If you want to see 2020 go up in flames, start with these recipes

Some say fire is, in part, what makes us human: Unlike animals, we evolved to cook our food before consuming it. That may be one reason we are uniquely attracted to fire, a source of warmth and light that can be destructive and calming, dangerous and mystical. Its capacity to transform food, rendering it tender or burnt, smoky or crisp, has kept us alive and delighted since the beginning of time.

So it’s no wonder that fireworks light up the sky to mark each passing year, and in many cultures the cycles of the sun and moon are celebrated with actual flames.

Though fire is used to cook celebratory dishes, food is rarely set on fire specifically for the new year. But plenty of traditional dishes (and drinks) are set aflame or torched. This is mostly for spectacle — after all, who isn’t delighted by the grill tricks at Benihana, a tableside skillet of bananas Foster engulfed by leaping flames or a strong, sweet cocktail set ablaze?

With the help of high-proof alcohol — it’s primarily the alcohol’s vapors, not the liquid, that’s catches fire — almost any food can be ignited, and that fire can add a light char and pleasantly smoky flavor to the finished dish.

So, I’m suggesting we start new traditions this year: Let’s light our New Year’s Eve meal on fire. It could be a steak Diane or lobster à l’américaine or cherries jubilee or crepes suzette. It could come from the quick, lightning-hot fire of a wok or the sustained, dancing heat of a grill or the laserlike flame of a torch.

Setting food on fire is quicker and easier than you might think, and it’s exactly the kind of dramatic distraction and pyre-like ceremony we need now.

Especially this year, there’s a desire to burn it all to the ground. In 2018, Merriam-Webster added “dumpster fire” to its entries, defining it as “an utterly calamitous or mismanaged situation or occurrence.” The term had been in popular use for a few years, perhaps one-upping “hot garbage,” but GIFs and memes depicting a dumpster engulfed by flames helped spread the evocative image. It may be tempting to call 2020 a(nother) dumpster fire of a year. But we need more than a stinky blank slate.

Though we can’t look forward to the same parties or crowded gatherings as in years past, we can still mark the occasion with food and fire. That was what I had in mind when writing new recipes for a small New Year’s Eve meal: saffron shrimp flambé, a play on French and Cajun shrimp dishes, and a baked Alaska that you can bake, torch or light entirely on fire.

The danger of fire is, for some, part of the thrill, and these recipes will guide you through the process, but a word of caution: Before you set a dish on fire, have a pot lid handy for quickly putting out excess flames, clearance overhead, and long matches or a safety lighter, and never pour alcohol into a dish directly from the bottle “lest you create an inadvertent molotov cocktail,” as Kat Kinsman wrote in a helpful howto a few years ago.

Take all the necessary precautions, or skip the flames if you would rather watch your fire sparkle up the sky. Either way, may the meal help light your way into a healthful, peaceful and hopeful 2021.

Saffron Shrimp Flambe

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes

4 servings

With a bit of strong alcohol, virtually any dish can be set on

fire. For this flambé, plump shrimp are quickly simmered in a fragrant tomato-saffron sauce. A minced shallot perks up the sweetness of the shellfish and butter ensures the silky sauce clings to every bite. Cognac adds a warming note at the end, and allows you to light the dish aflame. Served with crusty bread, over rice or even mashed potatoes, the dish makes a hearty appetizer or main course.

Look for wild-caught domestic shrimp that have been eco-certified by an organization such as the Marine Stewardship Council, whose mission is to promote sustainable seafood and healthy oceans. Fishmongers and good supermarkets will be able to tell you where their shrimp comes from and how it’s harvested. Feel free to use shell-on or tail-on shrimp for a more hands-on affair.

Finally, a few things to keep in mind if you plan on flambéing: Setting food ablaze is an exciting affair, but it must be approached with caution, whether you’ve done it a hundred times or never before. Make sure to leave space for the flames above and around the dish; keep long hair and drapy clothing tucked away.

Pour the alcohol into a heatresistant cup before adding it to the dish; it’s much safer if you don’t pour it in directly from the bottle. Keep a pot lid handy — you can use it to cover the pan in case you want to quickly put the fire out.

If you’re not a fan of booze or fire you can skip both. With or without the flames, the smell of saffron, warm and seductive, will fill your home.

Storage notes: Leftovers may be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 day.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons canola or other

neutral oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 pound peeled, deveined white shrimp (about 20 large), thawed if frozen

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black

pepper

2 pinches saffron, divided 3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup water or white wine

1/4 cup (2 ounces) cognac or brandy

(optional)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at

room temperature

3 tablespoons chopped fresh

parsley leaves, preferably curly Crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large cast-iron or heavybottomed skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan, nudging them into a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 pinch of saffron on top of the shrimp and cook until they are just beginning to blush, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, flip the shrimp and cook until pink and completely opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water or wine, forming a sauce with the tomato paste.

To flambé: Remove the skillet from the heat. Have a lid or pot cover handy to douse flames if necessary. Pour the cognac or brandy into a small cup and then pour it over the shrimp. Return the skillet to low heat. (Never pour the alcohol directly into a hot pan from the bottle.)

Using a long-handled lighter, carefully set the alcohol aflame. Allow the flames to die down. Stir in the butter and the remaining saffron, allowing the butter to melt completely. Sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot, with bread.

Nutrition | Calories: 263; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Cholesterol: 165 mg; Sodium: 860 mg; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 1.3 g; Protein: 16 g.

Baked Alaska

Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 3 hours 50 minutes

4 to 6 servings

The queen of ice cream cakes, baked Alaska is an extravaganza. The oh-so-sweet dessert also has an impressive backstory.

Though its American namesake is the 49th state, desserts combining ice cream and meringue were in vogue years before baked Alaska was born. They were inspired by an 18th century scientific discovery that demonstrated how the air trapped in whipped egg whites could insulate ice cream from the heat of an oven or live flame.

Pastry chefs heard the news, and it wasn't long before fashionable restaurants in Europe and the United States were serving baked or flambéed ice cream desserts, allowing diners to experience warm and toasty meringue and frozen ice cream in the same bite. A spectacle when flamed tableside, its popularity has never really waned. And, it’s much easier to make than it looks.

Ice cream, packed into a bowl, is set on a bed of soft cake and under a fluffy blanket of meringue. You could make the ice cream, but buying it is so much quicker. We're suggesting vanilla and chocolate, with bright red candied cherries in between, but use whatever flavors of ice cream or sorbet you like. Pistachio ice cream and raspberry sorbet would make a vibrant combination, as would: chocolate fudge and Cherry Garcia, peanut butter cookie and coconut, peppermint chip and cocoa sorbet, orange sorbet and vanilla ice cream or a spumoni-like swirl of whatever flavors you have in your freezer right now.

You could buy an angel food cake from the grocery store, though a single, short layer of sponge cake can be mixed and baked in minutes. The meringue requires an electric mixer — a whisk, bowl and a whole lot of stamina works too, though I don’t recommend it — but it, too, doesn’t take much time.

Then, there’s the matter of baking the Alaska. As its name implies, the meringue-covered ice cream is traditionally browned in a hot oven. But if you have a propane torch, it makes quick work of toasting the sweet meringue cloud. Finally, with a healthy dose

of pluck and high-proof alcohol, you can set the whole dessert on fire. It’s entirely unnecessary, but ending a night in a blaze of glory can be a whole lot of fun.

Though this recipe is designed to serve a smaller crowd, it’s easily doubled — use a 3-quart bowl to serve 12 to 18 people.

Make ahead: The ice cream bombe can be assembled and frozen for up to 1 week.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ICE CREAM FILLING

2 pints vanilla ice cream, or another

flavor of your choice

8 maraschino cherries, pitted,

stemmed and halved (optional) 1 pint chocolate ice cream, or

another flavor of your choice

FOR THE CAKE

Softened, unsalted butter, for

greasing the pan

2 large eggs, cold

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated

sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose

flour, sifted

FOR THE MERINGUE

4 large (120 grams) egg whites 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (220

grams) granulated sugar

FOR THE FLAMES

1/4 to 1/2 cup (2 to 4 ounces/60 to 120 milliliters) 80-proof (40% alcohol by volume) spirit, such as orange-flavored vodka or white rum

DIRECTIONS

Line a 1 1/2-quart bowl, preferably metal, preferably about 7 inches tall with a 7-inch wide opening, with two layers of plastic wrap, enough to overhang all around by at least 3 inches. Place in the freezer.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let rest at room temperature until it is easy to scoop but not melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the freezer and, using a soup spoon, scoop the vanilla ice cream into the lined bowl, spreading it on the bottom and sides of the bowl, and pressing it lightly to form a smooth, even layer with a hollow center. Press the maraschino cherries, if using, sporadically into the vanilla ice cream. Fill the center with the chocolate ice cream, pressing lightly to pack the ice cream in fairly tightly. Cover with the plastic wrap overhang and return the bowl to the freezer.

Make the cake: While the bowl with the ice cream is firming up, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt on high speed until pale and very thick, 4 to 6 minutes. (If you are using a hand mixer, it may take a little longer.) Lower the mixer to medium-low and sprinkle in the flour. Mix for a few seconds, then stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour until smooth, taking care not to deflate the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden, and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Run a thin knife or spatula around the edge of the cake to loosen it; invert the cake onto a plate or cutting board and discard the parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Remove the ice cream bowl from the freezer, and use a small serrated knife to trim the cake to fit snugly over the layers of ice cream. Unwrap the ice cream layers, tuck the trimmed cake into the top, rewrap the ice cream bombe and return it to the freezer for 1 to 3 hours, or until solid, and up to 1 week.

Make the meringue: Approximately 15 minutes before serving, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until foamy and opaque, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and add the sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until it’s all added and meringue is glossy and stiff, 2 to 3 minutes.

To assemble: Remove the ice cream bombe from the freezer, use the plastic wrap overhang to help lift it out of the bowl, unwrap it and place it onto a heatproof plate or platter. Discard the plastic wrap. Using a spatula or spoon, spread a 1- to 2-inch thick layer of meringue all over the ice cream and cake, covering it completely. Or, using a piping bag, pipe stars, swoops or other designs over the ice cream, taking care to cover it well. Using a blowtorch with a medium flame, toast the meringue until lightly browned all over. You can serve the dessert as is, or light it on fire, too, if desired.

To light the dessert on fire instead of, or in addition to,

torching: In a small, long-handled saucepan over low heat, warm the alcohol just until you can smell its vapors, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Using a long lighter, set the alcohol on fire and immediately pour it carefully over the toasted meringue. The flame will toast the meringue slightly. Depending on how much alcohol you use, it may burn for 1 to 2 minutes. At any point, you can stop the flame by blowing it out.

VARIATION:

As an alternate method of toasting: Before taking the ice cream bombe out of the freezer, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees. Place the bombe, cake side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Make the meringue according to the instructions above, and use it to cover the ice cream completely; the meringue should be at least 1 inch thick all around. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until evenly toasted. Serve right away.

Nutrition (based on 6 servings) | Calories: 547; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 10 g; Cholesterol: 116 mg; Sodium: 302 mg; Carbohydrates: 87 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 75 g; Protein: 10 g

Scott Suchman / For The Washington Post Baked Alaska.

Scott Suchman / For The Washington Post Saffron Shrimp Flambe.