Joel’s Haute Holiday Tiplist
The Elusive File November 18th, 2009Joel Dondis is an accomplished chef and owner of New Orleans’s premier catering and event-planning company, Joel—responsible for everything from memorable intimate dinners to some of the region’s most extravagant events. On top of that, he is founding partner in the restaurants Grand Isle and La Petite Grocery (one of New Orleans’ most beloved bistros), as well as in Taigan’s own Sucre.
He is also a terrific entertainer. Below, he shares a list of innovative and elegant tips that will make you look like a star for the holidays with a minimum amount of effort—or expense.
CHIC CHIPS AND DIP
I love hors d’oeuvres you can put together in five minutes. Buy the best classic—i.e. plain, salted—potato chips you can find. Mix sour cream with white or black truffle oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. If you want to amp it up a bit, add some finely diced wild mushrooms sautéed with a splash of white wine.
EASY EGGPLANT “CAVIAR”
Half an eggplant lengthwise, brush each side with a little oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and any fresh herbs you have on hand, and roast in a 450 degree oven until golden brown. Drizzle with olive or walnut oil and serve surrounded by toast rounds or your favorite cracker. If you want to add a bit of zing, grate some manchego cheese over the halves when they come out of the oven. This is so simple, but gorgeous on the plate.
THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL
I’ve been fooling around with a new cocktail I call the Revolutionary. It’s a variation of a Sazerac, except that if a Sazerac is a Bentley, the Revolutionary is a Bugatti. In a shaker filled with ice, pour one and one half ounces of rye whiskey, a splash of clear crème de cacao, and a splash of clear crème de menthe. Shake, and pour into a short old-fashioned glass that has been rinsed with absinthe. Garnish with a lemon peel. I promise you, it is phenomenal.
NO KNIFE DINNERS
I love to offer elegant food fit for a dinner party that doesn’t require a knife—just a fork, a napkin, and a plate. That way people don’t have to worry about how they are going to eat; they can mingle and a grab a seat anywhere. It’s hard to do with meat as a main course, but with seafood it’s easy. Make a fresh “relish” of arugula tossed with citrus segments (orange, lemons, limes) and a drizzle of olive oil. Pan sauté shelled shrimp and/or scallops and finish with a splash of white wine, butter, and a squeeze of the citrus. Serve on individual dinner plates with the relish in the center. For a spectacular dessert, zest the citrus before you do your segments for the relish. Mix the zest with a pint each of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Add a half cup of sugar, a healthy splash of Grand Marnier and some vanilla extract, toss and let macerate for a couple of hours. Serve over Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. It looks beautiful and the flavor is amazing. In fact, the whole menu looks like you’ve knocked yourself out over a fancy, expensive dinner—but it takes less than an hour and will cost you under sixty bucks for six people.
Other no-knife options include classic Creole grillades, a great stew or daube, even beef bourguignon, all from the store. Serve with spoonbread, which is as easy as making grits or polenta. To either one, add cheese (half parmesan and half white cheddar) and beaten egg whites, and bake. It’s hard to go wrong. For dessert you can turn store-bought bread pudding into an impressive bread pudding soufflé. Let the pudding come to room temperature, fold in some more beaten egg whites, and bake in an elegant soufflé or casserole dish. This is always a home run.
Elusive Find: Oyster Roll
