Hello, and to all you newcomers - welcome! This post holds all of the recipes for our Calling the Corners Spooky-Funtime-Witch-Feast, and just in time for Halloween. If you haven’t already, I recommend reading the first two posts of this series before you read this one, that way you’ll get the full Ruined Table experience. You can access them here and here.
Now, before we get started, I gotta let you in on the secret parameters for the official Calling the Corners playlist. Once again, I’ve stumped you all! Here they are, in no particular order:
1) All the songs needed to be witchy in nature BUT none of them could be disparaging against witches.
2) All songs had to be performed by a woman.
3) There was no limit to the number of Stevie Nicks songs I could add.
You can download the playlist here. Now, read on for the recipes.
Water: Salt Water Martinis
makes 8, 3-ounce cocktails
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If you or your pals aren’t into dry martinis, you can make this recipe with sweet vermouth. Or, put a bottle of sweet vermouth on the table, and tell your guests to add a splash, should their tastebuds require it. (That’s what I did, and it worked like a charm!)
Re: Sea grapes - they are a type of seaweed that looks like green strings of caviar. They pop in your mouth when eaten, and taste just like the ocean. They come dehydrated and packed in brine, so all you have to do is rinse and soak them in cold water for 5 minutes, and they’re ready to eat. You’ll find plenty of purchase options online.
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¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons hot water
16 ounces gin
8 ounces dry vermouth
Sea grapes, to garnish
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Dissolve the salt in the hot water and set aside. Combine the gin and vermouth in a large decanter. Stir in the salt water, cover and refrigerate.
To serve, hydrate the sea grapes according to the package’s instructions. Make individual cocktails by pouring 3 ounces of the martini mixture into a shaker or glass filled with ice. Stir or shake for 30 seconds, then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with the sea grapes.
Also Water: Shrimp Scampi
serves 6 -8
The trick to this dish is to not overcook the shrimp, but we also want to cook them long enough so they get browned and crispy and extra flavorful. What a conundrum! Don’t worry, I solved it. All we gotta do is sear the shrimp over high heat on one side only, then transfer them all to a plate while we make the sauce. Once the sauce is silky and reduced, we add the shrimp back to the pan for just a minute to coat them in the sauce and finish cooking. I wrote this recipe so there’d be extra lemony scampi sauce. Pour it in a bowl and serve it alongside the shrimp for bread soppin’.
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3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed (about 25-30 shrimp)
6 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup dry vermouth - use whatever you used for the martinis!
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley
Toothpicks, to serve
A crusty loaf of bread, to serve
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Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmery, add half of the shrimp in an even layer, season with salt, and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp, transferring them to the same plate when done. It’s okay, nay ideal, if the shrimp aren’t cooked through. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the vermouth and lemon juice and reduce until silky, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the shrimp back to the pan and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, tossing to coat, about 1 minute. Season with more salt, if needed. Arrange the shrimp onto a platter and spear some of them with toothpicks. Serve with the extra sauce on the side and a crusty loaf of bread to sop it all up.
Earth: Farro, Pumpkin & Apple Gratin
serves 6 -8
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This creamy, risotto-like casserole could easily stand alone as main dish. In fact, it did for the vegetarians at the party, but it got rave reviews from everyone. I’ve listed sugar pumpkin, delicata and honeynut squash as options for ingredients. You can pick one, or be like me and use a mixture of all three. They each have a distinctive flavor that compliments each other well. Don’t worry about peeling anything, including the apples, the skins are edible and delicious.
Cooking time for the farro will vary according to the type you buy. I used Bob’s Red Mill and recommend you do the same. You can easily make this vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese and subbing olive oil for butter.
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2 pounds sugar pumpkin, delicata or honeynut squash, deseeded and sliced into ½-inch thick wedges
Kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil, divided
4 honeycrisp apples, about 1 ½ pounds, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 ½ cups farro, uncooked
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 quart vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup finely grated parmesan
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Heat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a 9 x 16 inch baking dish. Add the pumpkin and/or squash to a bowl. Season with salt and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Add the apples to the bowl, toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Transfer to a separate baking sheet and place in the oven along with the pumpkin/squash. Roast until browned, about 20 minutes for the apples and 30 minutes for the pumpkin. Remove from the oven and set aside. If you are baking the gratin immediately, reduce oven to 375°F. Otherwise, turn the oven off.
Meanwhile, rinse the farro. Add it and the butter to a large pot over medium high heat. Toast the farro, stirring often, until the water evaporates and it begins to smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and the bay leaves to the pot and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 40 - 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the farro has cooked through and much of the liquid has absorbed. The mixture should have a creamy, risotto-like texture. Remove the lid during the last 5 minutes of cooking and keep a close eye on it. If you need to bump up the heat to evaporate some of the liquid, do so. Keep in mind, it will thicken as it cools. Add the farro to a large bowl and remove the bay leaves. Stir in ¾ cup parmesan cheese and ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds, reserving the remainder of each for the top. Stir in the sage, and gently fold in the roasted apples and pumpkin/squash. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish and top with the remaining parmesan cheese and pomegranate seeds. At this point, the gratin can be wrapped and stored in the fridge overnight, or baked and served immediately. To serve, heat the oven to 375°F and bake until warmed through and browned on top, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Fire: Braised Pork All’Arrabbiata
serves 6 -8
Ok y’all - this pork was incredible. The way the bitterness of the burnt chilies interacted with the fat from the pork and the spice from the Calabrian chilies felt like a party in my mouth, and it was a total rager. I served this next to a big bowl of fresh arugula, lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. The arugula cut the richness of the pork and was a fast and easy addition to the menu. A real no-brainer!
Obviously, this dish is spectacular when spooned over the pumpkin farro, but why stop there? You could make this anytime and use it as a pasta sauce, or over polenta or mashed potatoes, in a lettuce wrap, or as a sandwich... There is no wrong way to eat this fiery, spicy mess of succulence.
NOTE: If you don’t have a gas stove, you can burn the dried chilies under the broiler. Lay them on a sheet pan and slide them under high heat. They burn quickly, so don’t walk away. It’ll only take about 30 seconds, depending on the strength of your broiler.
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6 arbol chilies
4 large, dried guajillo chilies
1 boneless pork butt, about 2 ½ - 3 pounds
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup red wine
42 ounces fire roasted, crushed tomatoes
⅓ cup Calabrian chili paste
6 sprigs fresh thyme
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Heat the oven to 275°F. Turn on the gas burner and, working with one at a time, use tongs to hold the guajillo and arbol peppers directly over the flame for about 20 seconds to burn them. They will probably catch fire - this is the objective. Allow them to blacken and burn all over, then blow them out. (If you don’t have a gas stove, please see the note above.) When they are cool enough to handle, rip the stems off and shake out as many seeds as you can. Discard the stems and seeds, and set the burnt peppers aside.
Pat the pork dry and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the pork and sear it on one side until deeply browned, about 7 minutes. Flip the pork over, and reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic to the oil in the bottom of the pan so that it surrounds the pork. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Use a wooden spoon to move the pork around and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and Calabrian chili paste and season with more salt. Stir to combine. Nestle the thyme and the burnt peppers into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover and braise in the oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours, until the pork is supple, and a knife slides through it like butter. Remove from heat, and let cool 15 minutes. Use two forks to shred the pork into the sauce. Serve immediately, or put the lid back on and refrigerate overnight.
To reheat, place the pot in a 375°F oven until the pork is warmed through, about 20 minutes. Spoon over the farro and enjoy!
Air: Black Sesame Spoon Pie
serves 6 - 8
With it’s Ritz cracker crust, nutty black sesame filling that’s light as air and grape flavored whipped cream topping, this pie tastes just like a PB&J from your childhood. I’m calling it a spoon pie because you spoon it right out of the dish to serve. No slicing involved, my friends! It would be very on-brand for our witchy theme to make a crescent moon shape on top with the grape whipped cream. That’s what I did, and look how cute!
Black sesame paste is exactly what it sounds like - a paste made from black sesame seeds. You can find it in many Asian supermarkets, or online.
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Ritz Crust
32 Ritz crackers (from 1 sleeve)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Black Sesame Filling
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup black sesame paste
⅔ cup granulated sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated
Grape Whipped Cream
1, 0.14 ounce package unsweetened grape Kool-Aid
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Black sesame seeds, for garnish
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Make the Ritz crust. Heat the oven to 325°F. Add the ritz crackers, sugar and salt to a large bowl. Use your hands to toss the ingredients together, and crush the ritz crackers into coarse crumbs. Add the melted butter and toss until the crackers are evenly coated, and begin to clump together. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan. Place the pan in the oven and toast until the crust browns on the top and edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside, keeping the oven set at 325°F.
Make the black sesame filling. Cream together the cream cheese, black sesame paste, and half of the sugar using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand held mixer. (Or do it the old fashioned way and use a spoon!) Once the mixture is smooth, mix in the egg yolks and set aside. Whip the egg whites and the other half of the granulated sugar to medium-firm peaks. Fold the egg whites into the black sesame mixture in three additions. Pour the black sesame mixture into the pie dish and spread it evenly over the Ritz crust. Place the pie dish into a larger, deeper dish and put it in the oven. Fill the larger dish with enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the pie dish. (This is called baking something in a water bath - it helps control the temperature of the filling, and prevents it from curdling.) Bake for about 40 minutes, until the black sesame filling has set. Carefully remove from the oven and water bath, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Make the grape whipped cream, decorate and serve the pie. Combine the grape Kool Aid, heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped topping over the chilled pie. For an extra witchy vibe, spread the whipped cream into crescent moon shape, and serve the remaining cream on the side. Sprinkle the top with black sesame seeds. To serve, simply spoon the pie onto plates, no slicing required.
That’s it for our Calling the Corners dinner party! All of the photos here were taken by me on 35mm film. For more yummy food shots and how-to videos, be sure to follow Ruined Table on tik tok and instagram. If you throw this shindig, please let me know how it goes in the comments and tag @ruinedtable if you post about it. Thanks for coming - see you at the next one!
Stay messy,
McBroom