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I'm the Barefoot Contessa.
I've just finished building this library,
and I thought, "I'm gonna give a cocktail party
for the fabulous team that worked on it."
I'm making three gorgeous platters
to set up on a food table in the library
so everyone can help themselves.
First, there's my twist on caponata.
Instead of eggplant,
I've made it with fig and fennel on a fabulous antipasto platter.
Tuscan mashed chickpeas
are surrounded by crusty country breads.
And last but not least,
there's an amazing platter of mussels
with spicy saffron mayonnaise.
Good food, great company, and a new library to celebrate --
this is gonna be fun!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Everybody's coming for cocktails in the library at 6:00,
so I've got to get started.
The first thing I'm gonna make is fig and fennel caponata.
It's gonna be the centerpiece of a fabulous antipasto.
So, what I've done is I've sautéed some red onions --
about 1 1/2 cups --
and 2 cups of fennel,
in a little bit of olive oil for about five to seven minutes,
until they're just tender but not browned.
Caponata's actually traditionally eggplant,
but I'm gonna do a variation on it with fig and fennel.
Okay, the next thing I need is garlic.
So, three cloves of garlic, and I've just sliced them.
Next thing is sherry vinegar -- about 1/3 of a cup.
Turn up the heat just a little bit.
The sherry vinegar's gonna really...
bring out all the flavors.
Fantastic. Ohh!
Love when vinegar hits the pan.
So, next thing is crushed tomatoes -- just about a cup.
This is a really complex dish.
All the flavors really balance well.
So, while that cooks away, I'm just gonna cut up the figs.
So, what I use is dried figs,
and they're Calimyrna figs, just like that.
They're absolutely delicious.
They have a little hard stem, so you want to cut that off
and discard it,
and then I'm just gonna dice it.
I love these figs 'cause they're really sweet,
and they're just delicious in caponata.
I think dried figs are really perfect for this.
Fresh figs I save for eating just the way they are.
And when figs are not in season,
I can make caponata all year long with dried figs.
Okay, that's perfect.
Just put them right in.
Actually, the nice thing about this dish
is the longer it sits,
the more the flavors really meld together.
Okay. 2 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
This is really sort of a sweet-and-sour thing,
which is really interesting.
Yeah.
And 2 tablespoons of capers, which give a vinegary thing,
along with the sherry vinegar.
You want them drained.
1/2 cup of green olives. I use Cerignola olives,
but you can really use whatever really good olives you like.
Mmm. They're delicious.
Just stir them all in.
Look how chunky this is.
It looks fantastic --
so many flavors and all Sicilian.
Next is 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest.
I'm just gonna do it right over the pan
so all the oils from the zest get into the dish.
How interesting is this? It's such a complex flavor.
Mmm. And the orange zest smells really good.
All right. So, just about 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest.
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
We want this really highly seasoned.
And 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Just let that simmer together
till all the vegetables are cooked,
all the flavors are melded.
So, now I'm just gonna turn the heat down
and let this simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes,
which is the perfect time to tell you
about the construction of my new library.
Six months ago, the library was just a work in progress.
It was a new room built onto a patio that already existed.
A lot of great people have done the most incredible job
transforming it into an amazing space.
I can't believe how it's turned out,
and I finally have a home for all my cookbooks.
Okay. The caponata's cooked away,
and now I just need some orange juice -- about 1/3 of a cup.
I'm just gonna do it right into the pan.
This just gives it a really nice, fresh flavor.
Mmm.
Smells great.
And it's great when you do it right into the pan.
You get the pulp in it, too, so even more flavor.
And I think it needs a little parsley.
So, about 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley.
I really use flat-leaf and curly parsley alternately,
but since this is Italian, I'm using Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Okay. About 3 tablespoons -- as much as you like.
Just stir that in.
And now comes the real test -- tasting it.
There are so many complex flavors.
You want to be sure they're really balanced
and also that there's enough salt and pepper
to really bring out the flavors.
Wow. That's amazing.
You really taste the fig, the fennel, tomato,
and it's gonna be so delicious.
So, I'm just gonna put this into a dish,
and it's gonna be all ready for the antipasto platter
I'm gonna make later.
I can't wait for everybody to show up.
Next, it's Tuscan mashed chickpeas
that are served on toasts.
Then there's an antipasto platter,
mussels with saffron mayonnaise,
and a perfect cocktail-party table to pull together.
Parties don't get much easier than this.
Cheers.
ALL: Cheers!
I'm having a cocktail party
to celebrate the completion of my new library,
and I've invited everybody that worked on it
to celebrate them and to say thank you.
I'm gonna make Tuscan mashed chickpeas,
and I'm putting them on bruschetta.
So, I've toasted the breads,
and what I did was olive oil, salt and pepper,
into the oven, 425, for about 10 minutes
until they're nicely browned,
and now I'm gonna make the chickpeas.
So, I'm gonna start with four 15-ounce cans of chickpeas.
That's a lot of chickpeas,
but there are a lot of people coming.
And I'm just gonna rinse them.
Just want to rinse them to get the starch out.
Okay. Into a food processor.
Let's see if I can get them all into the food processor
instead of all over the kitchen,
as I usually do.
Perfect.
I'm just gonna process them
until they're sort of coarsely pureed.
[ Processor grinds rhythmically ]
Yeah. Okay.
And a cup of chicken stock.
I always have homemade chicken stock,
but if you don't, you can use the canned.
But I prefer homemade.
Okay, let's give that...
So, I've got 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a big sauté pan.
And now I've got four tomatoes.
I've deseeded them and diced them,
and I'm just gonna cook them in the olive oil.
They just need to cook for about five minutes.
Okay, in goes the garlic,
and that just cooked for one minute, quickly.
So, I'm gonna use four cloves of chopped garlic.
It's gonna make a lot.
I'm gonna keep this party really easy --
12 people in the library.
I'm gonna set up a big table,
three big platters of food, all the drinks on one table.
Everybody can help themselves.
That means I can have fun at the party, too.
Okay, now, all these chickpeas are gonna just go right in
with the tomatoes and olive oil,
and they're gonna cook for about five minutes,
until they're nice and hot through,
and then I'm gonna add more good stuff.
Just mix it in -- tomatoes and chickpeas.
Then I'm gonna add Parmesan and parsley and lots of lemon juice.
Okay. Next, the parsley.
Okay. I need about 6 tablespoons of fresh parsley -- lots of it.
It'll give it nice color and also a fresh flavor.
Sometimes I do mashed chickpeas sort of like mashed potatoes.
It's a great side dish.
Okay. That's the parsley. Let's see.
This little guy's heated through beautifully.
Mmm. Smells great.
Time for the parsley.
Just put it right in.
Doesn't it look great?
Okay.
So, off the heat...
I'm gonna add some Parmesan cheese.
You want to turn off the heat
because you don't want the Parmesan
to stick to the pan or cook --
just to blend in.
Mmm. Doesn't this look good?
About 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Mmm. I love good Parmesan.
Fresh lemon juice.
I'm just gonna catch the seeds in my hand...
if I can. [ Chuckles ]
I think vinegar and lemon juice --
they're really important to give food like this an edge.
Okay. Now we need lots of salt and pepper --
4 teaspoons of salt...
...and 2 teaspoons of pepper.
You want to make sure it's really well seasoned.
It's really important to taste things as you go along
because ingredients taste different each time.
Think about summer tomatoes or winter tomatoes.
The only way to know if it's right is to taste it.
Mmm. You can really taste --
The chickpeas are delicious.
You can taste the Parmesan and the lemon juice.
Mmm! It's gonna be delicious on bruschetta.
So, I just need a plate and a bowl.
Instead of assembling them individually,
I'm gonna make a big platter,
and everybody can help themselves.
So, I think we'll just make a big bowl
of Tuscan mashed chickpeas.
It smells so good.
You really smell the garlic and lemon juice.
Right in the middle,
toasts around -- everybody can help themselves.
I like things like this.
It's earthy, it's elegant...
and it's gonna look fantastic on the food table.
I can't wait for everybody to arrive.
Not bad.
Next, I'm building a great antipasto platter,
I'm making mussels with saffron mayonnaise,
and setting a table --
all perfect for a party in the library.
I'm throwing a cocktail party in my new library,
and I've invited the guys who designed and built it.
And instead of doing, like, little things with finger food,
I thought, "I'm gonna make big platters
and just put them out and let everybody help themselves."
So much more fun and so much more casual.
So, what I'm doing is I'm gonna take a big platter
and make a big antipasto,
and I'll put the caponata right in the middle.
So, you can really choose whatever you like to put on it,
but I've got an assortment of all kinds of Italian things
that I think would be good.
The first is smoked mozzarella.
I think so often the contractors and the designers
get to build something but they never actually get to enjoy it,
so it's nice to invite them.
And I just adore them all, so it's gonna be fun, too.
So, smoked mozzarella --
If you can't find it, just fresh mozzarella's fine, too.
So, right on the platter.
Drizzle it with a little olive oil...
...and cracked pepper.
I love things that you can just assemble.
You don't have to actually do a lot of cooking.
How's that look?
Okay, the next thing's salami.
I've got a really good Italian salami.
It comes in paper to preserve it, but nobody needs to eat it.
Just be sure you pull it off.
I love spicy salamis,
and with the mozzarella, which is sort of very mild,
spicy salami's wonderful.
So, little diagonal slices, just like that.
As thinly as you can slice them.
Sharp knife always helps.
I have about 12 people coming --
the designers, the contractors, and their spouses.
Okay. So, that's the salami.
Let's see. I'm just gonna put this right here.
This needs a little basil -- give it a little color.
Truly like painting a picture.
So, the next thing is -- They're called "peppadews."
They're not Italian.
They're from South Africa, and they are little pickled peppers,
but they remind me of Italian red peppers.
And they're really good.
They're hot, and they're vinegary.
And you can find them in the grocery store.
Add some sliced cucumber.
It's nice to have some fresh vegetables
on the platter like this, too.
Just nice diagonal slices.
Okay. I'm just gonna put it right on the platter.
You want to leave it in big blocks of color,
not little things all over.
It looks so much better that way.
So, next are artichoke hearts.
I got them at the deli,
and they're marinated and have stems on them.
Just gonna cut them in half.
They're absolutely delicious.
You can sometimes find artichoke hearts
in jars in the grocery store, as well.
Okay. Where am I gonna put these?
Right next to the cucumbers, I think.
Part of this is you just want really delicious things,
and you want to make sure
they have really interesting flavors and textures.
Okay. Next, I've got little cherry tomatoes.
So, right on the stem --
I think they look fantastic just like that.
Everybody can just help themselves.
And you can't have an antipasto platter without olives,
so I have Cerignola olives.
Just gonna put them right in...
...just like that, and I think we need a little more basil.
And the caponata goes right in the middle
and some toasts so people can help themselves.
They're the ones I made for the mashed chickpeas.
This is gonna look so great --
all these platters in the library on one big, long table.
It's really simple.
I have a long, narrow table,
and first, I'm gonna put on a white cloth to the ground
and then a brightly colored pumpkin cloth right on top.
It looks great in the room,
but it also makes the food look good.
Then I'm serving champagne and sparkling water,
so I need a tray for the glasses.
This way they look very pulled together
rather than just thrown on the table.
Next I'm gonna put out fun, paper napkins, small plates,
and, finally, some salad forks just in a nice glass vase.
Okay, I've got one more platter to make,
and I'll be ready for the cocktail party.
Next, I'm making mussels with saffron mayonnaise.
It's an incredible cocktail-party dish.
And I'm laying out the food and drinks,
and then it's party time.
I've just finished building a library at the barn.
It's fantastic, and I wanted to thank the team who built it,
so I'm giving a cocktail party.
So, I'm doing three platters,
and the last one is mussels with saffron mayonnaise.
What I'm doing is I have a huge cast-iron pot
and about a pound and a half of mussels,
and I've heated the cast-iron pot for about five minutes.
I'm just gonna put the mussels right in.
You know, usually I do mussels in a broth,
but what I'm doing is dry-roasting them.
I'm gonna put them for about one minute
in this really hot skillet.
Just want to make one layer,
and then we're gonna add white wine
and they're gonna open up and they're gonna be perfect.
Happily, my seafood shop cleans the mussels,
but if they're not cleaned, just take the little beards off
and soak them in water with a little bit of flour,
and it gets rid of all the sand.
Okay. So, these are just starting to open.
So, I'm just gonna add 1/3 cup of white wine.
[ Sizzling ]
Very exciting.
And look at that -- They just all opened perfectly.
And they're gonna be perfectly cooked -- really tender.
These are gonna cook for a couple of minutes
while I go get the saffron mayonnaise.
This is the saffron mayonnaise. It's incredible.
I mean, mussels and mayonnaise --
what's not to like?
But this is mayonnaise with the volume turned up.
It's really spicy.
First, I soaked 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads
in a tablespoon of hot water for five minutes.
It's a really important step
because it releases all the flavor and the color.
Then I added 2/3 of a cup of good mayonnaise,
1 teaspoon of lemon zest,
a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice,
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,
then 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt,
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper,
and I just whisked it all together.
Two big spoons.
Sometimes I just serve this entire thing right in the pot.
I'll leave space in the middle for the saffron mayonnaise.
And now I've got a little extra something.
I always like to do a little salt and pepper,
so I'm gonna combine 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel --
sort of tastes like the ocean --
1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Just gonna mix this together...
and just sprinkle it right on the mussels.
It's gonna give them great flavor.
Perfect.
A little saffron mayonnaise right in the middle.
So, what everybody's gonna do
is take one of the mussels...
take off one shell, dip it into the saffron mayonnaise,
and I just have to make sure it's good.
Mmm.
That sort of briny seafood and that spicy saffron mayonnaise --
This is gonna be really good.
So, all I have to do now
is get the food and the drinks in the library, and I'm set.
So, first, the drinks. Nice big bowl.
I'm gonna pour in lots of ice.
I actually also put in water,
'cause that really keeps the champagne chilled.
Lots of champagne bottles,
and then I always put in some sparkling water
for those people who don't want champagne,
and then some extra ice just to make sure it's really cold.
And then the food -- my three platters --
antipasto,
the Tuscan mashed chickpeas,
and the mussels with saffron mayonnaise.
And I'd say we're ready for a party in the new library.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
INA: Everybody help yourself to everything.
Will you help yourself, Ken?
KEN: Absolutely.
Can I give you some mussels?
You could give me more than one, if that's okay.
Good. Abso-- of course it's okay.
We've got lots of them.
Mmm! Looks good.
Mm-hmm.
Joe, will you have some mussels?
JOE: I'll have everything.
Everything? Excellent. That's my kind of guy.
This is so much fun.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
I love having everybody here.
JOE: It's very good.
Mmm. Joe, these are delicious.
I love it all.
Look how fabulous this is.
Isn't this amazing?
FRANK: Wow.
I love the way the trees glow.
It's just gorgeous. Thank you, Frank.
I absolutely adore -- I love the fireplace.
I love the bookshelves.
Gives you plenty of room for more books.
More books. I need more books. Who knew? [ Laughs ]
[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ]
Okay, everybody. I have a toast.
Thank you so much for my gorgeous library.
I love it. Everybody worked on it, and it was so much fun.
Cheers!
ALL: Cheers!
Thank you so much.
I might even read a cookbook here.
[ Laughter ]