December 9, 2015 | Food & Drink
Top DC chefs share their secrets for a high-end holiday feast at home.
Crepes with sweet and savory trimmings are a family favorite in the Ziebold household.
Secret ingredient: “Truffles make anything better. I love to make pommes dauphinoise—basically fancy scalloped potatoes—and layer it with shaved truffles.”
Must-have dish: Green bean casserole. “But I make everything from scratch—from the cream of mushroom soup to the onion crisps that go on top.”
Go-to tool: A mandoline slicer. “It helps with the prep, because you can cut everything faster.”
Favorite tradition: New Year’s Day crepes with wife Celia. “Crepes have a long history in France—Celia is French—and they are a great medium for anything sweet or savory: sugar, crème fraîche, jam, caviar, ham, cheese…the perfect mix of savory and sweet that you want at brunch. And they’re lighter than pancakes, so you can eat a bit more of them, varying the combinations.”
Favorite holiday menu: Thanksgiving at Vidalia (1990 M St. NW, 202-659-1990).
For Rob Weland, the holidays mean a glass of Scandinavian spiced wine.
Secret ingredient: “I always use more caviar at this time of year. I love putting paddlefish caviar on top of oysters with a little Champagne mignonette.”
Must-have dish: Spit-roasted Bourbon Red heritage-breed turkey. “I do a simple brine and pack it with a wild-mushroom stuffing.”
Favorite technique: “Braising keeps moisture in, and it’s easy. You just throw your meat in the oven and forget about it.”
Festive sip: Gløgg, a spiced red wine popular in Scandinavia. “It looks beautiful and smells wonderful, because it’s accented with lots of cinnamon and clove.”
Local pick: “My wife, Amy, and I have always wanted to do the classic holiday experience at 1789 (1226 36th St. NW, 202-965-1789), but we have never gotten around to it. Drinking vintage Champagne and Armagnac!
Jon Krinn forgoes the typical Thanksgiving bird in favor of a festive goose.
Secret ingredient: Barrel-aged bourbon maple syrup from BLIS. “I love drizzling it over roasted butternut squash.”
Must-have dish: Cranberry and smoked orange marmalade with clove and juniper. “It goes well with roasted meats and on cheese platters.”
Favorite technique: Slow-roasting. “I prefer goose to turkey for Thanksgiving. First, I do a 24-hour brine with clove and garlic, and then I put it in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.”
Festive sip: Eggnog with crème anglaise added. “And a little bit of Maker’s Mark bourbon.”
Quiet time: Trummer’s (7134 Main St., Clifton, 703-266-1623). “It’s super cozy and great food.”
Local pick: Robert Wiedmaier’s restaurants (including Brabo, Brasserie Beck, and Marcel’s). “He’s a chef who rocks the holiday menu.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CELIA LAURENT ZIEBOLD (CREPES); OLGA MILTSOVA/GETTY IMAGES (GLøGG); ZORYANCHIK/GETTY IMAGES (GOOSE)
