Winston-Salem Magazine ‘Hosting the Holiday Party’

Feature Writing

Hosting the Holiday Party

Of all the times to plan a cocktail party, you’ve chosen the holidays.
You’ve narrowed your guest list to include only your nearest, dearest friends—all 50 of them. Now you’re determined to make your party the social event of the season.

According to Tyra Somers, an award-winning chef who owns a local catering business, “Most people profess to hate large cocktail parties, but they’re popular with hosts who want to take care of lots of social or professional obligations with one event. If you want to give a cocktail party that will be really special, the trick is to do one really distinctive dish—something that looks showy and tastes absolutely wonderful—and to accompany that with elegant, simple fare.”

As this month’s featured Guest Chef, Tyra presents a do-it-yourself menu for a party of up to about 50 guests. You may want to simplify the menu or get some help if you plan on inviting more than 50 people. You can substitute your own favorite recipes for ones Tyra suggests, but she cautions, “If you decide to extend any basic recipe more than four times, it’s probably better to make two or more separate batches.”

An important rule of quantity cooking is to finish as much preparation on each dish as far in advance as possible. “People who cook only in small quantities usually prepare one dish at a time from start to finish, often waiting until the day of the party to begin,” notes Tyra, whose professional training at Georgia State exposed her to the organizational techniques of some of Atlanta’s leading chefs. “When cooking in large quantities, you have to get everything started a couple of days ahead and leave only the finishing touches for the day of the party.”

The menu Tyra suggests is suitable for a late afternoon open house or an evening cocktail party. It includes a sinfully good shrimp paté with black breads as a showpiece, with several more simply-prepared dishes, all in lavish quantities.

The Menu  

• Shrimp Paté (4-6 oz. per guest)
• Sour black pumpernickel and rye cocktail breads (4-6 slices per guest)
• Brie baked in puffed pastry (1 oz. of cheese per guest)
• Oysters on the half shell (4-6 per guest)
• Tomato-horseradish sauce (1 cup for every 4 guests)
• Salted macadamia nuts (3-6 oz. per guest)
• Blanched asparagus (4 small spears per guest)
• Béarnaise sauce (1 cup for every 15 guests)

If you plan your party for the dinner hour—between six and eight—add a platter of smoked turkey and Smithfield ham (three ounces of each per guest), champagne mustard and a basket of breads (4 small slices per guest) to the basic menu.

At least a week before the party, make your shopping lists, shop for beverages, and if necessary, serving pieces, plates, glasses and linens. You can save yourself some work if you call the seafood market at this time and arrange to pick up already-shucked oysters and empty shells the day before the party. You may also want to check with the produce manager to be sure fresh asparagus will be available when you need it.

Three Days Before The Party

Buy all the groceries except the oysters. If the garnishes don’t look absolutely fresh, you may want to postpone buying them, too. Most stores around here get in produce on Mondays and Thursdays, but check with the produce manager to find out when the freshest stock will be available.

Two Days Before The Party

Make the cocktail sauce for the oysters, and allow yourself several hours to make the paté according to the following recipe.

Shrimp Paté (serves 10-16 people)

4 lbs. shelled cooked shrimp 
1 cup chopped shallots 
1 cup melted butter 
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 
2 tablespoons good brandy 
1/4 cup green peppercorns 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Put the shrimp, shallots and herbs in a bowl and mash them vigorously until they are velvety smooth. Or pass them briefly through your food processor, using the steel knife attachment. Add the lemon, melted butter, mayonnaise and brandy. Pack this mixture into a 8-cup paté mold, pressing down on the surface with a spatula to force out any air bubbles. Chill well in the refrigerator.

The Day Before The Party

Clean house, set tables and bars, and do any last-minute shopping for produce. Pick up the oysters and shells from the seafood market. Clean the oyster shells by dropping them into boiling water. Blanch the asparagus and refrigerate it.

The Day Of The Party

Wrap each pound of brie in a single sheet of puffed pastry (from the grocer’s freezer, unless you’re a fanatic). Don’t worry if the pastry doesn’t meet at the bottom. Just tuck the edges well under and place it on a greased cookie sheet.

Un-mold the paté by dipping the pan in warm water for a few seconds.

Beginning several hours before the guests arrive, prepare and garnish the food trays, cover them with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator. Put each oyster on a shell and serve them on ice using plenty of lemon wedges as garnish. Put out the macadamia nuts. Make the béarnaise sauce from any good basic recipe and pour it into a vacuum bottle you’ve warmed with hot water.

An hour before the guests arrive, beat an egg, brush the tops of the cheese in pastry, and bake them at 375 degrees until golden (about 15 minutes).

About ten minutes before the guests are to arrive, pour the béarnaise into a serving dish, beating in some cream if the sauce breaks. Arrange all the platters and bowls on the food tables, ice the bar, and you’re ready to amaze your guests.