New Year's Eve Dinner 2001

[Max]

There are other gems too just for the asking.

I'm asking. I'm asking. Any '85s?

Edited January 2, 2003 by Max (log)

[La Niña]

I don't know my ass from my champagne flute.

I presume a generous champagne flute will hold about 250 cl of the stuff.

You'll have to make the comparison.

With or without the hemmorhoid?

Edited January 2, 2003 by La Niña (log)

[Wilfrid]

Thank you, Nina. I hope you are sitting comfortably.

[Jon Tseng]

In the end it turned out thus

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Pea sorbet with pancetta (sort of slain a bit by the bacon)

Sauteed foie Gras with salad and orange (maaan the stuff vanishes quick when you fry it)

Apple-braised lentils, chorizo, morcilla and bacon stew (oink oink)

Slow-roast smoked salmon (they were out of propah salmon at the supermarket) with beetroot-blackcurrant jelly and horseradish cream (an undisputed triumph and something I shall be working on in the new year. I can't believe I forgot about the beetroot-blackcurrant recipe through the whole of last summer)

Pan-fried duck breast with confit duck leg ravioli and shallot tatin (secret ingredient in ravioli: foie gras trimmings. melts away but adds marvellous flavour)

Raspberry puree with warm raspberry cream (just mucking around in the kitchen by this stage)

Chocolate, orange and earl grey sorbets (courtesy Gordon Ramsay's Passion for Flavour - never fails)

Cheese (brought back from Alps after skiing)

Coffee and home-made truffles

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cheerio

J

[jaybee]

Quaffs, Jon?

[dvenuto]

I may be late to post, but dinner for 14 at my place was centered around a Turducken! The entire menu...

Hor'dourves

- parmesan 'frico' cups with herbed goat cheese

- crostini with creme fraiche and smoked salmon

- crostini with creme fraiche and salmon roe

Appetizer

- Butternut squash soup with ginger shrimp

Main Meal

- Turducken with classic gravy

- Joey's smooth & fluffy potato mash

- Carrot "tiles" & parsnip rounds

Dessert Selection

- Creme caramel

- Peppermint meringues

- Callebaut chocolate truffles dusted in cocoa

- Soft nougat with pistachio and dried cherries

[Jon Tseng]

Quaffs, Jon?

Erm, easy on the drinks as some of the victims, sorry guests, weren't heavy boozers.

With the foie gras we got through a somewhat random 1984 sauternes we found lying around in the cupboard (there was a 1990 we had meant to quaff but my brother had left it at home - doh!)

With the duck we had a Saint-Emilion my brother had been saving up. It was 1990, premier grande cru classe and tasted like red wine. Other than that I know nothing*, although a wine buff friend had recommended duck to go with it

cheerio

J

* note that am oenological ignoramus ;-)

[Jinmyo]

Flight of five sakes for non-drivers. Flight of three ancient China teas (one is 85 years old) for drivers.

What's the 411 on those teas? I thought I was reasonably tea-literate, but have never heard of ancien tea. I am assuming that this is legit 85 yrs (not like 1000 yr eggs). Where do you get them? How are they aged - in large lots? in bricks?

Seriously curious,

A.

(The tea bug bit when I discovered there was something called 'Monkey-picked tea' ...and it was good!)

These are Chinese teas, varities of Pu-er, from Yunnan province. I believe that they were aged in bricks although we received them in caddies. They were a gift from someone travelling in Yunnan. Thee was also a stone urn of spring water that came with them.

I think such teas would be available from some of the TenRen shops but have no real expertisde in this area.

[coughy]

We are hosting about 30 people for New Year's Eve this year and I want to cook it all myself. I would like to serve a lot of appetizers, hot and cold and then a smaller dinner. I would appreciate some suggestions.

[marie-louise]

We are hosting about 30 people for New Year's Eve this year and I want to cook it all myself.  I would like to serve a lot of appetizers, hot and cold and then a smaller dinner.  I would appreciate some suggestions.

←

Where do you live? Do you have access to fresh fish? Fish always seems appropriate on NYE-gravlax, oysters, Dungeness crab, etc.

I'm thinking of doing one of two things this NYE: the seafood platter from Bouchon (but it's just the two of us-that would get mighty expensive for 30) or an assortment of items from the Trader Vic's article in this month's Saveur Magazine (we used to eat there, including on our wedding night.) Check out the magazine-it would lend itself well to a festive party. You could do the chicken curry as a main course, and the others as appetizers.

[M. Lucia]

I always like food that is symbolic for the new year. This varies from culture to culture, but being from the south, we always have:

Hoppin' John!

I can provide a recipe but basically it is rice, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, parsley, cooked with a ham hock. Black-eyed peas are something about seeing into the new year. This is traditionally served with collard greens (greenbacks) and cornbread (gold) for prosperity.

All these are easy make-ahead dishes.

You can substitute other greens, and I know cabbage is traditional for many, as is ham.

For hors d'ouevres, I always like festive things, like:

Oysters, gougeres, little potatoes or blini topped with creme fraiche and caviar, brown bread topped with smoked salmon, stuffed mushrooms, cucumber-watercress tea sandwiches, some good cheese and spiced nuts.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

[lovebenton0]

One idea following the Hoppin' concept . . .. It's fun to incorporate the New Year's luck theme. Is there a food that is typically eaten in your area? Depending on what it is you can feature it as an hors d'ouerve, side or main. You can use that to build around.

Are you doing dinner buffet style or plating?

Hors d'ouerves.

Smoked salmon is always good. Chopped eggs, caviar and rounds of crusty bread. Easy, makes a nice presentation.

Or another easy salmon idea (as I assume not all you do will be this simple it's not bad to have one or two easy things thrown in for the cook. )

Smoked Salmon Spread

8 oz cream cheese (chunked and softened)

10 oz smoked salmon

1/3 cup sour cream

2-3 T chives

1 T dried dill (or 2 T if fresh)

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Remove and discard skin from salmon. Break salmon into several pieces. Add to food processor with all other ingredients. Quick pulse several times for about 30 seconds total time.

Scoop into serving dish, cover and chill for at least two hours, up to three days before serving.

Serve with toast, crackers, or to spread on fresh crusty bread.

For dinner.

Continuing along the seafood line, you might consider a lump crabmeat and shrimp lasagna with bechamel sauce. Absolutely wonderful. After your hors d'ouerves this need not be large servings. Paired with a braised endive or other green salad. Cleanse with seasonal fruit or a fruit sorbet. slkinsey's lemon thyme sorbet from the Thanksgiving thread comes to mind.

On a different tack altogether -- roast leg of lamb with tiny potatoes and roasted winter squash.

Are you doing dessert? Something light and fruity like a warm apple and cranberry compote served over a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. Or simply cardamom spiced coffee and biscotti.

[NulloModo]

My family has symbolic foods for new years as well, but they are served during dinner on New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve. New Year's Day dinner is pork roast (sometimes beef roast), black eyed peas, collard greens, turnips, roasted carrots, and cornbread.

New Year's Eve dinner is usually an assortment of appetizers, and most are delightfully low-brow: store-brought egg-nog spiked with booze of choice, big bowl of jimmy dean sausage, velveeta cheese, and salsa all cooked and melted together to be dipped with chips, various tubs of dips, including the wonderful Onion Soup + sour cream tub variety, cocktail weiners slow cooked in barbecue sauce, buffalo wings, etc, etc. No, it is nowhere near gourmet, but it fits the atmosphere of New Years around my friends and family, we aren't looking for classy, just homey, comfortable, and something to make everyone smile. I'm not sure if any of these ideas would have a place in your party, but worth a shot ;).

[snowangel]

We're getting together with about 30 (out of town at another's house) and I'm smoking a couple of butts and perhaps a brisket.