The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A classy welcome for 2020
Ring in the new year with this festive and easy holiday menu.
For many, ringing in the new year surrounded by strangers wearing silly hats and getting tipsy on cheap bubbly seems more like a Fellini-esque nightmare than a celebration.
But if eschewing the crowds means staying at home, why not do it with friends? And why not cook up a New Year’s Eve dinner for them?
We asked Jeb Aldrich, the veteran executive chef at Tiny Lou’s, to help us come up with a menu that would be fittingly fun, but easy for home cooks to make ahead.
If you’re not familiar with Tiny Lou’s, it opened in Atlanta’s boutique Hotel Clermont in 2018, as part of a project that included the complete renovation of the landmark Clermont Motor Hotel on Ponce de Leon Avenue, and the preservation of the worldfamous Clermont Lounge in the basement.
The “swinging French-American brasserie” is named for Tiny Lou, a famed dancer of yesteryear, who performed in the old hotel’s Gypsy Room.
Aldrich sports a tattoo of Tiny Lou on his left forearm. And employing the philosophy of the French kitchen, his menu presents classics with plenty of style and playful elements.
With all that, we knew Aldrich was the man for the job. And he responded by putting together a festive meal with a starter, a main course, a dessert and a special punch.
Suitable for a plated first course or passed hors d’oeuvres, Crab Beignets are basically lump crabmeat mixed with brioche bread, Duke’s mayonnaise and seasonings, and fried to a delicate crisp.
“It’s a fritter, if you will, without the pate choux to make it easier for the home cook,” Aldrich said. “But the biggest thing about that recipe is not breaking up the crab. And you need to let it sit for at least 30 minutes, before frying the beignets in a shallow pan or a FryDaddy.”
Recently, Aldrich’s New England Shellfish Chowder was on the menu at Tiny Lou’s, warming a winter evening with the flavors and aromas of clams, heavy cream, Noilly Prat dry Vermouth and nutmeg.
“This New England-style chowder is a little lighter than the typical chowder, but it still has that hearty warm feeling to it,” Aldrich said. “It’s thickened with grated potatoes, which gives it a natural starch, and makes it gluten-free. The nutmeg is a bit holiday, and a little bit French, too.”
For dessert, Dark Chocolate Champagne Pot de Crème With Vanilla Chantilly and Macerated Blackberries is both elegant and surprisingly easy, though it needs to be made a day ahead.
“It’s a real classic,” Aldrich said. “It sounds harder than it actually is. It’s delicious, and oh, it’s easy to make, as well.”
Cranberry Countdown Punch is a food-friendly wine-based punch that can be consumed before, during or after dinner. And you could easily spike it with a little Champagne for a sparkling New Year’s toast.
“I didn’t want to do something too heavy or too boozy, because you’re pairing it with food,”
Aldrich said. “It’s light. It goes with the crab. It goes with the chowder. And it all works together.
“This dinner is fun. It’s shareable. It’s sort of come as you are. Everything holds well. And later, you can flash the beignets in the oven, reheat the chowder on the stove, and serve it again.”