Roll Out the Red Carpet… Award-worthy Recipes For Your Oscar Night Soiree
Best performance by a cheese in a pudding. The star of the show… Parmesan pudding and piquillo pepper relish topped with caramelized cocoa nibs piled high on petite crackers.
Can you feel it? The buzz is in the air, plans are being made, office pools are getting started. NO, it’s not March Madness (yet)… it’s the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Who are you wearing?! Truth be told, I will be in yoga pants, a pony tail and a heating pad after a big ski weekend but I know a lot of you out there are primping and priming for an oh-so-chi-chi Oscar Night Cocktail Bash.
Whether you’re hosting, contributing or just in need of some crazy good appetizer ideas, I’ve got just the menu for you. I contemplated creating themed dishes to match up with each Best Film nominee but, since pretty much every movie made last year has been nominated, I scrapped that idea pretty quickly. Then I thought I’d put together regional menus based on where those films were shot. But, Epicurious “stole” that idea right out of my head and gave a spectacular performance to boot. So goes the biz!
Best Special Effects… rosemary grilled shrimp marinated in ruby port and herbs de Provence.
So, this year, in honor of the bigger event before the big event, I give you the Red Carpet Menu. Each dish is tinged with red, simple to prepare and designed to keep you and your guests sated yet still Hollywood thin (relatively). I was recently inspired by a wonderful Parmesan pudding and a delicious filet mignon with red wine mayonnaise prepared by Creative Edge Parties of NYC. I was driven to try my own version and paired a Parmesan pudding with a piquillo pepper relish topped with caramelized cocoa nibs — all piled prettily on a petite cracker. These tiny morsels are insanely good. The creamy texture and savory taste of the pudding combined with the spicy/sweet/smoky piquillo pepper relish followed by the crunch and subtle chocolate finish of the nib tickles the taste buds and, I guarantee, will make you gasp. And, if apps aren’t your thing, this recipe can be easily adapted as an elegant side to roasted beef or chicken. If you alternate your stirring arm and suck in your belly while making the roux for the pudding, you can skip your arms and ab work at the gym for the day!
Best appetizer in a supporting role… cured beef and goat cheese infused with a red wine reduction.
My second inspiration came from the pairing of the beef and mayonnaise with a red wine reduction. I decided to cure the beef for two days, slice it super thin, roll it up and serve it with a dollop of goat cheese mixed with the red wine reduction. Other standouts on the menu are always top performers in my book: black bean pizza with chimichurri drizzle and roasted red pepper strips, a super simple grilled shrimp marinated in ruby port and herbs de Provence and herb roasted red beet crisps with a horseradish dill dip (mix dill, salt and pepper with 8 oz. cottage cheese and 2 tbl. of horseradish). And the Oscar goes to….. vote for your favorite!
Best Soundtrack… herbed red beet crisps with horseradish dill dip.
What I love about this menu is that it is mostly make-ahead and leaves you lots of time to spend with your guests watching Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin make a go at double hosting duties. Surprise party goers by serving a fun sparkling red wine like Lambrusco or Brachetto d’Acqui.
Best ensemble cast… (clockwise from top) Argentinean Black Bean Pizza with Chimichurri Drizzle and Roasted Red Pepper, Parmesan Pudding topped with Piquillo Pepper Relish and Caramelized Cocoa Nibs and Cured Beef with Red Wine Infused Goat Cheese.
Oscar Night’s Red Carpet Menu
Red Kalamata Olives
Red Beet Crisps with Dilled Horseradish Dip
Parmesan Pudding with Piquillo Pepper & Caramelized Cocoa Nibs (recipe below)
Argentinean Black Bean Pizza with Chimichurri Drizzle and Red Pepper Strips (recipe below)
Cured Filet Mignon Rolls with Red Wine Goat Cheese (the recipe is posted at the bottom of the March 10th post)
Rosemary Grilled Shrimp with Ruby Port and Herbs de Provence
Sangria Sorbet (I love Brooklyn’s Wine Cellar Sorbet, Inc.)
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This excellent dish also makes for an exciting side kick to roasted chicken or beef.
Recipe: Parmesan Pudding with Piquillo Pepper Relish and Caramelized Cocoa Nibs
Makes about 36 small appetizers or 8 side dishes
Parmesan Pudding
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole milk (or low fat milk works great too)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 extra-large egg
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a medium pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and cook for about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to incorporate it. The butter and flour will seize up and get pasty first. Continue whisking vigorously as you add the liquid, and the mixture will become smooth. Cook a few more minutes, until warm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the eggs into the cream mixture, whisking continuously until combined. Stir in the cheese, and season with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture into an 8x6-inch (or equivalent) baking dish, and cover tightly with foil. Place the baking dish in a roasting pan, and add hot water to the pan until it comes halfway up the outside of the custard dish. Place the pan in the oven and bake about 1 hour, until the pudding is just set
Piquillo Relish
8 Piquillo Peppers
1 Tbl. Sherry vinegar
1t Tbl. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
Pinch: Salt
Pinch: Ground Pepper
Chop into fine dice and mix with salt, pepper, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and olive oil.
1/4 C: Caramelized Cacao nibs.*
To Plate
Using small (2 inch long) rectangular crackers„ make a quenelle or place a small teaspoonful of Parmesan Pudding on s serving plate. Top with Piquillo Relish and sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Let stand at room temperature and serve.
*Caramelized Cocoa Nibs may be found in most gourmet groceries, at Pure Dark in NYC or online. You can also make your own using raw cocoa nibs.
Best Foreign Appetizer… Argentinean Black Bean Pizza with Chimichurri Drizzle and Roasted Red Peppers.
Recipe: Argentinean Black Bean Pizza with Chimichurri Drizzle and Roasted Red Peppers
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves: 8 – 10
Ingredients
For Black Bean Spread
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained , (like Muir Glen)
3 tbl. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
For the Chimichurri
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. roughly chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Dough
Use fresh or frozen pizza dough and prepare according to instructions or purchase premade flatbread or naan.
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2 roasted red peppers sliced into thin strips (here, I used leftover piquillo peppers)
Prepare Black Bean Spread
Combine onion through salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Prepare Chimichurri
Place parsley, cilantro and garlic in a food processor and blend well. With motor still running, add olive oil in a slow stream. Add lemon juice until just blended. If mixture is too runny, add more parsley and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble Pizza
Preheat oven to 450*. Spread black bean mixture over the bread, leaving a ½” around the edges. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until heated through (5 – 8 minutes if the bread is already cooked, 13 – 15 minutes if you are using raw dough). Drizzle chimichurri sauce over the pizza and cut the bread into 16 squares. Garnish each with 1 bell pepper strip.
Note: As a time saver, you can pre-make this dish and serve it at room temperature.
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