How to wow your guests without breaking your budget
The holiday season has rolled around once again. I always imagined that as I got older time would slow down, but in fact it seems to be speeding up. Where has another year gone?
I’m heading into this season with almost childlike wonder and excitement. It’s not in anticipation of material things; rather, it’s the excitement of once again gathering with family and friends. While I’ve always had an appreciation for these and other pleasures, they are no longer something to take for granted, but something to cherish and to savour. This year, I’ll slow way down and really listen when my nephew tells me about his plans for college; I’ll delight over every single detail of my daughter’s adventures in her new home; I’ll stop and truly appreciate a two-year-old’s gaze as he looks at a tree sparkling in lights, as if seeing it for the first time. These are all things that I’ve noticed in the past, but have I really truly been seeing them?
And of course, as someone who is most happy when feeding others, I will delight in the preparation of this year’s holiday meals and once again express love through the art of cooking.
We have a very strong tradition here in Atlantic Canada; the holiday season for many of us will revolve around seafood. Seafood has become synonymous with celebration; the lobster that we enjoy in the summer months while sitting at a picnic table and savouring a cold beer takes on elegance, when eaten with the soft shimmer of Christmas lights glowing in the background.
And we are fortunate to have an abundance of seafood here; however, I also realize that it is a luxury not to be taken for granted. But it should not be cost prohibitive for anyone; there are a number of helpful ways to stretch your seafood budget.
Christmas Eve does not have to consist of a full sit-down lobster dinner: the seafood pie that we’re offering uses a smaller quantity of several types of less-expensive seafood. When they are wrapped up in a silky béchamel, they become something truly special. We’ve incorporated smaller cold-water shrimp, and broken tail, claw and knuckle lobster meat which makes this more affordable than even a traditional homemade tourtiere.
Our salmon chowder is about as luxurious as a chowder can get. I would consider this an elevated meal; however incorporating just a few salmon fillets makes it budget friendly.
Sometimes it’s knowing how to get around the more expensive offerings while still creating a meal that feels like it’s restaurant-quality that is the trick.
We’ve all been doing this for years with lesser cuts of meat. By using our slow cookers we can tenderize flank steak; by braising tougher cuts of meat we get an elegant bourguignon. But for some reason we don’t think about doing this with seafood.
I’m hoping that the recipes shared below will inspire you to be just as adventurous. Visit your fishmonger, go to the seafood counter at your grocery, and ask about less expensive offerings. When lobster is being processed, there is always a byproduct of broken meat. The same applies for scallops: not every scallop that is processed will be a perfectly round, beautiful specimen. There will be bits and pieces that are sold at a lower cost, simply because they don’t have the visual appeal; but in a chowder this doesn’t make a difference when it comes to the flavour.
Get to know your seller and in turn they will teach you about their product. It’s all about building relationships.
From our family to yours, we wish you a most joyous holiday season.