Planning a dinner party menu, would love input!

Further to a previous QOTD about most ambitious projects, I'm planning my next one - a dinner party for about 10 people in February.

I'm no modernist guru and, compared to most here, am a subpar cook. Compared to most of my friends and family, I'm Heston or Ferran or Ramsay or Keller or all of them rolled into one. (I don't really think that, btw).

I'm hoping to keep the dinner fairly classic with some small embellishments in style or execution. Here's what I have so far (and feel free to chip in with ideas on improving, altering, wiping something out because it doesn't "fit", etc). My idea is just to have a nice, meal that is fairly cohesive. I want it to be something that I can execute without having to do too many things at once as that's when I start to fail. I also don't plan on eating with my guests except for a few bites here and there. My wife will entertain them and they will entertain each other. I want to do the cooking and am happy to do it.

Amuse:

Blank slate right - but I was thinking something with some acidity to liven up the palate

Appy:

Simple seared large scallop on top of a pea puree (with a bit of lemon therein for freshness)

Presentation would include dots of a balsamic reduction on the plate and Pea shoots as garnish on top

Soup:

Roasted butternut squash (I made this before and it was a big hit). Instead of a dollop of sour cream in the middle, I wrote my initials with creme fraiche. Chopped chives on top.

Pasta dish:

I'm torn on this - I have a few ideas but I want them all to be light but flavour rich and for it to be a fairly small dish.

- homemade angel hair with chanterelles and truffle butter (which I'm making tonight), pickled red onions

- chanterelle risotto (or maybe a lighter, fresher risotto...?)

- something with orzo

Fish:

Sablefish (sous vide to 120, seared skin) on a bed of basil/parsley couscous in a saffron tomato water broth

Basil chiffonade

Palate cleanser #1

Celery vodka sorbet

champagne grapefruit

Entree:

Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with arugula pesto/goat cheese - plan is to sous vide these and then sear the prosciutto at service (in a roulade kind of way, I guess)

(would love to do duck or meat of some sort but some picky eaters may be present)

- might add a second option of a 48 hour blade roast

Parsnip or celeriac puree (I liked the celeriac as a nice follow up to the celery vodka sorbet)

Also thought of maybe roasting beets and potatoes and having those interspersed on the plate with the chicken slices in the middle

Maybe a tart blood orange glaze for colour and flavour and because I have it in my head that oranges and beets go well together

Palate cleanser #2:

Sour cherry sorbet

Cheese course:

Keep it simple with three cheeses

Maybe a St.Andre or other soft

Hard mild (gouda/edam/the like)

Blue (roquefort maybe)

Dessert:

This is particularly where I lose direction but I'm leaning towards either a flavoured creme brulee (in 125ml jars...the 250 would be too big for this meal) - either egg nog, cold infused coffee, or more likely jasmine or chai (I had a jasmine creme brulee at a 2* in Provence...so good)

Souffle with a white chocolate creme anglaise (my wife is allergic to regular chocolate)

Red wine poached pears a la CS (they look awesome)

And a final bite on the way out of mini macarons or some sort of chocolate truffle (my wife can go without!)

And that's where I'm at. It's a bit long but any input would be appreciated!

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Comments

Samuel_68313

It all sounds really nice, but if I went to someone's house for a dinner party and they didn't eat with us I'd feel really awkward.

You don't need to do a pasta course, a second option for main, or multiple palate cleansers. Cut a couple of courses and enjoy some of the delicious sounding food you're going to be cooking.

And to be honest, and I really mean no offense here though I feel that may be unavoidable, if someone gives me soup with their initials in it I'm going to think they're a bit of a prick.

Eric_M_16062

Do as much a possible in advance. I like the appy, soup and fish: they can be done quickly. (Fuck yeah, Sable!)

When I think amuse, I think one bite of cocks out flavour you generally can't get away with in any other format. The wine opens the palate. Serve a spicy-caper loaded tartare with white wine gelée / butter poached lobster with bacon and double cream / pistacio butter, caramelised pear and mortadella / duck fat fried croquettes / foie pâté on chicken skin... Whatever, something mental! Go big for your amuse, rein it in for the rest of the meal.

Your pasta course is admittedly confused, so why bother? If you feel obliged, then serve a stuffed pasta. You just served a soup, I wouldn't follow it with risotto or orzo. Three - five (dependant on size - I'd do three bigger guys) simple ricotta tortellini in truffle butter. Make a chanterelle filling even. Pickled red onion, a few sautéed chanterelles, a little honey somewhere along the line: truffles and mushrooms love honey. Sounds good.

My problem with your entrée is portion and speed. The circulator is fine but you're going to have to sear and rest a ton of chicken, then slice it to make it look like something, for 10 plates, by yourself... It sounds like a headache. I'd recommend a bigger item. If you're sold on the bird do a turkey roulade, you could get away with two rolls, light and dark meat, much less fuss. Personally, I'd split a pork loin, you'd only need to sear one thing. Then serve it with your palate clenser idea. A vodka marinated/compressed (peeled!) celery and smashed potatoes, maybe some roasted radish... You could add the orange element there for sure, some mirin and rice vinegar to make things interesting, or just a straight roast with an herb or two.

Have desert done well in advance! It's simple, but I tend to stick to baked or set items. Panna Cotta, Bavarois, crème brûlée... Cake, hah. I think you're on the right track.

None of this should take you away from your guests too long, you have to enjoy yourself too big guy!

Andrea_Feldman_46226

Wow, lots of great ideas here... But I think you need to pare it back, both for your own sanity, and for your guests' comfort. (You want to aim for pleasantly full, not overstuffed.)

And, I'd also argue that you want to enjoy the meal with the guests as well! They're there to see you, not be floored by your show stopping technique.

sebastian_palmigiani_21610

having done a couple of these, here are my suggestions (more on process than content of courses):

1. prep ahead of time as much as possible so that at dinner time all you need to do is the last step of the course.

2. i concur with other people for you to join the dinner. it's fun cooking but it's also fun eating with the guests.

3. AND, what i find very helpful is to ask a different guest to help me prep for each course. i give the direction on what they should do and then supervise. PLUS, it's a great way to get to know people better and have fun.

Brendan_Lee_56950

I'm not going to comment on the number of dishes, that's up to you and your own masochistic pleasures

. However, I do think that the dishes lack a flow. There is no common thread that ties the meal together, instead it kind of reads like a menu that one would see at a cafe that you could choose from. Let's say you choose to go italian, you have some italian flavors already in the menu, then you can organize the dishes that you are up in the air about around that theme and make it much more cohesive.

Tim_Sutherland_52834

As others have said, a 10 top by yourself is a lot of work. With the 10 courses you have that is 100 plates you have to plate, serve and clean.

If it takes you 15 seconds to plate one dish that is 2:30 minutes to plate all 10 plus the time to run the food. It could be an easy 5 minutes from when you have started to plate until the guest take their first bite.

I would go for 4-5 courses in total. Pick a theme for the entire menu. Make the last courses very simple to plate as you will be in the weeds, the kitchen will be trashed, and you will have a few vinos under the belt. Dinner parties in the home should be about the people first.

Michael_93748

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for the thoughts and ideas. They're very helpful.

I agree that it's a bit weird not to eat with them but these are my closest friends and they understand that they're just really here for me get through my own culinary self-gratification and they won't mind much. At the end of the day, it makes my life easier and helps me to enjoy what I'm doing more which will make the dinner more enjoyable for all. One other thing is that the dining room is right beside the kitchen, but still separate, so it's not like I'd be distant or not part of the conversation. It would just allow me to get things done.

I think I'm ready to turf the pasta course. I had originally thought of that because of the dietary preferences of one of the guests, but she'll enjoy the rest, so it's fine.

@Samuel - the initials thing was totally a joke (from the last time they were here...- I did it then, on a whim, to make them laugh - again, keep in mind it's my closest friends) so I thought they may enjoy the continuation of the joke. But I totally see what you're saying and don't disagree.

@Tim Sutherland - you know, I hadn't really thought about the number of plates and dishes etc. That's a good point. And the timing. I think I'll turf the cheese and the second sorbet (that was more because I wanted to do a sour cherry sorbet).

@Brendan Lee - thanks for the comments on flow. I can't say that I disagree - the main thing is really "things that I quite enjoy". About the only common ground that it all has is that it's fairly "West Coast" in style (I'm in Vancouver) in that it's common of general ingredients that can be found around here. Nowadays, that's less of a "thing" with our food networks...so any tips on adjustments to bring it in tighter would be great.

@sebastian - great points. I was trying to focus on dishes that, generally, need little intervention from me to be successful. In particular, though, I like #3. That's a GREAT idea. I really like it.

@Eric_39587 - good thinking on the amuse. One idea that came to mind was a full flavoured bite of 100 hour oxtail with a strong flavoured glaze or jus. For the entree - I was thinking that there would be enough in each piece for two guests (probably six slices per piece, three pieces per plate, etc), so I'd only have to do 4 or 5 in total and I can sear all of those at once (have a nice big 14" skillet). Great ideas, too - love the mirin. Thanks! Also, the main reason for the chicken (or other bird...the turkey's a great idea, too) is that one of the guests doesn't eat red meat, another one only eats red meat if it's very well done, and my wife is pregnant and hasn't been very interested in beef, for whatever reason (and she's allergic to uncured pork). It may change by then. But in any event, the protein idea based on the guests, more than my great desire to do poultry. But I like the white/dark idea....that's good.

@Andrea_Feldman_46226 - You're right in that the initial volume of food may have been too high. I was thinking generally smaller portions but I think if I pare it down a bit, that will be better, as well.

Thanks again and appreciate your thoughts and anything else you want to add!