With the holiday season in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll serve your guests at your Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve gatherings. Enjoy the recipes below or click on the News tab for recipes and tips for your entire holiday meal.

Darkwing Duck Pizza
From Roberta’s Pizza, Brooklyn, New York
Makes 1 (16-inch) pizza, serves 3 to 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated (1/4 cup)
8 ounces Chandoka, shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces duck breast prosciutto, thinly sliced

For Dough:

1 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
1/2 teaspoon salt

Herbed Olive Oil:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

For the Balsamic Syrup:

1/2 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 bay leaf

Make New York–Style Pizza Dough (see below) at least 12 hours ahead. Rest the dough on the counter until it comes to room temperature, about 1 hour. Make the herbed olive oil.

Move an oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 500°F for 30 minutes.

Make the Balsamic Syrup: Put the vinegar, honey, and bay leaf in a heavy-bottomed small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently until it is the consistency of thick maple syrup, 10 to 15 minutes. You should have about 2 tablespoons. Discard the bay leaf.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brussels sprouts, sugar, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes and toss well with tongs. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until limp, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander set in the sink.

Shape the dough and place it on the pizza pan or screen: Spray a round 16-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray and then lightly coat with flour. Place the pan next to the dough on the counter and quickly pick up the crust while sliding it onto the pan. Reshape as necessary into a round or oval shape.

Spread the herbed oil over the dough with a pastry brush, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle with the Romano, leaving a 1-inch border, then top with the shredded Chandoka. Cover the cheese with the brussels sprouts, then add the proscuitto slices.

Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes, until the crust is deep brown and the toppings are bubbling. Check underneath with a metal spatula to ensure the bottom crust is deep brown too. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the balsamic syrup. Cut it into 8 wedges and serve.

New York–Style Pizza Dough

Place the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low to combine, about 5 seconds. Add the water and the olive oil and mix until a ball forms, about 2 minutes.

Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Add the salt. Knead on medium speed for 12 minutes. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add a teaspoon of flour and mix until a ball comes cleanly off the side of the bowl. When the dough is ready it should be firm, smooth, and supple.

To test elasticity, hold a 1-inch piece between your fingers and stretch the dough to make a windowpane. It should look like bubblegum. If not, knead for 5 minutes more and

test again. Keep going until the dough passes the test, up to 30 minutes more.

Pour a teaspoon of olive oil into a medium bowl. Wet your hands with water, shape the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. This prevents a crust from forming on its surface as it rises. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight or up to 72 hours. After about 12 hours, the dough will be wider and taller, approximately doubled in size. Rest the dough on the counter until it comes to room temperature, about 1 hour.

—From The United States of Pizza:
America’s Favorite Pizzas, From Thin Crust to Deep Dish, Sourdough to Gluten-Free

Barbecued Rib of Beef

Serves 6
3 kg rib roast, with 6–8 bones; ask your butcher to cut off the chin and backbone,leaving just the rib bones
80 ml (1/3 cup) basic barbecue sauce

British Beef Wash:

1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon English mustard
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

This recipe is best followed using an indirect heating method: prepare your coals on one side of your barbecue, or if you have a gas grill pull down the hood, turn your middle gas burners off and crank up the outer gas burners. Add some pre-soaked woodchips for extra flavour.

You’ll need to make a brush from lightly bruised sprigs of thyme and rosemary tied together, and use it to brush the ribs with the British beef wash.

If using coals, prepare your barbecue for indirect cooking well in advance so you build up a good heat base. Whether you’re using coals or gas, pour a little water into the drip tray underneath the grill to help maintain moisture within the barbecue; you’ll need to top it up from time to time.

While the barbecue is heating up, take the rib of beef out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. This will help ensure it cooks evenly.

To make the British beef wash, place all the ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

Brush the rib roast with the wash, and give it another good brushing before you start cooking.

Place the beef on the barbecue while it is at its hottest and cover with the hood or lid of the barbecue. After the initial burst of heat (about 15–20 minutes), allow the coals to ease in intensity and maintain this heat by adding a few coals from time to time, along with some pre-soaked woodchips for smoke. If using a gas barbecue, turn the gas down slightly to maintain a medium heat. Add a handful of pre-soaked woodchips to the smoke box from time to time to maintain a gentle smoke.

Brush the rib roast liberally with the beef wash at intervals. A joint of this size will take 1½–2 hours to cook. Allow the fire to burn down during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. At this stage, prepare the barbecue sauce to glaze the beef. Allow the beef to rest for 20 minutes, then carve, glazing with the sauce.

—From The BBQ Companion: 180+ Barbeque Recipes from Around the World

Thai Red Curry Pumpkin Pie
Pie Fak Tong

Makes 19” pie

For the crust:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

For the filling:

2 cups peeled and cubed kabocha squash or pumpkin (2-inch cubes)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup palm sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste (page 229)
1 2/3 cups coconut milk
Salt

For the red curry cream:

1/2 cup very cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste (page 229)

For the candied Thai basil:

10 whole Thai basil leaves
1 egg white, lightly whisked
1/2 cup sugar

To make the crust:
In a large bowl, roll pinches of the flour and butter lightly between your fingertips until you have a loose, sandy texture with pea-size lumps. Add 1 tablespoon milk and stir gently to form a loose ball, adding up to another tablespoon of milk if needed.

Turn the ball onto a lightly floured work surface and gently form it into a round. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

To make the filling:
Set a steamer insert with the pumpkin in a medium saucepan and add a couple inches of water to the pot, just enough to steam the pumpkin but not come directly into contact with it. Bring to a simmer and steam for about 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a blender, combine the cooled pumpkin, the eggs, palm sugar, granulated sugar, curry paste, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt and blend until pureed to about the consistency of baby food.

To roll out, fill, and bake the pie:
Remove the dough from refrigerator and roll it into a 12-inch circle. Place it in a 9.-inch pie plate, lightly pressing the dough into the dish and trimming the excess. Fold the overhanging dough under and lightly press the tines of a fork around the edge of the piecrust or use your thumb and knuckles to make a pattern.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, cover the crust with a strip of aluminum foil.

Remove the pie from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

While the pie is cooling, make the red curry cream:

By hand or using a stand mixer, whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in the red curry paste, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream.

To make the candied Thai basil:
Use a brush to wet both sides of each basil leaf with egg white. Sprinkle with sugar to cover each leaf evenly. As each leaf is coated, set it on a wire rack to dry for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To serve:
Slice the pie and serve with dollops of red curry cream and candied Thai basil.

—From True Thai: Real Flavors for Every Table