dinner parties

Roast Duck

chicken broth

Kosher salt

black pepper

ROAST DUCK
Ina Garten
Barefoot Contessa/ Farmstand Dinner
Food Network
Ducks, Chicken Broth, Kosher Salt, Pepper

Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.

Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot which can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt until it boils. Add the ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn't enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed. When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.

When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 by 18 by 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Place them in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. If you have time, allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!) Roast the ducks for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

I've never cooked duck before, but on a whim had purchased 2 frozen ducks, and announced to husband &amp; daughter that I was cooking that for Christmas dinner.  We all feared we'd end up dashing out for Chinese, but I found this recipe, and it was beautiful and delicious!!  Given my novice status at duck, I'm really surprised others had problem with timing (I followed Ina's times exactly, and the duck was perfectly done) or with dryness or lack of taste (I did do a lot of fork pricks in the skin, and was very careful not to impact the meat - maybe that's the crucial part).  You do have a couple of steps involved and need about 2 hours, but once you've shifted the ducks to oven or wherever, you are relaxed and doing other things [or sipping wine....]  Served a family recipe of a pineapple bread pudding and Cooking Light's Spririted Cranberries, and we quickly roasted baby Yukon Golds in the hot oven in the small amount of duck fat left once the ducks were removed.   And the ducks looked just like Ina's picture!! Heading out today to try to find a couple more ducks for the freezer - thanks, Ina, for a terrific recipe that we'll be repeating!  

This was not my first time cooking duck, and not my favorite recipe. Since it has such great reviews, I'll probably try it again another day, but my result was amateurish.

I should mention that I cooked 1 duck instead of 2 because I was cooking for only two people, and because I sent my co-diner to buy the ingredients, the duck arrived frozen on the inside. I had to defrost Donald in the microwave. I then boiled stock while scoring skin, added Donald to the pot, and cooked as instructed from that point on.

My roasting pan is very big (&gt;16") because I use it for my annual turducken (25-30-lb monster). I didn't think this would be an issue for the (6.8-lb) duck, but maybe it was. I dried his skin, salted him, let rest, and roasted at 500, checking on his temp periodically in case the 2-bird cook time was too long.

When Donald's thighs passed 165 degrees, I pulled him out. His skin was not crispy enough for my taste. I'll try another day with 2 ducks &amp; see how it goes.

I would never recommend an extended room-temperature layover for raw bird.  Place in the refrigerator uncovered, which both impedes the growth of pathogens while dehumidifying.<br />

First time cooking and/or eating duck...it was perfect.

This recipe results in a chewy, overcooked duck with a soggy skin. Just say no. Simply roast the duck like a normal person. (There are plenty of decent--and simple--recipes on the internet.)

I made this recipe for my company for New Years and had never cooked duck before. Boiling the 2 ducks were awesome since my meal was not at all greasy. Prior to boiling I prepared 1 quart of the chicken broth with onion, carrots,an apple, onion and the 2 duck necks to make the broth more flavorful and strained out the juice. Then combined it with the other 5 quarts of broth as the recipe said. My oven wasn't super clean but I used a broiler pan and set it 2 racks from the bottom in my oven. No smoke occurred. I did encounter one problem, my duck was tough and I discovered it needed more cooking than the 30 min at the 500 degree oven and the prior boiling time. The ducks browned beautifully in the oven and the skin was crisp, however I had to cook the duck at 350 for approximately 35- 40 minutes more after I served it to my company. Great taste with the salt and pepper. Would make again

I Love this preparation for roasting a duck! It was perfectly crispy and tasty. I made this with just one duck, and didn't reduce the times, but I think next time I will reduce the oven time by about ten minutes, especially with the 20 minutes resting time. Also, I used a can of vegetable stock with chicken stock and after skimming, the stock that was made was delectable!!! We saved it and froze it for making soups this winter. 

I put one star as a warning to others, although I'm sure this recipe often works based on all the five star reviews. I am a fairly experienced cook and I followed this recipe very carefully. However, this totally did not work for me. The duck was completely overcooked and the skin was not crispy at all. I only used one 5 lb. duck, and probably should have reduced both the simmering time and oven time slightly. But the reason I suspect it turned out so poorly was that I used a fresh duck from the farmer's market. I'm guessing store bought duck might be more fatty, and thus require such a cooking technique, but perhaps be careful using this technique on a farmers market duck.

My husband loves duck, and I've never been a huge fan...but when he asked if we could make duck for Easter dinner I thought I'd give it a shot.  Our meal was nothing less than AMAZING!!  I combined this recipe with Bobby Flay's Asian Spiced Duck Breasts with Ginger Chili Glaze.  Bobby's recipe was a duck breast on the grill, but I wanted to roast the whole duck...so another search brought me here to Ina's Roast Duck.   After I boiled the duck in chicken stock, I used Bobby's rub more as a seasoning than a rub (so i have a lot left over as a result), and then I stuffed it with orange and onion slices, then let it sit for a half hour before putting it into the oven.  It came out perfect, brown, and crispy.  I poured the Ginger Chili Glaze over the duck immediately when it came out of the oven.  Then covered it in foil and let it sit another half hour.  

I can't wait to make this meal again.  

Need a dinner party showstopper? Gordon Ramsay's simple yet impressive flaky salmon en croûte is hard to beat. Find it here

Gordon Ramsay's salmon en croûte recipe

side of salmon, about 900 grams, skinned

olive oil

g unsalted butter, softened

lemon

basil leaves

dill leaves

Sea salt

tbsp. wholegrain mustard

500 g shortcrust pastry

Plain flour, to dust

egg yolk, beaten

Turkey Lasagna

yellow onion (1 onion)

garlic cloves,

turkey

can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

tomato paste

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

salt

lasagna noodles

ricotta cheese

grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

egg,

mozzarella,

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened. 

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. 

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. 

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Made this last week for a dinner party with old neighbors. I wanted something I could make ahead of time and this fit the bill. It was wonderful. One of my kind of picky guests said that this was the best lasagne he has ever had. He took a copy of the recipe before he went home. The goat cheese made it creamy and had wonderful flavor. Make it.... You will love it!

Im obsessed with Ina’s recipes! They are so good and I learn soo much from that Diva Chef! If were to come back as a woman in my next life I would want to be...Dolly Pardon! But if she is still living then I would want to be The Barefoot Contessa!! 

This was just ok. It was actually better as a leftover. 

Alan M<div>I made this for the first time and got rave reviews! Best Lasagna ever. Watched Ina's video several times which made it feel like I had done it before. She's the best chef on food network</div>

I’ve been making this recipe for years and I love it. It is my go to lasagna recipe. The only thing I do different is just add a little more marinara to the recipe. 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/inas-turkey-lasagna-recipe-0169869

Sweet and hot turkey sausages flavor the hearty sauce for Ina's lasagna.

Ina's Turkey Lasagna Recipe

This homemade cheese will add interesting flavour-filled twist to your more traditional cheese board. You can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Orange-scented yoghurt cheese

thick greek-style yoghurt

tsp orange

tbs honey

tsp vanilla extract

Treat your family to authentic asian flavours with this soul warming chicken laksa.

Chicken laksa

36.80 gm sunflower oil

chicken thigh fillets, sliced

laksa paste

chicken stock

coconut milk

kaffir lime leaves

20.00 ml grated palm sugar

24.40 gm fish sauce

lime juice

quail eggs (see note - optional)

dried vermicelli rice noodles

bean sprout

125.00 ml Thai basil leaves

coriander leaves

shallots

red chilli,

http://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5613771285001&=domain=taste

5348771529001-5613771285001

Entertaining doesn't have to equal stress, this spruced up one-pot is perfect for people with little time for preparation

Greek lamb with orzo

1kg shoulder of lamb

onions, sliced

cinnamon

cinnamon sticks, broken

can chopped tomato

1.2l hot low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

orzo (see know-how below)

parmesan,

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the lamb into 4cm chunks, then spread over the base of a large, wide casserole dish. Add the onions, oregano, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and olive oil, then stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 45 mins, stirring halfway.

Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is very tender.

Remove the cinnamon sticks, then stir in the orzo. Cover again, then cook for a further 20 mins, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.

Smoked Salmon Spread

cream cheese,

sour cream

lemon juice

dill

horseradish,

(4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

SMOKED SALMON SPREAD, Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa/Sunshine Food, Food Network,Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Lemon Juice, Dill, Horseradish, Smoke Salmon

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

If you can find it, I prefer Norwegian salmon; it's drier and less salty than other smoked salmon.

I love this recipe! Not only was it very, very good, but it was so easy to make. I will definitely make it again. It was my first time making a dish with smoked salmon, so I was a bit nervous about what brand/type to buy. I didn't see the Norwegian salmon, so I chose the Acme brand that is sold both  in the very high-quality fish market in my town, as well as in the specialty grocery market which always carries the best brands. Based on the reviews, I used 6 ounces of salmon instead of 4, upped the horseradish by a half-teaspoon, and I didn't need to add salt, since I couldn't find the Norwegian salmon. I served it with both Carr's cracked pepper water crackers and bagel chips. The crackers were the the perfect companion. I served it with thinly sliced red onions, capers and extra dill for toppers, which added flair and even more flavor. 

Also added capers as one other suggested.  Smoked my own salmon and have requests to bring this dip to every cocktail party we attend.

I made this as written and found it excellent. I suggest you do the same before making into a different dip altogether. I am concerned too many other things or extra salmon(albeit tasty) might make it too heavy to use with  vegetables.  I also have enjoyed it on my morning bagel. 

Sorry Ina,<div>Usually love your recipes but this one needed help. I added 3 thinly sliced scallions and 1 1/2 - 2 tblsp of capers to my alder smoked salmon which helped greatly</div>

I took this salmon spread to a thanksgiving shindig and it was the hit of the party! I have made it several times since, always on request and have also turned folks onto the food network because of their delicious and easy recipes. The only thing I do that is a little different to the recipe is that I cover it with chopped walnuts and there is never a bite left!

Really delicious.  My guests asked for the recipe.  Love that I can use veggies or crackers with it.  Both make great dippers.

Italian Ragu with Meatballs and Sausage

onion,

garlic, peeled, left

San Marzano plum tomatoes,

Salt and black pepper

beef

veal pork

milk

eggs

garlic

Italian parsley leaves

Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Rigatoni, cooked

Italian pork sausage with fennel seeds

In a large sauce pot (8-quart size minimum), heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil on a very low flame. Add the diced onion and cook slowly until it has turned translucent. Do not brown the onion, but allow it to almost melt away. Add the garlic cloves and very lightly cook them in the oil until golden before adding the tomatoes and all their juices. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the basil leaves and set the heat on low. Allow the tomatoes to cook at very low heat for at least 2 hours before adding the meat.

Make the meatballs: mix the ground beef and veal together in a large bowl. Combine the bread and milk and mash together to form a paste; add the bread to the ground meat. Add the eggs, garlic, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture and combine all the ingredients using your fingers to mix uniformly, but do not over mix or the meat will dry out when cooked. Pick up 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball shape, between the palms of your hands. Do this until you have used all the meat. This should yield approximately 24 meatballs.

Place the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium flame. Add the meatballs in 1 layer and brown on all sides before removing. Do this to the remaining meatballs until all are browned to a caramelized color. After all the meatballs have been browned and removed from the skillet, add the sausage links and brown well, following the same method as the meatballs. When all the meat has cooked, add to the tomato ragu, which has been cooking for 2 hours and cook an additional hour. Serve the tomato ragu over rigatoni pasta cooked to manufacturer's directions. Serve the meats on another plate as a second course.

terrific- I added a diced green pepper to the sauce and sauteed it all with the onions.  I also changed the meat mixture on the meatballs to be 1/3 ground pork, 1/3 ground veal, and 1/3 ground angus beef.  I did end up letting the meatballs simmer longer than the one hour due to the fact that my guests were delayed and I would say that they were not as moist as they could be so next time I will try to be sure to stick to the one hour recommendation

Any Recipe by Chef Lomonaco, I will prepare. A Lovely Gentleman. Remember years ago on Epicurious@Parents Home. Every Dish Made Tasted Delicious.If Veal Puts One Off, Extend w/Beef or Pork Tenderloin~ Ground.Quite Lean By the Way.Divine Recipe.Please give It a Go.

A light-as-air meringue cake studded with nuts

Apricot and hazelnut meringue | Asda Good Living

hazelnuts

caster sugar

tsp cider vinegar

vanilla extract

ready-to-eat dried apricots

cream,

dark chocolate, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm cake tins and line the bases. Cook the nuts in the oven for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins in a tea towel.

Grind 150g nuts in a blender and chop the remainder.

Whisk the egg whites. Add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until stiff again after each addition. Whisk in the vinegar and vanilla with the last 1 tbsp sugar.

Fold in the ground nuts, then divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn out, peel off the paper and cool.

Put the apricots in a pan with enough water to cover. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

Blend the apricots with just enough cooking water to make a thick purée. Spread one cake with the cream and apricot and sandwich the other cake on top. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Tuna and Avocado Tartare Tostada

Canola oil,

flour tortillas,

peeled,

honey

salt and black pepper

sushi grade tuna, finely diced

mustard oil

capers, drained

chipotle pepper puree (from chipotles in adobo sauce)

cilantro leaves

green onion

Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced

For the tortillas: Heat the oil in a heavy, high-sided pan to 350 degrees F. Fry the tortilla pieces a few at a time until lightly golden brown and crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.

For the avocado butter: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

For the tartare: Combine tuna, mustard oil, olive oil, capers, chipotle, cilantro, and green onion in a large bowl. Gently fold in the avocado and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place each of the fried tortilla pieces on a plate and spread with a small dollop of the avocado butter. Top the butter with some of the tuna tartare. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Yum! Super easy and so GOOD!  Mixed a little avoocado oil with some dijon for the mustard oil.

This is my new go-to appetizer recipe.  Full disclosure, if I'm too busy, I simply use those little tortilla chips that are shaped like bowls...<br /><br />I didn't know where to get mustard oil, but I sort of play with the olive oil and add dijon mustard.  It always works out.  I serve this and I'm the most popular guy in the room.  Easy and tasty and impressive.

This is a great recipe. It makes a delicious tartare. I do not make the avocado butter, and I bake my tortillas instead of frying them. I also reduce the mustard oil to 1 tablespoon, and increase olive oil to 2 tablespoon. If you're not making the avocado butter, the recipe calls for too much mustard oil. If you're making the avocado butter, the recipe has the perfect amount of mustard oil. 

Fantastic!!  Huge hit at our New Years Eve party

I asked Bobby Flay about the mustard oil at a book signing. He said he whirls some grey poupon mustard with canola oil to make it. Before I had the answer I just used some grey poupon mustard straight. Really good recipe that I used as a first course..

A somewhat time-consuming appetizer, but the result is worth the effort - got rave reviews as a first course for a New Year's Eve party (served with tequila cosmopolitans).  Didn't have mustard oil, and substituted lemon pepper oil - tasted great.

Very good, used sriracha hot sauce in the recipe

This was easy to make though finding mustard oil was not worth the effort.  The recipe didn't seem like it missed anything without it!

A real crowd pleaser.  Though the mustard oil is difficult to find, it's well worth the effort.  The dish has a great kick from the chipotle, but is nicely balanced by the smooth, buttery avocado.  Will definitely make again!

I had seen this recipe on "Let Foodnetwork cater your wedding" and I was very eager to try it.  I was NOT disappointed!  This is one of the best tuna recipes I have ever tried- it has a nice kick of heat from the chipotles, and refreshing bite from the avacado butter.  This is one that I'll keep on making.

Whole Striped Bass

olive oil, divided

parsley,

lemon,

Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.

Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Excellent. I followed the recipe exactly. Fish turned out perfectly cooked in 30 minutes, tender and moist. Used the "flake" method rather than thermometer to determine doneness. Served with fried onion rings and slaw.

Love the recipe, just a note It's 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (according to the good eats episode) not 2 as written above

It was a "nice idea" for a recipe, but a fish at 120 degrees is about as enticing as a cup of warm Junket before it has set.  I was rather upset as I ate the result, having given it extra time (about 15 minutes more) to be sure it was effectively cooked through.

Great recipe. Simple recipe that everyone raves about.

I had to use a lane snapper because I couldn't find whole striped bass.  The guy at Whole Foods Market scaled and gutted it for me.  I made the recipe exactly as written.  It was very, very good and so easy to make.  I would recommend buying an extra bunch of parsley to put the cooked fish on if you are having company, as it looks much prettier that way!

This was amazing. Everything thought I was a nut with this big salt mound and the tail sticking out, but I one in the end. I used whole pompano instead of rockfish. It was well suited for this fish b/c it is a smaller fish and this way not one gram of this precious meat is wasted. 

This was delicious. I have no idea why it is labeled as intermediate. This is so simple, even a child could do this.

I followed the directions and it came out great. The only deviation I had was that we didn't have any fresh dill so I replaced it with some fresh marjoram from the garden. I'd make this one again. 

Easy, Fresh, and Tasty.  Alton has yet to disappoint us.

It said "intermediate" skill level, but nothing could be easier. The fish was subtly flavored and PERFECT. I bagged everything in  parchment paper.<br /><br /> No bass, so I used trout and compensated for the cooking time. <br /><br />Thanks Alton!

Pressure-Cooker Shrimp and Saffron Risotto

garlic,

fennel seeds

kosher salt,

Arborio rice

saffron threads

dry white vermouth

chicken broth, low-sodium canned or homemade

shrimp,

Heat the olive oil in a 7-liter pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds, the 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, tomato paste, and saffron and stir until the grains are evenly colored. Stir in vermouth and chicken broth.

Close the pressure cooker lid and bring the pressure up to high (which can take up to 10 minutes), then reduce the heat, if necessary, to maintain an even pressure for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and press the cooker's pressure indicator stem until no more steam comes out.

Top 18 dinner parties recipes from across the web

The most viewed dinner parties recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Roast Duck

Gordon Ramsay's salmon en croûte re...

Turkey Lasagna

Orange-scented yoghurt cheese

Chicken laksa

Greek lamb with orzo

Smoked Salmon Spread

Italian Ragu with Meatballs and Sau...

Apricot and hazelnut meringue | Asd...

Tuna and Avocado Tartare Tostada

Whole Striped Bass

Pressure-Cooker Shrimp and Saffron ...

Meatloaf Sliders

Coconut Shrimp

Classic Penne Arrabiata

Roast Duck

Cream Puffs

Capital Grille Lobster Mac and Chee...

Top 18 dinner parties recipes from across the web

The most viewed dinner parties recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Roast Duck

Gordon Ramsay's salmon en croûte re...

Turkey Lasagna

Orange-scented yoghurt cheese

Chicken laksa

Greek lamb with orzo

Smoked Salmon Spread

Italian Ragu with Meatballs and Sau...

Apricot and hazelnut meringue | Asd...

Tuna and Avocado Tartare Tostada

Whole Striped Bass

Pressure-Cooker Shrimp and Saffron ...

Meatloaf Sliders

Coconut Shrimp

Classic Penne Arrabiata

Roast Duck

Cream Puffs

Capital Grille Lobster Mac and Chee...

The most viewed dinner parties recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine