Several years ago, I got to thinking about how we used to go to Nana’s house to celebrate Serbian Christmas. That tradition had more or less dwindled down to phone calls wishing family Merry Christmas. I decided that I didn’t want to let that tradition slip away completely. I want my grandsons to know about that part of where they come from, so we started having a dinner to get everyone together and keep the day special and remembered. I can’t say how many years we’ve been doing this now, but it has grown from just immediate family to an event attended by family and friends. I think one year, when Zach and Elise hosted the dinner at their house, there were around 20 people.

This year, due to COVID, we won’t be getting together for dinner. Instead, we have decided to copy our friends at the winery and are inviting all of you to join. We will be having our dinner on Sunday, January 10 due to work schedules. The menu has been scaled down to a dinner for two (except for the soup, there’ll be enough for a meal later in the week) but can easily be scaled up if needed.

The Menu

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Bell Pepper Soup

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Herb Roasted Prime Rib for Two

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Crisp Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

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Creamy Peas with Bacon and Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs

For the Soup

Serves 4

Buy a 4-ounce hunk of pancetta from the deli counter, not the presliced variety.

4 oz. pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces (*see notes at the end)

2 lbs. butternut squash, cut in half, lengthwise, and seeded

Olive oil

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 TBS sherry vinegar

2 TBS chopped fresh chives

For the Herb Roasted Prime Rib

1 (1 ½ lb.) bone-in rib-eye steak, 1 ½ inches thick,* trimmed

Salt

Herb Paste

1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme

1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. sugar

For the Crisp Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

¼ cup salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 Tbs. olive oil

⅛ tsp. pepper

For the Creamy Peas with Bacon and Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs

2 slices bacon, chopped

⅓ cup heavy cream

½ pound frozen peas, not thawed

2 scallions, sliced thin

1 ¼ oz. Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs (about ¼ of the package)

Assembly

A day or two before, make the soup.

• Preheat the oven to 425⁰. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the inside of each half of the squash with olive oil (about ½ tsp. each half). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn squash cut side down on the parchment paper and roast until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• When squash has cooled, scoop from shell and cut into 1 inch cubes. Set aside.
• *Cook pancetta in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crispy, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel lined plate. Once cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Add bell pepper and onion to fat left in the pot and cook over medium-high heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper , and squash and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until squash is heated through, 5 – 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Working with 2 cups at a time, process soup in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute.  Cool and place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

The Day Of

• Remove steak from refrigerator 1 -2 hours before cooking, pat dry with paper towels, season with salt, place on a wire rack to allow air circulation and allow to come to room temperature.
• For the Herb Paste, combine the minced fresh thyme, minced fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard, olive oil, flour and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in Potatoes, salt, and baking soda Cook until potatoes are tender but centers offer slight resistance when pierced with a paring knife, 8 – 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and shake vigorously to roughen the edges. Transfer to a large platter lined with a clean dishtowel and let sit until no longer steaming and surface is tacky, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, while potatoes are boiling, adjust oven rack to the lowest position and pre-heat oven to  500⁰. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a 12 inch, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat steak dry again, if necessary, and brown all over, including the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer steak to an oven proof wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp of oil and pepper. If necessary, pour off drippings or *add oil to the hot skillet the steak was browned in, to equal about 2 tsp and swirl around to coat the pan. Carefully place potatoes, cut side down, in the hot skillet, in an even layer, pressing on the potatoes to ensure the cut sides are flush with the bottom of the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven, on the lowest rack, and bake until the cut sides are crisp and the skins are spotty brown, 15 – 18 minutes. Flip the potatoes cut side up and let cool in the pan.
• While the potatoes are cooking, spread the herb paste evenly over  the top of the steak.
•  Once the potatoes are done, reduce the oven temperature to 200⁰. Place the rimmed baking sheet with the steak on the wire rack on the lowest rack in the oven. Roast  until the steak registers approx. 130⁰ for medium (120⁰ – 125⁰ for med-rare; 135⁰ for well) about 30 minutes. Place on a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 – 10 minutes. If need be, return skillet with potatoes to the oven to re-heat while steak is resting.
• While the steak is roasting, heat the soup over medium-low heat and  cook the peas. In a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and discard drippings.
• Add cream to empty skillet and simmer until thickened, 3 -5 minutes. Stir in peas and scallions, cover, and cook until heated through, about 8 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with bacon.
• When soup is hot, just before serving, stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Carve the bone from the steak and cut the steak on bias into ½ inch thick slices.  Sprinkle individual portions of soup with chives and pancetta. Serve and enjoy!

*Notes:

* Pre-sliced pancetta is generally too thin and will likely burn. If unable to find pancetta, substitute bacon.

* Render fat trimmed from the steak in a 250⁰ oven. Use the rendered fat in place of the oil when cooking the potatoes.