January 2013 Dinner

 

LIVER PATE ON SESAME ROUNDS

CREAM OF CARROT SOUP

LAMB CHOPS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

RED-SKINNED MASHED POTATOES

THREE PEA MELANGE

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

MERLOT OR PINOT NOIR

ROSEHIP PEARS WITH HOT FUDGE SAUCE

LIVER PATE ON SESAME ROUNDS

16 oz. Braunschweiger liver sausage spread

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup finely chopped green onion or chives

Sesame rounds (crackers)

Combine all ingredients (except crackers) and blend well. Line bowl or mold with plastic wrap and pack pate into bowl or mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, invert bowl or mold onto a platter. Remove plastic wrap. Add crackers around plate.

CREAM OF CARROT SOUP

½ cup butter 2 Bay leaves

4 medium onions, chopped ¾ tsp. Thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. salt

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced ½ tsp. pepper

8 medium carrots, diced ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

10 cups chicken stock

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add onions and garlic; sauté until clear and soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (45 mins.). Discard bay leaves and let cool. Process in food processor or blender in small batches until smooth. Make this soup the day ahead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

PAN-FRIED LAMB CHOPS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

2 2/3 Tbsp. minced garlic 

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

24 small lamb rib chops

4 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl. Rub about ¼ tsp. of the mixture over each side of each chop. Sprinkle chops with salt and place on a plate. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Heat 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil in heavy large skillet (you may prefer to have two skillets going at the same time). Add 9 chops to skillet; cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter or pan; cover with foil to keep warm in 250 oven. Repeat with remaining oil and chops. Serve with potatoes and peas; garnish with remaining rosemary sprigs.

Recommended dinner wines are Merlot or Pinot Noir.

RED-SKINNED MASHED POTATOES

3 ½ lbs. medium red skinned potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup half & half

1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper

In a large saucepan cover the potatoes with water and add 2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender, about 12 mins. Drain. Return to saucepan and shake over high heat about 30 seconds to dry them out. In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the half & half over medium heat. Stir in 1 ¼ tsp. salt and the white pepper. Using a stiff whisk or potato masher, mash, gradually adding the half & half mixture; potatoes should be lumpy. (Refrigerate and reheat in microwave at Host’s home just before serving.

THREE-PEA MILANGE WITH ORANGE ZEST

½ lb. snow peas, strings removed

½ lb. sugar snap peas, stem ends and strings removed

1 cup shelled baby peas

1 2/3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Grated zest (peel) of 1 orange

1 ½ tsp. sugar

Kosher salt to taste

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch each variety of pea separately just until tender, no more than 3 to 4 minutes. Plunge peas in ice water and drain well. At this point stop, and take the peas and the remaining ingredients to Host’s home and continue. Melt butter in a large skillet and add peas. Sauté until heated through. Add the orange zest, sugar, and salt and gently toss; serve immediately.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking soda

¼ cup cold vegetable shortening

2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 1/3 cups well shaken buttermilk

1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash

Preheat oven to 450

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined. With pastry blender or your fingertips, blend in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork to form a soft dough, and with floured hands, knead dough gently 4 times in a bowl. On a lightly floured surface pat out dough into a ½ inch thick round. Cut out as many biscuits as possible using a 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour and invert ½ inch apart on a large baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball; pat out dough and cut out more biscuits. Brush biscuits with egg wash and bake in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Reheat just before serving in a 350 oven for 5 minutes.

ROSEHIP PEARS WITH HOT FUDGE SAUCE

8 ripe, firm pears, preferably Comice or Bartlett

15 rosehip tea bags

16 oz. jar hot fudge sauce

Carefully peel pears, leaving stems intact. Cut a small slice off the bottom so they will stand upright. Place in a deep saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, add the tea bags, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Poach the pears until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the liquid.

To serve, spoon pools of warm fudge sauce onto individual dessert plates and stand the pears on top; spoon more sauce over pears and serve.

Hot fudge sauce can be microwaved just before serving.