Jean-Georges and Marja Vongerichten's Global Holiday Menu
Slow-Cooked Sweet-and-Sour Pork Shoulder with Pineapple
Inspired by the retro combination of ham and pineapple, Jean-Georges Vongerichten created this twist by mixing the pineapple with vinegar for a sweet-sour effect, and marinating pork shoulder with hot paprika and Sriracha chile sauce. “Chile is my condiment of choice: A little here, a little there, makes the food sing,” he says.
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Bacon, Cheddar and Onion Quiche
"To make a proper tarte flambé, you need a wood-burning oven with a stone floor," explains Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the thin-crusted Alsatian pizza topped with bacon, onions and fromage blanc. Here, he folds those same basic ingredients (replacing the fromage blanc with cheddar) into a light custard and bakes it in a buttery pastry crust. “Not everyone has a pizza oven at home, so I decided to make it in the form of a quiche.”
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Grilled Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms with Sesame
”Hen-of-the-woods are often shredded and sautéed, but when you cook them whole, they become crispy outside and meaty and moist inside,” says Jean-Georges Vongerichten of his preferred method of preparing the coral-like mushroom.
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Almost-Instant Hot Kimchi
“The first time I had kimchi was when I arrived in New York City in 1986,” says Jean-Georges Vongerichten. “I was like, Oh my God, what is this? It’s fermented like the sauerkraut from Alsace, where I’m from, but the flavor is different. I didn’t have a recipe, so instead of fermenting, I used vinegar for the sourness.” Like sauerkraut, he serves this kimchi hot.
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Lobster, Clam and Kimchi Stew
“Kimchi stew is a fast and easy way to use up kimchi that’s become too sour for people to eat straight,” says Marja Vongerichten. Traditional Korean recipes are usually packed with a mix of seafood, but in this elegant version, Marja uses just lobster and clams.
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Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi
“Fermented cabbage is the most common kind, but kimchi is actually a pickling technique, so you can make it with any vegetable,” explains Marja Vongerichten. “Every Korean household has a different recipe: Some use pears, others, raw shrimp or oysters.” This classic recipe includes napa cabbage, ginger and garlic.
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Dark-Chocolate Pudding with Candied Ginger
“For me, ginger should be everywhere,” says Jean-Georges Vongerichten. “It’s as good in marinades and vinaigrettes as it is in dessert.” Here, candied ginger garnishes dark-chocolate pudding.