Spice up your holiday meal with some unique twists on traditional favorites from Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Symon, and more!

Emeril’s Lemon Sorbet

Courtesy of ‘The Essence of Emeril’, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions:

1.Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat, and cool.

2. Combine the syrup with the lemon and zest and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. After the sorbet is made, transfer to an airtight container. Cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve.

Yield: About 2 cups

Level: Easy

Bobby Flay’s Matzo Ball Soup

Courtesy of ‘Throwdown With Bobby Flay’, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

Matzo Balls:

• 6 tablespoons chicken fat
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons seltzer water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup unsalted matzo meal

Chicken Stock:

• 2 large yellow onions, quartered
• 3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 (3-pound) chicken
• 3 lbs chicken bones, neck included
• Water
• 2 jalapeno peppers, roasted and slit
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh dill leaves

Directions:

For the matzo balls:

1. Heat the chicken fat over medium heat in a small pan. Add the chives and cook for 30 seconds. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a large bowl, add the eggs, dill, seltzer, sugar, and salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Add the matzo meal and the chicken fat/chive mixture and stir to combine. Cover well and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Form the matzo mixture into 8 equal size balls, about 1 3/4 ounces each, add to the water, reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook until very tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. 4. Remove with a slotted spoon to the pot with the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes before serving. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve.

For the chicken stock:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, skimming the scum from the stock with a ladle, every 15 minutes, for 3 hours. Strain into a large bowl and discard the solids.

2. Transfer to a large saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Add the roasted jalapenos for the last 10 minutes or of simmering, then remove. Season with salt, pepper and freshly chopped dill.

Yield: 8 servings

Level: Easy

Joyce Goldstein’s Cornish Hens with Apricots, Tomatoes and Spices

Courtesy of Joan Nathan, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)
• 6 Cornish (game) hens, halved,
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 3 cups canned diced plum tomatoes, with the juices reserved
• 3 1/2 cups dried apricots, soaked in hot water for 1 hour and drained
• 2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Heat 6 tablespoons schmaltz or peanut oil in a large saucepan. Sprinkle the hens with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and brown.

2. In another saucepan heat the remaining chicken fat or peanut oil, add the onions and cook over low heat 5 minutes, or until the onions are transparent.

3. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons cinnamon and cloves and cook for about 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add about 1/2 cup reserved tomato liquid. Puree half the soaked apricots in a food processor or blender, and coarsely chop the rest.

5. Add the pureed apricots, the diced tomatoes and 1 cup chicken stock to the onion mixture. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

6. Puree 2 cups of the onion mixture. Return to the pan, add the remaining apricots, brown sugar and chicken stock and add enough liquid to make a medium-thick sauce.

7. In a large casserole place half the sauce. Add hens and cover with remaining sauce.

8. Bake the poultry, covered, in a 350 degree preheated oven until done, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Prep: 40 min

Cook: 40 min

Yield:12 servings

Level: Intermediate

Go to the next page for Michael Symon’s Brisket!

Corey Schreiber’s Honey Naked Apples with Raisins and Cinnamon

Courtesy of Corey Schreiber, Wildwood Restaurant (Portland, OR), FoodNetwork.com

This dish is well suited to apples with a high moisture content, such as Jonagold, Braeburn and Gala; they soften nicely and produce a full-flavored juice that can be spooned over the top of the apples when served.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup honey (preferably 100 percent raw honey from a small producer)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch freshly ground pepper
• 6 unpeeled Braeburn, Golden Delicious or McIntosh apples, halved and cored with a melon baller
• 1/2 cup golden raisins or currants
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, julienned
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 or 3 star anise pods
• 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, optional
• 1/4 cup apple brandy

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 25 minutes or so, or until mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 2 2/3 cups.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the apples, cut side down, in a 12-inch baking pan. Distribute the raisins, apricots, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks, if using, over the apples. Pour the hot syrup over the apples. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the apples are almost tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove from the oven, turn the apples over, add the brandy. Baste apples with the apple cider and apple brandy many times, allowing the apples to absorb the flavor. Let the pan stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Serve baked apples with the liquid and dried fruits spooned over them in a bowl. Served with whipped heavy cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Prep: 10 min

Inactive: 15 min

Cook: 55 min

Yield:6 servings

Level: Easy