Re: Pictures Added - Dinner Party for Eight - What Should I Make for an Entree?

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
21

Pork shoulder in almost any form is another good option. Once again, a long braise, take it out of the pot and server.

22

Lasagna. Everything is done the day before.

23

Thanks all, great suggestions!!

Can’t believe I forgot about osso buco, that’s one of my favorite dishes and I can make a mean version at home and it’s something that can be done ahead of time so I don’t spend all of my time in the kitchen.

But, I’m still very intrigued with the porchetta; I like the pork belly and loin combo, but it’s definitely not as easy to procure and prep as the osso buco.

I’ll report back; the dinner is in a few weeks.

[cheers.gif]

Brett

24

This is my favorite porchetta recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Porchetta
Includes a link to detailed prep instructions.

25

Yes. Your guests will rave.

26

Pot au Feu.
Sounds impressing. But it’s stupidly simple.

27

Order the porchetta already prepped and ready for the oven from THE FATTED CALF IN Napa. Their pork tenderloins wrapped in pancetta are super quick, easy and delicious as well. Add potatoes or polenta, maybe roasted root vegetables or broccoli rabe, and easy.

28

If you can rent one or know someone who has it might I suggest Raclette. We do this once a year and everyone enjoys the interaction of trying to one up each other on their combos they choose.

29

Many good entrees already mentioned inclucing Osso Bucco

For ones not mentioned:

Beef Cheeks or Veal Cheeks

Beef Stroganoff, or Medallions of Flat Iron Stroganoff Style

Beef Wellington because I love the duxelle and everyone is impressed with the presentation in the pastry crust.

NY Strip Roast cooked for 18 hours a la Heston Blumenthal, if you can figure out how to cook it at 118-120 degrees. If so you should include his diced potatoes oven roasted in olive oil for 1 hour and seasoned with fresh rosemary, thyme and sea salt. ( I always use plenty of black pepper for my version of Heston’s potatoes, but he uses none.)

Pork Butt (or Loin) Braised in Coconut Milk

Pork Loin or Butt Cooked In Garlic and Milk

30

Here’s the tentative menu…

Crostini with ricotta, radicchio, spiced walnuts, honey & fried rosemary

Caprese Prosciutto Skewers: bufala mozzarela, cherry tomato, prosciutto, basil, olive oil, balsamic

Ossobucco

Saffron Polenta

Homemade Gelati based dessert

31

Sounds tasty. Let us know how it turns out. With pictures of course!
On a more savory Crostini note we have had great success with some fig spread and gorgonzola under the broiler for a minute drizzled with lavender honey atop fresh toasted sourdough crostinis.

32

Dinner was great and everything was ready to go (except for the polenta) when guests arrived.

I was pretty good about taking pictures up until the plating, but still captured the process of making the ossobuco on film.

We drank a few bottles of prosecco with the apps and I opened some other bottles post dinner, but the three wines pictured here we enjoyed with the main course.

[cheers.gif]

Brett

Caprese Skewers with Prosciutto

Crostini with ricotta, radichhio, spiced walnuts, fried rosemary, honey

Trio of Vino with Dinner
2007 Valle Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
2005 Arcadian Fiddlestix Pinot Noir
2003 Castello della Paneretta Quattrocentario Toscana IGT

33

Great report!