CCC recipes

As promised, here are the recipes for a Cross Creek Christmas
You can find the sweet potatoes in orange baskets recipe, at the bottom of this article.

.................BAKED SHERRIED GRAPEFRUIT

Cut grapefruit in halves and separate sections as for breakfast serving, without cutting sections entirely through. Turn upside down to drain off excess juice. Dot grapefruit with butter, brown sugar (or honey) butter and powdered clove. Fill centers with sherry. Brown under broiler in very hot oven. (note: I typed this as it appeared.. maybe the second 'butter' was an error?)



.................ROAST DUCK

In using wild duck, I do not make the conventional stuffing of onion or celery or apple. I dress the ducks whole, salt and pepper them, and place them breast side up in a tightly covered roasting pan with an inch of hot water in the pan. The oven is at 450° F. for the first 15 minutes. Then I reduce the heat to 350° F. Young ducks will roast in little over one hour. For older ducks, I allow from 2 to 3 hours. They should be basted every 15 minutes with the liquid in the pan. I allow ½ duck per person. An occasional greedy or hungry guest will eat a whole duck but it is not encouraged. I boil the giblets in hot water until tender, put through the meat grinder, and add to the gravy, which is made by adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper, to the fat in the roasting pan.



.................WILD RICE

Wild rice expands in cooking more than white rice,and a half-cup serves where a whole cup of white rice is needed. Boil 20 minutes in salted water, or until tender, drain, pour hot water over it; drain and let stand in a colander over hot water 5 to 10 minutes.



.................CORNMEAL MUFFINS

1¼ cups flour
¼ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup melted butter or vegetable shortening


Sift together dry ingredients. Add milk, then beaten egg, then melted shortening. Bake in tiny muffin pans in a hot oven (425° F.) Makes about 20 small muffins.



.................BRAISED ONIONS

Peel small to medium white onions and cook them whole in a small quantity of salted water. Allow 4 small onions or 2 or 3 medium ones per person. Cook until extremely tender, allowing all the water to boil away. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar for every 4 to 6 onions. Simmer until onions are well browned, turning often. Serve with the brown juice.



.................TANGERINE SHERBET

1 cup sugar
1½ cups water
Grated rind of 4 tangerines
4 cups tangerine juice
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons


Boil sugar and water 10 minutes. Add the grated tangerine rind to syrup while hot. Let cool slightly and add tangerine juice and lemon juice. Taste for sweetness and acidity, as the tangerines vary. Chill thoroughly, strain and freeze.