Well the dinner party was a smashing event and a very good time was had by
all. The marinated shrimp and the individual beef Wellington were
sensational. The potatoes were just ok . I also did some baby carrots,
zucchini, string beans and asparagus in lemon butter with breadcrumbs. The
vegetables were blanched and shocked then just heated in the lemon butter
and tossed with fresh sourdough breadcrumbs.

I did use 2 "fish grilling baskets to broil the shrimp. It just made the
turning and broiling easier to control.

90 % of the prep was done in the morning giving me enough time with the
gang. The antipasto platter had marinated mushrooms, & artichoke hearts, 2
kinds of olives, mortadella, molinari, prosciutto, provolone and some
Dubliner cheddar. The garlic crustini was done with slices of a sourdough
baguette with some diced tomatoes with garlic, Olive oil and balsamic S & P.

Here are the recipes I got from the net.


Dimitri


MARINATED SHRIMP WITH CHAMPAGNE BEURRE BLANC

The classic - and amazingly easy - French sauce made with butter and wine
gets a glamorous makeover with Champagne. Feel free to use less-expensive
sparkling wine for cooking, but keep the blanc de blancs flowing as an
accompaniment.

Sauce base
2 cups Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Shrimp
1 cup Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 extra-large uncooked shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled with tail left
intact, deveined
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

For sauce base:
Combine Champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in heavy medium
saucepan. Boil until reduced to ¼ cup liquid, about 20 minutes. (Can be made
4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
For shrimp:
Combine Champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable
plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly.
Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour,
turning bag occasionally. Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl.
Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain
shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in
single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per
side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate.
Re-warm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time,
just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will
separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.
Market tip: Champagne and sparkling wines labeled extra dry are actually
slightly sweeter than those labeled brut. The latter works best for this
dish.

Makes 8 first-course servings.
Bon Appétit
December 2003
Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.
**************************************
Recipe name: Individual Beef Wellington
Recipe by: Chef John Vyhnanek, Good Cooking
History: Classic European Culinary Preparation
Description: Beef Tenderloin Baked in Puff Pastry
Preparation time: total time about 1 ½ hours

Amount/Measure/Ingredient:

1- 8 ounce filet mignon, (beef tenderloin) center cut, trimmed of all fat
( Note I used 3 to 6 oz fillet's bacon wrapped per person)
2 teaspoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mushrooms chopped fine
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash ground white pepper
1 dash thyme
1 tablespoon Madeira or sherry wine
1/2 cup fresh chopped bread crumbs
2 teaspoons parsley freshly chopped

1- 10 inch square sheet of puff pasty dough, usually available in a stores
freezer section.
1 egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon butter



Preparation:
In a frying pan over high heat add the first amount of butter and the filet
mignon, season with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, turning often for
two minutes. Remove and cool immediately in the refrigerator. To the pan,
over medium heat add the corn oil and shallots, cook one minute and add the
mushrooms, thyme, salt and white pepper. Cook slowly for 10 minutes until
most of the moisture has evaporated from the pan. Add the wine and continue
to cook slowly until the mixture is fairly dry. Remove from the heat and add
the bread crumbs and parsley. Stir in well and then cool completely.

Preheat and oven to 450 degrees C. Place the puff pastry dough on a lightly
floured surface, in the center place 2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture,
then on top of that the filet mignon, then the rest of the mushroom mixture.
Gather-up the edges of the dough tightly around the filet, pinching it all
together at the center top. Trim away and excess dough as you gather it
together. Butter the center of a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon butter. Pick
up the dough encased filet and turn it over, placing it in the center of the
baking sheet. Lightly press it down then brush it all over with the beaten
egg. Before placing it in the oven cut a little hole in the top of the dough
to let steam escape during cooking. Bake for 15 minutes for medium rare,
(124) degrees C. in the center or increase the time to 20 minutes for
med-well (13) degrees F. Serve as soon as possible, as it will continue to
cook for a few more minutes after it has been taken out of the oven.

Serve with your favorite potatoes and vegetables. A simple sauce could be
made during the preparation process by reducing 1 cup red wine with 2 cups
of beef or veal stock to a syrup consistency and adding 1 tablespoon butter
swirled in at the last minute.
© '2001 by Good Cooking, Inc.

Lyonnaise Potatoes (doubled)
From Wolfgang Puck's Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen (Canada,
UK), by Wolfgang Puck.
You must do this in a nonstick pan; otherwise the potatoes will not unmold
properly.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp clarified unsalted butter
3 large Idaho or baking potatoes, peeled
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
Sauté sliced onions in 1 Tbsp butter until lightly golden brown. Reserve.
Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. (Do not soak in water when sliced.)
Immediately mix with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter, salt, and pepper.
In a 10-inch nonstick baking pan, arrange half the potatoes in one layer.
Cover with the sautéed onions and top with the remaining potatoes.
Bake approximately 30 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and
crispy. If the underside of the potatoes is not browned when the potatoes
are tender, finish over high heat on the stove top.
NOTE: Potatoes may be baked in individual 4-inch pans for 12 to 15 minutes.
Yield: To serve 6