A Hearty International Dinner Gets Started With an American Opener

Born in England, living in Washington and with a summer house in France, my husband and I, not surprisingly, favor international menus. Happy unions can be expected, like this recent dinner of old favorites.

The opener is firmly American--plump shrimp in a creamy sauce of goat cheese picked up with salmon caviar. Now that the domestic cheese and caviar industries are so firmly established, the ingredients are not hard to find. Beware, however, of economizing by buying lumpfish caviar--the eggs are colored and the sauce will turn disconcertingly gray.

Gamey Flavor

The main course turns to England and my childhood, when my father, a hunter, would bring back pheasant at least twice a week. A brisk flaming in brandy highlights the gamey flavor of these birds, while I’ve added a seasonal garnish of red and green grapes to the sauce. The pheasants, half a bird per person, are browned en cocotte, then cooked rare or well done to taste.

From my Russian father-in-law comes a taste for Kasha--nutty grains of whole buckwheat that are a splendid match for any game. For cooking, Kasha is best toasted with an egg so the grains remain fluffy when simmered briefly in water. Cracked wheat (also called bulgur) can be substituted and is treated the same way.

The culinary tour ends in France with the most famous apple pie of them all-- Tarte Tatin. To call it upside-down caramelized apple pie falls far short. Tarte Tatin is composed of big chunks of apple caramelized deep inside and arranged in a glistening circle atop a crisp pastry base.

The achievement of this tour de force depends on using firm apples that hold their shape during cooking--Golden Delicious are a reliable choice. Next, they must be thoroughly cooked in caramel so the juice of the apples themselves caramelizes.

Finally, I like to use halved apples, so they unmold as a cartwheel for maximum dramatic effect. Served warm American-style with vanilla ice cream, or French-style with creme fraiche, Tarte Tatin completes an international alliance in grand style.

INTERNATIONAL DINNER FOR 8

Shrimp With Caviar Cream Sauce

Pheasant With Red and Green Grapes

Kasha

Apple Tarte Tatin

Suggested wines: Domestic Sauvignon Blanc with shrimp, French or domestic Pinot Noir with pheasant.

Up to two days ahead make caviar sauce. Cook pheasant, if serving it well done. Cook Kasha. Make dough for Tarte Tatin.

Up to one day ahead cook shrimp.

Up to eight hours ahead bake tarte tatin.

About one hour before serving, if serving pheasant rare, heat oven to 400 degrees and cook birds. Arrange shrimp with lettuce on plate.

Just before serving add sauce to shrimp.

While serving shrimp reheat pheasant or keep warm on top of stove. Add grapes to sauce just before serving. Reheat Kasha. Reheat Tarte Tatin on low heat on top of stove.

After serving pheasant turn out tarte then serve immediately.

SHRIMP WITH CAVIAR-CREAM SAUCE

1 (8-ounce) package, softened

1 cup sour cream

Juice of 1 lemon

Dash cayenne pepper

4 ounces red salmon caviar

Salt, pepper

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 quarts water

2 pounds unshelled raw shrimp

2 heads bibb lettuce

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Beat cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Beat in lemon juice, cayenne pepper, then fold in caviar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cream. Sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

To cook shrimp, bring onion, thyme, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, peppercorns, garlic and water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp. Cook until opaque and firm to touch, 3 to 5 minutes depending on size. Drain, cool, then shell. Remove vein if large. Shrimp may be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated.

Up to 2 hours ahead, shred lettuce and spread on 8 individual plates. Arrange shrimp overlapping in fan on top. Refrigerate. Just before serving, spoon sauce over shrimp to partly cover. Sprinkle with chives. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Caviar sauce makes a great dip if not thinned with cream.

PHEASANT WITH RED AND GREEN GRAPES

4 (1 1/2-pound) pheasants

Salt, pepper

8 thin slices bacon

1/2 cup butter

5 to 6 tablespoons brandy

3/4 pound seedless red grapes

3/4 pound seedless green grapes

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed to paste with 3 tablespoons water

8 slices toasted bread, halved diagonally

Season pheasants to taste with salt and pepper inside. Cover pheasant breasts with bacon. Tie birds with string.

Heat half of butter in large casserole. Brown pheasants thoroughly on all sides. Use 2 casseroles if necessary so pheasants lie in single layer. Add giblets, including liver. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until juices drained from center of pheasants run pink, not red. If well-done birds are desired, continue baking until juices run clear.

After 10 minutes into baking time, remove pheasant liver from casserole. Crush it with remaining butter, using fork. Season to taste with 1 tablespoon brandy, salt and pepper and reserve.

Place grapes in pan with wine. Simmer until lightly cooked, but not tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

When pheasants are cooked, pour off excess fat from pan. Add remaining brandy, then flame. Remove pheasants from pan. Discard trussing strings. Bacon can be discarded or served with pheasants. With poultry shears or heavy knife, cut birds along each side of backbone and remove. Cut birds in half along breastbone and trim leg bones.

To make sauce, add wine from cooking grapes to pan in which pheasants have been roasted. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve juices. Add stock to pan. Bring to boil. Whisk enough cornstarch paste into boiling sauce so to lightly coat spoon. Strain sauce. (If pheasant is well done, it can be stored up to 2 days in refrigerator with sauce, keeping grapes and crushed liver separate. If birds are rare, however, it should be served immediately.)

Arrange pheasant halves overlapping on platter or on 8 individual plates. Keep warm. Spread toast triangles with crushed liver. Add grapes to sauce. Warm 1 minute. Taste sauce to adjust seasonings. Spoon grapes and sauce over pheasant. Surround with toast triangles. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Large Cornish hens can be substituted if pheasant is not available. They should be cooked 30 to 40 minutes until well done.

KASHA

1 1/2 cups kasha

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 cups water

Salt, pepper

Place kasha in heavy pan. Stir in egg. Toast kasha over high heat, stirring constantly with spoon until grains are dry and separate, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed and kasha is barely tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Cook kasha very gently so grains do not burst. Remove from heat. Leave 10 to 15 minutes to allow grains to firm. Stir with fork. Taste to adjust for seasonings.

Kasha can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat on top of stove. Makes 8 servings.

APPLE TARTE TATIN

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

6 pounds firm apples

Pate Brisee, or pastry for 10-inch pie

Vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche

Melt butter in 12- to 14-inch heavy non-stick skillet. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sugar.

Peel, halve and core apples. Arrange halves upright in concentric circles on top of sugar. They should fill pan completely and be tightly packed. Cook apples on top of stove until caramel is formed, about 20 minutes. Apples will make juice that must evaporate before it will caramelize.

When apples are cooked, let cool slightly. Roll Pate Brisee to round slightly larger than pan. Set dough on apples so they are covered, tucking in edges. Work fast so dough does not melt in heat of apples. Bake at 400 degrees until pastry is crisp and brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Tarte tatin can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated.

Not more than 30 minutes before serving, warm tart on top of stove. Turn out onto tray or large platter. If any apples stick to bottom of pan, transfer to top of tart with spatula. Serve tart warm with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Pears can be substituted for apples in this recipe. Asian pears, the exotic variety that has recently appeared in markets, hold their shape during cooking.

Pate Brisee

1 2/3 cups flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold water, more if needed

Sift flour onto work surface and make large well in center. Pound butter with rolling pin to soften slightly. Place butter, egg yolk, sugar, salt and water in well. Work with hand until partly mixed. Gradually work in flour, pulling dough into large crumbs using hands. If crumbs are dry, sprinkle over a tablespoon more water. Press dough into ball, wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days, or frozen. Makes enough pastry for 10-inch pie.