When you have a friend – a friend who is your husband’s best friend – who has come to your rescue too many times to count over the years of friendship, and who went above and beyond the call of friendship in the current year when your husband was out of town, it is time to make him King for a Night. The only way I knew to do this was by cooking. And not just cooking, but trying to do something special.

The following menu and recipes graced my Christmas Table often during the 80s, and the recipes are among my husband’s favorites. I still prepare most of them, but haven’t served them all during the course of a single evening in quite a long time. But there is no reason to delay. Every single item can prepared days ahead, or even weeks ahead and frozen. Nothing is hard, but some recipes do have a lot of moving parts, but those parts can be broken down to individual days, and honestly, they are worth it!

***

A Thank You Dinner for a Special Friend

Menu

• Cocktails
  • Salted Buttered Pecans
  • Cosmopolitans
• 1st Course – Soup
  • Dilled Cream of Carrot Soup
  • Heath Sparkling Wines – 2021 Ebullience
• 2nd Course – Fish
  • Crab Stuffed Mushrooms with Garlic Butter Sauce
  • Heath Sparkling Wines – 2021 Ebullience
• 3rd Course – Salad
  • Boston Lettuce with Raspberries and Honeyed Crème Fraiche Dressing
  • Heath Sparkling Wines – 2021 Ebullience
• 4th Course – Entree
  • Individual Beef Wellington with Madeira Shallot Sauce
  • New Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Rosemary
  • Tobin James the blend “Black Label” 2019
• 5th Course – Dessert
  • White Chocolate Mousse with Chambord Spiked Strawberry Sauce
  • Cognac

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Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Serves 1

• • 1 oz Absolut Citron vodka
  • 1/2 oz Cointreau
  • 1/2 oz Rose’s Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Ocean Spray cranberry juice
  • Thin slice of lime
    

In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish drink with a thin slice of lime.

***

Oven Roasted Salted Buttered Pecans

Makes approximately 4 cups

• • 1 pound pecan halves
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl combine pecan halves, melted butter and kosher salt. Stir until the pecan halves are completely coated. needed. Lay the butter and salt coated pecans onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until you can start to smell the pecans toasting.
  • Remove your salted buttered pecans from the oven and allow the buttered pecans to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Add additional salt if needed and serve within 2 – 3 days, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

***

Dilled Cream of  Carrot Soup

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

• Soup
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound sliced carrots
  • 3/4 cups chopped onion
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup white rice
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/2—1 teaspoon chopped dill 
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

• Garnish
  • 6 sprigs of dill for garnish

Instructions

• For Soup
  • Melt butter in large saucepan.  Add carrots and onion and cook for 10 minutes. Add stock and rice.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or till vegetables are tender.
  • Drain solids, reserving the liquid, and place the carrot mixture in the bowl of a food processor.  Process till the consistency of fine baby food.  This could take as long as 5 minutes. Combine the puree mixture with the reserved liquid. NOTE: Or blend in a high-powered blender. Hot liquids can explode when blended.  
  • (May be made ahead to this point.  Refrigerate, or proceed as follows.)
  • Add cream and heat gently till very warm.  Add dill, salt, and cayenne.  If soup is too thick, thin with a little extra chicken stock. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream, dill sprig, or chopped parsley.

***

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms with Garlic Butter Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Stuffed Mushrooms
  • 12 medium or large Baby Bella mushrooms
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, warm room temperature
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fine dry breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon brandy
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 – 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 pound fresh crab meat, flaked
  • Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Garlic Butter Sauce
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• Garnish
  • 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
  • 6 sprigs of parsley

Instructions

• For mushrooms:
  • Remove mushroom stem from cap to form a hollow shell.  Wipe mushroom caps with a paper towel or clean with a mushroom brush.  Set aside.

• For filling:
  • Place cream cheese and olive oil in bowl of electric mixer.  Beat together till creamy.  Add next nine ingredients.  Beat to blend.  Position mixer on low speed.  Stir in crab meat.  Mix just till combined. 
  • Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Fill mushroom caps with the crab mixture and use a serving size teaspoon to mound the filling and smooth the top.  Place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with additional Parmesan cheese.  Cover and refrigerate.  NOTE: May be made a day ahead.        

• For garlic butter:
  • Place butter and mashed garlic cloves in small saucepan over low heat.  Cook till margarine is melted and garlic has flavored the sauce, approximately 10 – 20 minutes.  Remove garlic cloves.  Keep warm.

• To cook:
  • Approximately 15 minutes before serving, remove mushrooms from refrigerator.  Bake in a preheated 425° F. oven for 10 minutes.
  • While mushrooms are baking, transfer garlic butter to measuring cup, pour a small pool of sauce onto 6 rimmed dinner plates.  Place 2 – 3 mushrooms in the center of each plate.  Garnish with lemon rounds and parsley sprigs.  Serve immediately.

***

Boston Lettuce with Raspberries and  Honeyed Crème Fraiche Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Dressing
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons crème fraîche
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• Salad
  • 1 large head butter or Bibb lettuce, washed and leaves removed, and torn
  • 1 small jicama, peeled and cut into ¼” x 1½ – 2″ matchsticks (roughly ½ cup)
  • Raspberries to taste
  • 1 cup large shavings aged Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• For dressing:
  • To make the dressing, whisk together the crème fraîche, olive oil, and honey. Add the scallion, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, or a touch more vinegar if you prefer your dressing on the acidic side. NOTE: Dressing can be made 8 – 10 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, whisking before tossing with lettuce leaves.

• For salad:
  • Toss the lettuce leaves with the dressing. Assemble in a stack on each of 4 plates, starting with the largest leaves on the bottom to create a base. Garnish each salad with a quarter of the jicama, pomegranate seeds and the cheese shavings. Serve immediately.

***

Individual Beef Wellington’s with Madeira Shallot Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients

• Beef Wellington
  • 6 6-ounce fillet mignon’s a minimum of 1 1/2-inches thick
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 package puff pastry sheets
  • Egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, mixed well

• Accompaniments
  • Duxelles (recipe follows)
  • Madeira Sauce (recipe follows)

• Garnish
  • Tomato roses for garnish (optional)
  • Parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• For fillets:
  • Generously salt and pepper both sides of fillets. Melt oil over high heat in a heavy skillet, and when very hot, sear fillets for one minute on each side.  Do not let them touch while searing. Remove fillets from pan and place on a flat plate or baking sheet. Cover the top with a layer of duxelles. Place fillets in refrigerator till ready to use, chilling thoroughly. NOTE: For rare to medium rare beef when baked, wrap each fillet in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to bake.

• For puff pastry:
  • Thaw puff pastry per package directions.  Cut 2 circles from each sheet, the size of a large saucer or salad plate. Cut leaves or other decorations from pastry scraps. Set decorations aside on a plate, cover and refrigerate.  
  • Remove fillets from refrigerator or freezer.  Lay a round of puff pastry on top of this, tucking the dough underneath each fillet to form a neat package.  NOTE: It does not matter if the pastry does not totally cover the bottom of the meat—in fact it is better if it does not.

• To cook:
  • Place in refrigerator till ready to cook. When ready to cook, brush entire pastry round with egg yolk thinned with a little water. Attach decorations to the Wellington’s with a small amount of egg wash. With a very sharp knife cut 3 small slits in the top of each Wellington to allow steam to escape. Brush leaves/decorations with remaining egg yolk mixture. Place wellingtons in a shallow baking pan about 2 inches apart. NOTE: The pastry-wrapped fillets can be made in advance of when they’re to be baked and either kept in a refrigerator overnight or frozen for future use. If freezing the fillets, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil, and place in the refrigerator about an hour before baking to allow the pastry to thaw before placing in the oven.
  • Bake in a preheated 400° F. oven until pastry is a deep golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the doneness of the fillets. Remove from oven. Spoon at least 1/4 – 1/2  cup sauce on each plate, place a single Beef Wellington on top of sauce.  Garnish with a tomato rose and parsley if desired.

• Filet Mignon Doneness
  • Rare = 120° F – 125° F   
  • Medium Rare = 125° F – 135° F
  • Medium = 135° F – 145° F       
  • Medium Well = 145° F – 155° F

Duxelles

• • 1/4 pound mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• For mushrooms:
  • Finely chop mushrooms in a food processor, using on/off turns.

• To cook:
  • Melt butter over medium heat in a medium skillet, and when the foam subsides sauté the shallots till they are transparent.  Do not let them brown. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally till the mushrooms have released all their liquid, and the liquid has evaporated. NOTE: Mushrooms must be as dry as possible! If needed mas with a spatula to squeeze out excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper.  Place duxelles in a clean bowl and place them in the refrigerator to cool. NOTE: May be made ahead.

Madeira Shallot Sauce

Ingredients

• • 6 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 1/2 cups Sandeman Madeira (or another dry madeira wine)
  • 1 recipe basic brown sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Sandeman Madeira
  • 3 tablespoon cognac
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• • Cook shallots and 1 1/2 cups Madeira in a saucepan over medium heat until mixture is reduced to 3 tablespoons, taking care that it doesn’t burn. Carefully whisk Brown Sauce into the pan. Mix well. Return pan to heat, rewarming.  Do not let it boil. NOTE: May be made ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Remove pan from heat, stir in cognac and the remaining 3 tablespoons Madeira. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Basic Brown Sauce – Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

• • 9 tablespoons butter
  • 2  1/4 cup finely minced onion
  • 1  1/2 cup diced carrot
  • 4  1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 6 cups homemade beef stock (or a good quality purchased beef stock)
  • 3 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 6 medium cloves minced garlic
  • Bouquet Garni (fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, tied together with a bit of kitchen twine)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1  1/2 teaspoons meat glaze

Instructions

• • Melt butter in large pan, and when it is hot and foaming add onion and carrot and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula. Add flour, stirring constantly, till it forms a roux (paste). Cook the roux, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes, or till it turns brown.  NOTE: It must turn brown to give the sauce a rich flavor.
  • Remove pan from the heat, and add beef stock, beating vigorously with a wire whisk. Add all remaining ingredients, return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture slowly to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pan and cook the mixture very slowly for a minimum of 2 hours to intensify the flavor. Strain through a fine sieve, taste and adjust seasoning. Note: Brown Sauce freezes well.

Beef Stock

Ingredients

• • 2 pounds lean beef brisket
  • 2 pounds raw beef bones
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 2 medium peeled onions, stuck with 2 cloves each
  • 1 cup sliced celery ribs with leaves
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 3/4 quarts water (15 cups)
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 medium clove mashed garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• • Place first 5 ingredients in a roasting pan and place in a preheated 450° for about 30 minutes, or until beef is thoroughly browned. To make sure the vegetables do not scorch, take the pan from the oven occasionally and stir them with a wooden spatula; remove them as soon as they ae brown.
  • Put the contents of the roasting pan in a deep stock pot. Pour 1 cup water into the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits. Pour the water and browned bits into the stock pot, adding enough cold water to make 4 quarts in all. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil very slowly. Skim off all scum that rises to the top.
  • Reduce heat, partially cover the kettle of pot and simmer gently for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth wrung out in cold water. Taste for seasoning, if desired.
  • NOTE: Stock should be under-seasoned, for many times it is used in reduced or concentrated sauces, which if too highly seasoned may ruin.
  • Stock may be frozen for future use.

***

New Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Rosemary

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Potatoes
  • 1 pound baby new potatoes, (small as you can find) scrubbed clean
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Water to cover

• Caramelized Onions
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped 
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

• For potatoes:
  • Cut new potatoes in half lengthwise (or fourths, depending on size).  Place in boiling, salted water and cook 10-15 minutes or till tender. Drain. NOTE: Can be made ahead to this point.  Place in covered container and store in refrigerator or freezer.

• For caramelized onions:
  • Melt butter in large skillet.  Place the onion in the skillet and sauté until golden brown and caramelized. 
  • Add brown sugar and sauté for two minutes more.  Add rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. NOTE: Can be made ahead to this point.  Place in covered container and store in refrigerator or freezer.

• To serve:
  • When ready to serve, combine potatoes and onion mixture in the same skillet, and sauté till warmed through.  Adjust seasoning. NOTE: For large quantities, mixture can be reheated in a covered roasting pan in the oven.

***

White Chocolate Mousse with Chambord Spiked Strawberry Sauce

Serves 12

Ingredients

• Mousse
  • 1 package unflavored gelatin,
  • 2 tablespoons clear cream de cacao
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 8 ounces pound cream cheese, warm room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cream de cacao
  • 3 large – extra-large egg yolks, room temperature (reserve whites)
  • 7 ounces Lindt white chocolate, melted
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large – extra-large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• Strawberry Sauce
  • 2 10-oz boxes frozen sliced sweetened strawberries (Birds Eye or HEB)
  • 1/4  cup Chambord

• Garnish
  • Strawberries and mint leaves

Instructions

• For gelatin:
  • Combine first three ingredients in a small glass bowl to soften. If after 10 minutes gelatin is not dissolved, place the gelatin mixture in a microwave, and warm for 30 seconds at a power level of 1. If it is still not dissolved repeat the procedure for another 30 seconds.

• For mousse:
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese till fluffy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar.  Flavor with 3 tablespoons cream de cacao.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time.  Beat in dissolved gelatin and melted chocolate and salt. Scoop mixture into a large clean bowl. Set Aside.
  • If you do not have a second bowl for your mixer, wash the mixing bowl used for the cream cheese well, and dry thoroughly.
  • In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt till soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar, add vanilla, and continue beating till thick, smooth, and glossy.  Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture.
  • In the same bowl used for the egg whites, place the very cold heavy cream and beat until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the mousse mixture.
  • Pour into serving dish of your choice or individual serving dishes, i.e. wine or martini glasses, or into individual circle molds (see photos below). Refrigerate overnight. Serve with strawberry sauce. Garnished with a whole strawberry and mint.

• For strawberry sauce:
  • Place thawed strawberries and Chambord in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For Individual White Chocolate Mousse

You will need hollow metal molds–the diameter is up to you–lined with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of the mold with your favorite graham cracker crust recipe or cut a round of pound cake about 1/3-inch thick to fit into the bottom of the mold.

Place all molds on a parchment lined tray and spoon mousse on top of crust/cake and refrigerate overnight. When the mousse is set you should be able to lift the rings off the parchment lined mousse, if you have difficulties, you can use a pusher or a juice can to help push the mousse out of the mold.