CITRUS & SUNSHINE

DINNER PARTY

NEEDS UPDATED Perfect for a spring or summer dinner party, this menu is all about colour, flavour, and abundance—fresh herbs, grilled meats, vibrant sides, and a sweet finish that hits just right.

Serves: 4 | Budget: $$ | Prep Time: 3 Hours | Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Menu

Shopping List

Prep Steps

Cook Steps

EXTRAS

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We created this menu at the peak of 1) citrus season and 2) that bleak part of winter where January somehow lasts seven years. Desperate for a sunny escape but unwilling to book a flight, we did the next best thing: brought all the flavours, colours, and pure joy of a warm-weather dinner party right to the table.

This menu is also a love letter to Alison Roman, whose recipes make up most of this spread because, frankly, she’s the queen. Nothing Fancy was my gateway drug into hosting—menus that look impressive but are secretly stress-free (thank you, make-ahead recipes).

In the spirit of sunshine, set your table with bright flowers, fresh citrus, and a general refusal to acknowledge the existence of snow.

Let’s eat.

COMBINED SHOPPING LIST

○ 4 Scallions
○ 6 Lemons
○ 5 Blood Orange (sub mandarin/ regular orange)
○ 5 Oranges
○ 3 Grapefruit
○ 1 large Fennel Bulb or 2 small
○ 1 Cucumbers
○ 1 clove of Garlic
○ 10 Satsumas (sub mandarin)
○ 6 sprigs fresh Thyme
○ 1 large bunch of fresh Cilantro
○ 1 bunch Dill
○ 1 bunch of Mint
○ 1 bunch of Parsley (Optional)
○ 1 large Shallot
○ Assorted Vegetables for dipping (such as carrots, mini cucumbers, radishes, etc.)
○ 1½ lb skinless Salmon
○ 4 cups Labne (or substitute full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream)
○ 6 tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter
○ 2 cups Heavy Cream
○ ½ cups Sour Cream
○ 3 cups Olive Oil
○ Kosher salt
○ Flaky Sea Salt
○ Freshly ground black pepper
○ 1 tsp Red-Pepper Flakes
○ 4 whole Chiles de Arbol, or ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
○ 1½ cups Uncooked Jasmine Rice
○ ¾ cup Whole Raw Almonds
○ ½ tsp ground Turmeric
○ ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
○ Pita Bread (or substitute kettle-cooked chips)
○ 1 lb unpitted Castelvetrano Olives
○ 1½ cups Good vodka, such as Titos
○ 1 cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (6 lemons)
○ 6 Tbsp Sugar Syrup
○ ¼ cup Italian Limoncello liqueur
○ 1½ cups Cold Club Soda, such as Pelligrino
○ Ice cubes
○ Sliced lemon, for serving

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KEY TIMING & TIPS

Satsuma Possets & Marinated Olives can be done a day in advance. It’s always great to get ahead of timing when you can!

If using satsumas, small tangerines, or mandarins for serving, plan for two per guest since they don’t hold much dessert.

Slow-Cooked Salmon takes about 40 minutes, so start it 50 minutes BMT to allow for resting and plating.

PREP STEPS

Start 1 Day Before

• Start 1 Day Before •

Make the Satsuma Possets

1. Slice 10 satsumas shortways and scoop out the insides into a bowl. If your satsumas have leaves, do not remove them! Carefully carve the insides out without breaking the greenery, set top cups aside.
2. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, smash the satsuma guts until juice starts to separate. Pour through a sieve and discard the pulp.
3. Juice a lemon to obtain 2 tablespoons.
1. In a large sauce pot or dutch oven, combine 2 cups heavy cream and ¾ cup sugar over medium until sugar dissolves. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring cream to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring (adjust heat down if the mixture threatens to boil over).
2. Pull pot off heat and whisk in 1 cup satsuma juice and lemon juices. Let sit for 10 minutes.
1. After sitting, whisk the mixture vigorously (you’ll see that its already starting to coagulate).
2. Pour the mixture into the “bottom” satsuma cups (not the ones with leaves).
3. Wrap each one with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.

Marinate the Olives

1. Halve and thinly slice one half of each lemon and orange, saving the other halves for juicing later.
1. Warm ⅓ cup olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add 4 whole chiles de arbol, lemon and orange slices, and peel of one grapefruit. Let sizzle a minute or two, then add 1 lb unpitted Castelvetrano olives. 
2. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and let the olives hang out here for anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every so often. (If your stove’s burner is one of those that never quite gets that low, then you might want to max them out around 30 minutes.) 
3. Transfer all contents including oil to a airtight container and refrigerate.

Start At Least 2 Hours Before Guests Arrive

• Start At Least 2 Hours Before Guests Arrive •

Make the Dips

1. Thinly slice 4 scallions (or green garlic), white and light green parts and 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems). 
2. Heat ⅓ cup olive oil, scallions, 1 tsp red-pepper flakes and cilantro in a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the scallions and red-pepper flakes start to visually and audibly sizzle and frizzle and turn the oil a bright, fiery orange. Remove from the heat, and let cool enough to taste without burning your mouth, then season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and refrigerate. 
3. Combine 2 cups labneh and 2 Tbsp lemon juice in a medium serving bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
1. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 2 tablespoons salt. 
  Add Labne or Greek Yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can and add the cucumbers to the Labne. 
  Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
1. Place cooked eggplant in a colander set over a bowl to let drain and cool (about 10 minutes).
1. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and add to a food processor. Using a microplane, finely grate 2 small garlic cloves into the eggplant, followed by 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and salt.
2. Blitz a few times until smooth and well incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Prep the Fennel, Citrus & Herb Salad

1. Chop 2 cups of fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, and mint.
2. Shave 2 bulbs of fennel into rings using a mandolin or thinly slice with knife. 
3. Peel the 4 blood oranges and 4 regular oranges using a small serrated knife, by cutting off a thin slice of peel from the top and bottom, so it sits flat and securely on the cutting board. Cut from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Remove only the peel and white pith, not the flesh of the orange. It should be perfectly spherical and naked. 
  Slice Citrus crosswise into thin slices, picking out seeds if needed.
4. Use a paring knife to section the 2 grapefruits into wheels. Reserve any citrus juices obtained in the process. 
5. Assemble all of the above ingredients on a serving platter, do not dress yet. Cover and refrigerate.

Mise En Place All Other Ingredients

1. Thinly slice 2 lemons and 1 blood orange. 
2. Finely chop ¾ cup raw almonds and put in a small bowl for later. 
3. Thinly slice 1 shallot. 
4. Coarsely chop cilantro, 1 cup for the rice and more to garnish the labne dip. 
5. Coarsely chop ½ cup mint and/or dill for the rice. 
6. Coarsely chop a handful of mint for the citrus salad.
7. Cover and refrigerate all the above, unless it can be left on the counter until cooking time.

Now Set the Table

Preheat oven to 375°F so it’s hot when guests arrive.

When Guests Arrive

• When Guests Arrive •

Greet and serve drinks!

Warm/Finish the Snacks & Serve!

1. Once the oven reaches 375°F, place the pita bread on a baking sheet and bake for ~5 minutes, until the bread is warmed but still soft. 
2. Cut the break into triangles and add to your veggie platter.
1. Gently rewarm the marinated olives and all the citrus/oil in a pot. 
2. Let the olives cool to room temperature in the pot and then squeeze in juice from half a lemon and half an orange. 
3. Place in a small serving bowl with citrus peels and all, making sure you have a little dish for the olive pits.
1. Reheat the scallion oil mixture until the scallions are sizzling.
2. Swirl in the sizzled scallion mixture on top of the labne dip. Top with extra cilantro, if you like. 
3. Serve with the veggies, pita bread and olives.

COOK STEPS

40 Mins Before Dinner

• 40 Mins Before Dinner •

Make the Salmon

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. 
2. Season the 1½ lb. salmon with kosher salt and pepper on both sides and place it in a large baking dish (a rimmed baking sheet will also work in a pinch, although the salmon will not quite be submerged) topped with the sliced lemons, oranges, and 6 thyme sprigs, if using. 
3. Drizzle 1½ cups olive oil over everything and place the baking dish in the oven. Cook the salmon until it is just turning opaque around the edges and is nearly cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. 
4. Arrange on a platter, top with any leftover dill leaves (optional).

Make the Rice Dish

1. Heat 6 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ¾ cup finely chopped almonds and cook, stirring until fragrant and toasted and the butter has started to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Transfer the almonds to a small bowl, leaving all the butter behind, and season with salt.
3. Add ½ tsp turmeric and the thinly sliced shallot to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot has softened but is not yet browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked rice and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, press the rice gently into the skillet, encouraging even contact all over. Cook, without disturbing the rice (feel free to rotate the skillet to prevent uneven cooking), until it's starting to brown nicely along the bottom (this will happen faster at the center of the skillet, so use a spatula to lift up the rice to check the progress), 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Dinner Time

• Dinner Time •

Serve!

1. Transfer the rice to a large serving platter, placing some of those crispier bits of rice on top, along with 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, and ½ cup mint and/or dill and the almonds.
1. To serve, arrange citrus on a serving platter. Add thinly sliced fennel. Drizzle with olive oil, about 1 tablespoon per serving, and any reserved juices. Garnish with the handful of chopped mint. Sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes and a good amount of flaky salt.
1. Put the Labne Tzataiki, Salmon and Fennel Citrus Salad on the table.  
2. Pour some drinks and serve!