3 holiday recipes served fresh from the Radio Active studio

If you’re having a few people over this holiday season, you might consider feeding them three dishes crafted by two local Edmonton chefs — because sometimes, bowls of mixed nuts and butterscotch candies don’t always do the trick.

Kathryn Joel, owner of Get Cooking Edmonton, and Doreen Prei, her executive chef and regular cooking columnist for CBC’s Radio Active show, were on the program Friday cooking three dishes ideal for those holiday gatherings.

The best part? All recipes work for either appetizers or parts of the main holiday dinner.

Wild rice & corn cakes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup of coarse cornmeal
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1¼ cups of buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter, cooled
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup of fresh corn kernels
• ½ cup of cooked wild rice
• 5 grams of fresh tarragon, chopped
• unscented oil, for frying

Method:

• In your blender, puree half of the corn kernels, adding some of the buttermilk as necessary.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
• Combine the remaining buttermilk with the melted butter and egg. 
• Gently mix the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, then stir in the remaining corn, wild rice and green onions.
• If necessary, thin the batter with a little more buttermilk.
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush with a little unscented oil. 
• Spoon in the batter to make bite-sized corn cakes. 
• Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.  
• Serve with spicy shrimp.

The spicy shrimp will add a kick to the corn cakes, which is sure to be a hit with those who can’t get enough of sriracha sauce. “They are fabulous,” Radio Active host Portia Clark said after trying them. “Can you [the cooks] come over to my house for the holidays?” ​

Cheese fondue

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic, halved
• 1 ¼ cups of dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of kirsch
• 200 grams of Emmentaler cheese, grated
• 200 grams Gruyere, grated
• French bread, cubed, sliced apples and/or pears, other dippers

Method:

• Rub the inside of your fondue pot with the cut garlic clove.
• Thoroughly mix the cornstarch with the kirsch.
• Add the wine, heat over a moderate heat, and bring just to a simmer.
• Gradually stir the cheese into the wine and cook, stirring, and without boiling, until the cheese is melted.
• Add the cornstarch and kirsch and continue to simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
• Serve with bread, apples, pears or whichever dippers you feel like.

The cheese fondue is a classic that isn’t limited to the holidays, but it’s also a great warmup from the cold. “What nicer thing to have than a cheese fondue with your family?” Joel asked.

Salmon tartare and potato roesti

Salmon tartare ingredients: 

• 500 grams of fresh salmon or Arctic char, skinned
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• Lemon juice to taste
• 1 tablespoon of capers, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of chives, finely chopped 

Method:     

• Keep your mixing bowl on ice, and finely dice the salmon.
• Combine it with a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
• Add chopped capers, shallots and chives to the tartare to your taste.

Potato Roesti ingredients:

• Russet potatoes, peeled and grated.
• Egg whites (one egg to every 2 potatoes), whisked with a fork until white and frothy.
• Salt to taste.
• Grapeseed oil for frying.

Method:

• Combine the grated potato with the egg whites and season with salt.
• Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat then add a generous amount of grapeseed oil – your roesti should swim.
• Use a fork to add about 1 tablespoon of potato at a time to the hot oil, flattening the roesti with a fork.  
• Cook until browned then turn and cook on the other side.
• When browned on both sides, move the roesti to a parchment-lined tray and sprinkle with a little more sea salt.
• Roesti can be made ahead, then reheated in your oven to serve.
• To serve, arrange potato roesti on a plate, top with a dollop of flavoured sour cream and finish with a mound of tartare.

“I love that dish,” said Doreen Prei. “It’s a real crowdpleaser.” 

Did you make any of these dishes? Share your images with Radio Active here. 

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