Menu: A Réveillon Dinner for Christmas Eve

Croquembouche

“The fine arts are five in number,” wrote the chef Marie-Antoine Careme, “painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture—whereof the principle branch is confectionery.” He knew what he was talking about. After all, he created croquembouche, a spire of caramelized cream puffs.

The Menu

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Turtle soup, thickened with tomato paste and roux, is a classic New Orleans dish and a standby for restaurants in the French Quarter. The slow-cooking stew gets a sharp boost from dry sherry, often served tableside. If you can't find turtle in your area, boneless veal shoulder makes an excellent substitute.
Prepare the turkey the day before and chill it overnight. You can use store-bought boudin for the filling, or see our recipe for tips on how to make your own.
Soak the red kidney beans at least overnight and cook white rice ahead for serving.
The skillet greens get a sharp flavor boost from using homemade garlic confit, a condiment made by poaching whole cloves in oil. See the recipe for garlic confit »
Serve croquembouche within 4 hours of making to ensure the cream filling doesn't soften the puffs.