It’s the Ultimate Holiday Dinner Party for 6

More parties are given in December than in all the rest of the months combined. It’s such a festive month that even the most reluctant host gives entertaining a nod.

If you’re planning on entertaining at home, here’s a suggestion for simple elegance: the ultimate dinner party for six. It features foods that are simple and yet festive enough for the holidays. It also cuts unnecessary fat and calories without sacrificing flavor or flair. Moreover, this is a meal that is not overly time-consuming and can be completely prepared in advance.

To make the meal even more festive, make sure your table reflects the distinctive elegance of the dinner. Long, white, tapered candles, a white tablecloth, napkins tied with green leaves and holly berries, your very best dishes and a bowl of pomegranates and greens in the center of the table would add just the right holiday touch.

FESTIVE HOLIDAY DINING FOR SIX

Chilled Champagne

Smoked salmon rosettes with fresh dill on thinly sliced pumpernickel toast, lemon wedges

Duck Breasts With Warm Caramelized Red Onion and Cranberry Relish

Sauteed Wild Rice With Cabbage and Leeks

Beaujolais wine, slightly chilled

Salad of mixed greens with juliennes of red and yellow peppers

Glazed Pears With Sugared Walnut Halves and Hot Bittersweet Sauce

Gewurztraminer, chilled

Packaged duck breasts are easy to find in the market; they are practical and extremely quick to prepare. In addition, the breasts are successfully cooked without the skin so that they’re far less fat-laden than whole roasted duck. Although the last - minute cooking is short, this recipe can also be prepared completely in advance and reheated at serving time. Broiled venison chops would be a great substitut e for the duck if you prefer game. Chicken breasts would work too, cooked in the same manner as the duck but a few minutes longer.

DUCK BREASTS WITH WARM CARAMELIZED RED ONION AND CRANBERRY RELISH

2 teaspoons safflower oil

2 teaspoons butter

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 (10-ounce) boneless duck breasts, split, skinned and trimmed of all visible fat

Red Onion and Cranberry Relish

12 orange slices, each centered with clove

Heat oil and butter in non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Mix cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper to taste in small dish. Sprinkle 1/2 seasoning mixture over top of duck breasts. When oil and butter are hot, place breasts, seasoned side down, in skillet. Sprinkle remaining seasoning over breasts.

Cook, uncovered, turning only once when underside is browned, until rare (3 to 3 1/2 minutes) or medium (about 5 minutes). (Cooked beyond medium, meat tends to be tough.)

To serve, cut each breast into thin, slightly diagonal slices. Arrange on warm serving plates, reassembling breast in original shape but fanning out slices. Garnish each plate with Red Onion and Cranberry Relish and 2 overlapping orange slices. Makes 6 servings.

Variation:

Duck may also be cooked ahead and reheated at serving time: Brown both sides of seasoned breast quickly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Slice for serving. Using metal spatula, transfer each sliced breast to shallow baking dish. Garnish with relish. Cover and refrigerate as long as overnight. Spill off accumulated juices. Reheat, covered, in 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes until hot and cooked to desired doneness. Serve hot with sauteed wild rice with cabbage and leeks. Garnish plate with overlapping orange slices.

Red Onion and Cranberry Relish

1 tablespoon safflower oil

1 large red onion, about 8 ounces, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

6 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup dry red wine (Beaujolais)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons butter

Heat oil in non-stick 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add red onion and fresh and dried cranberries. Cook, covered, until onion is tender, about 7 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Add water and sugar. Mix well.

Remove cover and continue cooking until mixture is thick and syrupy, about 7 minutes more, stirring often. Add red wine, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Decrease to simmer. Stir in butter. Adjust seasoning and sugar (adding little more if wine is highly acidic). Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Note: Relish can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently on stove top or in microwave oven.

Wild rice is really not rice at all but a long-grain marsh grass native to the northern Great Lakes region. In this menu, it adds a luxurious touch as well as a most desirable nutty flavor and chewy texture . Wild rice can be cooked ahead and frozen, which is a definite convenience since it takes a long time to cook; it’s a good idea to make more than you need and stash it away in the freezer.

SAUTEED WILD RICE WITH CABBAGE AND LEEKS

1 1/4 cups wild rice

4 1/2 cups hot water

2 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil

1 large leek, tough green parts trimmed, split, washed and thinly sliced

3 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

2 to 4 tablespoons water

Freshly ground pepper

Place rice in bowl and fill with water. Stir and set aside few minutes. Pour off water with any small particles that float to surface. Place in 2-quart pan with hot water. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, until just tender but still chewy, about 50 to 52 minutes. Add more water as necessary during cooking. (Can be cooked as long as 4 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen.)

Heat oil in non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add leek, cabbage and salt. Cook until leek is tender, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add rice, honey, 2 tablespoons water and pepper to taste. Stir well. (Can be made several hours ahead to this point and kept at room temperature. Reheat over medium-high heat, until very hot, about 2 minutes, adding more water as necessary and stirring often.) Adjust seasoning. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Maple syrup provides just the right balance of sweetness for the walnuts and pears. Guests can drizzle the hot chocolate sauce themselves, so they can be as indulgent as they like.

GLAZED PEAR WITH SUGARED WALNUT HALVES AND HOT BITTERSWEET SAUCE

3 large, firm Bartlett pears, peeled, split lengthwise and cored

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, diced

Sugared Walnuts

Hot Bittersweet Sauce

Line 9-inch pie plate with foil. Arrange pears in pie plate, cut side down. Pour maple syrup over pears. Dot with butter.

Place in center of oven and bake at 450-degrees until pears are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on hardness. Brush warm syrup over several times during baking. (Can be baked as long as 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before broiling.)

Generously brush pears again with syrup from bottom of plate. Broil, 6 inches from heat, until bronzed, about 4 minutes. Serve warm in shallow soup plates, brushed with remaining maple sauce and garnished with Sugared Walnuts. Pass Hot Bittersweet Sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Sugared Walnuts

18 walnut halves

1/3 cup maple syrup

Place walnuts and maple syrup in non-stick 7-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until walnuts are completely coated, about 3 minutes. Immediately turn out onto lightly greased baking sheet. Separate nuts while still warm. Cool completely. (Can be kept as long as 3 days, kept at room temperature in airtight container.)

Hot Bittersweet Sauce

4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably Callebaut)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cook chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking powder.

Or cook sauce in microwave oven: combine chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in 1-quart microwave dish. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 1 minute. Stir well, then cook 1 1/2 minutes on HIGH until smooth, checking in 20-second increments to avoid overcooking. Finish as above. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note: Can be made as long as 1 week ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Reheat gently on stove top or in microwave oven on MEDIUM (50% power), adding milk as desired for thinner consistency. Serve hot.