Holiday’s parties and small food options: part one

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Chef Troy Gagliardo

"Chef Troy" Gagliardo hosts a weekly cooking segment called "Tuesdays with Troy" live every Tuesday on Fox News Rising from 7 to 9 am. He has made over 200 appearances on the show, showcasing over 600 of his original recipes. Troy has penned a cookbook called Seasonal Comfort featuring some of his favorite comfort food recipes. He enjoys teaching readers and viewers alike how to build their "cooking confidence" through his recipes and simple technique. He is a self-taught chef who learned early on the important of family and food, and the connection between both, from his parents and grandparents. Preserving his family food culture has become a mission in Chef Troy's life. He is a Lake Norman resident and past owner of two Mooresville restaurants. Contact him at cheftroy@windstream.net.

Yeah – it’s that time again. Time to break out all of the holiday party tricks and treats to entertain friends and family.

You always have the option of using an outside source to prepare your holiday party food, but where is the fun in that? I know what you are thinking, I barely have the time to get everything else in order. How in the world can I put together great tasting homemade snacks for my guests? Well, how about your guests?

That’s right! Use your friends and family to help put together their own grub. Whether you want to keep it a surprise or put in on the invitation it a great interactive way to get your guests involved and help you out in the kitchen.

Yes, you will have to make a list and do some shopping; even a bit of prepping. But I assure you, you will have the best and most memorable party of the season.

The recipe below is a perfect small food with big flavor party food that can be prepped in stages. When your guests arrive open a bottle of wine, get them in kitchen and get started.

Prep in stages depending on how involved you want to get your guests.

1). Prep raw ingredients ahead of time. When guests arrive prepare the entire dish together. This works great if it is simple assemble only dishes.

2). Get the dish set up in phases, like the risotto cake below. Have the risotto cooked and cooled. When guest arrived have ingredients for the sauce ready and have them put it together while other guests are forming and cooking the cakes.

Regardless if you or your guests prepare these crawfish risotto cakes they are always a big hit.

For more great recipes and where to buy Chef Troy’s spices and cookbook visit www.cheftroy.net

Watch Chef Troy on Fox Charlotte’s - Fox News Rising morning show each and every Tuesday from 7-9 am. To contact Chef Troy email him at cheftroy@windstream.net

Crawfish Risotto Cakes w/ Roasted Garlic Cream

Makes approximately 15 Four inch cakes

Risotto Cakes:

· 1/4 Stick-Unsalted Butter

· 1/8 Cup-Olive Oil

· 1/4 Cup-White Onion-small dice

· 2 Each-Garlic Cloves-fine diced

· 1 Pound-Aborio Rice

· 1 Each-Lemon- juice of

· 2 Cups-White Wine

· 8 Cups-Chicken Stock-warm

· 1 Tablespoon-Kosher Salt

· 1 Teaspoon-Black Pepper

· 1 Pound-Crawfish Tail Meat-cooked

· 2 Cups-Panko Bread Crumbs

Melt butter with olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent; do not burn garlic. Add rice, stirring frequently, to lightly toast; about 5 minutes.

Turn heat to medium high, add lemon juice and wine, stir to incorporate. Once most of the wine and lemon juice have been absorbed start adding chicken stock a ladle at a time. Stir until most of liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until all the stock has been incorporated into the rice. When adding the last ladle remove from heat.

Add salt, pepper and crawfish; stir to incorporate. Remove risotto from the pan, place on a sheet tray and cool in the refrigerator. Try to keep in a thin layer to help cool the risotto as quickly as possible. Make sauce while cooling.

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce:

· 2 Ounces-Unsalted Butter

· 1 Ounce-Onion-fine chopped

· 1 Head-Roasted Garlic-see recipe below

· 2 Ounces-White Wine

· 1 Teaspoon-Kosher Salt

· ∏ Teaspoon-Black Pepper

· 2 Cups-Heavy Whipping Cream

Melt butter in stock pot, add the onion and cook until onion becomes translucent; about 5 minutes.

Add roasted garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat up slightly, add wine, stirring frequently cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cream and stir to incorporate.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat down and cook until sauce starts to thicken. Keep sauce warm over lowest heat setting or use immediately.

Finish Risotto Cakes:

Remove risotto from refrigerator, shape risotto into cakes about a 3”/4” diameter and about 1 ∏” thick. Cakes should be round in shape with top and bottom flat, not rounded.

Coat top and bottom of cakes with bread crumbs, without touching the sides.

Heat a large sauté pan to medium high heat and add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Begin adding the cakes trying not to over crowd the pan. Doing so will lower the heat of the pan too quick and the cakes won’t crisp up properly.

Cook risotto cakes until golden brown on both sides about 3 to 4 minutes per side, drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray.

Place on a serving platter or individual plates and top with roasted garlic cream sauce.

Roasted Garlic:

Cut the about a 1/4 inch of the top (non-root end) of the garlic, add a splash of wine or water in the bottom of an oven safe dish (with lid) or double lined aluminum foil. Add garlic, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place top on dish or close foil to seal. Place in oven and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until garlic can be squeezed out of skin.

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