New Year's Eve Crowd-Beater Dinner

Tori Ritchie's Recipes For Ringing In 2008 At Home With Special Someone, Or Many More!

(CBS) 

Pan-Roasted Artichokes with Garlic and Lemon

A seasonal favorite, these garlic and citrus-spiked artichokes are delicious as an appetizer served with country-style bread and shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

3 lemons, quartered
4 large artichokes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 to 6 peeled garlic cloves, crushed

Fill a large bowl with water. Squeeze the juice from the quarters of 1 lemon into the bowl.

Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the tough outer leaves to expose the light yellow core. Peel the stem end of the artichoke, keeping about 1 inch of the stem intact and exposing the pale, tender core. Trim 1 inch off the top of the artichoke and cut the artichoke in half lengthwise through the center. Using the tip of a spoon, scoop out the furry choke. Add the cleaned artichoke halves to the lemon water. Keep the artichokes in the water until ready to cook; they may be stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Just before cooking, spread the artichokes on paper towels, sliced side down, to drain and pat dry.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Sprinkle the pan generously with salt and pepper. Carefully place the artichokes, sliced side down, in the pan, making sure they lie flat. Season with salt and pepper and slip the garlic into the spaces between the artichokes. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally to keep the artichokes from sticking, until they are evenly browned underneath, 6 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, lift 1 or 2 artichokes up to check for doneness.

Add the quarters of 1 lemon to the pan, place a piece of foil over the pan and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and keep covered. Let the artichokes cool to room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes.

Transfer the artichokes to a serving platter. Squeeze the juice from the cooked lemon wedges into the pan and whisk to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan bottom. Pour the juice over the artichokes, garnish with the remaining lemon quarters and serve.

Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Lemon Curd Tart

Acidic ingredients, such as citrus juice, tomatoes, vinegar, wine, and many vegetables, will react with certain metals, including aluminum or cast iron. Although the reaction is harmless, it may turn a mixture gray or leave behind a metallic aftertaste. The same reaction occurs when eggs are cooked in aluminum or cast-iron pans. Therefore, recipes that include these ingredients, such as lemon curd and pastry cream, call for the use of non-aluminum pans. Stainless-steel and enamel-lined pans are excellent choices.

1 rolled-out round of basic tart dough
3 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, strained (about 6 large lemons)
2 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Sweetened whipped cream for piping

Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking. Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.

Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Continue to bake until the shell is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

In a non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook slowly, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the butter melts and the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a coarse-mesh sieve placed over a bowl.

Spread the curd evenly in the fully baked tart shell and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours. Using a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip, pipe whipped cream around the edge of the tart. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving, to take the chill off. Makes one 9 1/2-inch tart.

Serves 8.

Adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart," by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003) (Simon & Schuster is part of CBS, as is CBSNews.com.