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Watch Our Spring Dinner Party
with Chef Miguel Chang
How to bring a seasonal dinner party together complete with choosing
the right floral arrangements, appetizers, wines, and main courses.
IT'S DINNER PARTY TIME...
Watch Our Spring Dinner Party with Chef Miguel Chang
Spring is in full bloom and Chef Miguel Chang recently created an unforgettable multi-course dinner for his friends in Los Angeles.
As the season shifts to brighter weather from the grays of winter, the idea of entertaining becomes more and more appealing for all of us.
Check Out Miguel Chang’s Spring Dinner Party: Food, Wine, and Flowers
Chef Miguel shows you how to bring a seasonal dinner party together complete with choosing the right floral arrangements, appetizers, wines, and main courses.
Check out how Miguel skillfully created this unforgettable evening filled with out-of-this-world food and amazing wine.
So who’s who at this dinner party?
Miguel is a well-known private chef who made this delicious feast at the home of Susan Feldman in Los Angeles.
Susan is the Co-Founder of the high-end home decor site One King’s Lane.
She’s also the Founder and CEO of In the Groove, a website dedicated to women over the age of 50. In the Groove’s mission is to inspire women to own their age and style.
Susan and her husband Bob graciously hosted an amazing dinner for some of their closest friends.
The Public Market team had a great time meeting this dynamic group of people. And last but certainly not least, we loved meeting her adorable dog Ruby!
Special thanks to Alessandro Berselli Wines for providing the delicious wine for this evening.
Plus get the menu Miguel made, along with the recipes that are especially tailored for the spring and summer months, but these incredible dishes can easily be made all year long!
Spring Dinner Menu & Recipe Ideas
Miguel Chang’s Spring Dinner Party Recipes
Menu
Appetizers
Deviled Eggs
Shrimp Toast
Mini Matzo Ball Shooters
Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
Tuna Mochi Canapés
Main Dishes
Roasted Chicken Au Jus
Kabayaki Short Ribs
Sides
Potato Kugel
Bitter Green Salad
Grilled Spring Vegetables
Dessert
Berry Pavlova
With Sweetened Whipped Cream or Pastry Cream
Spring Dinner Appetizer Recipes
Deviled Eggs
Makes 12 canapés
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8-15 minutes
Ingredients
-Miso (lighter or white miso preferred)
– For Canape Size: 12 hard boiled quail eggs (white part only, do not use quail yolks)
+ yolks from 6 chicken eggs for the filling
– For Classic Size: 6 hard boiled chicken eggs
– 3 tbsp. cup Kewpie Mayonnaise (can be purchased at Japanese food markets)
Directions
Poach eggs until hard boiled. Miguel uses chicken egg yolks even when making quail egg white size canapés because they are less gamey..
Shock eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Cut eggs in half and blend yolks with mayonnaise and miso to taste. For the 6 egg yolks, start with 1/2 Tablespoon of miso. Put the yolk mixture in a plastic bag and cut the tip to pipe onto egg white base. Salt & pepper. Garnish with ikura aka salmon roe or your favorite caviar, if desired.
Shrimp Toast
Makes 20-25 Canapés
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Ingredients
-1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp (16/20s preferred)
-1 bunch scallions
– 2 tbsp.sesame oil (optional)
– 2 egg whites
-1 tbsp corn or potato starch
-1 tbsp regular soy sauce
– ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper
Optional
– ½ cup toasted sesame seeds. Toast seeds at 350 degrees for 5 minutes on a baking sheet in the oven or in a pan on the stove on a medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking the pan the whole time.
Directions
Blend half the shrimp, once peeled, in the food processor until fully processed.
Hand chop the second half of the shrimp until it is the size of peas. You can start with a couple 1-2 second pulses in the food processor.
Rough chop scallions and process until creamy.
Mix both shrimp mixes and scallions with starch, soy and sesame oil and shape into a log. Freeze.
Once frozen, cut 1/4 inch disks and pan fry in hot vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes on each side. Dust in toasted sesame seeds.
Mini Matzo Ball Shooters
Makes 20 Mini Matzo Balls
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: at least 6 hours
Part 1: Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
-2 Quart Homemade chicken stock
-(For stock, use roasted chicken bones and meat, bake chicken/bones in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Miguel’s favorite is to use chicken backs. However, you can use whatever chicken/bones you have left over).
-2 celery stalks, rough chopped
-1 medium carrot, rough chopped
-1 medium onion rough chopped in 4 pieces
-1 head of garlic, cut in half (optional)
-3 quarts water(boils down to about 2 quarts of stock)
-Cook for 6-8 hours on very low heat until bones are brittle
-2 celery stalks, rough chopped
-1 medium carrot, rough chopped
-1 medium onion rough chopped in 4 pieces
-1 head of garlic, cut in half (optional)
-3 quarts water(boils down to about 2 quarts of stock)
-Cook for 6-8 hours on very low heat until bones are brittle
Part 2: Matzo Balls
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
-4 large eggs
-¼ cup schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) from whole chicken or ¼ cup coconut oil or ¼ cup vegetable oil (use Kosher Oil for Passover)
-¼ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
-1 cup matzo meal
-2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
-1 teaspoon salt, more for cooking
Optional
-1/8 teaspoon baking powder and/or splash of seltzer/club soda
Directions
Separate eggs and whip whites to stiff peaks. Mix yolks with a schmaltz, matzo meal and ¼ cup of chicken stock .
Fold in whipped egg whites. Make sure everything is well incorporated.
Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon baking powder and/or splash of seltzer/club soda if you want extra fluffy matzo balls.
To make the matzo balls even fluffier, replace 1/8 cup chicken stock with 1/8 cup of seltzer or club soda. Mix into batter. Add one tsp baking powder to batter. Mix.
Shape matzo balls with wet hands into desired shape. They will increase in size as you cook them. Simmer gently in chicken stock for 30-40 minutes.
Serve with stock and topped with parsley. Add carrots if desired. Top with finely chopped parsley.
Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
Makes about 7 lamb chops
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients
-Rack of lamb (2-3 lbs.)
-1 tbsp kosher salt
-½ tbsp black pepper
For Chimichurri
– 3 bunches mint, parsley, thyme
-1-2 cloves garlic
-1 medium shallot
-1/3 cup Sherry vinegar
-1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
-1 cup of your favorite oil (such as vegetable, olive oil, grapeseed or avocado)
Optional
-Pinch of red pepper flakes
Directions
Salt and pepper lamb chops liberally and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Preheat the grill, cast iron skillet or pan until very hot and water drops dance around vigorously.
Rub the rack of lamb with oil (use oil suitable for high heat, such as vegetable oil, but not olive oil here). Sear all sides of the rack of lamb about 2 min per side and put on a baking sheet. Serve rare (110 degrees internal temperature with meat thermometer), medium rare (120 degrees internal temperature or put in the oven about another 3-7 minutes) or medium well (145 degrees internal temperature or put in the oven for another 3-7 minutes).
Serve with lamb on top of chimichurri or use chimichurri as a dip.
Mint Chimichurri
Mince shallot and garlic.Take a few bunches of your favorite herbs (does NOT have to be mint) and pulse process or chop until minced, then add it to the garlic and shallots.
Pour Sherry vinegar over minced garlic and shallots.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Mix in mustard.
Add chopped herbs and sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pour in oil and whisk until combined. It is best fresh, but lasts up to a week in the refrigerator.
Tuna Mochi Canapés
Serves about 25
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
-1 filet of best quality tuna
– Mochi shell (fresh, frozen or dehydrated) packaged individually in plastic
-1 avocado, smashed
Kabayaki Sauce
Ingredients
-1/2 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
-1/2 cup sake, if you can’t get both mirin and sake, then one cup of either one is fine (mirin OR sake). If you’re using only sake, then add an additional 2 tbsp sugar
-1 cup regular or low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
-1/2 cup sugar
Directions
For Kabayaki marinade, combine mirin, sake, soy sauce & sugar (grate in 2-3 garlic cloves & about 1 tbsp. ginger) in a saucepan and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Take 1 cup of it and add a splash of rice wine vinegar, plus 2 tsp. sriracha.
Tuna Mochi Directions
Break mochi into 1/2″ pieces. Bake on a sheet tray with enough room between them to expand (at least 2″.) 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. The mochi is done when it is toasted light brown and has stopped growing.
Remove once fully puffed and dry.
Break in half and use most hollow pieces for canapé.
While waiting for mochi to puff, chop tuna into 1/2″ pieces.
Dip tuna in marinade and let marinate for up to 4 minutes.
Put a tiny scoop full of avocado in a mochi shell and add marinated tuna.
Top with shredded nori (shredded seaweed) and serve immediately. Mochi degrades quickly once cooked so the fresher, the better.
Spring Dinner Main Dish Recipes
Roast Chicken Breast Au Jus
Serves 2-4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Breast Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
Jus cook time: about 2 hours per quart
Ingredients
-2 bone-in chicken breasts
– 4 quarts homemade chicken stock
-2 tsp kosher salt & 1 tsp pepper
Optional
-unsalted butter
Directions
Gently loosen skin from flesh and generously salt & pepper chicken. Let sit for at least 45 minutes or overnight.
Optional, Place a pat of butter in between skin and flesh.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat the grill or pan until very hot. Place chicken skin side down for about 4 minutes. Then flip and cook in the oven or close the grill until the thermometer inserted into the chicken breast reads 155 degrees F (it should carry over to 160 degrees F) and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Chicken skin should be crispy and meat tender. Cooking time varies depending on size but it should take between 15-25 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
For the jus, reduce homemade chicken stock to a low boil until it’s a thick syrup.
The bones from 1 chicken yields one quart of rich stock. Takes hours depending on how much.
3 quarts yields about 1 cup of jus which should be enough for this recipe.
Kabayaki Short Ribs
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3.5 hours (if you cook during day) or 8 hours (if you cook overnight)
Ingredients
-3.5-4 lbs short ribs, ask your butcher for a brick cut, not Korean style
-1/2 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
-1/2 cup sake, if you can’t get both mirin and sake, then one cup of either one is fine (mirin OR sake). If you’re using only sake, then add an additional 2 tbsp sugar
-1 cup regular or low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
-1/2 cup sugar
Add these vegetables:
-1 medium onion
-2 medium rough chopped carrot
-2 stalks ½ inch pieces celery
-2 cloves smashed or minced or pressed garlic
-1 tbsp. fresh ginger
(Miguel often adds napa cabbage and zucchini to it, but you can add whatever vegetables you like. Other favorites are pumpkin, eggplant, and bok choy).
Directions
For Kabayaki marinade, combine mirin, sake, soy sauce & sugar (grate in 2-3 garlic cloves & about 1 tbsp. ginger) in a saucepan and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and marinate in fridge short ribs for at least 6 hours.
Pat dry ribs. In a heavy bottom Dutch oven sear ribs on all sides for 2 minutes per side until browned. Add marinade and mirepoix (vegetable mixture) and chicken stock or water to the top level of ribs.
In dutch oven put ribs bone side down, fat side up
Cover & cook in a 200 F degree oven overnight or at 300 F degrees for about 3-4 hours but continue to add water as needed. Water line should be just above ribs.
Take out of the oven, separate the fat. You can do like this: Cool down completely and then refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours. Longer is okay too.
Once fat has coagulated, remove it with a spoon. Or use a fat separator, or spoon off with a ladle.
Reheat on the stovetop in the Dutch oven. Cover for 5-10 minutes on medium heat.
To reduce the sauce, bring up to boil.
Cool short ribs in their juices and fat, no matter what you do. Don’t take the ribs out of their juices.
Spring Dinner Side Dish Recipes
Compressed Potato Kugel
Serves 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 3.5 hours
Ingredients
-5 lbs medium starch potatoes (like Yukon Gold or Kennebec)
-1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp.vegetable oil or duck fat
-1 tbsp kosher salt to taste
Directions
Peel and slice potatoes. 1/8″ thick into a large baking dish lined with parchment that hangs over sides by 2″ for easy removal later.
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp.kosher salt
Pour oil or duck fat over and toss, then layer in a baking 9 x 13 dish.
Use parchment handles to remove from the dish.
Portion potatoes by cutting squares and deep fry in at least an inch of oil at 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Then bake at 400 for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven.
Cover with more parchment and weigh down with foil covered bricks or something equally heavy like a saucepan or cast iron skillet, using a cutting board to equally distribute weight.
Cool potatoes.
Let sit overnight in the fridge.
Reheat on a sheet tray in a 375 F degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Bitter Green Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
-Fresh market greens or whatever lettuce you like
(One hearty handful of greens per person)
-Sherry vinaigrette
-1 small shallot, minced
-1/3 cup Sherry vinegar
-1 cup oil (your choice)
-1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
-½ tsp kosher Salt & large pinch of black pepper
Steep shallot in vinegar until it turns translucent to maximize flavor extraction for at least 10 minutes before you add oil.
Directions
Wash and dry greens.
For dressing, finely dice shallot and steep in vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon other salt for at least 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon and whisk in oil until emulsified. Adjust salt, pepper & mustard to your personal taste.
Grilled Spring Vegetables
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
Directions
Preheat the grill to medium high. Salt vegetables and let stand salted for at least 30 minutes.
Brush with olive oil (or whatever oil you like) and grill to desired texture. Serve with your favorite dressing.
Use whatever vegetables you like; some of Miguel’s favorites are onions, zucchini, bok choy, bell peppers, cabbage,and avocado.
Salt and pepper to taste. After you salt the vegetables, you may see water beads on them. That means it is time to grill them. Bok choy doesn’t need to be salted.
Chop everything in half, except for the peppers, grill them whole.
Once the peppers are charred, cool and peel skin off with your hands.
Cook 2-5 minutes for onions, zucchini, bok choy, peppers, cabbage,and avocado.
Cook 5-10 minutes for eggplant, cabbage, mushrooms, asparagus, and fresh corn on the cob
Spring Dinner Dessert Recipe
Mixed Berry Pavlova
This recipe below makes one meringue.
Repeat the meringue recipe below to make a second meringue, one for the top and one for the bottom, with the berries and whipped cream or pastry cream would be in the middle.
Serves: 6
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 minutes
Inactive time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hrs. 30 minutes
Ingredients
-4 extra large egg whites, at room temperature
-1 Pinches kosher salt
-1 cup sugar
-2 tsp. cornstarch
-1 tsp.white wine vinegar
-½ tsp.pure vanilla extract
-1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, divided
-1 pint fresh blueberries, divided
-1 pint fresh raspberries, divided
Sweetened Whipped Cream
-1 cup of cold heavy cream
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions for Meringue
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Repeat Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won’t get a pencil mark on the meringue).
Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula.
Pile meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it with a spatula, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss about 1 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly.
Directions for Sweetened Whipped Cream
Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don’t overbeat!
Yield: 1 cup
Alternatively, you can make pastry cream if you have more time.
Pastry Cream
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Active: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hrs. 25 minutes (includes chilling time)
Ingredients
-2 cups whole milk
-¼ teaspoon kosher salt
-½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
-½ cup sugar
-¼ cup cornstarch
-4 large egg yolks
-2 tbsp. Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
Directions
Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean or vanilla extract and seeds and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about ½ cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding ½ cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sleeve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.
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