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Christmas Side Dishes: Arroz Belén, Sweet Potato Purée, Papas Dauphine & Gorgonzola Pear Salad
by Giacomo Bocchio
multi-recipe intermediate Peruvian-French Fusion

Christmas Side Dishes: Arroz Belén, Sweet Potato Purée, Papas Dauphine & Gorgonzola Pear Salad

Four elegant Christmas side dishes to elevate your holiday table: Arroz Belén (Bethlehem rice with dried fruits, nuts, and cabanossi), sweet potato purée with orange-vanilla syrup, classic French papas dauphine (choux-potato fritters), and a gorgonzola salad with wine-poached pears and pecan praline. Each dish can be prepared in advance for stress-free holiday entertaining.

60m Prep
90m Cook
2h 30m Total
8 Servings
christmas side-dishes holiday peruvian french arroz sweet-potato dauphine salad pears gorgonzola wine-poached choux-pastry dried-fruits nuts navidad multi-recipe

Ingredients

Arroz Belén
  • 3 cups rice
  • 3.5 cups water
  • 25 g garlic, minced
  • 220 g cabanossi sausage, diced
  • 100 g almonds, chopped
  • 100 g chestnuts, chopped
  • 100 g pecans, chopped
  • 100 g dried apricots
  • 90 g golden raisins
  • 100 g dark raisins
  • paprika
  • parsley, chopped
  • salt
  • olive oil
Ensalada de Gorgonzola con Peras (Gorgonzola Pear Salad)
  • 200 g mixed lettuce
  • 90 g baby spinach
  • 70 g pecan praline
  • 80 g gorgonzola cheese
  • wine-poached pears, sliced
  • red onion rings
Papas Dauphine - Choux Pastry
  • 124 g water
  • 126 g whole milk
  • 100 g butter
  • 1 g salt
  • 1 g sugar
  • 150 g all-purpose flour
  • 4 units eggs
Papas Dauphine - Potato Base
  • 400 g choux pastry (from above)
  • 400 g yellow potato, steamed and pressed
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • nutmeg
  • oil for frying
Peras al Vino (Wine-Poached Pears)
  • 1.5 kg water
  • 150 g strawberry jam
  • 1 unit cinnamon stick
  • 4 units whole cloves
  • orange peel
  • 900 g red wine
  • 120 g sugar
  • 6 units pears
Puré de Camote (Sweet Potato Purée)
  • 600 g yellow sweet potato, baked and pressed
  • 250 g orange juice
  • 2 g salt
  • 60 g white sugar
  • 5 g butter
  • vanilla bean
Vinagreta de Yogurt (Yogurt Vinaigrette)
  • 30 g honey
  • 50 g plain yogurt
  • 4 g salt
  • 20 g olive oil
  • 80 g vegetable oil
  • 25 g balsamic vinegar

Steps

  1. 1
    Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the diced cabanossi and cook until golden, letting it release its fat and aroma into the oil. Remove the cabanossi and set aside.
    ~5 min
  2. 2
    Turn off the heat (the pot retains enough residual heat). Add the minced garlic and paprika to the hot oil, stirring to infuse without burning. Be very careful not to burn the paprika as it will turn bitter.
    ~5 min
  3. 3
    Immediately add 3 cups of water to stop the paprika from burning. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Season with salt (slightly generous since there are many sweet elements).
    ~5 min
  4. 4
    Measure the dried fruits (apricots and raisins) by volume — about 200ml — then add the same volume of extra water (200ml) to compensate for the water the dried fruits will absorb.
    ~5 min
  5. 5
    Add the rice and dried fruits to the boiling liquid. Stir to combine. When it returns to a boil, reduce heat to minimum, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes.
    ~5 min
  6. 6
    While the rice cooks, toast the chopped almonds, chestnuts, and pecans separately. Once the rice is done, turn off heat and fold in the toasted cabanossi, toasted nuts, and freshly chopped parsley using a fork (never a spoon, to keep grains intact).
    ~5 min
  7. 7
    Bake whole sweet potatoes in the oven until tender and caramelized (ideally sun-dried first, then baked). Peel, press through a ricer, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve for a smooth purée.
    ~5 min
  8. 8
    Make the orange-vanilla syrup: combine orange juice, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to the juice. Heat on low until it reduces to a syrup consistency.
    ~5 min
  9. 9
    Remove the vanilla pod from the syrup. Add a knob of butter, then incorporate the sweet potato purée. Cook while stirring to meld the flavors and dry slightly. Finish with another small knob of butter for shine before serving.
    ~5 min
  10. 10
    Make the choux pastry: combine water, milk, salt, sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Heat until the butter melts completely and the mixture reaches a boil.
    ~5 min
  11. 11
    Add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously until a solid paste forms that pulls away from the sides. Cook for about 1 minute while stirring continuously.
    ~5 min
  12. 12
    Transfer to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Let cool slightly, then add the beaten eggs in 3-5 additions, mixing well between each. The dough should fall in a V-shape from the paddle.
    ~5 min
  13. 13
    Steam yellow potatoes until tender, press through a ricer. Combine equal parts mashed potato and choux pastry (400g each). Season with salt, pepper, and a touch of nutmeg.
    ~5 min
  14. 14
    Fill a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe 2cm segments, cutting with a paring knife. Deep fry at 160-180°C until golden all over. Drain, season with salt. Optionally top with grated Grana Padano.
    ~5 min
  15. 15
    Peel the pears and remove the cores with a corer. Reserve in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.
    ~5 min
  16. 16
    In a large pot, combine red wine, water, strawberry jam, sugar, orange peel studded with cloves, and cinnamon stick. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves.
    ~5 min
  17. 17
    Add the pears, cover, bring to a simmer. Cook gently (mijotée) for approximately 45 minutes. Let cool in the poaching liquid, then refrigerate overnight for the pears to fully absorb the wine color.
    ~5 min
  18. 18
    Make the pecan praline: toast pecan halves, make a caramel in a separate pan, add the pecans to the caramel, pour onto a silpat or cold stone to cool. Once hardened, chop roughly.
    ~5 min
  19. 19
    Make the yogurt vinaigrette: in a blender cup, combine salt, balsamic vinegar, honey, and plain yogurt. Blend while drizzling in vegetable oil and olive oil in a thin stream to emulsify.
    ~5 min
  20. 20
    Assemble the salad: arrange mixed lettuces and baby spinach on a platter. Slice the wine-poached pears into wedges and distribute over the greens. Scatter red onion rings, crumble gorgonzola, and top with pecan praline. Drizzle with yogurt-balsamic vinaigrette.
    ~5 min

Nutrition (per serving)

650
Calories
18g
Protein
85g
Carbs
28g
Fat
6g
Fiber
Cultural Context
In Peru, Christmas Eve dinner (Cena de Nochebuena) is the centerpiece of the holiday season. Families gather to share elaborate multi-course meals featuring a main protein (often turkey or pork) surrounded by an array of side dishes. Arroz Belén, named after Bethlehem ('the house of bread'), reflects the Arab culinary influence in Peruvian cuisine through its use of dried fruits and nuts. These side dishes showcase how Peruvian holiday cooking blends indigenous ingredients like camote (sweet potato) with European techniques like choux pastry and French salad composition.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
TE ENSEÑO A PREPARAR GUARNICIONES NAVIDEÑAS | ELEVA TU JUEGO CULINARIO
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