Traditional Christmas Foods across Europe

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION
2. AUSTRIA
3. CYPRUS
4. CZECH REPUBLIC
5. FRANCE
   1. Foie Gras
   2. Chapon farci de Noël (stuffed Christmas capon)
   3. Boeuf en Croûte (Beef in a pastry case)
   4. Daube (a rich beef stew)
   5. Buche de Noël (literally a Christmas Log, a rich chocolate cake)
   6. Salade d'Oranges au muscat de Rivesaltes (Orange fruit salad in Rivesaltes muscatel wine)
6. GERMANY
7. GREAT BRITAIN
8. GREECE
9. HOLLAND
10. HUNGARY
11. POLAND
12. PORTUGAL
13. ROMANIA
14. SERBIA
15. SLOVENIA
16. SPAIN

Boeuf en Croûte (Beef in a pastry case)

Ingredients:
Up to 1 kg. of top quality beef for roasting, ideally filet.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
A little butter for the pan
A little port or other rich and fruity wine
About 500 g. of shortcrust pastry dough, made with flour and beef dripping.

Preparation:
Rub salt, pepper and pieces of garlic into the meat. Heat the wine in the butter until thicker. Roll out the pastry. Put the seasoned meat and the thickened wine on to the pastry and wrap the meat up well with the pastry so well that none of the juices can escape. Paint a little milk or egg on the pastry outside (optional). Put in a well-buttered roasting tin in the oven (at about 170^oC) for about 30 minutes. Serve this very hot.

A few mushrooms or some herb may be included with the meat (optional).