beef cannelloni with truffle and truffle cream.

CANNELLONES OF BEEF WITH TRUFFLE AND TRUFFED CREAM

Ingredients

(8 people). Or, 5 dl olive oil; 150 g diced raw bacon; 400 g boneless veal cheek; 300 g onion, 80 g carrot and 5 garlic cloves, all three in

(thin and long cut); 60 g crushed tomato; 1/2 dl brandy and Porto; bay leaf and thyme; 1/4 L white meat stock; 500 g milk; 25 g. bread crumbs; 100 g duck foie; salt and pepper; 20 g truffle and 200 g of cannelloni paste.

: 40 g grated parmesan, 1 dl cream, 1 spoonful of cream cheese, 0.2 dl truffle juice, salt, white pepper and 5 g truffle.

Elaboration

. Seal the cheek and bacon in the oil, add the onion, cover and cook slowly. Once golden, add carrot and garlic and sauté; add the tomato and continue cooking. When they take color,

with the alcohol. After evaporating, season, add the herbs and dip with the bottom. Cover and cook and, when it is almost dry, add the milk and the bread and cook until obtaining a thick juice and a very tender meat. Degrease and pass everything through a mincer.

and the chopped truffle.

Rectify with salt and fill in the cannelloni that you will have previously cooked al dente.

Bring the cream and cheese to a boil, remove them from the heat and add half the Parmesan, the truffle juice and salt and pepper.

Then add the truffle.

Heat the pasta, lightly cover it with the sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and gratin.

Duck cooked two times with plum sauce, the main dish on the menu.

TWO-COOKED DUCK WITH PLUM SAUCE

Ingredients

(8 people).

2 cannetons, 300 g honey, 150 g water.

Brown sugar.

broken garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, 1 cc broken peppercorns, salt, 3 dl.

sunflower oil.

2 l red wine, 1/2 l brown poultry stock, 200 g pitted plums, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 pinch of nutmeg, salt and sugar.

Elaboration.

Spread your thighs. Add salt and

with the spices. Then put these in a cheesecloth and put it in hot oil at 100 degrees to perfume it. Then, confit the thighs for an hour in the oil at 90 degrees. They must be

. While making the sauce: mix the ingredients, cover and simmer for two hours to infuse well. Strain everything and let it reduce slowly over the heat

. Now, we will work the ducks. With your fingers,

.

Bring the honey and water to a boil and cool.

Paint the birds with the syrup and dry them in the fridge until the skin looks like paper.

Repeat 3 or 4 times.

Put the poultry on the oven rack and roast for 80 minutes at 130 degrees.

To serve, heat all the pieces,

and brown on the grill.

Serve the boneless duck and drumsticks with a little sauce.

The dessert: eggs in the snow with crème anglaise.

SNOW EGGS WITH ENGLISH CREAM

Ingredients

(8 people).

480 g of whites, 160 g of sugar, vanilla powder, 10 g of pink 'praline'.

1 l of milk, 6 yolks, vanilla and 100 g of sugar.

Elaboration.

Butter the molds twice and sprinkle sugar over them. Let's go with

. Take a deep bowl, whip the egg whites and, as they take shape, gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture seems firm (it will be ready if, when you turn the container over, the meringue sticks to the base). Add,

. Put everything in a sleeve and fill the molds, which will cook at 100o in a water bath for 25 minutes. For the

, heat the milk with the vanilla to almost boiling point. On the other hand, mix the sugar with the six yolks and beat well. Pour in the hot milk very slowly and

r on the buds.

Put it over medium-low heat and keep stirring (remember, it should not boil) until it thickens and acquires a custard-like texture.

Let cool in the fridge and, to avoid last minute stress, it is best to make the cream the day before.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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