Halloween Recipes
For a delicious and seasonal Halloween meal, it’s smart to select recipes that appeal to an adult’s palate while still hinting at Halloween spookiness. Begin by considering what foods are traditionally associated with autumn. Pumpkins, squash, and duck come to mind, as do venison and herbs like cinnamon and cardamom. Then present those foods with either a subtle or overt Halloween tone, depending upon your taste.
Entrees
‘Duck Fillets with Cognac offer the rich flavor of autumn while the thin strips of potatoes used to top the dish subtly hint at Halloween creepy-crawlies. The dish takes only about an hour to prepare and uses common ingredients. For best results, use domestically raised duck. However, if you wish to try this dish with wild game, soak the duck fillets in milk overnight to help remove the duck’s gamey flavor.
Another good entrée choice is Beef Fillet with Red Wine – a classic combination. In this recipe by Michelin chef Vicomte et Vicomtesse de la Pano, beef medallions are served over sautéed spinach, then a blood-red sauce is poured over the whole.
Side Dishes
Risotto is a classic and easy-to-prepare accompaniment, and Michelin Chef Renato Piccolotto’s version features rosemary, parmesan cheese, and autumn pumpkin. This dish takes only 25 minutes to prepare and has four stars from Gourmandia’s readers. To make this dish wildly Halloween-ish, clean some carrot sticks and cut shallow notches on the end of each with a paring knife. Dab some cream cheese into the notches and press almond “fingernails” into them. Stick five of these “fingers” into the serving dish of risotto.
Another good seasonal side dish is Squash Soup with Goat Cheese Gnocchis. A deft blend of mushrooms (cepe, girolle, and trumpet of death), herbs, and winter squash, this soup is sure to please your most discriminating guests. For fun, sprinkle “eyeballs” (made of dried apple rings topped with a half a dried apricot, topped with half a raisin for the “pupil”) around each soup bowl’s saucer.
Dessert
Subtly round off the evening with easy-to-make Pumpkin Cappuccino, seasoned with garlic, and cardamom. Don’t fret if you don’t have special coffee making equipment. This drink is simple to make with just a blender and an electric mixer. To add Halloween pizazz, consider trimming the drink with spiders made from licorice, or pour cream on top of each drink in the shape of a spider’s web.
Chocolate is another great Halloween dessert choice. Try Chocolate Cookies with Molten Chocolate, which take just 20 minutes to prepare. This is a recipe even beginning chefs can create, containing just five common ingredients. For a more Halloween look, make some breadstick “bones” to add to the dessert plate. (Roll breadstick dough into cylinders, then cut a small slit on each end. Use more dough to make round, knobby, bone ends to add to the ends of the cylinders. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until golden.)
Or, for a more challenging dessert, try Chocolate Fondue Mousseline. This tall, molded dessert easily fits in with Halloween decor. For an even more Halloween-ish look, purchase sugar “eyeball” decorations and sprinkle them around the serving plate.
