The last issue of Gourmet magazine was published in November 2009. But there was a fully finished December issue left behind. Some hastily printed out pages from that issue have been floating around the old Gourmet office for years; here, some of those pages—a Christmas menu so grand only Gourmet could have dreamed it—are published at last.
The Beginning
A big bowl of purple punch is accompanied by two drinking snacks: crispy-chewy breadsticks and spicy-sweet pickles.
The First Course
Bay scallops (preferably from Nantucket Bay, thankyouverymuch) with black truffle butter. If not on Christmas, when?
The Roast
The centerpiece of the celebration. Prime rib is so delicious that it doesn't need much fussing with, so this beauty simply gets rubbed with rosemary and garlic.
The Sides
Do you need all four sides in this 12-course menu? No. But good luck deciding which one to ditch. Instead of cutting a recipe out, we recommend assigning one to a friend. (The gratin in particular will reheat like a champ—see our timeline for more tips like this.)
The End
Any one of these sweets will close the meal with style. But if you can manage to make both desserts and the homemade candy to nibble on with the digestifs, you'll give your guests a Christmas gift they'll never forget.
