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August
¡Salsa! Romance Cuban Style
Antojito de cangrejo ≈≈ Crab in Endive Leaves Mariquitas de plátanos ≈≈ Plantain Chips
Sopa de camarones ≈≈ Shrimp Bisque
Ensalada de mango y aguacate ≈≈ Mango and Avocado Salad
Puerco asado ≈≈ Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salsa de tamarindo y piña ≈≈ Tamarind and Pineapple BBQ Sauce Puré de boniato ≈≈ Mashed Sweet Potato Haricot verts ≈≈ Green Beans
Pastel de chocolate y naranja ≈≈ Chocolate Orange Cake
Dulces de coco y ron ≈≈ Coconut Rum Macaroons Café ≈≈ Coffee
I made this romantic menu for some friends who are ballroom dance professionals, and also practically newlyweds. The menu got rave reviews, but the unexpected hit of the evening were the Coconut Rum Macaroons. I couldn’t keep the serving plate filled, and I ended up packing a supply for them to take home.
The crab appetizers were light and fresh – just right with a glass of champagne. The flavors of the mango and avocado salad are very typical of Mexico and the Caribbean. I love the juxtaposition of the smooth, mellow fruit with the sharp hotness of the coarse black pepper grains and the tartness of the lime. The combination of grilled pork tenderloin and mashed sweet potato is delicious and very Cuban.
To give the table a tropical look, I bought a length of blue and green fabric that looked like the water of the Caribbean. The semi-sheer fabric on top of my glass-topped dining table accentuated the feeling of water. For a centerpiece, I filled a clear glass bowl with water, floating candles and hot pink azaleas. I used white china with blue and green menus at each place. Salsa CD’s completed the romantic mood.
This dinner has several courses, which is one of my favorite things to do because guests get a few bites of many interesting things instead of tasting just one or two. Entertaining this way does require you to be very, very organized and to prepare as much as possible ahead of time - otherwise you end up juggling too many things at once and you don’t enjoy your own party. Of course, you can always pick and choose if you don’t have the time or the inclination to make them all.
(Crab in Endive Leaves)
½ pound crab meat ½ cup mayonnaise, or more to taste 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Pinch cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced Kosher salt 2 heads Belgian endive, washed and separated into leaves Plantain chips for garnish Bright red-orange nasturtium blossoms or geranium blossoms for garnish
Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Stir in cilantro and jalapeño. Pick over crab meat to make sure no shells remain. Lightly combine with mayonnaise mixture. Chill.
To serve, place a tablespoon of crab mixture on each endive leaf. Serve 3 leaves per person on a small plate, garnished with plantain chips and a nasturtium blossom.
(Plantain Chips)
1 green plantain 2 cups vegetable oil sea salt
Peel and slice plantain into paper-thin slices. A mandoline works best for this. Heat oil to 375º in a heavy pan (I use my electric wok). Deep fry plantain slices, several at a time for about 30 seconds without crowding. They should be cooked but not brown. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. When all plantains have been cooked, fry them a second time for 10-15 seconds. This will make them crisp. Drain on paper towels. While still warm, sprinkle with sea salt.
(Shrimp Bisque)
1 pound raw shrimp with shells on 1 shallot, chopped 1 tablespoon butter ½ cup canned diced tomatoes 1 ½ cups fish or chicken broth 2 tablespoons short-grain rice 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup heavy cream Cayenne pepper Kosher salt 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Chives for garnish
Peel shrimp. Reserve heads and shells and chop for 30 seconds in a food processor. De-vein shrimp and refrigerate.
Gently sauté shallot in 1 tablespoon butter until soft but not brown. Add chopped shrimp shells. Cook for a minute or two. Add tomatoes and broth. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain.
Combine shrimp broth with rice in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until rice is completely cooked and mushy. Purée rice mixture, 1 tablespoon butter and shrimp in food processor for 2 minutes. Transfer to a pot and bring to a simmer. Put mixture through a food mill. You can also force through a strainer with a spoon, but it will take awhile. Add cream, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Refrigerate. Heat before serving. Garnish with chives.
(Mango and Avocado Salad)
Butter lettuce leaves 3 large ripe mangos 2 ripe avocados 1-2 fresh limes Additional fresh lime wedges for garnish Coarsely cracked black pepper
Peel and cut mangos and avocados into ½” dice. (You can cut up the mango ahead of time, but you must cut your avocado just before serving, or it will turn an unappetizing shade of brown.) Gently toss together with lime juice. Put one or two lettuce leaves on each of 6 salad plates. Divide mango-avocado mixture among plates. Sprinkle with one or two grindings of coarse black pepper. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve immediately.
(Grilled Pork Tenderloin)
3 pounds pork tenderloin Kosher salt
Prepare barbecue grill. Season meat with salt. Grill until done to taste. This could take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, or more, depending on the heat of your barbecue, the size of the tenderloins, and how you like it done. Remove meat from grill, cover with foil, and let rest at least 10 minutes.
Slice meat on the diagonal. Spoon on Tamarind and Pineapple Barbeque Sauce. Serve with Mashed Sweet Potato and Buttered French Beans.
Tamarind and Pineapple Barbeque Sauce (Salsa de tamarindo y piña) For this sauce I use Bobby Flay’s recipe, available at the Food Network website. Follow this link: Tamarind and Pineapple Barbeque Sauce
(Mashed Sweet Potato) Boniato, a type of sweet potato, is not available in most places in the U.S. However, it tastes like a combination of white and sweet potatoes, which is what I have used here.
4 Yukon Gold potatoes 1 sweet potato or yam 1 cup cream ½ stick (¼ cup) butter salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Peel potatoes and sweet potato. Cut into pieces. Cook in salted water until very tender. Drain and mash potatoes until smooth. Add milk and butter and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
(Buttered French Beans)
8 ounces French green beans 1 tablespoon butter Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
Have ready a large bowl filled with ice, water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Blanch beans in salted water until crisp-tender. This should only take a minute or two. Plunge into ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking. The salted ice bath will help them retain their bright green color. Drain and refrigerate. A few minutes before serving, Sauté in butter until heated through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (taste before seasoning – they will already be somewhat salty from the cooking and ice bath).
(Chocolate Orange Cake) For this chocolate cake I used the Gâteau Grand Marnier from one of my very favorite cookbooks, Cocolat, by Alice Medrich. It is a chocolate genoise, filled with apricot jam, brushed with Grand Marnier syrup and frosted with chocolate buttercream. It is unbelievably delicious, and I recommend her recipe because I can’t even begin to improve on it.
(Coconut Rum Macaroons) This recipe makes a lot more macaroons than you will need for your dinner party, but that’s OK because you will be amazed at how quickly these will disappear.
1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 tablespoons Meyer’s dark rum ¼ teaspoon salt 2 egg whites ¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 325º. Mix together coconut, sweetened condensed mild, vanilla, rum and salt. Beat egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into coconut mixture. Drop walnut-sized mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until macaroons start to turn golden around the edges.
Schedule
Day before the party: I am a big believer in doing as much as possible the day before the party. But it can’t always be done that way, so I have organized these preparations in order of priority to do ahead of time, based on the time each one takes and the mess it makes. That way, if you need to shift some things to the day of the party, it won’t be a disaster.
Morning of the party:
Afternoon
Just before guests arrive:
When guests arrive:
Dinner time:
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Copyright © 2008 by Charlotte Rose. All rights reserved. |