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Gravlax and Mustard-Dill Sauce with Toasts
Duck Magret or Individual Duck Breasts with Raspberry-Cognac Sauce. For those of you who would prefer, I can substitute a Berkshire Heritage thick-cut pork chop. Pork is great with this same sauce.
Truffled Green Vegetable Ragout
Double Corn Souffle
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Homemade Salted Caramel Ice Cream
About the Class
Gorgeous gravlax is an irresistible prepare-ahead fave. If you've never made it, you must give it a try ASAP. The thinly sliced, rosily orange fish resembles smoked salmon but is milder and meltingly tender. AND basic farm-raised $12 per pound raw salmon filet costs nothing compared to the fancy smoked variety. Serve it as an hors d'oeuvre, elegant starter, sandwich filling, brunch fare, or light main course. Toasts and sweet mustard-dill sauce are traditional accompaniments but aren't de rigeur. Curing the fish entails nothing but refrigerating very fresh salmon fillet for a couple of days after smothering it in salt, sugar and abundant fresh dill. Even a kitchen novice can manage this in ten minutes or less and inexpensively to boot.
Duck breasts and magrets, although poultry, appear and taste more like rib-eye. Ideal for those non-red meat eaters who occasionally crave a good steak. They read as festive and luxe and, like steaks or chops, are easy to prepare. This particular recipe is less simple as it includes a fabulous raspberry-cognac sauce. However, you can prepare the magrets in the same manner and serve with pan juices or a simple herbed mayonnaise or a homemade or store-bought chutney.
In addition, the sauce is fabulous and freezes well so make extra. Serve with all sorts of pork and with roasted whole duck as well as with the duck magrets in this menu.
As delicious as duck is, I know some people have an aversion to it. For those of you who want to attend this class but are in the no-duck category, just let me know and I'll get you a thick and delicious heritage Berkshire pork chop. If unfamiliar with Berkshire heritage pork, you don't know what you're missing. NOTHING in common with that dry and tasteless pork the advertisers refer to with pride as "the other white meat." Anyway, let me know if you'd prefer pork to duck as the sauce is fabulous with both.
Both sides are versatile and work for me all year. The corn souffle is a perpetual hit. It's a puffed up corn pudding--but way better-- and light as air. Better than the sum of the simple parts. Here is provides an extravagant side dish but is also an ideal first course or simple vegetarian main course. And a saute of truffled green veggie ultimate luxury and a welcome side dish with a huge variety of meals.
Flourless chocolate cake is flourless chocolate cake, but old Wolfgang Puck version is my favorite-- easy, freezable and versatile. I love salted caramel ice cream and have experimented with many recipes. This one--though relatively low on heavy cream--is super rich in taste and VERY caramelly.