Holiday brunch goes global

I’ve long been planning a dream Christmas brunch. Our family of adventurous eaters has roots in five countries -- England, France, Russia, Canada and the United States -- and the ideal menu would have to please them all. Add to that the trick of preparing most of the meal in advance so dinner can be on the table by noon on the festive day.

This is a family story, so let me introduce the group that’s been celebrating the holidays together for 36 years now: Our son, Simon, who works in Moscow, is the cork puller and heavy lifter of turkeys from the oven. Emma, our daughter, busy director of a large nonprofit here in Los Angeles, extends her talent for organization to the kitchen -- she makes the pastry dough and arranges things on plates. My husband, Mark, chooses the wines and organizes constant liquid refreshment.

Our menu starts in Russia with blini, the little yeast-raised pancakes. For a more earthy flavor, I make the batter with stone-ground whole-wheat flour, which makes a more elastic batter than white flour. The blini rise half an inch high, and with their light texture and nutty flavor, make the perfect background for a topping of tapenade spread made of green olives.

Blini are pleasingly adaptable. Small ones make cocktail hors d’oeuvres to nibble before going to the table; larger ones act as appetizers to the main course. Even better, they reheat well, so they can be made a day in advance without suffering.

We’d represent the U.S. with a grand turkey, roasted with lemon juice, olive oil, chile, nutmeg and a touch of garlic. This marinade adds zip and toasts the skin to an elegant chestnut brown when used for basting. However, the most dominant flavoring for the turkey is fresh rosemary, the herb that most says Southern California to me. Our garden is full of it, growing more or less wild and releasing intense fragrance with a brush of my hand.

I like to start the turkey with the breast downward to keep it moist. When the time comes, Simon hefts it from the oven, but two people are needed to turn the big, sizzling bird; I hold the roasting pan in place on the counter, Emma seizes the legs and over it goes, tail over nose.

The sauce that results at the end of roasting is dark from the turkey juices and rich with onions and chicken broth, laced with white wine -- let’s call it a French-style gravy.

This gravy serves a double purpose. Because it’s an early meal, I want to roast the turkey a day ahead, but traditional roast turkey is never at its best if you try to reheat it. I’m delighted to have found a solution: I let the cooked bird cool and refrigerate it overnight. At the same time I make and store the gravy. To reheat the turkey, I brush it with the golden gravy, wrap it tightly in foil and heat it thoroughly in the oven. The gravy not only keeps the meat moist, it adds flavor and color.

As an accompaniment to the turkey, I cannot resist generous handfuls of wild mushrooms, a memory of our property in France where a dozen varieties grow in the woods. Mushroom hunting is a local sport, and all of us knew secret corners where the best ones grew.

Any mushrooms are delicious with turkey, and a mixture is best of all, with oyster mushrooms for lightness, shiitake for depth of flavor and golden chanterelles for color. For economy, to make the more costly varieties go further, you can replace at least half with button mushrooms.

To go with the bird, we’d probably opt for hedgehog potatoes, a little culinary joke for our granddaughter. I put little boiling potatoes (egg-sized is ideal) in a tablespoon and cut them in vertical one-fourth-inch slices, a neat trick that ensures they stay joined at the base. When roasted with some fat -- olive oil, butter or turkey drippings from the roasting pan -- they become deliciously crispy and fan out to a hedgehog shape.

The Christmas pie would be an English mincemeat, but with a difference. The filling features fresh grapes and chopped apples as well as the customary raisins, candied citrus peel, warm spices and a liberal splash of whiskey from Mark’s stash of booze. This is a double-crust pie, the dough made with heavy cream for richness, and we’d have a tub of ice cream on the side especially for little girls.

By my count we’ve covered at least five countries: blini from Russia, tapenade from France, turkey and potatoes from America, mincemeat pie from England and wild mushrooms from just about anywhere.

And let’s not forget our traditional family ceremony of slicing the Christmas cake beside the tree. The oldest and the youngest in the house grasp a hefty chef’s knife and cut a wedge, at the same time making a wish for the coming year.

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food@latimes.com

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Fresh mincemeat pie

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus chilling time

Servings: 8 to 10

Note: This pastry dough is wonderfully pliable and easy to work, made by the French method of kneading on the countertop. For the filling you’ll need seedless grapes and tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, that hold their shape during cooking. To appreciate the full flavor of fruit and spice, serve the pie hot or at room temperature, topped with a scoop of your favorite ice cream -- butter pecan or vanilla for me. Traditional mincemeat is spiked with hard liquor; here I suggest bourbon, but orange juice is fine too, and child-friendly.

Light cream pastry dough

3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

2/3 cup heavy cream, more if needed

1. Sift the flour into a mound on a work surface and make a wide well in the center. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it. Add the butter to the well with the salt, egg yolk and cream. Work these ingredients with the fingertips of one hand until thoroughly mixed. Using a pastry scraper or metal spatula, draw in flour from the sides and work the dough with the fingers of both hands until coarse crumbs form; they should be soft but not sticky. If they seem dry, sprinkle with an additional tablespoon of cream and continue working to form a rough dough. Press the dough together to form 2 balls, one twice as large as the other.

2. On a lightly floured surface, quickly knead the dough. Take a ball of dough and push it away from you with the palm of your hand, flattening it on the work surface. Gather up the dough, and repeat the action two or three times -- this distributes butter in the flour so dough becomes smooth and pliable. Shape it into a ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Pie filling and assembly

2 tart apples

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) seedless green or red grapes, halved

2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel

1/2 cup walnut pieces

3/4 cup dark raisins

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup bourbon, or orange juice

2 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing)

11- to 12-inch tart pan with removable base

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Core, halve and dice the unpeeled apples into one-fourth-inch pieces. Toss the apples into a bowl with lemon zest and juice. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Add the grapes, candied orange peel, walnuts and dark and golden raisins and stir until the fruits are evenly mixed. Stir in the brown sugar, then the bourbon or orange juice.

2. Brush the tart pan with melted butter. Sprinkle your countertop with flour and roll the large ball of pastry dough to a 13- to 14-inch round. Line the tart pan with the dough, leaving about 1-inch overlap of dough at the rim. Spoon the mincemeat filling into the shell and gently flatten the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Roll out remaining dough to fit the top of the pie, with about 1-inch overhang, and lift it onto the pie with the rolling pin to cover the mincemeat. Trim the edges of the dough with scissors and pinch with your fingertips to seal and make a fluted edge.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and salt to form a wash. Brush the surface of the pie with wash. With the tip of a knife, slash the dough in a decorative pattern so steam can escape. If you like, decorate the top with leaves made from dough trimmings, brushing them with glaze. Chill the pie thoroughly 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees, and put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to heat. Brush the chilled pie again with glaze. Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake until browned and the pie starts shrinking from the side of the pan, 40 to 50 minutes. A skewer inserted in pie center should be very hot to the touch when withdrawn. (The pie can be baked a day ahead; wrap it tightly in foil and refrigerate.)

5. To reheat, place the pie in a 300-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then unmold onto a platter.

Each of 10 servings: 573 calories; 7 grams protein; 76 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 27 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 106 mg. cholesterol; 323 mg. sodium.

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Roast hedgehog potatoes

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: These small potatoes are sliced crosswise like hard-boiled eggs, but without quite cutting them apart, so they fan out in a hot oven. Any egg-sized potato will do. For fat you can choose olive oil, butter or leftover drippings from a previous roast, if you have them.

20 to 24 egg-sized potatoes (about 4 to 5 pounds)

8 to 10 dried bay leaves, broken into large pieces

Large bunch fresh thyme

1/2 cup fat such as olive oil, butter or pan drippings

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the potatoes: Place a potato in a tablespoon and cut it into one-fourth-inch slices joined at the base (the spoon will prevent the knife from slicing all the way through). Open the slices just slightly and place a piece of bay leaf and a sprig of thyme inside the potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and place them in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them.

2. Drizzle the fat over the potatoes and season them with three-fourths teaspoon of salt and one-fourth teaspoon of pepper, or to taste. Place the pan on the stove top on medium-high heat and cook just until the fat begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Place the pan in the oven and roast the potatoes, basting them occasionally with the fat, until browned and crisp, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point one day ahead; cool the potatoes slightly, then cover and refrigerate them overnight.)

4. To reheat the potatoes, warm in the roasting pan briefly on the stove top over medium-high heat, about 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a 375-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until thoroughly warmed.

Each of 8 servings: 312 calories; 5 grams protein; 44 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 239 mg. sodium.

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Roast turkey with wild mushrooms

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus roasting and reheating time

Servings: 8 to 10

1 (8- to 10-pound) turkey

1 lemon, halved

1 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for basting

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground red chile pepper

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 bunch rosemary

2 onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

Chicken broth, optional

1. Wipe the turkey inside and out with a damp paper towel. Place the turkey on a tray and rub the skin thoroughly with the cut lemon.

2. In a small bowl, mix together half of the olive oil along with the garlic, chili pepper, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Rub the marinade evenly inside and outside the bird, reserving any that remains. Put the bunch of rosemary in the cavity and truss the bird. Cover it loosely with foil and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

4. In a large roasting pan, toss the onions with the remaining olive oil and set the turkey on the onions, breast-side-down. Baste the turkey with remaining marinade. Roast it, basting often, for about 1 hour until the back (upper side) of the bird is well-browned. With a large spoon and fork (and maybe the help of another person), turn the turkey breast-side-up. Baste the turkey from time to time and roast until meat starts to shrink from the drumstick bones and the juices run clear, 45 minutes to an hour. A meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 160 degrees. If the turkey colors too quickly, tent it loosely with foil. If the onions start to scorch toward the end of roasting, add a cup of chicken broth to the pan. While the turkey roasts, prepare the mushrooms.

Mushrooms

2 pounds wild mushrooms, or a mixture of button and wild mushrooms

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

Salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. Pick over the mushrooms, trimming tough ends and brushing them to remove any dirt (do not wash them). In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the mushrooms with 1 teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper. Saute the mushrooms over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the garlic and shallots over them and cook until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid they produce has evaporated, another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. The mushrooms can be cooked a day ahead; let them cool, then wrap and refrigerate them. To reheat, place the mushrooms back in the pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until warmed through, stirring frequently. Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving.

Pan sauce and assembly

3 cups dry white wine, or 3 cups additional chicken broth

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup flour

1. When the turkey is done, transfer the bird to a tray to catch any juices and cover the bird loosely with foil. Drain any excess fat from the pan, leaving the juices.

2. Make the gravy: If the onions and pan juices are not browned, brown them on the stove top over high heat 5 to 10 minutes if necessary. Add the wine to the hot pan, stirring to dissolve any flavorful bits that stick to the bottom of the pan and boil until reduced by about half, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, boil the chicken broth in a small pan until reduced by half. Add the broth to pan juices and taste: If the flavors are too bland, continue to boil a few more minutes to concentrate the flavors.

4. In a small bowl, crush the butter with a fork and work in flour to make a paste. Add any juices from the cooked turkey to the simmering pan juices. Whisk in pieces of the butter, working over the heat so the butter melts and distributing the flour to thicken the gravy evenly. Add butter until the gravy is thickened to the consistency you like. Simmer it 1 to 2 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning. Strain the gravy into a saucepan for reheating and cover. (The turkey and gravy can be cooked a day ahead up to this point; cool them to room temperature, wrap and store in the refrigerator.)

5. About 1 1/2 hours before serving, heat oven to 375 degrees and prepare to wrap the turkey in foil. Arrange 2 long strips of foil lengthwise, overlapping slightly, and 1 long strip crosswise across the middle two (make sure each strip is large enough to wrap around the turkey). Unwrap the turkey and place it in the center of the foil. Brush the breast and legs with gravy and wrap very tightly. Set the package in a roasting pan or tray to catch drips and reheat in oven about 1 hour until turkey is steaming and a skewer inserted between the thigh and the body is hot to the touch when withdrawn after 30 seconds. Transfer the turkey to a large, warm platter, cover loosely with foil and keep in a warm place.

6. While the turkey is reheating, warm the remaining gravy in the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

7. In a medium fry pan, reheat the mushrooms over medium heat until warmed, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

8. Adjust the seasoning for the gravy and pour it into bowls for serving.

9. Discard the trussing and rosemary from the turkey. Garnish the platter with the mushrooms. Carry the turkey in triumph to the table.

Each of 10 servings: 848 calories; 69 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 53 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 245 mg. cholesterol; 748 mg. sodium.

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Whole-wheat blini with green olive tapenade

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus rising time

Servings: 12 to 14

Note: Whole-wheat flour raised with yeast lends a depth of flavor that is well worth the wait for the batter to rise. Blini can be made ahead and warmed in the oven just before serving.

1 3/4 cups milk, divided

1 tablespoon dry active yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour, preferably stone ground

Salt

1 red bell pepper

3 eggs, separated

3-4 tablespoons melted butter, for frying

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over high heat just until it comes to a good simmer (do not let it boil), then remove from heat and cool the milk to lukewarm.

2. While the milk is cooling, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, then stir to combine. Set it aside until it dissolves and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of the warm milk. Slowly incorporate the flour into the liquid with a spoon or your hands, gradually mixing it in to form a smooth batter. Beat the batter for 1 minute to fully incorporate the ingredients. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise until the batter is full of bubbles and light in texture, 2 to 3 hours.

4. Roast the pepper over high heat on top of a stove burner, turning with tongs until the skin is completely charred. Alternatively, toast under a broiler on all sides to char. Place the pepper in a plastic bag, and loosely cover to allow steam to loosen the skin. When cooled, peel and halve the pepper, discarding the core and seeds. Slice the pepper crosswise into one-eighth-inch strips. Set aside.

5. When the batter is light and bubbly, stir in the yolks and one-half cup of the milk. The batter will be elastic but should pour easily (if not, add more of the milk as needed). In a separate bowl, whisk the whites until they hold a soft peak; gently fold into the batter.

6. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons butter and heat until the butter is melted and has stopped foaming. Ladle the batter into the pan to form 3-inch blini (about 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake) and cook until the tops are bubbly and the undersides browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the blini over and cook the other side, about 1 minute. Place the blini on a plate, stacking them to keep them moist. Repeat until all the blini are cooked, using more butter as needed. This recipe makes 3 to 3 1/2 dozen blini. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point a day ahead. Place the cooked blini in an airtight container and refrigerate.)

7. Before serving, warm the blini in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven, wrapped in foil, for 15 to 20 minutes. Spread each pancake with a spoonful of tapenade and top each with 2 crossed strips of pepper. Plate 3 per serving.

Green olive tapenade

2 slices white bread, torn into pieces

2 cups cold water

4 garlic cloves, cut in pieces

1 cup pitted green olives

2 anchovy fillets, cut in pieces

1 cup thinly sliced almonds

1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, soak the torn bread in the cold water for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, olives, anchovies, almonds and capers. Drain the bread, squeezing out the excess water, and add to the other ingredients. Pulse the mixture until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil and continue working to a medium puree, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice and pepper to taste. Add additional seasoning as desired, though the tapenade should be salty enough.

Each of 14 servings: 241 calories; 6 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 56 mg. cholesterol; 231 mg. sodium.