My pick for New Year’s Eve is a dinner built around 1 good protein: scallops, a steak, a roast or a whole fish. The dishes are sorted by timing, from 30 minute sears to braises made a day ahead, plus pasta and risotto. Most serve 2 to 4. Add a salad and dinner is done.
Seared in under 30 minutes
Seared Scallops with Brown Butter
Dry sea scallops sear in a very hot pan for about 2 minutes per side until a deep crust forms. Pat them completely dry first or they steam instead of browning. Finish them with brown butter, lemon and parsley. I pick scallops for New Year’s because they are almost pure protein with very little fat.
Scallops in Herb Sauce
Seared scallops sit on a bright green sauce of parsley, basil, garlic and olive oil. Blend the sauce ahead and keep it cold so it stays green. Spoon it on the plate first, then set the scallops on top. Crusty bread is a must for me with that sauce.
Pepper Crusted Steak
Coarsely cracked peppercorns press into a strip steak or filet before it hits a hot cast iron pan. Sear it about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. A quick pan sauce of brandy and cream finishes it. I rest it 5 minutes before slicing.
Steak Frites
A seared hanger or strip steak with crisp fries and garlic butter is the bistro classic. Bake frozen fries while the steak cooks to keep it to 1 pan on the stove. Slice the steak against the grain. I add a green salad on the side to balance it.
A single thick bone-in ribeye, seared and basted with butter, garlic and thyme, then sliced to share. Sear it hard, then finish it in a 400°F oven. Pull it at 130°F for medium rare. I serve it on a board with flaky salt.
Seared Ahi Tuna
Sesame-crusted ahi sears for about 1 minute per side so the center stays rare. Slice it thin and serve it with a soy, ginger and scallion sauce. Buy sushi-grade tuna for this. I like it as a very lean, high-protein main.
Pan-Seared Sea Bass
Skin-on sea bass sears skin side down until crisp, then flips for a final minute. Press the fillet flat with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the skin does not curl. Cook it to the 145°F that FSIS lists for fish. My plate for this is a root vegetable puree underneath.
Lamb Chops
Frenched lamb rib chops season with garlic, rosemary and lemon, then sear for about 3 minutes per side. They cook fast and look elegant on the plate. Serve 3 chops per person. I serve them with a mint yogurt sauce for protein and freshness.
Roasted while you get ready
Lemon Roast Chicken
A whole chicken roasts with halved lemons, garlic and thyme in the cavity. Put it in the oven, then get dressed. It needs about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 425°F and should reach 165°F in the thigh, per FSIS. I carve it at the table.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin gets butterflied, stuffed with spinach, feta and sun-dried tomato, then tied and roasted. It cooks in about 25 minutes at 425°F. I like tenderloin because it is one of the leanest cuts of pork. Rest it before slicing so the filling holds.
Roast Pheasant
Pheasant is leaner than chicken, so it needs bacon or butter over the breast while it roasts. Roast it at 425°F for about 45 minutes. Baste it every 15 minutes. A red wine and berry sauce is how I finish it.
Prime Rib for a Small Table
A 2 rib roast feeds 4 and fits in any oven. Season it the night before and roast it at 325°F. Glazed carrots can roast on the rack below. I let it rest 20 minutes while I finish the sides.
Broiled Lobster Tails
Split lobster tails broil in about 8 minutes with garlic butter brushed on top. Cut down the back of the shell and lift the meat to sit on top. If the tails are frozen, thaw them in the fridge or in cold water, never on the counter, as the CDC advises. I serve them with lemon and melted butter.
Rack of Lamb
A rack of lamb with a Dijon and herb crust roasts in about 20 minutes at 425°F. Sear the fat side first for color. Rest it, then slice between the bones. I count 1 rack per 2 people.
Whole Roasted Branzino
A whole branzino stuffed with lemon, garlic and herbs roasts in about 20 minutes at 425°F. Score the skin so it cooks evenly. The fish lifts off the bone in clean pieces when done. Olive oil and capers are all I put on it.
Braised or baked a day ahead
Veal Parmesan
Thin veal cutlets get breaded, pan-fried and baked under marinara and mozzarella. Bread and fry them a day ahead, then bake them right before dinner. Serve them over spaghetti or with a green salad. I use chicken cutlets the same way when veal is hard to find.
Coq au Vin
Chicken thighs braise in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions until tender. It tastes better the next day. Reheat it gently on the stove. Mashed potatoes are my pick to catch the sauce.
Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder
Pork shoulder roasts low at 300°F for about 5 hours until it slices tender. Rub it with garlic, fennel and salt the night before. It reheats well, so cook it the day before. Roasted potatoes are what I would put next to it.
Seafood Paella
Saffron rice cooks in a wide pan with shrimp, mussels, chorizo and peas. Prep the sofrito and stock a day ahead, then cook the rice in about 30 minutes on the night. Do not stir once the rice is in so the bottom crisps. I bring it to the table straight from the pan.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken cutlets sear, then simmer in a mushroom and Marsala wine sauce. Make the sauce a day ahead and finish the chicken in it on the night. I use chicken breast to keep it lean. Serve it over egg noodles.
Beef Wellington
Beef tenderloin wraps in mushroom duxelles and prosciutto inside puff pastry. Assemble it a day ahead and refrigerate it so the pastry stays firm. Bake it at 425°F until golden. I rest it 10 minutes before slicing.
Pasta, risotto and gnocchi
Butternut Squash Risotto
Arborio rice cooks with roasted butternut squash, sage and Parmesan until creamy. The pressure cooker does it in 6 minutes without stirring. Stir in Parmesan and butter at the end. I top it with seared scallops or shrimp for protein.
Scallop Risotto
A classic Parmesan risotto topped with seared scallops. Make the risotto first, then sear the scallops in the last 5 minutes. Stir the rice often and add hot stock a ladle at a time. I finish it with lemon zest.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Potato gnocchi tossed with roasted squash, brown butter and sage. Brown the gnocchi in the pan for a crisp outside. I add crumbled sausage for more protein. Parmesan finishes it.
Lobster Ravioli
Store-bought lobster ravioli goes into a light tomato cream sauce. It cooks in about 5 minutes. I add a few pieces of shrimp to the sauce for more protein. Fresh basil on top finishes it.
Shrimp Scampi Linguine
Shrimp cooks in garlic, butter, white wine and lemon, then gets tossed with linguine. The shrimp take about 3 minutes. Save some pasta water to loosen the sauce. I add red pepper flakes for heat.
Mushroom Risotto
Mixed mushrooms browned in butter fold into a Parmesan risotto. Dried porcini soaked in hot water add depth, and their soaking liquid goes into the stock. It takes about 25 minutes of stirring. I add a drizzle of truffle oil for the occasion.
Crab Linguine
Lump crab meat, garlic, chile, lemon and parsley toss with linguine and olive oil. Add the crab at the very end so it stays in chunks. I like crab here because it is lean and high in protein. Serve it with a glass of white wine.
