Broccoli-Mascarpone Soup
Rosemary-and-Pepper Standing Rib Roast with Two-Mushroom Pan Sauce
Golden Potato Gratin
Roasted Tomatoes with Stilton
Yorkshire Pudding with Bacon and Sage
Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
Spiced Cranberry-Pear Tart
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Broccoli-Mascarpone Soup
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced shallots (about 6 large)
1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese), divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Preparation:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add broccoli; sauté 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, transfer soup to blender; puree until smooth. Return to pot. Reserve 1/4 cup mascarpone in small bowl; cover and chill. Whisk 1 1/4 cups mascarpone and cayenne pepper into soup. Season with salt. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Heat soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally; do not boil.
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with reserved mascarpone. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.
Rosemary-and-Pepper Standing Rib Roast with Two-Mushroom Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
1 well-trimmed 8- to 9-pound rib roast (with 4 bones)
6 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature, divided
10 ounces fresh button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-salt beef broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 bunches fresh rosemary (for garnish)
Preparation:
Place rib roast, fat side up, in heavy roasting pan. Mix 4 teaspoons crushed rosemary, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup oil. Rub mixture all over roast. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before roasting.
Combine 2 cups boiling water and porcini; let soak until mushrooms soften, about 20 minutes. Strain soaking liquid through fine strainer set over measuring cup; reserve porcini. If needed, add enough water to soaking liquid to measure 1 cup. Coarsely chop porcini.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fresh mushrooms; sauté until browned, about 6 minutes. Add porcini and garlic; stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Combine flour, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons crushed rosemary in small bowl; mash with fork to smooth paste. DO AHEAD Porcini soaking liquid, mushroom mixture, and flour-butter mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.
Place rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Cook roast until instant-read thermometer inserted straight down into top center of roast registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Transfer roast to platter; cover loosely with foil and let rest 35 to 40 minutes. Skim any fat from top of pan juices (there will be a small amount of pan drippings); reserve juices in pan.
Set roasting pan atop 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add reserved 1 cup porcini soaking liquid, broth, and wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add mushroom mixture, then butter-flour mixture; whisk constantly over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish roast on platter with fresh rosemary sprigs. Slice roast and serve, passing mushroom sauce separately.
Golden Potato Gratin
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
Preparation:
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Whisk crème fraîche and whipping cream in medium bowl to blend.
Arrange 1/3 of potato slices in bottom of prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Drop 1/3 of crème fraîche mixture (about generous 1/2 cup) in dollops over potatoes, then spread evenly over (layer will be very thin). Repeat layering 2 more times.
Bake gratin 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Let gratin rest 20 minutes before serving. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil. Let stand at room temperature. Before serving, rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Roasted Tomatoes with Stilton
Ingredients:
12 medium plum tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 4-ounce piece Stilton cheese, crumbled
1 bunch watercress, thick stems trimmed
Preparation:
Cut tomatoes lengthwise in half; remove seeds and membranes. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on platter; let drain 15 minutes. Mix pepper, salt, and rosemary in large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons olive oil and garlic and whisk to blend. Add tomato halves and toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any oil mixture remaining in bowl over tomatoes. Roast until tomatoes are slightly softened and browned on bottoms and around edges, about 65 minutes. Arrange tomatoes on platter; sprinkle with crumbled cheese. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover tomatoes loosely and let stand at room temperature.
Tuck watercress in between tomatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yorkshire Pudding with Bacon and Sage
Ingredients:
6 ounces bacon slices (about 7 slices), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (about) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
Preparation:
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Transfer drippings to glass measuring cup. If needed, add enough melted butter to measure 1/4 cup total. Pour drippings into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place dish in hot oven to heat drippings 10 minutes.
Whisk flour, 2 tablespoons sage, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk milk and eggs to blend in large bowl; add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth. Whisk in 2/3 of bacon. Remove hot baking dish from oven. Using oven mitts or pot holders to protect hands, tilt dish to distribute drippings evenly. Pour batter into pan. Bake 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until golden brown and puffed, about 12 minutes longer (do not open oven door while baking).
Remove pudding from oven. Crumble remaining bacon over pudding, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sage, and serve.
Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients:
2 pounds haricots verts or slender green beans, trimmed
1 pound medium shallots
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Preparation:
Cook haricots verts in boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes (or 6 minutes if using green beans). Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in several layers of paper towels. Seal in plastic bag and chill.
Cut off and discard ends from shallots. Cut shallots lengthwise in half, then remove peel with paring knife. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
Add haricots verts to shallots in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
Spiced Cranberry-Pear Tart
Ingredients:
Pistachio sugar:
1/2 cup unsalted natural pistachios
1/3 cup sugar
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Pear filling:
3 cups dry red wine
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
4 large slightly underripe Bosc pears (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved, cored, each half cut into 3 long wedes
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped unsalted natural pistachios
Vanilla ice cream
Preparation:
For pistachio sugar:
Combine 1/2 cup pistachios and 1/3 cup sugar in processor and blend until pistachios are chopped. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until mixture begins to clump, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold in and press, forming double-thick sides and pressing up 1/4 inch above pan sides. Pierce all over with fork. Chill 30 minutes, then freeze 15 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake crust until golden, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; store at room temperature.
For pear filling:
Combine first 7 ingredients in large skillet; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are tender when pierced with knife, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes depending on ripeness. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish in single layer. Add cranberries to liquid in skillet; simmer until berries begin to soften but remain intact, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to plate in single layer. Cover; chill at least 3 hours. Boil poaching liquid in skillet until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring often, about 10 minutes. DO AHEAD Pears, cranberries, and syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Bring syrup to room temperature; whisk before using.
Drain pears on paper towels 10 minutes. Brush bottom of crust with 2 tablespoons poaching syrup; sprinkle pistachio sugar over. Starting at outer edges of crust, arrange pears closely in starburst pattern with stem ends toward center. Arrange remaining pears in center. Brush pears lightly with some of syrup. Toss cranberries with 1 tablespoon syrup; scatter over pears. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Serve tart with vanilla ice cream.
