An Austin Kitchen is a new blog written by my friend Ben, who just happens to be one of the most amazing cooks I know. So when my husband and I decided to host the first course for our neighborhood progressive dinner, we turned to Ben for help in planning a festive collection of small plates. Here is the menu we decided upon:
Pumpkin + Shrimp Bisque
Muhammara
Prosciutto Rolls
Asian Meatballs + Peanut Sauce
Cheeses
Olives
Pate
Pomegranates
Mulled Cider
It has been a really fun experience working with Ben, and I think this is an inventive way to approach entertaining, especially if you are a less than stellar chef. We started with a conversation via Skype, in which Ben grilled us on our skill level, the number of guests attending the party and asked us to describe the event, its "vibe". We threw menu ideas back and forth and, once the dishes to be served were chosen, Ben tested all the recipes, making adjustments as he felt necessary. He then sent us final recipes along with a shopping list, tips and hints. We were also provided with a couple flip videos in which he demonstrated how to prepare the items, how cool is that? His follow up emails have kept us on track, reminding us to test the recipes and asking if we have had any questions. Amazing...and for non-foodies such as us, what a great way to be able to entertain with style!
Testing the Asian Meatballs in Peanut Sauce.
Hey, where are you going? I'm pretty sure the recipe didn't say "walk away"...leaving me here wondering what to do next!
While my job is to work on the presentation, my husband got the cooking down just right. Oh my goodness, these were so incredibly delicious I ate a dozen. (Or more.) I kid you not.
And for those of you who may want to try this yourself, here is the recipe!
Peanut Sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp Thai red curry past
2 tsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup well-stirred canned coconut milk
Meatballs:
1 lb round pork or turkey
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp grated lemongrass
1 large egg
1 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
rice flour for dusting
vegetable oil
Directions:
The uncooked, uncoated meatballs can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. The sauce can be made a day ahead. Reheat over very low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.
1. To make the peanut sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the peanut butter, brown sugar and lemon juice, then gradually stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened. If it becomes too thick, stir in a little water. Keep warm.
2. For the meatballs, combine the ground meat, cilantro, curry paste, lemon juice, fish sauce, lemongrass, egg and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into small balls about the size of a walnut. Dust each meatball with rice flour.
3. Pour vegetable oil, coating the bottom of a large frying pan. Heat over high heat until the oil shimmers. In batches, fry the meatballs for about 3 minutes on one side until browned. Then flip until browned and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with the warm peanut sauce.
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