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American party foods to serve at your royal wedding watch party

Chef Peter Callahan shares some recipes for beloved American classics.

May 16, 2018, 8:24 AM

Looking for the perfect party food to serve at your royal wedding watch party this weekend?

Chef Peter Callahan stopped by "Good Morning America" today to share some fun and festive recipes for classic American dishes, as speculation mounts over how much American tradition will be incorporated in the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Callahan suggested inviting friends over to watch the royal wedding and serving some traditional American fare along with some British favorites, while asking your guests, "Who does it better?"

Here, Callahan shares some recipes and tips for some classic American dishes that are sure to be a hit at any watch party. Callahan, a pro caterer, also shares some of his best recipes for get-together's in his new cookbook, "Peter Callahan's Party Food."

PHOTO: Celebrity chef Peter Callahan is out with a new book, "Peter Callahan's Party Food."
Celebrity chef Peter Callahan is out with a new book, "Peter Callahan's Party Food."
Clarkson Potter

Burgers and frites

PHOTO: Peter Callahan's burger and frites
Peter Callahan's burger and frites
ABC

For the buns:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 and 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
2 cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 egg yolk
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder or paprika

Instructions:
Whisk 1/4 cup of the warm water, yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup warm water, the remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and the milk, 1 egg and 1 cup bread flour and salt. Beat with paddle attachment on low to mix ingredients. When mixed, beat on high for about 10 minutes. Stop mixer and switch to bread hook. Add 1/4 cup remaining bread flour and mix on low speed until flour absorbed. Add a few butter cubes and beat until they are incorporated. Continue to alternate butter and flour until they are both completely incorporated and the dough cleans the sides of the bowl during mixing, about 7 minutes. Take dough out of bowl and knead 10 minutes. Grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, turn over to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 18 50-gram portions and roll each into a ball and push down slightly to form hamburger bun shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with nonstick spray. Lave at least 2 inch between each bun. Cover lightly with plastic and let rise about 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix egg yolks and water. When buns have risen, brush with egg would mixture and sprinkle tops with your choice of sesame seeds, poppy seeds or chili powder.

Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool completely.

For the beef burger:
Ingredients:
One lb ground beef
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together. Form into 2 1/2-ounce patties and sear or grill. Finish in oven before serving until 155 degrees in center. Top with cheese 2-3 minutes before finished cooking to melt cheese.
For the turkey burger:
One lb ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped shallot
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepperInstructions:
Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil. Let cool. Mix all ingredients together. Form into 2 1/2-ounce patties and sear or grill. Finish in oven before serving until 165 degrees in center.

For the veggie burger:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced carrots
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
12 oz assorted mushrooms (such as shiitake, Portobello, button), chopped fine (can rough chop and then put in a food processor to make finer chop, be careful not to puree)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1 cup cooked red lentils
1 cups canned beans, pureed (chick peas or black beans)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup cooked basmati or jasmine rice
Instructions:
Sauté onions until tender, add carrots and sauté; add mushrooms and sauté, add garlic, cook several minutes until mushrooms are cooked and vegetables are soft amd liquid from mushrooms has evaporated.

Add herbs, lentils, pureed beans, seasoning and rice and cook until all flavors incorporated.Form into 2 oz patties. Chill patties. Sear patties and heat in oven right before serving.

Prep your favorite toppings and put on sliced buns.

Heat prepped burgers in oven until hot and assemble on buns.

Toppings: Ketchup, avocado, lettuce, red onion, pickle, mayo and mustard.

For the frites:
Ingredients:
5 large Yukon gold potatoes
6 cups soy or peanut oil to fry
Instructions:
Wash the potatoes and trim ends, so that each potato is 4 inches long. Slice a thin lengthwise plank off one side of each potato so you have a flat side. Starting with the flat side, slice the potato on a mandolin into 3/16-inch planks. Stack the planks and slice them lengthwise into 3/16-inch thick sticks. Put potato sticks in water and let site overnight in refrigerator.

In a large pot, heat oil to 350 degrees over medium heat. Drain potatoes and turn them onto paper towel and get as dry as possible. Fry tem in small batches for about 1 minute. Transfer them from oil to paper lines pan and let cool. Once all potatoes are fried and cooled. They can be frozen at this point, until ready to use.

Reheat oil over medium heat to 375 degrees. Fry frites in small batches until golden brown. Make sure oil gets hot again between each batch.

Mini grilled cheese sandwiches

PHOTO: Peter Callahan's grilled cheese sandwiches
Peter Callahan's grilled cheese sandwiches
ABC

For the bread:
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
2 cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions:
Whisk 1/4 cup of the warm water, yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup warm water, the remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and the milk, 1 egg and 1 cup bread flour and salt. Beat with paddle attachment on low to mix ingredients. When mixed, beat on high for about 10 minutes. Stop mixer and switch to bread hook. Add 1/4 cup remaining bread flour and mix on low speed until flour absorbed. Add a few butter cubes and beat until they are incorporated. Continue to alternate butter and flour until they are both completely incorporated and the dough cleans the sides of the bowl during mixing, about 7 minutes. Take dough out of bowl and knead 10 minutes. Grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, turn over to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.

Grease two 2 1/4-inch-by-11 3/4-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray.

Punch dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half, shape each piece into an 11/2-inch long log and place them in prepared loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until dough rises to top of loaf pan, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove plastic wrap, place pans on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool completely, remove from pan and slice into 36 thin slices.

For the sandwiches:
8 slices aged gruyere cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted, softened butter
Instructions: Stack the cheese slices and cut into 9 even squares. Butter one side of each bread slice. Place 2 slices cheese on unbuttered side of half the bread slices and top with another bread slice, unbuttered side down, to make 36 sandwiches. Heat a non stick griddle and cook about 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Cooked and cooled sandwiches can be reheated and served.

Chocolate lava cake

PHOTO: Peter Callahan's chocolate lava cake
Peter Callahan's chocolate lava cake
ABC

Ingredients:
For the cake:
9 ounce bittersweet chocolate
9 ounce butter (plus a little extra to grease ramekin)

6 each eggs
6 each egg yolk
6 ounce sugar (plus a little extra to dust ramekin)
4 1/2 ounce all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions:
Grease ramekin with butter and dust with sugar. Over low heat on a double boiler, melt the chocolate, butter and salt together. Whip eggs, yolks and sugar until soft peaks begin to form. Do not build too much volume, but eggs should have some volume. Fold melted chocolate mix into eggs. Add flour and stir until just combined. Fill each ramekin with batter until about 3/4 full. Put about 1 tablespoon of ganache in center of each cake, you can use a pastry bag t pipe it in or a spoon and push ganache into middle of cake. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

For the ganache:
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounce 66 percent chocolate

Instructions:
Heat heavy cream and pour over the chocolate, whisk to combine and set aside.