parties & celebrations
Inspiration can come from the most unpredictable sources.
One evening, I was watching a science documentary that demonstrated how to remove the top of a raw egg with a surgeon’s precision. An empty, upside-down spice bottle was placed over the small end of the raw egg; the end of the bottle was whacked with a wooden spoon; and voila! a perfect cut. The vibration traveled down the bottle and cut the fragile shell perfectly.
That demonstration inspired me to use French chef Georges Blanc’s famous egg dish as a stunning first course: a simple white egg shell perched in a collectible egg cup, filled with softly creamed eggs and glistening Beluga caviar. A great excuse for a party!
Caviar-crowned eggs set just the right tone for this very formal and elegant dinner party for 12 friends. The menu was a compilation of some of the world’s most extraordinary ingredients - caviar, foie gras, truffles and breast of duck. In keeping with the European style of the evening, I dressed the two round tables in moonlight yellow damask tablecloths with pomegranate-colored overlays and a tightly packed abundance of multi-colored roses from the hostess’ garden into two antique china fruit compotes. Dimmed lights and soft candlelight created the perfect stage for an extraordinary menu.
When guests were seated, the eggs were already on the table. To heighten the sensation of luxury and indulgence, I served the eggs with homemade Melba toast and a wonderful frozen vodka. Storing it in the freezer gives vodka a rich syrupy consistency and brings out its subtle flavors.
A sophisticated note was carried through to the second course- simple mache (other baby greens can be substituted), topped with pate de foie gras, plump tomatoes, and spring-green asparagus tips, and drizzled with a vinaigrette fit for the gods. To lemon juice and truffle oil, I added an artichoke heart and pureed it in a blender, creating a dressing with sumptuous flavors and texture. Such aristocratic ingredients called for an aristocratic wine: Colin Chassagne Montrachet.
For a third course, I quickly sautéed duck breast and sauced it with a refined Bordelaise sauce that married well with the 1985 Pommard being poured into the crystal glasses. Mixed rice, an ethereal carrot flan and sautéed zucchini and potato rounds complemented the beautifully browned duck breast. Gratin of Berries/a>, smothered in a rich Champagne sabayon and run under a broiler until golden, was a light and delicious dessert.
Though the ingredients are rather extravagant, this dinner can be prepared in a four-hour period (after marketing) and served without hired help. Salad ingredients, duck breasts, vegetables, berries and sauces can all be prepared ahead of time. The creamed eggs take just minutes to prepare while guests are being seated. The duck breasts finish cooking during the salad course.
A formal dinner party provides a wonderful opportunity to enjoy cherished china, crystal glassware and silver serving pieces that often are hidden away in storage. Family heirloom vases, pitchers or bowls that normally sit on a shelf gathering dust, can be packed tightly with flowers from the garden and placed around the house.
Beautiful music and fragrant candles add an extra touch to a memorable evening.
MENU
Serves: 12
Caviar in the Egg
Salad with Foie Gras & Asparagus Tips
Breast of Duck with a Grape Sauce
Medley of Rice
Carrot Flan
Sautéed Zucchini
Gratin of Berries with a Champagne Sabayon Sauce
TIPS
Place Cards
The Joys of Caviar
Make Perfect Melba Toast
Veal Stock
