Cooking for a New Year's Eve dinner party

This New Year’s Eve, if the idea of going out isn’t getting you going, why not consider having a small dinner party at home? It’s quiet, comfortable and relaxing after a whirlwind holiday season.

Salmon with potatoes, carrots, onion, and Brussels sprouts might sound quite economical and ordinary, but adding a few exotic black trumpet mushrooms and placing the salmon on top of the sauce and vegetables, with mushrooms and Brussels sprout leaves garnishing the plate, creates an elegant entrée indeed. You can substitute another mushroom to suit the budget if need be. With the preparation done in advance, all that is left to do after the guests arrive is to sear the salmon and assemble the dish.

Offer a few salted roasted nuts, assorted olives, and thin bread sticks to nibble on with a cocktail or glass of wine. The salad can be assembled ahead and dressed just before serving. Have it on the table before the guests sit down. Pass a basket of crusty French bread to go along with the salad.

Serve either fruit kebobs with holiday cookies or your favorite ice cream with hot chocolate sauce for dessert, with a glass of champagne to toast in 2010. A happy, healthy holiday to all, and, as ever, bon appetit!

New Year’s Salad with 
Orange Vinaigrette and 
Shaved Manchego Cheese

(Serves 4)For the dressing:1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon champagne or sherry vinegar1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice6 to 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or more to tasteSea salt and freshly ground black pepperFor the salad:3 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry1 small head of frisèe, washed and spun dry, torn into bite-size pieces1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced2 navel oranges, peeled and cut into sections (without membranes)8 to 10 golden figs, stems removed and cut into quarters1/4 cup roasted walnutsAbout 3 ounces Manchego or Parmesan cheeseTo prepare:

At least one day ahead, make the dressing. Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and fresh orange juice in a mixing bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture becomes an emulsion.

Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate until serving time.

For the salad:

Place the onion, orange sections with some of their juices, and the figs in the bottom of a salad bowl.

Add about a quarter cup of dressing to the bowl and toss to completely coat the fruit and vegetables

(adding more if necessary). Now place a spoon and fork over the fruit in the bottom of the bowl, pile the arugula, frisèe, and spinach on top.

Cover with a dampened paper towel and refrigerate until serving time. Remove the salad from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Set four plates on the counter. Toss the greens with the dressing and fruits, adding oil if necessary to coat the leaves.

Transfer to salad plates, scatter walnuts and shaved cheese on top, and serve at once.

Seared Salmon with 
Black Trumpet Mushrooms, 
Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

(Serves 4)For the vegetables:1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed2 carrots, peeled, cut into small dice6 small onions, sliced thin8 ounces Brussels sprouts, separated into leaves1 cup chicken stock1/2 cup heavy cream1/4 cup butterSea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteFresh lime juice1 tablespoon unsalted butter6 ounces black trumpet mushrooms, (or favorite wild mushroom)Four six-ounce salmon fillets (center cut with skin on)Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteExtra virgin olive oil for drizzlingSnipped chives for garnishTo prepare:

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water in a saucepan over high heat until they are tender to the point of a knife. Drain well, and set aside.

Cook the diced carrots in another saucepan over high heat until barely tender to the point of a knife. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

In the same water, add the onion and blanch briefly, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

To the same water, add the Brussels sprout leaves and blanch briefly, only until they turn a darker color. Remove, run under cold water, drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Discard the cooking water.

Bring the chicken stock and heavy cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced and lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Whisk butter into the sauce. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. Can be held at this point.

To sear salmon and assemble:

Cut the potatoes into half-inch-thick rounds.

Bring the cream sauce to a simmer, add the potatoes, carrots, and onions to the sauce and reheat until hot.

Reserve a few Brussels sprout leaves for garnish, and add the remaining leaves to the sauce just before serving.

Melt butter and sauté the mushrooms in a skillet over high heat, stirring and shaking the skillet constantly, until they “squeak in the pan.”

Transfer the mushrooms to a side dish, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the salmon and, in the same skillet over high heat, sear on the skin side, pressing down with a spatula on top of the flesh to keep the skin attached to the salmon.

Cook until the skin is brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Sear the other side until brown and the fish is done according to your personal preference.

To serve, spoon the sauce and vegetables onto warm plates, then place the salmon in the center and arrange the vegetables around and on top of the salmon.
Place mushrooms and Brussels sprout leaves attractively around and on top of the salmon, and sprinkle chives over the whole affair.