Holiday Dinner Party

Now that my life is returning to normal, or as normal as my life gets, I decided to host a few holiday gatherings.  Leave your cell phone at the door,  this is an old fashioned,  yes we are really going to engage in conversation, dinner party.  The menu focuses on Spanish cuisine.  Well, except for the pumpkin and pomegranate salad, but the colors are vibrant and for some reason I think the flavor profile works.  Call it salad whimsy.   First course is a Spanish version of an antipasto platter.  A nice Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) launches the evening festivities.

Spanish Antipasto Platter

1/2 cup chorizo, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 slices Serrano ham, quartered and curled into rolls

1/2 cup marinated artichokes
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup black olives
2 to 3 ounces of manchego, sliced in wedges
2 to 3 ounces of Spanish goat cheese, sliced in wedges
2 to 3 ounces of queso fresco, sliced in wedges
Baguette, thinly sliced and toasted

Paella is an easy, flexible, forgiving dish that is great for dinner party.  

Paella

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh chorizo, casings removed

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen or fresh English peas

1 cup arborio rice

Pinch of saffron threads dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

1 1/2 cups water

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (or lobster in half shell)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 pound clams, scrubbed and rinsed

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, (8 ounces)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 10-inch paella pan or ovenproof skillet, cook the chorizo over moderate heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until some of the fat is rendered and the chorizo is browned, 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened and just beginning to brown, 8 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, rice, saffron with its liquid and the 1 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, without stirring, until the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add them to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the rice. Discard the oil.

Wipe out the skillet. Pour in the wine and lemon juice. Add the mussels and clams, cover and cook, shaking the skillet, until the mussels open, about 3 minutes. Pour the mussels and clams and their cooking liquid over the rice.

Stir the cooked chicken and English peas into the rice. Cover and cook in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the paella is just heated through. Garnish with the parsley and scallion, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and serve.

Sangria

Ingredients

2 bottles chilled dry red wine, like Rioja

1 cup brandy

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar

2 oranges, cut into thin rounds

2 Meyer lemons, cut into thin rounds

3 Key limes, cut into thin rounds

2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (Great for fall Sangria)

2 cups cold club soda (can omit sugar and use a good quality blood orange soda)

Directions

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, orange juice, and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange, lemon, and lime slices, the apples and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and add the soda. Serve in glasses over ice.

Pumpkin and Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea, Celtic, or lite salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 cups mixed salad greens

3/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix pumpkin cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly in a baking pan. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is beginning to brown on the edges and feels a bit soft when a fork is inserted. Remove pumpkin from oven and cool thoroughly.

Divide the greens onto four salad plates. Distribute roasted pumpkin, pomegranate seeds, and goat cheese on each plate. Drizzle with Citrus Ginger Vinaigrette (Below).

Citrus Ginger Vinaigrette

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange  (juiced and zest)
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or sliced ginger
1/8 teaspoon each black pepper and salt or to taste

Directions

Using a zester,  zest the orange then juice the orange.  Place both in blender or food processor.

Process orange zest, juice and champagne vinegar. Allow to sit five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and process one more time, briefly.

Tecula Mecula
(Imperial Almond and Egg Tart)

Ingredients

Crust

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons lard, at room temperature
6 tablespoons water
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt

Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 pound slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 egg yolks
1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

To make the crust, combine the butter, lard, water, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the ingredients combine together in a rough dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until soft and no longer sticky. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a thin round at least 14 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the dough round to a 10-inch springform pan with at least 2 1/2-inch sides, pressing it into the bottom and sides. Trim away the excess dough even with the pan rim. Place in the refrigerator until needed.

To make the filling, in a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon zest and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until a thick syrup forms. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, combine the almonds and butter and beat with a handheld mixer until the butter is creamy. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until foamy. Add the flour to the egg yolks a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth, add the almond-butter mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until thoroughly blended and smooth. Add the cooled syrup and again mix well until thoroughly blended.

Transfer the filling to the crust. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan.

Remove the pan sides and slide the cooled tart onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.