To most Manhattanites the holiday season means one thing: tourists.
Besides jamming our stores and streets, they’re inundating our restaurants. At no time is the frustration more biting than when you have to hold on the phone for reservations in the city’s top eateries.
So why battle for a table when you can serve up the dishes of famed chefs like Charlie Palmer, Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Eric Ripert in your own home?
Thanks to the folks at Impromptu Gourmet, you can wow your friends with several cook-it-yourself entrees, including Gray Kunz’s red snapper with tamarind and lime-leaf reduction, Peter X. Kelly’s fiery wasabi-crusted rare ahi tuna with spicy seaweed salad, and thick filet mignon with polenta cakes from David Burke of Park Avenue Cafe.
With a few cooking utensils and a little kitchen dexterity, the average citizen can whip up a feast for two for $37.95.
The kits — which come with fresh, vacuum-sealed ingredients that are sliced, diced, measured and numbered — are made in the company’s Hudson Valley kitchen under strict supervision.
Because everything is packed fresh, the shelf life, which is marked right on the box, is limited to five days after it leaves the kitchen.
The dinner kits can be purchased at specialty stores including Balducci’s, Citarella, Grace’s Market Place and Zabar’s.
Homebodies living in New York City can get one-hour delivery through http://www.kozmo.com.
Outsiders can order overnight delivery from impromptugourmet.com or by calling 1-866-IMPROM2 (467-7662).
We tested several of the dishes and found all to be worthy of the chefs who’ve created them.
Although somewhat intimidating at first glance, the directions are easy to follow, with all ingredients numbered accordingly.
The instructions also have handy tidbits like wine suggestions and chef’s tips. It’s important, however, to make sure you have the basic tools listed on the box.
As it turned out, our first entree, Eric Ripart’s Shrimp Bok Choy, was the most challenging of the five we tested.
His kit contained the most ingredients — including basmati rice, ginger, oyster sauce, shallots, sherry vinegar, spiced soy sauce, a fresh lime, scallions, ginger oil and, of course, bok choy and shrimp.
And it required us to provide the most utensils: two medium sauté pans, a medium sauce pot, a medium and small mixing bowl, cooking oil, butter and scissors.
Our testing team plodded through, timing, measuring and slicing as instructed.
We boiled the water and added the unopened bag of rice, and prepared the vinaigrette.
Chef’s tip at the third step: “The vinaigrette integrates spiciness, saltiness, sweetness and acidity to balance the richness of the shrimp and leave the palate with a clean, bright flavor.”
We chopped the scallions, sautéed the bok choy, seasoned and seared the 12 shrimp (about a minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other).
Chef’s tip at the fifth step: “Using very high heat allows you to sear the outside of the shrimp while leaving the inside tender.”
We added the ginger oil and scallions to the basmati and spooned the mix into round plastic molds on plates. Then we topped the rice with the shrimp, added the bok choy vinaigrette, sprinkled with sesame seeds, lit the candles, poured a great chardonnay and then collapsed.
Our suggestion would be to start with something easier like the filet mignon dinner, which required only a broiler and a large, shallow marinating dish.
This suggestion aside, the shrimp dish was one of our favorites.
Coming soon from Impromptu Gourmet will be as-yet unpriced six-person kits and desserts from Gramercy Tavern’s pastry chef Claudia Fleming.
Not that anyone needs to know your sources. You can always hide the kits and tell your date it’s an old family recipe.
Dishing the dinners
We tried 5 of the available entrees. Here are our findings.
David Burke (Park Avenue Cafe) Filet Mignon with Bacon & Polenta Cakes
Degree of Difficulty: 2
Time: 32 minutes
Rating: 2 ½ stars
Comment: Thick filet cuts. Asparagus and tomatoes came out overdone. Secret “Love” marinade would make a shoe taste good.
Peter X. Kelly Xaviar’s at Piermont) Ahi Tuna with Wasabi and Spicy Seaweed Salad
Degree of Difficulty: 3
Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Comment: Wasabi coating was overpowering. Spicy seaweed salad paled in comparison. Roasted potatoes are superior.
Charlie Palmer (Aureole) Breast of Duck with Pomegranate Molasses Glaze
Degree of Difficulty: 3
Time: 37 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Comment: Duck and confit are superior. Pomegranate molasses are too tart for some.
Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin) Shrimp with Bok Choy and Soy-Ginger Vinaigrette
Degree of Difficulty: 4
Time: 41 minutes
Rating: 3 ½ stars
Comment: Perfect blend of spices. Shrimp are large and sweet.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Jean-Georges) Loin of Lamb with Black Trumpet Mushroom Crust
Degree of Difficulty: 1
Time: 26 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Comment: Pre-crusted black trumpet loin comes out tender and moist.
Key
Difficulty
1. Easiest
2. No sweat
3. Challenging
4. Chef Required