630 elegant recipes

Cornish hen braised in burgundy wine with fresh raspberries, rosemary, thyme, and garlic, then finished under the broiler for crispy edges. An elegant dinner for one or a romantic meal for two.

Flattened chicken breasts stuffed with asparagus spears and Swiss cheese, rolled tight, and topped with a white wine-mushroom sauce spiked with tarragon and lime. Elegant, light, and ready in 45 minutes.

Carolines, French savory choux pastries split and filled with warm crab and asparagus spears, finished with a beurre blanc-style lemon dill butter sauce. An elegant first course or canapé for eight.

Grilled Cornish hens roast halved in the oven, then get glazed with plum barbecue sauce during the final 45 minutes until tender and sticky. Elegant personal-sized dinner from just 2 ingredients.

Smoked salmon mousse layered with a green spinach stripe, set in a ring mold with cream cheese, sour cream, whipped cream, dill, and a hit of lemon. Elegant make-ahead party appetizer.

Chocolate rum mousse builds melted sweet chocolate into a rum syrup, then folds in stiff egg whites and whipped cream for an airy, boozy classic. Restaurant elegance from a 6-ingredient list.

Restaurant-style salmon, sliced thin and gently butter-cooked until silky, draped over greens in a pool of reduced white wine and mushroom cream sauce. An elegant chef's plate made at home.

Mandarin Cornish hens: small game hens roasted and basted in a bright orange juice glaze for tender, citrus-kissed meat and burnished skin. An elegant, simple main with one bird per person or to share.

Brandy-flambéed chicken baked with fresh apples, pears, sliced mushrooms, and apple wine until tender and saucy. An elegant fall dinner that comes together in just 35 minutes. Serve over couscous or rice.

Silky double-boiler polenta topped with a melting slice of tangy Gorgonzola and a swirl of butter. This elegant Italian side dish is simple enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for dinner parties.

Handmade chocolate-covered cherries soaked overnight in kirsch brandy, then wrapped in a rich truffle mixture of milk and unsweetened chocolate. Rolled in a cocoa-powdered sugar coating for an elegant homemade confection.

Pears Helene is a classic French dessert of poached pear halves served with hot chocolate sauce and optional vanilla ice cream and chopped almonds. Elegant, timeless, and surprisingly simple to make at home.

Sabayon (zabaglione) whisks egg yolks, sugar, and dry white wine over a double boiler into a foamy custard, folded with whipped cream and Grand Marnier. Spooned over fresh cherries for an elegant dessert.

Pepper poached pears simmer in white wine with black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon and a whisper of chili heat, then chill in a syrup reduced from the poaching liquid. An elegant, lightly spiced dessert.

Basic rack of lamb: a French-trimmed rack marinated, then roasted hot to a rosy medium-rare and carved into elegant double-bone chops. The foundation technique for an impressive special-occasion main.

Pan-seared lamb rib chops rubbed with curry powder, cooked to a golden crust, then drizzled with a quick white wine and tomato pan sauce finished with butter. Elegant enough for date night, ready in 40 minutes.