By Melissa Clark, The New York Times
Am I allowed to throw a party in my pajamas?
That’s my fantasy every year when the holiday season rolls around. Not my plaid flannels. I picture myself clad in thick silk, the kind of thing I’m sure Katharine Hepburn wore — comfortable, elegant and well-matched to a dry martini.
And what kind of food goes with this vision? Easy snacks and nibbles that are comfortable, elegant and, yes, perfectly matched to a cocktail, martini or otherwise. Dishes that you can set out at the beginning of the night and then not fuss over — so you can do the important party work of chatting, sipping and noshing.
A good formula is to make three festive, high-impact, low-effort recipes and then supplement them with an assortment of colorful things in small bowls: olives; salted nuts or corn nuts; potato chips, crackers or breadsticks; a marinated cheese like mozzarella or feta; sliced salami; cut vegetables.
Of the things you make, one should be a showstopper to accrue oohs and aahs. I love a vegetable tart because it’s pretty, festive and meatless, yet substantial enough to stand in for dinner. Using store-bought puff pastry as the crust is a time-honored hack that yields golden, buttery results. Here, I’ve topped it with roasted delicata squash, Parmesan, hot honey and pistachios for a bright, cheery tart that’s complexly flavored and stylish.
Then, one dish should be a rich, easygoing crowd-pleaser that will disappear minutes after it’s brought out — a classic party appetizer everyone adores. Baked Brie easily fills this bill. This version has one significant twist: Instead of being swaddled in pastry, it lets the runny, tangy cheese take center stage, happily oozing into a baking dish along with a caramelized onion topping that gives the whole thing French onion soup vibes.
Finally, offer something more sophisticated, with sharp flavors to balance things out. These rillettes are a pescatarian take on the classic French pork spread, mixing good-quality canned tuna with butter seasoned with herbs and shallots, and capers or horseradish for added tang.
Will I actually wear silk pajamas to my next party? I’m not ruling it out. But more important, I’ll keep things simple and remind myself that the point of a party is to enjoy it. The pajamas are optional. The fun is not.
Recipe: Delicata Squash Tart With Hot Honey and Pistachios
With their scalloped edges trimmed in yellow and green, slices of delicata squash make a particularly beautiful topping for this simple roasted vegetable tart. Using store-bought puff pastry makes it easy to put together, and the combination of hot honey, pistachios and Parmesan with the sweet, velvety squash is both sophisticated and crowd-pleasing. If you can’t get delicata squash, butternut, acorn or another variety will also work well. Serve this hot, warm or at room temperature, preferably within four hours of baking so the pastry stays buttery and crisp.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 small delicata squash (about 10 ounces each), trimmed, halved, seeded and sliced into crescents
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon hot honey (or regular honey plus a pinch of cayenne), plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
- 3/4 cup Parmesan
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, sage, rosemary or tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
- Flaky sea salt
- Chives or chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Arrange two racks in the oven, one in the top third and the other in the bottom third. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss squash with olive oil, honey and salt. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown at the edges and just tender, about 20 minutes. (They will cook more on top of the tart.)
3. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border along the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4 inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and, using a fork, prick the pastry inside the border to prevent puffing in the center.
4. Bake on the top oven rack until the puff pastry is very lightly golden at the edges (it won’t be baked through), 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
5. Brush tart crust all over with beaten egg and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, taking special care to coat the edges well with egg and cheese.
6. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, thyme and black pepper. Spread on the puff pastry inside the border and arrange the squash decoratively on top. (If you don’t have room to use all the squash, snack on whatever is left.)
7. Bake until the squash is tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly (10 to 20 minutes) before serving.
8. Sprinkle with pistachios and flaky sea salt, drizzle with a little more hot honey and olive oil, and top with chives or parsley, and serve.
Recipe: French Onion Baked Brie
Instead of being covered in pastry, this baked Brie recipe lets the runny, tangy cheese take center stage, happily oozing into a baking dish along with a caramelized onion topping, which gives the whole thing French onion soup vibes. You can make the onions a few days ahead of time. Then just spread them onto a round of Brie or Camembert and pop it into the oven before serving with crostini or crackers. Like all melty cheese dishes, this is best served warm while the cheese is at its softest and most delightfully gooey.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 large Spanish onion, halved and very thinly sliced
- 2 thyme or rosemary sprigs
- Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
- 1 small baguette (about 8 ounces), sliced on the bias
- About 8 ounces Brie (leave the rind on)
- Chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, mint or chives, for serving
- Grapes, tangerine segments and nuts, for serving
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme and a pinch of salt and cook until very tender and deeply brown at the edges, 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan starts to dry out, add a splash of water.
3. When the onions are golden and jammy, stir in vinegar and another pinch of salt, adding more to taste. You can make the onions a few days ahead and store them in the fridge until it’s time to bake the Brie. You might need to add an extra few minutes onto the bake time if you start with cold onions.
4. While the onions are cooking, make the crostini: Brush one side of each bread slice with oil. Arrange them oiled side up on a sheet pan and bake until the tops are golden, 8 to 13 minutes. Crostini can be made a few hours ahead or at the same time as the cheese.
5. Just before serving, put the cold cheese straight from the fridge into a ceramic gratin or glass baking dish, and scrape onion mixture on top. Put the Brie in the oven on a rack below the crostini if baking at the same time, and bake until the cheese is soft and oozing, 9 to 15 minutes. You should be able to see the cheese start to ooze.
6. Top with herbs and serve with crostini and whatever accompaniments you like.
Recipe: Tuna Rillettes
Fancier than a tuna salad but no harder to make, tuna rillettes are a perfect party nosh. To make it, good-quality canned tuna (preferably oil packed for the best flavor) is mashed into butter and crème fraîche, then seasoned with herbs, lemon and either capers or horseradish for a sharp bite. Serve it with bread or crackers for a pescatarian pâté that’s easy, elegant and full of verve.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (5- to 6-ounce) can tuna, preferably oil-packed, drained
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots or scallions
- 2 teaspoons chopped dill, cilantro, mint or parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon minced capers or prepared white horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced pumpernickel or rye bread, cucumbers, celery, endive and olives, for serving
Preparation
1. Combine all the ingredients (except accompaniments) in a blender or the bowl of a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture comes together into a chunky paste. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice as needed.
2. Transfer to a ramekin or bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) to let the flavors settle. Serve topped with herbs and with your choice of accompaniment.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.