How to watch:
What: "84th Annual Academy Awards"
When: 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Channel: ABC (channels 22 and 9)
The Academy Awards will air Sunday. If you’re having guests for an Oscar party, then we’ve got you covered with unique hors d’oeuvres recipes courtesy of Chef Jenn DiSanto, owner of Kettering gourmet carry-out Fresco at 3141 Far Hills Ave. (online at frescofood.net). Here, Chef DiSanto offers four elegant, easily assembled finger foods that’ll leave every guest feeling like the evening’s big winner.
Sweet Potato Blini’s with Creme Fraiche and Caviar
Recipe by Chef Jenn DiSanto of Fresco
Also known as blintzes, this is a Southern twist on an Old World staple that could be considered the Russian equivalent of a French crepe. Blinis are a popular breakfast food in Eastern Europe but can also be consumed any time of day.
Yield: 24 mini blini’s
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey
4 ounce butter, melted
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Clarified butter or oil to pan fry blinis
1 cup creme fraiche
1 ounce caviar for garnish
Fresh chives for garnish
Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Puree the potatoes through a ricer (if available) or mash with a fork.
Add the honey, butter and milk and mix to incorporate. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper) and fold into the potato mixture.
Preheat pan with oil or clarified butter. Drop potato blini mixture 1 tablespoon at a time into pan with hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides and set aside on a platter.
Once cooled, garnish with a little creme fraiche, a little caviar and fresh chives for garnish.
Seared Tuna and Thai Basil Slaw on Crispy Won Ton
Recipe by chef Jenn DiSanto of Fresco
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients:
2 lbs sushi grade tuna
1 teaspoon black sesame seed
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed
½ teaspoon coriander seed, crushed in a mortar and pestle
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package 2-inch won ton wrappers — fried in 325 degree oil until crisp
2 ounce mixture of thinly sliced green and red cabbage and carrots
½ teaspoon chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon chopped Thai basil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon oil
Garnish Sauce — Cilantro and Thai Basil sauce: 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon Thai Basil, ¼ teaspoon Sriracha (hot chili sauce) and ¼ cup mayonnaise — pureed together to form a sauce.
Directions:
Preheat a saute pan to high heat. Coat the tuna with the sesame seeds, coriander seed and salt and pepper. Sear on high heat for just a minute on each side. Set aside to cool.
Lay out the fried won tons onto a platter. Mix together the rest of the ingredients up to the garnish sauce. Slice the tuna into at least 24 slices. Top each won ton with the Thai Basil slaw then the sliced seared tuna and drizzle the sauce on top. Serve immediately.
Grilled Pear and Brie Quesadillas
Recipe by chef Jenn DiSanto of Fresco
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients:
4 pears, peeled and cored and sliced into 6 pieces each, brushed with olive oil and grilled until golden
1 pound great quality brie cheese — rind removed and cheese cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary — finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
12 8-inch flour tortillas brushed with butter
Clarified butter or oil for searing
Directions:
Lay out the tortillas, butter side down. Place a little of the brie cheese on ½ of the tortilla and then lay a few slices of the pear on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of the rosemary. Fold over and set aside to sear. Preheat a sauté pan with clarified butter (or oil) Sear the quesadilla on each side until golden brown. Cut in half; serve immediately.
Pissaladiere
Recipe by chef Jenn DiSanto of Fresco
A classic French white pizza (no tomatoes) typically including garlic and anchovies, DiSanto includes the unusual addition of honey for an added layer of flavor.
Yield: 2 large Pissaladiere’s
Ingredients:
3 large onions
¼ cup butter
3 tablespoons demerara (unrefined/raw) sugar
1¼ cups warm (100 to 110 degrees) water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup olive oil
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
¼-½ cup oil cured olives — sliced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic — finely minced
6 ounce fresh goat cheese (optional)
10-12 anchovy filets, chopped (optional, but classic pissaladiere will always have anchovies)
2 tablespoons fresh mixture of parsley and fresh rosemary for garnish
Directions:
To caramelize onions, melt butter in saute pan on low heat. Add onions and cook on very low heat until the onions start to run golden.
Once they are golden, add the raw sugar and continue to cook until they reach a deep caramel color. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the yeast to the warm water — stir to dissolve. Add the sugar. Let rest until it foams. Add honey, olive oil and eggs to yeast mixture and stir to incorporate.
Place the flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Start the mixer and add the salt. Slowly add the yeast mix and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides. Add a little more flour if the dough is too moist. Continue kneading for about 5 minutes.
Remove from bowl onto a floured surface. Knead by hand for a few minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Set in a bowl that has been oiled to prevent dough from sticking, cover with a damp towel and set in warm area of the kitchen.
Let dough rise until it has doubled in size. Punch down and form into 2 large pies onto a sheet tray. Set aside until ready to assemble.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To assemble Pissaladiere’s, lay a generous amount of caramelized onions on the dough. Top with some of the olives, garlic chopped anchovies and goat cheese.
Bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and garnish with the fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
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