Sure, finger foods are fun. Dips and chips and cheeseballs (Yes. A cheeseball.) and homemade toast points and crab dip. But, after all that, we want dinner. Lobster and crab and chowder and drawn butter and rolls. So, here are some of the sources I’ve found for just those things.
Blue cheese and walnuts, toasted walnuts, are a classic combination and one which I really enjoy. In this recipe, I would use original cream cheese and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Of course, you may adjust any way you need. Toasting the walnuts brings out the deeper flavors and also helps keep them crunchy in the mix. Cool them before you add them to the mixture.
Crab dip starts with a crab cake. If you plan to serve the dip warm with crackers, I would add a 1/4 cup more of the dressing to help it be more dip-able. Some chopped chives or dill on top after it is hot makes a nice presentation.
Many moons ago, I was working in Tallahassee, FL at The Governors’ Club, a member only dining club. For Christmas that year we decided to really do it up for the employees. We made Stolen and Egg Nog. This is that version. The chef, Todd Misener now with Trebache in New Orleans, came up with this recipe. It is similar in technique as the previous recipe, but is thicker and flavored differently. This is, as he calls it, Puerto Rican egg nog. The coconut and dark rum go to fulfill that name. This can easily be cut in half. For me, I would leave the spices the same.
A slightly different take on nogs in general but well worth the effort to make. Be prepared to ration it as it is just delicious, but the labor makes it extra special.
Course
Drinks
Cuisine
American
Keyword
Christams drinks, Egg nog, party drinks, Thanksgiving drinks
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time20minutes
Refrigerate2hours
Total Time35minutes
AuthorDann Reid
Ingredients
Puerto Rican Egg Nog: Group 1
20EachEgg yolks
1.5CWhite sugar
1/2CDark Rum
Group 2
3CHalf and half
2C Coco Lopez
1/2tFreshly grated nutmet
1eachCinnamon stick
1TVanilla extract
Group 3
1CHalf and half
1CDark Rum
Instructions
Make the egg nog
Place the first three ingredients in a deep metal or glass bowl and place on a pot with water heated to just below a boil. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl.
Using a hot pad, hold the bowl and move the whisk in a figure 8 motion along the bottom of the bowl with a moderate speed. The idea is to expose the egg mixture to the heat evenly. Occasionally whisk the edges of the egg mix to incorporate the edges into the mixture, then return to whisking in the figure 8 motion. The target temperature is 150° F on an instant read thermometer.
Add the second group of ingredients to the bowl, replace it on the pot and whisk in the same manner until the mixture reaches 175° F.
Remove from the heat, add the last two ingredients, stir to incorporate and place in an ice bath to cool the mixture. Even with the added cool ingredients, there may be sufficient residual heat to keep cooking the eggs which can make the curdle and that’s not yummy.
Once the nog is cool, remove the cinnamon stick and pour it into resealable bottles for gift giving, or a pitcher for you for later. A common experience from those who enjoyed the nog, a few glasses and your legs disappear.
This procedure is a bit trickier than the recipe posted on Holiday Hooch, but well worth making.
If you have made either of these Kahlua recipes or just have some hanging about, you can make your own beverage, man, and change out the rum for Kahlula or use the nog in your White Russian.
