Wolfgang Puck's 2016 Oscar Culinary Classics

For the 22nd year in a row, Wolfgang Puck will set the culinary stage with a Governors Ball menu inspired by vintage and contemporary Hollywood glamour, and will feature more than 50 imaginative dishes, from one-bite hors d’oeuvres to small-plate entrées that will be passed throughout the evening. Wolfgang and his team of 300 chefs will be cooking for 1,600 people on the night, with 600 waiting staff on hand to serve up the incredible feast to their A-List guests. As for the food? They will be preparing and serving 1,300 farmed oysters, over 20 pounds of farm-raised caviar, 300 Maine lobsters, 6,500 Oscar-shaped flatbreads and 2,400 bottles of Piper Heidsieck champagne to be served with a menu that includes braised short rib with cauliflower purée and golden raisin puffed Thai rice; rye berry risotto with peas and asparagus; tortellini with artichoke fromage; white grape almond gazpacho; poke, stone crab, made-to-order sushi and other raw bar treats floating atop illuminated ice blocks. There's also a selection of Puck’s signature favorites, such as his smoked salmon Oscars, chicken pot pie with shaved black truffles, mini American Wagyu burgers with aged cheddar and array of elegant desserts such as pistachio crêpes with strawberry-Champagne foam and crumbled pistachio, plus a chocolate dessert bar featuring Puck’s sought-after 24-karat-gold chocolate Oscars. "We're going to top last year with delicious dishes, traditional ones that Adele and John Travolta love like the macaroni and cheese with truffles and chicken pot pie, and then new additions like Alaskan king crab, Chinese-style lobster and vegetarian dishes such as white grape almond gazpacho — "there will be something for everyone."

Spicy Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cones with Masago

Gold foil wrapped baked potatoes with sour cream and caviar 

Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt and Brown Sugar

Baby Beets, Cara Cara Oranges, Frisée and Arugula Mini Salads with Shallot Vinaigrette

Strawberry Cheesecake Lollipops with freeze-dried strawberry

Macaron Tower with Pistachio, Violet, Mango, Chocolate and Raspberry macaroons

Coconut Macaroons, Passion Fruit Mallomars, Kalamansi Pate de Fruit & Pistachio and Marzipan Pavés

5,000 chocolate Oscars have been created for guests

Smoked Salmon Oscar Matzos

Sushi, Shellfish and Poke Station

Mini Burgers with aged cheddar and remoulade

Marks Garden has been is the Academy Awards Governors Ball official florist for the past 22 years, creating inspired florals that include garden cut roses, hydrangeas, wisteria, birch and moss. This years Oscar Party theme - “the art of making film” - will feature 170 newly commissioned drawings of filmmaking legends, past and present, inspired from two of the most iconic restaurants for Hollywood celebrities: Sardi’s in New York’s theatre district, whose walls are lined with hundreds of celebrity caricatures, and The Brown Derby in Los Angeles, a restaurant shaped like a derby hat which has become synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This year, after award winners receive their Oscar and disappear behind the curtain, they'll receive a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Rare Millésime 2002 to sip while their name is etched into their statuette. The official Champagne of the 88th-annual Academy Awards, only 1,000 magnums of Piper-Heidksieck's limited special-edition Oscars cuvée were made, and featuring a gold filigree label that spells “Oscars 88” that can be taken off the bottle to be worn as a gold tiara! Along with the menu of more than 50 dishes, this year Puck’s whipped up a special dessert to pair with the Piper-Heidsieck, a raspberry panna cotta with Champagne caviar and white chocolate.

The official Champagne of the 88th-annual Academy Awards, only 1,000 magnums of 

Piper-Heidksieck's limited special-edition Oscars cuvée were made

Anne Hathaway with her Oscar and glass of bubbly

Who could make eating pizza look so elegant?

Napa Valley's Sterling Vineyards will once again provide the featured wines for the Governors Ball with their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Reserve Chardonnay 


Some of the films nominated for this years Academy Awards

Wolfgang Puck 2016 Oscar Menu

Pre Show - Tray Passed

Curried Chicken Salad on Walnut Raisin Toast 

Chinese Chicken Salad on Wonton Crisp

Roasted Red Hummus with Jicama Sticks 

Smoked Salmon Mousse on Cucumber 

Brioche Crostini with Seared Au Poivre Filet Mignon 

Tomato, Feta and Olive Skewer 

Shrimp Cocktail 

Mini Burgers with aged cheddar and remoulade

Assorted Pizzas 

Spicy Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cones with Masago

Root Vegetable & Homemade Potato Chips 

Wolfgang Puck 2016 Oscars Governors Ball Menu

Governors Ball - Passed Hors d'Oeuvres

Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame Miso Cone 

Mini Burgers, Aged Cheddar, Remoulade 

Smoked Salmon Oscar Matzo 

Vegetarian, Vegan and WP Assorted Pizza 

Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato 

Avocado Toast with Radish, Sea Salt and Finger Lime 

Grilled Fig filled with Local Ricotta and Saba 

Pork Potsticker with Ponzu 

Taro Root Taco with Wild Mushrooms and Salsa Verde 

Crispy BiBimBap 

Table Platter
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Homemade Pretzels, Pimento Cheese, 5 Year Aged Gouda  & Parmesan Reggiano 

Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika 

Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt and Brown Sugar 

Fleur de Sel Breadsticks & Seeded Lavosh 

Poke, Sushi & Shellfish 

Passed Small Plates - Hot
-

Baked Potato with Caviar 

Chicken Pot Pie, Black Truffles

Apple-Celery Root Soup with Black Truffle 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese 

Ancient Grain Risotto with Peas, Mushrooms and Pea Leaves 

Wagyu Shortrib, Cauliflower Purée, Golden Raisins and Puffed Thai Rice 

Artichoke and Fromage Agnolotti, Black Winter Truffles 

Dover Sole, Sweet Potato, Chili, Orange Miso Vinaigrette 

Passed Small Plates - Cold
-

Baby Beets, Cara Cara Oranges, Frisee, Arugula and Shallot Vinaigrette

Chopped Salad with Artichokes, Asparagus, Radicchio and Haricot Vert 

Chilled White Grape and Almond Gazpacho 

Chocolate Buffet
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Caramel Oscars Lollipops 

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Coconut Macaroons

Chewy Pink Cranberry Meringues 

Macaron Tower with Pistachio, Violet, Mango, Chocolate and Raspberry 

Crunchy Pearl Chocolate Dome

Raspberry Opera 

Strawberry Marshmallow 

Bubble Banana/Strawberry Cheesecake Lollipop Freeze dried Strawberry 

Rum "Baba Savarin" Raspberry Gelee 

Mini Yuzu Tarte Tropezienne 

Dark Chocolate Brownie 

Tiramisu Push Pop 

Assorted WP Chocolate Bonbons, Bars, and Barks

Strawberry White Chocolate Puffed Rice Rocher

Kalamansi Pate De fruit

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ring Dings

Passion Fruit Mallomars 

Lemon Meringue Tart Lollipop 

Vanilla-Raspberry Religieuse 

Chocolate Fountain

Passed Small Plates - Dessert
-

Chocolate Passion Layer Cake
Chocolate Biscuit
Specula's
 Banana Ice cream 
Sweet Taco,
Pistachio Lady Finger
Market Cherries

Raspberry Panna Cotta
Champagne Caviar
White Chocolate Décor

Vanilla Bean and Hot Fudge Sundaes

Glamour Shot
Serves 4

4 oz Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon Irish Cream Liqueur
2 oz Goldschläger Cinnamon Schnapps
Edible gold flakes, for garnish


Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into chilled shot glasses rimmed with edible gold flakes.

Wolfgang Puck’s Mini Cheese Burgers with Aged Cheddar 

Makes 12 mini burgers

3/4 lb ground beef

1/4 tsp Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz aged cheddar cheese, sliced

6 slices Brioche bread, punched out with a 2-inch ring cutter or 12 mini buns

Arugula leaves

6 cherry tomatoes, sliced

3 cornichons, sliced

Remoulade Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3/4 cup of brunoise of red onion

1/2 cup of brunoise of red bell pepper

1/2 cup of brunoise of yellow bell pepper

For the remoulade sauce, combine the heavy cream, garlic, rosemary and paprika in a medium saucepan, and reduce by half. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a sauté pan, heat the peanut oil. Sweat the onions, red and yellow bell pepper until glossy. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat a grill or grill pan. Put the ground beef in a bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands to combine. Take about 2 tablespoons of the ground beef and roll it in the palm of your hand like you are making meatballs. Flatten the top slightly and put the mini burger patties on a side plate. Drizzle the burgers with oil and season the tops with salt and pepper. Turn the burgers over and season the other side.

Place the burgers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn them over with tongs. Put about 1/2 ounce of aged cheddar cheese on top of the burgers, allowing it to melt. While that’s cooking, put the brioche circles or mini buns on the grill. Let them toast slightly on both sides, about 2 minutes total time.

To put the burgers together: Put the toasted brioche circles or bun halves on a platter. Top each with a small spoonful of Remoulade. Put the burger on top, cheese side up, followed by an arugula leaf, a slice of tomato and a slice of cornichon. Top with other half of the brioche or buns, and secure with a decorative pick.