New Year's Eve is here, and hosts everywhere may be scrambling to whip up a handful of dishes to celebrate the year's close.
Pastry chef Zac Young, who has been featured on "Top Chef: Just Desserts," joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday walk through a few quick and easy recipes to prepare for your New Year's Eve soirée.
Young shared how to make a savory snack to start the evening in green curry cashews, and a heartier starter with his caramelized Shallot & crème fraiche dip.
For an elegant addition to the meal plan, Young showed viewers his shrimp cocktail in a citrus ice bowl recipe.
Read on below for how to make all of Young's recipes seen on "GMA."
Ingredients
2 cups raw cashews (or any nut)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 Tbsp green curry paste
1 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar in the raw
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lime zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, green curry paste, curry powder, sugar in the raw and salt.
Toss the nuts in the mix and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly before tossing in the lime zest.
Tip: Feel free to mix up the spice blend and nut mix for a variety of flavor profiles.
Ingredients
2 cups crème fraiche
5 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup fried shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a medium sauté pan, cook the shallots in the olive oil on medium heat, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized, about ten minutes.
Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Let cool slightly, then stir into the crème fraiche.
Add the lemon zest and juice and scrape into a serving bowl or ramekin. Top with a layer of crispy shallots and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with an array of “fancy potato chips” and caviar, if you have it.
Tip: Top with crispy shallots just before serving, level up with caviar on the side.
Ingredients
Jumbo shrimp
Store-bought cocktail sauce doctored with lots of black pepper and extra lemon juice
2 tempered glass or metal nesting bowls, one larger and one smaller (you want about a 2 inch-plus gap between them)
2 grapefruits cut into 1-inch thick wheels
2 oranges (or tangerines), 2 lemons, 2 limes cut into 1/2 inch wheels
Directions
In the large bowl, layer the bottom with the grapefruit slices to create a base, then place the smaller bowl on top.
If using metal bowls, you’ll need to weigh down the top bowl so it doesn’t float. Pie weights or dried beans work very well.
Fill the gap with distilled water (better for clearer ice) or bottled or tap water. Place the other citrus slices into the water in whatever pattern you desire.
Freeze overnight.
To unmold, dip the bottom bowl very quickly in warm water, or let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes until it releases.
Place on a larger rimmed plate or baking sheet that’s been covered with a decorative napkin or dish towel.
Line the inside of the bowl with kale leaves and add the shrimp and a ramekin of cocktail sauce.
Tip: Distilled water will freeze clear. Use thicker slices of citrus to keep slices in place while freezing.
Ingredients
3 English cucumbers, cut into generous 1-inch disks
8 oz smoked salmon
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 TBSP everything bagel spice
Directions
Using a small melon baller or small spoon, scoop out the center of each cucumber, leaving a little flesh on the bottom so the filling doesn’t fall out.
Place about a teaspoon of cream fraiche in each “cup,” then top with a bite-sized ruffle of salmon and a sprinkling of everything bagel spice.
Ingredients
20 ounces best quality dark chocolate (60 - 70%) - chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup champagne or Prosecco
2 tbsp cognac
1 tbsp unsalted butter - at room temp
1/4 cup cocoa powder for dusting
Directions
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper, leaving two ends longer so you have “handles” to pull the final product out of the pan.
In a large heat-proof bowl, add the chocolate, cream and salt.
Melt the mixture until only a few small bits of chocolate remain by either microwaving in 20-second bursts and stirring or placing the bowl over a water bath, making a double boiler.
Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the champagne and cognac, followed by the room temperature butter.
Whisk until totally smooth.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate overnight (or ideally for 24 hours).
Run a warm knife around the edges of the pan and then lift the set ganache out using the parchment “handles.”
Using a long knife dipped in hot water, cut the ganache into 1-inch squares (or desired shape), then roll in the cocoa powder.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup fresh lemon juice
32 oz sparkling water or ginger ale
Sugared Rosemary sprigs
Directions
In a small pot, bring the water, sugar and rosemary leaves to a boil.
Let simmer for 1 minute and then remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the rosemary leaves.
To serve: Add 2 oz syrup and 1 oz fresh lemon juice to each flute.
Top with seltzer (or ginger ale if you like it sweeter). Garnish with lemon twist and sugared rosemary sprig.
