What is a Davenport Dinner Party?
Welcome to my new blog series! I’ll pair a classic movie or TV show (or one with some cool retro vibes) with a menu suitable for a date night or night with friends. I’ll offer some quick and easy ideas as well as a vintage recipe for those that want to spend more time in the kitchen. Grab a plate and claim your spot on the davenport, because we are starting with a fun one from 1963: Charade!
Charade
Charade is one of my favorite movies from the 1960s, mostly because it has two of the most charming actors to ever walk the planet: Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. These two are fantastic together, and their quick dialogue, frequent bickering, and all around chemistry make it very fun to watch. The film begins with Hepburn’s character brilliantly blowing-off Grant when they meet at a ski resort. He asks if they know each other, and she quickly replies, “I already know an awful lot of people and until one of them dies, I couldn’t possible meet anyone else.”
Audrey Hepburn plays Regina Lampert, an American living in Paris. She has decided to divorce her husband, but before she has a chance to tell him, he is murdered. Let the mystery begin!
Regina’s husband wasn’t who he was claiming to be, and the C.I.A. has been investigating him and his WWII buddies. It seems they stole a substantial amount of gold during the War. Regina meets Grant’s character Peter Joshua, while on a ski holiday and again in Paris, but is he who he claims to be?
Charade is suspenseful, a bit dark, but also charming. It is beautifully filmed, and 1960s fashion lovers will drool over Hepburn’s Givenchy wardrobe, which includes several gorgeous coats and hats. There is also great depth to the cast, which also includes Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, and James Coburn.
Le Menu
Because the film is set in France, I decided to go with a French themed dinner party, mostly with the help of Trader Joe’s, and a little help from M.F.K. Fisher. Trader Joe’s has quite a few products that are imported from France or fit the French theme.
- French cheeses: I chose a Brie and Comte
- Brioche Toasts
- Macarons: You’ll find them in the freezer section.
- Mandarins: These aren’t French, but you’ll get why I included them if you have seen the orange scene in Charade.
- French wine. If you would like to serve a cocktail, how about the French 75?
Trader Joe’s has a variety of other French products to choose from, including a tarte aux fruits (a frozen mixed berry tarte), fleur de sel caramels, croissants, a variety of quiches, and a cheesy scallop and mushroom dish.
In addition to the pre-made goodies, I put together a simple salad with a vinaigrette, and made a Quiche au Fromage from The Cooking of Provincial France, a 1967 Time-Life book authored by M.F.K. Fisher. I followed the recipe nearly to the letter, including the crust, which takes many hours when you include the rest times. If you are short on time, you could easily substitute a store-bought crust, and make the filling from scratch.
The recipe’s instructions are very detailed, but helpful. The only thing that went wrong was that the crust sunk when I pre-baked it. The recipe said to line the crust with tin foil. I should have also added beans or some other sort of weight. This meant that I had a very shallow crust to fill and since my pan was also on the small side of the size recommended, I had extra filling. I used an 8 inch pan from Amazon. 
- For the pastry dough:
- 6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/4 inch bits
- 2 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
- For the custard filling:
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 6 slices lean bacon, cut in 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 eggs plus 2 extra egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper (the recipe calls for white pepper. I used black)
- 3/4 cup graded Swiss cheese or a combination of Swiss and Parmesan (I used Swiss)
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut in tiny pieces
- For the pastry dough or Pate Brisee: In a large, chilled mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, flour, and salt. Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and fat together until they blend and look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour three tablespoons of ice water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough seems crumbly, add up to two tablespoons more ice water by drops. Dust the pastry with a little flour and wrap it in wax paper or a plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least three hours or until it is firm.
- Remove the pastry from the refrigerator five minutes before rolling it. If it seems resistant and hard, tap it all over with a rolling pin. Place the ball on a floured board or table and, with the heel of one hand, press it into a flat circle about 1 inch thick. Dust a little flour over and under it and roll it out-from the center to within an inch of the far edge. Lift the dough and turn it clockwise, about the space of two hours on a clock; roll again from the center to the far edge. Repeat-lifting, turning, rolling- until the circle is about 1/8 inch thick and 11 or 12 inches across. If the pastry sticks to the board or table, lift it gently with a metal spatula and sprinkle a little flour under it.
- Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 to 9 inch false -bottomed quiche or cake pan ( I used an 8 inch and had lots of extra filling), no more than 1 1/4 inch deep. Roll the pastry over the pin and unroll it over the pan, or drape the pastry over the rolling pin, lift it up and unfold it over the pan. Gently press the pastry into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it. Roll the pin over the rim of the pan, pressing down hard to trim off the excess pastry. With a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry all over, trying not to pierce all the way through. Chill for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To keep the bottom of the pastry from puffing up, spread a sheet of buttered aluminum foil across the pan and press it gently into the edges to support the sides of the pastry as it bakes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil. Prick the pastry again, then return it to the oven for 3 minutes or until it starts to shrink from the sides of the pan and begins to brown. Remove it from the oven and set it on a wire cake rack to cool.
- Cheese-Custard filling: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a heavy 8 to 10 inch skillet melt 1 teaspoon butter over moderate heat (I skipped the butter). When the foam subsides, cook the bacon until it is lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. With a wire whisk, or rotary or electric beater, beat the eggs, extra egg yolks, cream, and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the grated cheese. Place the cooled pastry shell on a baking sheet. Scatter the bacon over the bottom of the shell and gently ladle the egg-cheese custard into it, being sure the custard does not come within 1/8 inch of the rim of the shell. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter and bake in the upper third of the oven for 25 minutes or until the custard has puffed and browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. To remove the quiche from the pan, set the pan on a large jar or coffee can and slip down the outside rim. Run a long metal spatula under the quiche to make sure it isn’t stuck to the bottom of the pan, then slide the quiche onto a heated platter. Serve hot or warm.
This is a very rich quiche. A small piece is very satisfying, and the salad with tart vinaigrette is a nice accompaniment. The sour mandarins make a refreshing dessert after such a decadent dish, but who can say no to a macaron?
Where to Watch Charade
Charade in in the public domain, so you will find many places to stream it, and its readily available on DVD.
-
- Stream for free with Amazon Prime
- Stream for free on Retro Flix. We watch this channel on our Roku.
- Purchase a DVD on Amazon
- Check with your local library for DVD options
What Movies Would You Like to See Next?
I hope this will become a series, so I would love feedback and your thoughts on other movies or shows you would like to see featured. Please comment below!
[This post contains some Amazon affiliate links. See my about section for more information.]
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