Dinner Party

My "mum" and a friend are coming for dinner tomorrow.  Here is the menu -

Starters - Twice Baked Emmenthal Souffles

This was found in Olive magazine but not printed on the internet.  It is the signature dish of the Vetiver restaurant in Chewton Glen country house in the New Forest.

Main Course

Coq Au Vin - James Martin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/coqauvin_10455

Try James Martin's version of this French classic. Serve with olive oil mash or good bread.

Ingredients

• 25g/1oz butter
• 150g/5½oz shallots, peeled but left whole
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 150g/5½oz streaky bacon, cut thickly
• sprig of fresh thyme or a good pinch of dried
• 350g/12½oz button mushrooms
• 500ml/16½fl oz good red wine
• 500ml/16½fl oz chicken stock
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 free range chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces, on the bone but skin removed (or 6 chicken thighs)
• small bunch flatleaf parsley, chopped
• salt and crushed black pepper

Preparation method

1. Heat a thick-bottomed casserole dish on the stove, add almost all the butter (reserving a knob of the butter) and the shallots. Cook until just browned; then stir in the garlic. Add the bacon and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, turn up the heat and add the red wine, chicken stock and vinegar. Add the chicken pieces, bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. For a thicker sauce, remove the chicken once it is cooked and keep warm. Cook the sauce over a high heat for a few minutes until the volume of liquid has reduced. Return the chicken back to the pan.
3. Add the parsley, together with the reserved knob of butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with a dressed green salad and olive oil mash or crusty bread.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/nov/19/angela-hartnett-potatoes-boulangere-cavalo-nero-recipes
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Angela Hartnett's potatoes boulangere. Photograph: Guardian
   Serves 4-6

   Potatoes boulangère

   4 large potatoes totalling 1kg in weight
   2 medium onions, sliced
   Chopped rosemary
   Chopped garlic
   Thyme, picked
   Chicken stock
   100g butter

   Melt a knob of butter in a large pan, add the sliced onions and saute until they turn a lovely golden brown.

   While they are cooking, peel and slice the potatoes thinly (ideally with a mandolin). Place them in a large oven-proof serving bowl lined with butter and add the picked thyme, chopped rosemary and sliced garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

   When the onions are ready add them to the potatoes and mix well. Pour over the chicken stock and a few small knobs of butter, then give it a shake so it spreads evenly around the potatoes.

   Place in the oven and cook at 180C / 350F / gas 4 for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and a knife goes through the potatoes evenly. If they look dry add a touch more stock. If they start to go too brown cover with foil and continue to cook.

   
   

   

   
   

   Broccoli and Green Beans
   
   Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
   
   Ingredients
   8 cups broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
   1/2 pound green beans
   2 tablespoons cup extra-virgin olive oil
   2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
   1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more if desired
   Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
   
   

   Directions
   In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Place broccoli into pot and cook for 2 minutes. You just want to parboil the broccoli at this point since you will saute it later on. Using a spider strainer, remove broccoli from pot and shock it in a bowl of ice water. When broccoli is completely cool, place it in a colander and allow to drain. Refresh the bowl of ice water. Bring the water back to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Like the broccoli, you just want to parboil the green beans. Remove green beans from pot with spider strainer and add to ice water. When green beans are completely cool, add them to the colander and allow to drain.
   
   In a large saute pan, heat olive oil. When almost smoking, add the garlic and saute for about 45 seconds. When the garlic starts to brown, remove immediately and discard. Overcooking the garlic will impart a very bitter taste to the dish. Add the red pepper flakes, broccoli and green beans to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
   
   Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/broccoli-and-green-beans-recipe2/index.html?oc=linkback