There is an art to throwing the perfect holiday party without working yourself to death, particularly if all the cooking, serving and cleaning is on you.
But with proper planning and realistic expectations, you can throw a fabulous party or dinner and still enjoy time with your guests -- without spending the entire day in the kitchen, said renowned local chef Nina Compton.
Of course, it's easy for a chef to say that. Particularly a James Beard Award-winning chef who instinctively melds Caribbean and Louisiana cuisines and spends her days running two highly acclaimed New Orleans restaurants, Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro.
For the rest of us, who have turkey anxiety and family on the way soon, Compton is here to help.
Compton will share her culinary secrets with a hands-on holiday workshop, "How to Host the Ultimate Holiday Party," from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at her Bywater American Bistro on Chartres Street.
Along with her lead bartender, Rick Powanda, Compton will demonstrate sensible cocktails and mocktails, fool-proof recipes and cooking techniques, and decorating ideas that are essential to a successful party.
The workshop includes cocktails and a sit-down lunch showcasing the items featured earlier in the day.
Compton gave us a preview of her secrets to handling holiday dilemmas.
Start with beverage ideas
Start the party with a seasonal punch that's easy to make and serve. Compton suggested combining regional citrus, like satsuma juice, with sparkling wine and angostura bitters. Add a few star anise for a flavor twist.
Start dinner with a spritz, which pairs nicely with salad, then progress to a full-bodied white wine that's neither too dry nor too sweet.
When serving red wine, make sure it's lighter in body, like pinot noir, and resist serving something heavy like a red Bordeaux. Compton recommends offering guests amaro, the Italian digestif, after the meal.
Holiday pressures
The key to successfully executing the food and beverage menu for a holiday meal, Compton said recently, is to keep the scope of your party within reason. Don't overcommit to making too much food and try to do more than your kitchen can accommodate.
It's important to keep the list of items on your menu practical and the portion sizes reasonable, she added. Avoid the temptation to cook too much and end up with a refrigerator of leftovers that may go to waste.
"I'm going to show everyone how to make a tasteful holiday meal without stressing out," Compton said. "Less is more. Pick a few things and do them well. If you do a ton of things, some things will slip and not get executed properly and you'll feel like you failed."
A lot of people struggle with the timing needed to make sure everything is hot when it hits the table. "The turkey is ready, and the stuffing isn't even in the oven," she said. "We've all been there."
Indeed, Compton has seen holiday stress firsthand.
She grew up in St. Croix, and Christmas Day was the biggest holiday of the year for her family.
"I remember my mom, my grandmother and my aunts always in the kitchen cooking all day and slaving away and then cleaning it all up. It was a lot of work," Compton said.
Turkey task
Preparing a big turkey or ham can be daunting. "When you're cooking for everyone, you definitely feel the pressure," she said.
Roasting a turkey has special challenges.
"Turkey is tricky because it's a big bird, and it's very difficult to cook the breast and legs evenly and have it all hot and juicy and ready at the same time," Compton said.
Whether you plan to roast or fry your turkey, Compton recommends brining it overnight in a spicy and salty solution that will ensure flavorful and juicy meat.
To cook it in the oven, Compton suggested breaking the bird into separate parts, or buying the turkey legs and breast already separated, and then cooking each set for different times to ensure each is cooked, but not overcooked.
With the oven set at 350 degrees, the breast needs to cook until it hits 150 degrees internally and the legs and wings need to be 170 degrees.
Once the turkey comes out of the oven or the fryer, Compton recommended letting it "rest" for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows all the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and ultimately makes for a more tender bird.
Here are some of Compton's general holiday dinner tips.
Don't overload your guests with too much food. Less can be more.Pickled items are an easy appetizer, and they don't fill you up. Pickled onions, raisins and cherries are simple and fun.Always start the meal with a salad; keep it light with mustard greens, chicories, radicchio and greens tossed with a Champagne vinaigrette and topped with pecans.Have two starches, like stuffing and mashed potatoes.Include lots of vegetables to keep the meal light. Roasted Brussels sprouts are a great addition, and mushrooms can also work well.The entree should be the heaviest or richest part of the dinner, but serving realistic portions can keep it light.Mini pies can be good for dessert portion control.Don't forget vegetarian and vegan guests.Don't use scented candles because the scent competes with the flavor of the food.Keep it simple and don't overthink it. How to Host the Ultimate Holiday Party
What: Chef Nina Compton and lead bartender Rick Powanda demonstrate recipes and share tips that are essential to a successful party.
When: Nov. 17, noon to 3 p.m. A seated lunch follows the workshop.
Where: Bywater American Bistro, 2900 Chartres St.
Cost: $150 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Seating is limited. For info or reservations, visit www.babs-nola.com or call (504) 605-3827.
West Indies Punch
Serves 10
10 ounces Chairman's Reserve rum
6 ounces Amontillado sherry
4 ounces rose water
2 ounces Angostura bitters
4 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 orange, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dried flowers*
Sparkling rosé wine
Combine rum, sherry, rose water, bitters, and juices in a mixing bowl. Line a punch bowl with orange slices, then fill with ice to hold oranges in place. Pour punch over ice and garnish with flowers.
To serve, ladle punch into glasses and top each with 2 ounces of sparkling wine.
Mojo Marinated Turkey
For the Mojo (makes 4 quarts)
2 quarts orange juice
1 pint lemon juice
1 pint lime juice
2 habanero peppers, chopped
6 whole garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons preserved lemon
Zest of 3 oranges -- zest only
Zest of 4 limes
1 cup olive oil
3 cups blended oil
1 teaspoon cumin, ground and toasted
Sherry vinegar to taste
Salt to taste
One 16-pound turkey (preferably fresh, not frozen)
1. Add the juices to a stock pot on medium heat and reduce to one quart.
2. Add the chopped garlic and habaneros in a separate pot and bring to a simmer with one cup of blended oil; let cool.
3. In a food processor, add reduced juice, garlic, and habanero mix, mustard, preserved lemon and emulsify with remaining oil. Adjust seasoning by adding in zest, cumin, sherry
vinegar, and salt.
4. Marinate the turkey overnight with 1.5 quarts of mix.
5. Roast the turkey at 325 F (rule of thumb -- 13 minutes per pound), in the last hour of roasting, baste turkey with remaining mojo.
Jerk Delicata Squash
Serves 8
For the pickled raisins:
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup golden raisins
For the delicata squash:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 delicata squash, deseeded and cut into rounds
Pickled raisins for serving
Parsley leaves for garnish
Toasted pecans for topping
Make the pickled raisins:
In a pot over medium heat, stir vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour hot liquid over raisins and set aside until raisins plump.
Make the squash:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and seasonings. Toss squash in mixture. Transfer to a roasting pan. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes, turning every 8 minutes to make sure they caramelize evenly. Serve sprinkled with pickled raisins, parsley and pecans.