OSTERIA G 5160 Sunset Lake Road, #101, Apex 984.229.7480 | osteriag.com For a family-oriented Christmas Eve dinner, try Osteria G’s authentic Italian comfort food. Feel the holiday spirit as you sit near the dining room’s Christmas tree adorned with rustic, homey ornaments. Osteria G’s Christmas Eve specials include a seasonal pasta dish incorporating fresh, wintry ingredients inspired by the holidays, as well as other Italian classics featuring a Christmas twist. In the past, the restaurant has offered surf and turf with a béarnaise sauce, a slow-roasted herbstuffed porchetta and a rotating array of Tuscan wines, including a flavorful Montepulciano. FOUR CHEFS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE: THE CHEFS OF OSTERIA G ARE (LEFT TO RIGHT) MANNY LOZANO, JOSEPH REINIS, JOSH HEINZ AND KYLE HAYS.
OSTERIA G’S WINTER SPICED POT DE CREME
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS 1 quart of heavy cream 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste 8 egg yolks 2 whole eggs 220 grams of granulated sugar
Pinch of salt 1 gram of cardamom 1 gram of nutmeg 20 grams of crushed cinnamon sticks 5 cloves
DIRECTIONS Boil the cream and vanilla paste. In a separate bowl, mix together all eggs, sugar, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Slowly add the scalded cream to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Strain the mixture and fill eight 6-ounce ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in a pan and fill the pan with boiling water halfway up the outside of the ramekins. PHOTOS BY ALISHA CLEVELAND PHOTOGRAPHY
Bake at 280 degrees until the mixture sets (when the amount that jiggles is the diameter of a nickel). Cool and serve.
MULINO’S ITALIAN KITCHEN & BAR 309 N. Dawson Street, Raleigh | 919.838.8595 | mulinoraleigh.com Looking for a place to host a party for the workplace? Skip the stress and celebrate the season with a holiday party at Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar. Though the restaurant is not open Christmas Eve, it’s the perfect destination for a holiday outing with friends, family or coworkers. Offering multiple private dining areas that can accommodate groups of varying sizes, as well as three gorgeous bars, Mulino’s Italian Kitchen & Bar makes it easy for you and your guests to enjoy a festive holiday cocktail.
CHEF SAMAD HACHBY’S CHANTERELLE AND PORCINI MUSHROOM RISOTTO Cooking time: 30 minutes | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 240 grams (8.47 ounces) of Carnaroli rice 200 grams (7.05 ounces) of porcini 1 large porcino Grated Parmesan cheese Butter 1 shallot
Extra virgin olive oil 6 cups of vegetable broth 1 glass of white wine Pepper, to taste Parsley, to taste Sage, to taste
DIRECTIONS To prepare the porcini risotto, start by placing the mushrooms on a cutting board. Clean the mushrooms with a sponge and a small knife, without washing them, to remove the earthy parts, then cut them into strips. Chop the shallot and fry it in a saucepan with a drizzle of oil. Add the rice and toast it, then blend it with the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then wet the rice with a ladle of hot broth and cook it, adding more broth if necessary. Halfway through cooking, add the mushrooms and mix everything together. Once the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and add a little grated Parmesan cheese and a knob of butter, then stir it vigorously to emulsify it. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. PHOTO COURTESTY OF MULINO ITALIAN KITCHEN & BAR
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