ACADEMY AWARDS

A Party for Eight

SURPRISE THEM!

How many times have you set out for a party and known exactly what it’s going to be like? There will be the same crowd as the last party, you can almost guess what the hostess will make for dinner, and sitting in the dining room will be lovely but uninspiring. Entertaining for me is about recess, about time off from work and responsibility, and I think the best way to show people a good time is to surprise them.

Lots of things can be surprises at a party. It’s fine to serve dinner in the dining room, but I’m always looking for new places to have parties. I’ve had several terrific dinner parties in my store in East Hampton; people feel as though they’ve been let into the candy shop after hours. I bring my best silver and china and set up a table near where the checkout line is by day. Another time, we all met for cocktails at the pavilion at the public beach, then came back to our house for dinner in the kitchen. In winter, dinner in the library feels warm and cozy; in summer, an evening picnic around a blazing fire at the beach is fun. An unusual place gives a party a spark that gets things off to a good start.

Another surprise that I like is to make exactly the opposite kind of food from what people expect. When the boss comes to dinner and people expect something fancy, I’ll serve casual, hands-on food. When close friends come during the week, I’ve been known to go all out with the fanciest meal I can imagine. Just when people expect nothing special is when I love to serve caviar dip and roast filet of beef with Gorgonzola sauce.

For many years I’ve invited friends to watch the delightfully silly Academy Awards on TV. Everyone is expecting take-out pizza, and they’re thrilled to be served an elegant meal. I think that’s really fun.

RASPBERRY VODKA

Joanne Shumsky’s family owns a farm in Bridgehampton, and when raspberries are in season she makes raspberry vodka. Use this for elegant martinis, or make frosty highballs with Italian soft drinks such as lemon-flavored limonata or bitter-orange-flavored aranciata.

1 pint	fresh raspberries
1	(750 ml) bottle good vodka

Place the raspberries in a jar or bottle with a lid and add the vodka. Close the jar and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least a month, until the vodka is raspberry flavored. Store the vodka in the freezer so it’s always ready to make icy cold martinis.

RORI’S POTATO CHIPS

SERVES 8

When we were making the caviar dip for this book, Rori Spinelli, the food stylist, said that her baked potato chips would be delicious with the dip. Boy, were they! It was all we could do to stop eating them until the photograph was taken. And they’re not even fried! How great is that?

	Good olive oil
4	baking potatoes
	Kosher salt
	Freshly ground black pepper

Spread each of 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon of oil and put them in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes.

Slice the potatoes on the narrow side lengthwise on a mandoline so they are thin and flexible, about 1/16 inch thick. Place slices on the hot sheet pans, making sure that they don’t overlap at all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the chips for 10 minutes, rotate the pans in the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip each chip and then bake for another 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chips to a paper towel to cool.

Repeat with the remaining potato slices.

To store the chips, cool completely and place in a plastic zipper-lock bag. They will stay crisp for several days.

CAVIAR DIP

MAKES 2 CUPS

This is a really popular dip at Barefoot Contessa, especially during the holidays. It’s great on Rori’s Potato Chips (this page), but it’s also delicious served with fresh vegetables or toasts. Use the best salmon caviar you can afford; we like the roe from Petrossian in New York City.

8 ounces	cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup	sour cream
2 teaspoons	freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons	freshly minced dill, plus sprigs for garnish
1	scallion, minced (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon	milk, half-and-half, or cream
¼ teaspoon	kosher salt
	Freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 3¼ ounces	(100 grams) good salmon roe

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer on medium speed, add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, scallion, milk, salt, and pepper. With a rubber spatula, fold in three quarters of the salmon roe. Spoon the dip into a bowl and garnish with the remaining salmon roe and sprigs of fresh dill.

Serve with chips, toasts, or crackers.

SMOKED SALMON WITH MESCLUN

SERVES 8

This is an easily assembled appetizer that’s really special. There are many types of smoked salmon, but I prefer the drier ones, such as Norwegian and Scottish salmon, to the moister Atlantic or Pacific smoked salmon. Have your specialty food store slice the salmon paper-thin.

1	pound smoked salmon (about 16 large slices)
¼ cup	freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
½ cup	good olive oil
½ teaspoon	kosher salt
¼ teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound	mesclun greens
	Snipped chives or lemon wedges, for garnish

Lay 2 slices of salmon side by side on each plate. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the mesclun greens with enough of the vinaigrette to moisten. Place some greens on top of the salmon and finish with a garnish of chives or lemon wedges.

There is no substitute for freshly squeezed lemon juice.

FILET OF BEEF

SERVES 8 TO 10

I can’t tell you how many filets of beef we’ve prepared for parties in East Hampton. It’s an expensive main course, but it’s very special and amazingly easy. This simple method comes from my friend Anna Pump, and everyone will think you’ve spent hours preparing dinner. This actually makes a lot for eight to ten people, so you’ll probably have leftovers for sandwiches the next day. We serve the filet with Gorgonzola Sauce (this page).

1	whole filet of beef (4 to 5 pounds), trimmed and tied
2 tablespoons	unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon	kosher salt
1 tablespoon	coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Place the beef on a baking sheet and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Spread the butter on with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the filet thickly.

The oven temperature is very important for this recipe. Use a thermometer to be sure your oven is close to 500 degrees.

Have the butcher prepare the filet trimmed and tied, so it will take you only a few minutes to get the filet ready for the oven.

GORGONZOLA SAUCE

MAKES 3 CUPS

It seems unlikely that you can boil cream and not have it curdle. I was rushing to a party we were catering and the chef had forgotten to make a sauce for the filet. She handed me a quart of heavy cream and told me to boil it for an hour, then add the flavorings. I thought she was crazy, but it turned out to be the easiest sauce I’d ever made. This sauce is flavored with Gorgonzola, but you can use mustard and horseradish instead.

4 cups	heavy cream
3 to 4 ounces	crumbly Gorgonzola (not creamy or “dolce”)
3 tablespoons	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon	kosher salt
¾ teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons	minced fresh parsley

Bring the heavy cream to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 45 to 50 minutes, until it’s thickened, like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt, and then serve. If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

You can use any kind of flavorful, crumbly blue cheese instead of Gorgonzola, such as Maytag blue or Roquefort.

ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

SERVES 8

At Barefoot Contessa we roast lots of vegetables at high temperature. It seems to bring out the sweetness and caramelize the outside a bit. Cherry tomatoes are easy because they don’t even need to be peeled.

4 pints	cherry tomatoes
	Good olive oil
	Kosher salt
	Freshly ground black pepper
20	fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
	Sea salt or fleur de sel

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil on a baking sheet. Spread them out into one layer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter and sprinkle with basil leaves and sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

It’s fun to mix red, yellow, and orange cherry tomatoes as well as pear-shaped tomatoes for this dish.

GARLIC ROASTED POTATOES

SERVES 8

This has to be one of the first vegetables we ever made at Barefoot Contessa, and we haven’t stopped since. I can’t even begin to calculate how many millions of bags of potatoes we’ve cooked in the past twenty-three years. But summer or winter, these potatoes always fly out the door. We even make roasted potato soup with the leftovers.

3 pounds	small red- or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
¼ cup	good olive oil
1½ teaspoons	kosher salt
1 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons	minced garlic (6 cloves)
2 tablespoons	minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into one layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with the minced parsley, season to taste, and serve.

At Barefoot Contessa we don’t even bother with a bowl. We toss all the ingredients directly on a baking sheet.

You can cut the potatoes the day before and store them covered with water in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

MAKES ONE 8-INCH CAKE

This foolproof recipe comes from Devon Fredericks and Susan Costner, who wrote the first Loaves and Fishes Cookbook in 1978. You can make this fabulous cake up to a week in advance. Wrap it tightly with plastic and refrigerate. Glaze it the day you serve it. We’ve made this cake into everything from bite-sized cupcakes to wedding cakes for 600 people.

¼ pound	unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup	sugar
4	extra-large eggs at room temperature
1	16-ounce can Hershey’s chocolate syrup (1⅓ cups)
1 tablespoon	pure vanilla extract
1 cup	all-purpose flour
	FOR THE GANACHE
½ cup	heavy cream
8 ounces	good semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon	instant coffee granules
	Candied violets or edible gold leaf, for decoration (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 × 2-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat, or the cake will be tough.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don’t overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze. Decorate with candied violets, if desired, or gently crumble the gold leaf and place it on the center of the cake. Do not refrigerate.