We're Throwing a Dinner Party. Whee! (Recipe #1: Holiday Salad)

Since my sister Fran, the home economics teacher, always hosts Thanksgiving—and what a great T-giving she throws—my mind is free to plan my next fancy dinner. Usually it’s Christmas dinner with my in-laws. (I’m in a mixed marriage, so the Jew always cooks for Christmas.)

But this year Terri and I decided to invite some friends over for an early holiday celebration. On December 5th, Elizabeth and Doug (shameless plug for my music producer friend: www.dougepstein.com), Meg and Mark, and Donna and Vassily will be knocking on our front door expecting a delicious meal. Hopefully, we won’t disappoint.

Half the fun of throwing a dinner party is planning the menu.

In the next few postings I’m going to write about my menu thoughts—and hopefully get some input from you.

First the libation. This is a big wine group, and most of them know more about wines than I do. So I will consult with one of them once I determine what will be served.

However, I have decided to make a signature cocktail. My toastmaster work colleague Bob suggested a pomegranate martini, which is my favorite. He’s going to get me his friend’s tried-and-true recipe. I’ll post it once I determine if the recipe is as good as he says.

For the sit-down portion, I’ll start with Emeril’s holiday salad, which I’ve made several times before. It has goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto on a bed of lettuce, orange slices, red onion and pomegranates—all in a light vinagrette. It’s sweet and salty, with a touch of bitter lettuce and citrus… flavors that mix together wonderfully. Here’s a link to Emeril’s recipe (http://bit.ly/28jZhr). I’ve also copied the recipe at the end of this posting.

I usually serve this salad on round, wide platter instead of in a bowl. This allows me to show off the reds and greens. It’s the perfect start of a holiday feast.

In my next posting, I’ll reveal my main course and my dangerous dinner party habit.

Emeril Lagasse’s Holiday Salad

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
* 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 2 shallots, minced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 oranges, peeled and segmented
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 8 ounces goat cheese, cut crosswise into 6 slices
* 6 thin slices prosciutto
* 1 large head radicchio, rinsed, patted dry and torn into bite sized pieces
* 1 bunch arugula or watercress, rinsed, patted dry and cut int bite sized pieces
* 6 large leaves Bibb lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
* 1 head Belgian endive, stem removed and cut crosswise into thin shreds
* Pomegranate seeds, as garnish

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the pomegranate juice and orange zest, vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper and mustard and whisks thoroughly to combine. Add the oil in a steady stream and whisk until emulsified. Fold the segmented oranges and sliced onions into 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to combine and set aside.

Wrap each slice of goat cheese in a slice of prosciutto. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the wrapped cheeses and sear on both sides. Remove from the heat.

In a large salad bowl, combine the greens. Add the marinated orange sections and onion slices, and toss gently with enough extra dressing to coat evenly. Divide among salad plates and top each with a seared goat cheese package and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. Spoon a little extra dressing over each salad and serve immediately.