One reason I look forward to Christmas dinner is because it’s the one time of the year that Andrea makes her beef wellington with a delicious peppercorn sauce. It starts with a center cut beef tenderloin from our local butcher shop Baron’s Meat. She sears it, slathers it in dijon mustard. She wraps this in a layer of browned mushroom and shallot and a layer of prosciutto and chills this in the refrigerator. She then wraps it in the puff pastry. The peppercorn sauce is flambéed with some brandy.

The pastry wrap had always vexed her because it didn’t stay so tightly wrapped like we always see on Hell’s Kitchen, but this one came out great. Add some sauteed kale and some fingerling potatoes and touch of fresh cranberry sauce from Kirsten and Greg and we’re set!

We had started with a Croix Ol’ Manzana Slope Pinot Noir and ended up finishing with a Pride Syrah.

For dessert, Kirsten had baked some gingerbread (perfectly moist and airy, deliciously molasses-y) and with a side of vanilla gelato, it was a delicious and complete meal. Happy holidays!