Wolfgang Puck Shares His Oscar Party Recipes

The only person who may be more of a familiar face at the Governor's Ball than Meryl Streep is Wolfgang Puck. The chef has been behind the cuisine of the Academy’s official after-party for over 20 years, creating more than 50 varieties of hors d'oeuvres and small passed entrées for famished stars and Hollywood bigwigs. And while your chances of scoring an invite to this ultra-exclusive event are slimmer than a starlet on the red carpet, Puck has provided a few of his signature dishes to help you bring a bit of the Governor’s Ball to your own Oscar party.

Smoked Salmon Oscar with Iranian Osetra Caviar on Brioche

1 loaf brioche
1 cup dill cream (recipe below)
1 lb. smoked salmon
2 oz. Iranian Osetra caviar

1. Cut the brioche into the shape of an Oscar statuette and toast until golden.
2. Spoon small amount of dill cream on the brioche.
3. Layer smoked salmon on top and garnish with caviar.

Dill Cream
1 cup sour cream
1 T lemon juice
2 T shallots, chopped
1 T fresh dill, chopped

Pinch of salt and white ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together thoroughly.

Yield: 8

Prime Mini Burgers with Cheddar Cheese and Rémoulade

¾ lb. prime ground beef, such as Kobe
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
12 small slices of cheddar cheese
12 mini sesame brioche buns
Rémoulade (recipe below)
Arugula leaves
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
3 cornichons, sliced
Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat grill or grill pan.
2. Put the ground beef in a bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Take small amounts (about 2 T) of the ground beef and roll them in the palm of your hand like you are making meatballs.
3. Flatten the tops slightly and put the mini burger patties on a side plate. Drizzle the burgers with oil and season the tops with salt and pepper. Turn the burgers over and season the other side.
4. Place the burgers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn over with tongs.
5. Place the slices of cheddar cheese on top of the burgers, and cook until melted. Meanwhile, put the buns on the grill. Let them toast slightly on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
6. To put the burgers together: Put the toasted buns on a platter. Top each with a small spoonful of rémoulade. Put the burger on top (cheese side up), followed by arugula, a slice of tomato, and a slice of cornichon.

Yield: 12 mini burgers

Rémoulade
¾ cup of store-bought or homemade Thousand Island dressing
2 T bottled barbecue sauce
1 T diced red onion

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

Yield: 1 cup

Smoked Hominy Toasts with Avocado Puree and Pickled Jalapeño

1 medium ear of sweet corn, husk and silk removed
1 scallion, trimmed
¼ tsp. whole coriander seeds
½ cup canned cooked whole hominy, drained
1 tsp. smoked salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. sweet paprika
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. ground cumin
8 thin slices vegan sandwich bread
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes:
2 ripe medium Hass-style avocados
2 T. bottled yuzu juice, or lime or Seville orange juice
1 bottled pickled jalapeño, drained and coarsely chopped

1. Preheat a grill, a stove-top ridged grill pan, or the broiler. Grill or broil the ear of corn and the scallion, turning them occasionally, until evenly charred a dark brown color. Set aside to cool.
2. With the large shredding holes of a box grater/shredder, coarsely grate the corn kernels from the cob into a large mixing bowl. With a sharp knife, finely chop the scallion and add it to the bowl. Set aside.
3. In a small, dry skillet over low heat, toast the coriander seeds, stirring, until they turn fragrant and darken slightly in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Then, grind the coriander seeds and add them to the bowl.
4. Put the drained hominy in a food processor fitted with a stainless-steel blade. Add the smoked salt. Pulse the machine on and off until the hominy is coarsely pureed. Transfer the puree to the bowl. Add the garlic, paprika, onion powder, and cumin. 5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir with a spoon until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
5. In a toaster or under the broiler, toast the bread slices until very lightly browned. With a serrated bread knife, trim the crusts from each slice. Cut each slice crosswise into 4 equal squares, then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles, to make 48 bite-size triangles. Set aside.
6. Rinse out the processor bowl and blade, dry them carefully, and reassemble. Halve and pit the avocados and scoop their flesh into the food processor. Add the yuzu juice and pulse the machine on and off until the avocado is smoothly pureed. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
7. To assemble the toasts, spread about 1 tsp. of the hominy puree on 1 side of each bread triangle, pressing the puree firmly and evenly onto the bread to help it adhere.
8. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough canola oil to coat its surface lightly. When the oil is hot enough to shimmer slightly, add as many toasts as will fit comfortably in the skillet without overcrowding, placing them hominy side down. Sear them until the hominy mixture is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Then, with a small spatula, carefully turn them over and sear their undersides for about 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining toasts.
9. As soon as the toasts are done, spoon some of the avocado puree on top of each one and garnish with a pinch of pickled jalapeño. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Yield: 48