Iron Chef Millman II

It’s time for Iron Chef Millman: Recession Defier. Last year we had a few friends over for a Hanukkah-themed dinner party. The theme: eight nights, eight friends, eight courses – each course containing a singularly seasonally appropriate ingredient: olive oil. And this year, we did it again. Last year’s menu can be found here. This year’s menu:

Antipasto: potato latkes three-ways: with pickled beet, schmaltz herring, mustard sauce and dill; with steak tartare topped with a quail egg yolk; and with spicy pineapple relish topped with a sliver of lime peel.

Zuppe: a warm white gazpacho with pesto-crusted croutons.

Pasta: strozzapreti with radicchio, mushrooms and duck “pancetta”.

Pesce: baccala poached in vermouth topped with roast red pepper puree, fried capers, and mandarin orange-infused olive oil.

Intermezzo: granita of lime, basil and mint topped with green lemon-infused olive oil.

Carne: braised lamb shanks with carrots and fennel, polenta and deep-fried green beans.

Dolce I: deep fried chestnut wontons.

Dolce II: walnut, orange and olive-oil cake paired with chocolate mousse topped with bergamot-infused olive oil and a sprinkle of salt crystals.

And a marvelous time was had by all.

Recipes available as always upon request.