Oscar Party - Buzz Cocktails and Fab Dinner

Old-Fashioned

1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp fine granulated sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1½ oz bourbon
1 oz club soda

Muddle together the orange, cherry and the sugar in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add the bitters and bourbon and stir well. Add ice to fill the glass halfway and top off with club soda. Serve immediately.

Whiskey Sour

2 oz bourbon
1 oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz Simple Syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain the drink into a rocks glass and top with ice. Serve immediately.

Rock Star

2 oz Maker’s Mark
2 oz citrus-flavored energy drink such as SoBe
1 splash cola

Combine all the ingredients in a rocks glass, stir and add ice. Serve immediately.

Gin Gimlet

2 oz gin
1 oz Rose’s lime juice

Combine the gin and Rose’s lime juice in a rocks glass. Fill the glass with ice and stir. Serve immediately.

Classic Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients

3 lbs large shrimp in shell (75)
For Cocktail Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

Preparation

Shrimp:

• Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil, then simmer shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they turn pink and are almost cooked through (they will still be translucent in very center but will continue to cook from residual heat), about 3 minutes.

• Drain and cool. Peel shrimp, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact.

Cocktail Sauce:

• Stir together all cocktail sauce ingredients until well combined.

• Shrimp can be cooked and peeled 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Sauces can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Ratatouille

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons olive oil
a 3/4-pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 small zucchini, scrubbed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 pound small ripe tomatoes, chopped coarse (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Preparation

• In a large skillet cook the onion and the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.

• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat it over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking.

• Add the eggplant and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the eggplant is softened.

• Stir in the zucchini and the bell pepper and cook the mixture over the moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook the mixture, stirring occassionaly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

• Stir in the oregano, the thyme, the coriander, the fennel seeds, the salt, and pepper to taste and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.

• Stir in the basil and combine the mixture well.

The ratatouille may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated before serving.

Wolfgang’s Wine-Braised Brisket of Beef and with Pearl Onions and Apricots

Ingredients

5 pounds beef brisket
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle red wine
All-purpose flour
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium leek, white part only, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup dried apricots
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts plus 1/4 cup homemade beef stock or good-quality canned beef broth
1 cup pearl onions
Minced parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. Season the brisket evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and continue boiling until it reduces to half its original volume, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Evenly sprinkle the brisket all over with flour, shaking off excess. Heat a heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When it is almost smoking, turn the heat to medium-high, carefully add the brisket, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Pour off the fat from the Dutch oven and add another 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, and leek, and sauté until glossy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the apricots and all the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste, and continue to cook 1 minute more.

3. Return the browned brisket to the Dutch oven and add the reduced wine and 2 quarts stock or broth. If the brisket is not completely covered with liquid, add enough extra stock, broth, or water to cover. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot and carefully place it in the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, blanch and peel the onions as instructed in the tips (see below), leaving them whole. Cut the remaining apricots into 1/4-inch strips.

4. In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pearl onions until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the apricot strips and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup stock or broth, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

5. When the meat is done, carefully transfer it to a heated platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 1 quart, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary with more salt and pepper.

6. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on heated serving plates or on a heated platter, spoon half the sauce over it, and garnish with the pearl onions and apricots. Sprinkle with minced parsley and pass the remaining sauce on the side.

Wolfgang's Easy Tips:
• If you can't find a 5-pound brisket at your supermarket, cook 2 smaller pieces.
• While the meat braises, keep the heat gentle since boiling tightens rather than relaxes the meat's fibers. Check the liquid in the cooking vessel and if it's bubbling more than slightly, turn down the heat. The results should be so tender that you can pull the meat apart with a fork.
• To prepare the pearl onions, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and blanch them for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately immerse them in a bowl of ice and water. Cut the very ends off at the stem ends, peel the onions, and leave them whole.
• For neater slices, you could let the brisket cool before cutting it across the grain. Reheat the slices in the sauce. That makes brisket an ideal dish to prepare ahead. Just cook and slice it the day before, and reheat it in the oven in its sauce for about half an hour at 300°F before serving.