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HOLIDAY
QUANTITY COOKING RECIPES
The
following recipes would actually make the basis for a great New Years
Eve menu
Here
is an example of a super easy, super elegant appetizer. This
dish is hearty enough that you will only need one entrée meat
course. You can prepare 2 days in advance. Let come
to room-temperature before service
Cold Fillet of Beef with
Garlic Red Wine Vinaigrette
Serves about 25; double for 50
servings or halve for 10-12
10
pounds beef tenderloin fillets, about 2 whole
1/4 cup
sliced shallots
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons
freshly cracked black pepper
1/4
cup olive oil, not extra virgin
Arugula,
tomatoes and red onion slices for service
Rub trimmed
fillets with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper.
Place in a dish and sprinkle with the shallots.
Let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, turning at 30
minutes.
Heat oven to
450°F. In a large skillet, sear the
fillets over high heat until browned on all sides.
Place fillets in a roasting pan and cook to an internal
temperature of 125° for rare (do not overcook, or you will
have wasted your money)
Slice into 1/4
to 1/2 inch slices and serve surrounded by arugula, sliced tomatoes and
sliced red onions. Spoon the vinaigrette over all or serve
separately
Garlic
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup +1
tablespoon high-quality red wine vinegar. Substitute sherry, white or
champagne wine vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon
mustard
1/2 teaspoon
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups extra
virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely
minced garlic, or more or less to taste
1/2 cup minced
fresh parsley. You can also use a mixture of
herbs
In a bowl whisk
together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk
in a stream of olive oil. Mix in garlic and parsley.
Serve at room temperature
Jalapeño-Honey
Glazed Ham for Fifty
Serving
size about 3-4 ounces
1 20 pound boneless smoked ham, fully
cooked or equivalent pounds of two or more hams
1 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bourbon
2-4 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño, or to taste
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoon ground clove
10-15 whole cloves
Heat
the ham according to package directions following weight, time and
internal temperature indications. Remove the ham from the
oven, 30 minutes before it is done. Score the outside with a sharp
knife in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep (pattern optional).
Combine the honey, brown sugar, bourbon, jalapeño, dry mustard and
ground clove Mix well and brush over the entire
ham. Stick a whole clove in the center of each
diamond. Continue baking for 30 minutes basting
frequently. Let the ham stand for 10-15 minutes before serving
Green Bean and Roasted
Pepper Salad
Serves 24.
4 pounds green beans, trimmed, leave whole
1 large sweet onion, very thinly sliced
2 large red peppers, roasted, cleaned and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring a stock pot of salted water to a
boil. Add beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 6-8
minutes. Drain in a colander and
spread-out on baking sheets to cool. Make sure beans
are dry.
In a large serving bowl, combine beans, onions and
peppers. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and toss to coat
completely. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room
temperature. Can be made 1 day in advance. Add oil
and vinegar about 4 hours before service.
This
ultra-rich dessert can serve over 25 if cut into very small squares
Easy Turtle Squares
Makes 1 9x13 inch squares.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine the
flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 stick of the butter. Process
until dough just becomes sandy. Press and pat firmly into an
ungreased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over
the dough.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the 1 stick and 3 tablespoons of butter,
1/2 cup brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over moderate heat stirring to
completely dissolve the sugar. Stir constantly for 30 seconds
to form a caramel. Quickly pour over the nuts and
dough. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on
top. Spread the melting chocolate lightly. Leave
some chips whole. Cool completely before cutting
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The
holidays are a time for families and friends to
gather---- lots of them! It may be
the only time of the year you decide to do some serious quantity
cooking. Feeding
a large crowd takes planning and organization. It is wise to start as
soon as possible and to create a TO-DO
list in
advance to keep you on track.
