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I'll give it a try,
Start with Eggplant Appetizers
Take a medium eggplant and slice 1/4" slices the long way through
the eggplant. Saute the slices in oil <olive is the best> for
about three minutes a side. Make the stuffing from 4 eggs, 1/4c
bread crumbs, 1/4-1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmensen cheese <of
course use freshly grated>, pepper and Italian mixed herbs to
taste. Take the eggplant slices and spread a thin layer of the
stuffing mixture and then roll the slice up. Place in a casserole
dish and lightly cover with your favorite tomato sauce and lightly
sprinkle with somemore grated cheese. Bake about 15-20 min in
a 350f oven or until lightly browned. Serve a nice rose or a white
zinfandel with this course.
Next serve a light fish course,
Maybe sole filets poached in white wine and leeks. Take a small
leek and cut it into juliene slices and saute them in a little
butter until they are just translucent. Add enough white wine
just to cover the leeks. Place the fish filets on top of the
leeks and wine. Sprinkle alittle of your favorite green herb
on top of the fish. Tarragon, parsley, thyme are all nice.
Cover the pan tighly and just barely simmer for about 3-5 min
depending on the thickness of the filets. Don't OVERCOOK.
Remove the filets and leeks to serving dishes and keep warm.
Reduce the cooking liquid by 2/3 and add a dolp of heavy cream
to the liquid and pour around the fish and serve. Serve a nice
white with this course or continue with the wine from the first
course.
Next a small scoop of lemon sherbert with a shot of cognac
over it to cleanse the palate as they say. The Normans in
France have a habit of drinking a shot of Calvados at this
point in a meal to create the Trou Norman <Norman Hole>
The theory is the alcohol helps break up the food in the
stomach and therefore creates more room to eat.
Now on to the main course Duck breast in a fruit sauce with
scalloped potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas. <Don't worry
duck doesn't taste like chicken!!! at least not to me>
Unless you can find just duck breasts someplace <if you can please
let me know where> you'll to take apart a duck which is easy.
If you have done a chicken or turkey it's the same thing.
Take the skin off the breast and saute the breast in half butter
and half oil <I would say about 1tsp of each> for about 5 min
a side. The meat should be pink and juicy again don't overcook
it. To make the sauce take about a 1/2 cup of duck stock <if
you don't want to make duck stock from the carcass use chicken
stock> and deglaze the saute pan with it. Then add about 2Tbp
of grape or black currant jam to the pan. If you like you can
thicken the sauce with alittle cornstarch dissolved in alittle
white wine. Serve the duck with the potatoes and peas. There
are lots of good recipes for the potatoes in this file. I would
serve a nice French red burguny or Cal. cabernet sauvignon with
this course.
Then the fromage course,
Pick two or three of your favorite cheeses and serve them with
fresh bread and fruit<like grapes, cherries, sliced pears, ...>
Continue with the wine from the main course. You have to have
red wine with fromage.
Then if you have room a nice dessert but usually I stop here
I have to watch my slim and trim figure after all. ;-)
I hope this helps and if you need more help with any of the above
send me mail.
Bon Appetit,
-mike
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