New Year's Eve Party Ideas

Getting the Party Started

• To get the party going with a little fun and whimsy, serve Duck Fat Popcorn drizzled with melted truffle butter. And these Truffle Butter Gougeres are the hit of every party.
• Caviar. Is New Year’s Eve complete without it? Our French Ossetra Malossol Caviar needs little embellishment – serve it on blinis or on baby potatoes with a dollop of cream. For more simple suggestions, see our caviar recipes.
• Prep an inviting charcuterie platter (see our how-to here). Include a variety of offerings such as peppery Saucisson Sec and Jambon de Bayonne (French Prosciutto). Pâté is always welcome on a charcuterie platter. If you can’t decide which one to serve, try The French Pâté Collection, which offers three different kinds.
• D'Artagnan's Duck Rillettes will be an unexpected party favorite; serve with tart pickles, and crackers or bread. It’s hard to stop eating duck rillettes, so we recommend the larger size for a party of more than 4 people.

Leading Up to the Countdown

• Serve an understated beef carpaccio. Freeze a tenderloin until firm - choose Wagyu beef for the ultra carpaccio. Slice as thinly as possible. You might even gently flatten the slices with a meat mallet to ensure ultimate thinness.  Arrange the slices of meat beautifully on a plate. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with big grains of salt and black pepper.
• For a spin on a classic party appetizer, try Duck and Scallop Rumaki, or Mini Duck Fat Fried Chicken and Bacon Waffles with Sriracha Honey.
• Make Mousse of Foie Gras with Candied Hazelnuts or Foie Gras Cream Puffs with Black Truffles for the ultimate mouthful of heaven.
• For a savory bite, serve canapés with mushrooms: tiny toasts topped with creamy goat cheese and wild mushrooms sautéed with garlic, shallots, and a splash of sherry or Madeira. Try Game-Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms or the classic Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vents – buttery pastry filled with mushrooms.

Late into the Night

• For a sweet ending to the party, you can’t get much easier than strawberries with mascarpone and chocolate. (Slice strawberries in half, leaving the tops on for garnish. Pipe a little mascarpone cheese on the cut side of each berry and top with shaved chocolate.) or make these delectable Dark Chocolate Chestnut Truffles for a sweet end to the evening. Yes, for once we mean the chocolate truffles.

Tips

So that you can be a guest at your own party, select dishes that require little work, can be made ahead of time, and will taste delicious at room temperature; not having to keep foods hot or cold is one less thing to worry about. Serving finger food is a win-win! It means fewer dishes at the end of the party, and it also keeps guests’ hands-free, allowing them more freedom to mingle and munch their way through the evening.

With your perfect menu all set, you might not know how to respond if a guest asks what they can bring to the party. Remember that you can never have too much Champagne. Also, a lovely wedge of soft, rind-ripened cheese will complement the charcuterie platter perfectly.