Barefoot Contessa (2002–…): Season 13, Episode 4 - Perfect Holiday Dinner - full transcript

When it comes to holiday gifts,
nothing beats the gift of food.

My friend Phoebe lapine
has a blog,

"big girls, small kitchen,"
for 20-somethings who cook.

I'm giving Phoebe a gift
of the perfect holiday menu

for her blog.

We're starting
with one of my very favorites,

tagliarelle
with white truffle butter.

Sounds expensive? Not.

And it's on the table
in less than 15 minutes.

The main course is a juicy,
boneless chicken breast

stuffed with goat cheese,
basil and sun-dried tomatoes



and served with festive roasted
carrots and parsnips

that are as easy
as they are delicious.

And for the final showstopper,
a red Berry trifle

that's made with layers
of pound cake,

cognac pastry cream and piled
high with lots of fresh berries.

This is back to basics
on a fabulous holiday dinner

that won't break the bank
but still has that wow factor.

♪♪

So here's my challenge--

I wanted to find a dessert
for Phoebe for the blog

that was easy enough to make,

that was inexpensive to make

but still had that wow factor.

And I thought, for the holidays,



a red Berry trifle
would be just perfect.

Phoebe and her friend Cara
have this fabulous web site

called
"big girls, small kitchen,"

and it's for 20-somethings
that are just learning to cook.

And they're really good cooks.

So I'm gonna start
with berries--

a pint of strawberries

and a pint of red raspberries.

I need 3 cups of milk

just heated up.

And while that's heating up,

I'm gonna mix together
ten egg yolks...

And 1 cup of sugar.

There're two kinds of cream.
One's crème anglaise,

which is a very thin cream,

and the other one's pastry
cream, which is very thick.

I want the thick one here.

I'm gonna make cognac cream,

which is a cognac-flavored
pastry cream.

So good.

So I'm gonna beat
the eggs and the sugar

until they're really,
really thick.

Actually, they're gonna
fall back on themselves

in a yellow ribbon.

It'll take about five minutes
at medium-high speed.

And I'm gonna pipe the top
with whipped cream

to make it even more wow.

Okay, this is perfect.

I'm just gonna show you
what it looks like

when the ribbons
fall on themselves in the bowl.

It's amazing how egg yolks
can get that thick.

Okay, the next thing I'm gonna
add is some cornstarch.

I've got 1/4 of a cup
of cornstarch,

and I'm gonna sift it just
because I don't want any lumps

in this gorgeous pastry cream.

I'm just gonna add it slowly.

And what this does is allow me
to let the pastry cream

come to a simmer
without having it curdle.

The milk is nice and hot.
Perfect.

I don't want it to boil,
just until it comes to a simmer.

I always find it easier
to pour from a pitcher.

So that's 3 cups of hot milk.

You want to do this slowly

'cause you want the eggs
to heat up slowly.

This is so beautiful.
It's really silken

and has the most wonderful
flavor and texture,

and vanilla and cognac
are a great combination.

Okay, that's all nicely mixed.

I'm just gonna put this
in a big pot and cook it

until it's silken and gorgeous,

and then I'm gonna add
all the flavorings.

So that's just milk
and egg yolks and cornstarch.

I'm gonna cook it
over low heat,

stirring almost constantly

because you don't want it
to curdle.

You want to keep it
really nice and smooth.

Okay, this is perfect.

This really what you want it
to be like,

like a custard.
It's really thick.

Fantastic. Off the heat.

I'm gonna sieve it just to
make sure there are no lumps.

I want it to be really silken

and gorgeous and smooth.

I don't think
there're any lumps anyway,

but why take a chance?

Just put it
right through the sieve.

When this chills,
it's gonna be really thick.

Okay, now the flavorings.
Teaspoon of cognac.

Cognac is really Brandy from
the cognac region of France,

so any good Brandy will do.

And 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

2 tablespoons of butter

and 2 tablespoons of cream.

So this really lasts for days
in the refrigerator.

So you can make it
anytime you like.

Look how gorgeous that is,
so shiny.

It's gonna be so delicious
on pound cake with berries.

What a great combination.

Okay. Now to make sure
it's really silken smooth...

And doesn't have a little skin
on the top,

which would ruin it,

I'm just gonna put
some plastic wrap

directly on the custard.

I'm gonna refrigerate this
until it's nice and chilled,

and it's gonna be so good
on the red Berry trifle.

♪♪

The next part of the trifle

involves one of
my favorite things--pound cake.

It's really easy to make.
I'll show you how I did it.

(Ina) So I start
ea the

two sticks
of room temperature butter

with 2 cups
of granulated sugar

in a mixer fitted
with a paddle attachment.

Just cream them together

until they're really
light and Fluffy.

Then with the mixer
on medium speed,

add four extra-large eggs
at room temperature.

I add them one at a time
so they mix in really well.

Then it's on
to the dry ingredients.

Sift together 3 cups
of all-purpose flour

with 1/2 a teaspoon
of baking powder,

1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda

and a teaspoon of salt.

Combine 3/4 of a cup
of buttermilk

at room temperature

and 1 teaspoon
of pure vanilla extract.

This keeps the cake
really moist.

Then I add the flour
and buttermilk mixtures

alternately to the batter,

beginning and ending
with the flour.

I do it in about thirds.

This batter makes enough
for two pound cakes,

which means I can use
one now for the trifle

and freeze one for later.

The batter gets poured
into the two

8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch
loaf pans.

And they bake at 350 degrees

for 45 minutes to an hour,

just until a toothpick
comes out clean.

Getting all the parts together.

Pastry cream.

Well, this is no small trifle.

This is gonna be absolutely
gorgeous layers of cake

and fruit and cream.
It's gonna be so gorgeous.

Big, thick slices.

What I'm gonna do,
is I'm gonna do cake, jam,

sprinkle of framboise on,

pastry cream, berries. Okay.

I use about a cup
of raspberry jam

and just spread jam
on each piece of cake.

And just fit it right
into the bottom of the dish.

I want to just be sure that
it's on the outside of the dish

so that you can see it
from the side.

Okay. Then a big sprinkling
of framboise.

Framboise is raspberry liqueur,

and it's gonna make
the raspberry jam

taste even better.

Okay, big spoonful
of raspberries and strawberries

right on top.

And you want it to
sort of spill down the sides

so you can really see
all the ingredients.

And a big dollop

of cognac pastry cream.

Just let it drizzle
down the side.

This is why it's important
for the pastry cream

to be really thick,
'cause you don't want it

to just go to the bottom
of the bowl.

You want it to sort of cling
to the fruit and the cake.

More cake. More framboise.

More berries.

More cognac cream.

So one more layer of cake.

I mean, it's always better
with homemade pound cake,

but if you're in a hurry, you
can always buy some pound cake.

Okay, more framboise.

Mmm.

So next, I'm gonna pipe it
with whipped cream

and lots of berries.

I'm gonna make chicken breasts
with goat cheese,

sun-dried tomatoes and basil,

roasted parsnips and carrots.

This is gonna be
a very good dinner.

And then when Phoebe gets here,

we're gonna make pasta
with white truffle butter.

Ohh, that's so good.
Can't wait to see her.

I'm making a holiday meal
for my friend Phoebe's blog.

And for dessert,
I'm making a trifle,

classic English trifle--

layers of pound cake,
berries and cream.

But I have to decorate it
with whipped cream.

First, 2 cups
of really cold heavy cream.

This is really just
a classic whipped cream.

And with the mixer fitted
with a whisk,

I'm just gonna whip it on high.

2 tablespoons of sugar...

And 2 teaspoons of good vanilla.

Don't overdo it.
You'll end up with butter.

Mmm. Who doesn't
love whipped cream?

Okay, that's perfect.

Just want it
to hold soft peaks...

Just like that.
It'll be perfect for piping.

Make sure it's got
the right amount of vanilla

and sugar.

That's perfect.

Okay, so I'm just gonna pipe it.

I use a really big star tip.
I think it's easy to use.

Doesn't require a connection,
which small ones do.

Just like that.

Fold down the top.

Big spoon.

♪♪

Good thing about whipped cream

is you can make a mistake
and put it back in the bag.

So I'm just gonna experiment
just to make sure it's right.

Just do a swirl.
I think that's gonna be perfect.

Okay, I'm gonna take
a little bit of cream

and make a nice base for it
right on top of the trifle.

I don't know anybody
who's not gonna love this.

Just do a nice swirl.

This does not
have to be perfect.

And if you don't want
to pipe it,

you can always just do it
with a spoon.

But I just think it adds
a little extra flourish.

Just keep turning the dish.

I'm just gonna pipe it
right around the outside,

and then I'm gonna fill
the center with red berries.

How pretty is that gonna look?

I'm just gonna top it off
with berries.

If that doesn't look like
the holidays,

I don't know what does.

♪♪

Everybody knows it's chicken
all the time at my house.

Whether it's dinner for two
or the fanciest meal,

I just think
chicken's always appropriate.

What I'm gonna make
is chicken breast

stuffed with goat cheese,
basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

It's so fast,
and it's so delicious.

So what I've asked
the butcher to do

is give me two boneless
chicken breasts

with the skin still on,

and then I'm gonna stuff them
underneath the skin.

I'm using goat cheese
with garlic and herbs.

You can use plain goat cheese
if you want.

But I've tried other cheeses
like mozzarella.

It was so boring.

The goat cheese is kind of tangy
and it melts perfectly.

Works really well.
So two pieces under the skin.

And you want to be sure that
the skin covers the filling

so it doesn't burn.

This is such a great dish
to make.

It's so easy for two people,
and you can make it for a party.

It's just as easy for 20.

Okay, next is
sun-dried tomatoes.

These are sun-dried tomatoes
in oil.

You want to get those
'cause sometimes,

the ones that are dry
are a little tough.

So two sun-dried tomatoes
under each skin.

♪♪

And then I always like
a nice fresh herb.

So I'm gonna take one basil leaf
and put it under each one.

Just be sure that
the skin from the chicken

covers the whole thing

so it protects it
while it bakes.

Okay, that's perfect.

And one basil leaf
under the other one.

This is the hard part
about chicken.

Sometimes you get
chicken breasts,

and they're really small.

And sometimes you get them,
and they're huge,

like Dolly parton
chicken breasts.

So you really have
to think about

how long it's gonna take to cook

and whether you want one
per person or two per person,

but generally,
one per person is perfect.

Okay. I'm just gonna brush it
with a little bit of olive oil,

make it turns out
nice and brown.

When I'm making chicken
for chicken salad,

I always roast it on the bone.
But when I'm doing it for dinner

or for a party, I just think
it's so much nicer boneless.

Lots of salt and pepper.
Chicken's really very bland,

so it needs really
good seasoning.

And pepper.

Okay, into the oven,

400 degrees
for 25 to 35 minutes.

These are gonna be nice
and browned on the outside,

and the cheese is gonna be
melting and tangy. It's so good.

Next, I'm gonna
roasted carrots and parsnips.

And with Phoebe,

I'm making tagliarelle
with white truffle butter.

This is such a great menu.

I roast carrots all the time.

They have to be my favorite
roast vegetable.

But I thought for the holidays,
it'd be nice to add parsnips.

Gives it a little
more complexity,

but they're just
as easy to make.

For the carrots, I'm actually
just scrubbing them.

You don't really need
to peel them.

They're top carrots, you know,
with the greens attached.

If they're in a bag
and a little older,

you probably want to peel them.
The parsnips--

so these are parsnips.
They look a lot like carrots.

They're white,
but they have great flavor.

But they're a little woodier,
so I actually always peel them.

Baking is pretty specific.

If the cake bakes
at a certain temperature,

you want to bake it
at that temperature.

But cooking can really be
a little more adaptable.

So what I'm doing is
the carrot and the parsnips

usually roast at 425.
I'm gonna lower it to 400.

And the chicken
usually roasts at 375,

so I'm gonna raise it
to 400, also,

so I can put them both
in the same oven.

Good thing
about roasting vegetables

is you can cut them in advance,
put them in water,

store them in the refrigerator,
actually, for days.

So when you're having a party,

it's a great way
to cook vegetables.

Parsnips and carrots
are both root vegetables,

and they have a really high
sugar content.

So when you roast them,
the sugars really caramelize.

It's great.

Right on the sheet pan.

So I'm using
about 1 1/2 pounds of carrots,

1 1/2 pounds of parsnips.

It's way more than enough
for two,

but it's fantastic
having leftovers.

You can just reheat them
for vegetables,

put them in soup, make a purée.

Okay, carrots, parsnips,

toss 'em all together.

Olive oil.

Lots of salt and pepper.

You want to make sure
they're really well seasoned.

Just toss them together.

And these go into the oven,
400 degrees,

until they're browned
and crisp and delicious.

And next, I'm gonna get
the counter all set up

for a beautiful holiday dinner.

♪♪

It doesn't really matter
what kind of space

I have to decorate
for the holidays--

big house, small apartment--

they're a couple of things
i like to do

to make an instant
winter wonderland.

I'm gonna start with
these little strings of lights

and a big vase.

I'm just gonna put them
right in the vase.

It just gives a little twinkle.

I got some greens
from the florist.

If you live in the country,
you can just pick them.

Just a mix of evergreens.

So I'm gonna take
the rest of these

and just twist them
around the evergreens.

Fantastic.

Okay, that looks like
the holidays.

I also like to have something
that smells like the holidays.

I tried different spices
to see what smelled great,

and I found that star anise
was just perfect.

It has a nice licorice smell.

So it not only looks great,

but when the candle is warm,
it smells great.

Some clementines,
a nice edible decoration.

So we've got something to eat,
something to smell

and something to look at.
How easy is that?

Phoebe. Oh,
happy holidays. Mwah!
Hello.

happy holidays.
So happy to see you.

It's so good to see you.
You ready
for your tasting?

Absolutely.
Wait till you see
what we have--

pasta with white truffle butter,
and you're making it.
Ooh.

Come with me. (Laughs)

happy holidays.
happy holidays.

Okay, my holiday present
to you is I'm gonna give you

a foolproof
meal for your blog.
Mmm.

How's that sound?
That sounds amazing.

Okay, so most of the meal,
I've already done,

but I'm gonna show you
how to make the star...
(Gasps)

Which is tagliarelle
with white truffle butter.

Ooh.
Sounds complicated. Sounds
expensive. It's so easy.

So the first thing
you need is pasta.

It's 8 ounces
of tagliarelle,

or you can use fettuccine
or something like that.

And it cooks for
exactly three minutes.

It's really fast.
Can you use
a short pasta, as well?

Um, somehow, I think this
kinda pasta is really better.

Next, 1/2 a cup
of heavy cream

right in
the sauté pan.
Okay.

I like cooking and pointing.
This is good. (Laughs)
(Laughs)

Turn on the heat.

Okay, teaspoon of salt.
Okay.

1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.

Next, we're gonna put in
white truffle butter...
Ooh.

Which is so fabulous,
you won't believe it.

So it's 3 ounces
of white truffle butter.
Mm-hmm.

If you wanted to buy
white truffles,

it'd be like $8,000.

This is $7 for 3 ounces
of white truffle butter.
Oh, that's not bad.

It's not bad at all.

Smell how wonderful
that is.
Oh, my gosh,
it's outrageous.

Mmm. It smells like Italy,
doesn't it? It's fantastic.
Mmm. Yeah.

So now you're just
gonna turn this off

and just put this whole thing
right into the cream.
The whole thing?

Right, the whole thing.

And just let it melt
into the cream.

Okay, I think
the pasta's ready.

Fantastic.

I love this pasta.
It's my--

just--it's so delicate,
and it's delicious.

So how's
the truffle butter?

It's--it's coming down.

So the only thing we need to do
is just put the pasta in it.
That's it?

Okay. So pasta.

You want to toss that in?
Beautiful.

How's that?

Believe me,
this is so delicious.
Mmm.

Okay, so we have
two more things--

parmesan cheese
and chives.
Okay.

Parmesan on.
How good does that look?
Ooh.

And chives.
Lots of fresh chives.

I love the--sort of
the green herb thing

and the little onion thing
in that. How's that?
It looks beautiful.

Okay, I hope this is good
enough to go on your blog.

I think it's gonna--
it'll do.
What do you think?

It'll do.
It'll do? Well, you have to
taste it first.

You don't know.
Okay.

Give it a big toss.
Ooh. (Laughs)
Ohh.

That looks amazing.
Doesn't that look good?

How's that for
a holiday taste test?

Amazing.
Big fork.

Okay, one fork for you.
I can't wait.

Well, this isn't a bad way
to spend the afternoon, right?

No. I love it.
(Laughs)

So I can't wait
to see the web site

and see the new recipes
you're doing.

Well, this one may make
an appearance.

Oh, it may? (Laughs)

I'd say it's a definite
at this point.

So I broke
my entertaining rule.

I never cook
when guests are here.

But this so fast,
you can really do it.
So easy.

Okay, Phoebe,
ready for the main course?

You have to admit,
this is a really easy meal.

You can't imagine
how delicious it is.

Once I started serving
everything on one big platter,

it looked so much
more beautiful.

Big bunch of basil.

Look how that really
makes it pop.

Now how easy is that?

Ooh.
So I made boneless
chicken breasts

with goat cheese, basil
and sun-dried tomatoes.

And the good news
is they're all ordinary,

everyday ingredients,

but it really feels like
a holiday dinner, doesn't it?
Mmm.

It looks perfect.

Mm. It's even done.
That's always nice to know.

How do you tell
if the chicken's done?

Actually, what I do is
i touch it,

and if it Springs back,
i know it's done.

Ooh.

Mmm. This is amazing, ina.
Not bad.

So did I make it
onto the blog?

I think so.
(Laughs)

This is the perfect
holiday meal. Thank you.
Aw, I'm so glad.

happy holidays,
sweetie.
Aw.

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