Dinner is Served!

Ok, I'm a bit backed up on my blogging here, so I figure I will post these notes roughly as things were coming out. I just hope that I can remember how things happened....

Anyway, dinner was served in such a ceremonious manner. The beef wellington looked beyond fantastic, and the chicken was no different. Dave finished up the Stuffed Pears right in time, and we served up a beautiful plate.

Clockwise from Upper Left: Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears with Pancetta Crisps and Spinach, Classic Beef Wellington, Yogurt Marinated Roast Chicken

The best way to describe this dinner was the way we ate it: one bite at a time. First, the Beef Wellington was cooked perfectly. It came out a beautiful medium-rare. The pate and duxelles wrapped up inside the crepe and puff pastry with the wellington really set it off. And the madeira sauce? Wow, fantastic! Believe me, there is definitely a difference between making your own stock and buying out of a box or can.
Now, the chicken should not be jealous, as it was delicious in its own right. I can't help but think it was the marinade that made this perhaps the juiciest chicken I have ever tasted. Seriously, forget what you've tried before -- look up this recipe, you'll be amazed!

Lastly, that stuffed pear - WOW! Now, one of our ground rules was that we were not going to double any recipes, and that means with recipes that only served 4, we would divide up those portions among the 11 or 12 of us (we had a varying number throughout the weekend). So, when this recipe only made 4 pear halves, that means I only got 1/3 of a pear half. That's OK though, as believe me, my wellington slice was enough to feed a small family. Anyway, back to that pear. Lets just rattle off the title of that recipe again: Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears with Pancetta Crisps and Baby Spinach. The recipe actually called for mache instead of spinach, but I was unable to find it from several different grocers, and figured baby spinach would be my best bet to replace it. It definitely worked well, but to be honest, nothing could have reduced the deliciousness of this dish.

With dinner over, it is time to move on to a few more desserts though!