Great dinner party main course required

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

We’re having a couple of friends over for dinner at the weekend. Really looking forward to it but now I come to plan a meal I’m having a bit more trouble. In particular all my best recipes are very wintery and I can’t think of anything to cook in the summer. And originally I thought that DH and I would be cooking together, but now it turns out that he’ll be away all day and only coming back in the evening (he’s doing something essential and dull, not buggering off to watch the World Cup, so no LTBs required).

DH and I will prepare my favourite cold dessert on Friday evening, and lovely friends will bring nibbles instead of a starter so all I need is a main course for 6 people: 4 adults, 2 teens.

Can anyone please suggest a main course that meets the following requirements.
A) reasonably impressive/delicious/with exciting ingredients. Lovely friends are full on foodies and always cook incredible food for us when we visit.
B) doesn’t take two people six hours to make. By the time I’ve had a a lie in (absolutely essential after a nightmare week), tidied, shopped, and run around after 2 teens (one in the middle of GCSEs), 3 cats and 5 kittens I reckon I’ll have about an hour’s prep time. Maybe 2 at a pinch.
C) no chili whatsoever, no aubergine, no cooked cheese, no mushroom, no offal, no shellfish, no mash incorporated in the dish.
D) can be cooked by competent cook with a well stocked kitchen appliance drawer and a Magimix who can, eg, make a béchamel sauce without flinching, but doesn’t require special Masterchef-level skills or risk going horribly wrong.

Ingredients and cost however are pretty much unrestricted. Anything that can be obtained from an large posh butcher, a huge Waitrose, or a choice of well-stocked Chinese/Indian/African/Caribbean food stores/greengrocers is up for grabs. At a pinch I can start marinading on Friday night if necessary.

Any ideas?

[kateandme]

whole baked fish
chorizo chicken and beans tagine/stew
thia curry and jasmine rice.
baked ziti
chicken thigh bacon and peas and stock casserole
marocon stew
stroganoff and tagliatelle
lamb shanks
hot pot
pork mustard cider pie
whole roast beef
salmon fillets with dauphinoise potatoes

[annandale]

Salmon en croute with salads? Not exciting but classic and really really nice.

Or just any winter dish but with salads instead of hot vegetables?

[myrtleWilson]

I would suggest something from Ottolenghi - his recipes always deliver (in my experience) and usually have amazing taste balance - and you can supplement with his amazing salads...

From Jerusalem I'd suggest chicken, orange and arak tray bake with a radish, cucumber and pine nut salad.

Or mackerel and beetroot and orange salsa (has a pinch of chilli in but you can leave out)

From Nopi I'd say lamb cannon with peanuts, coconut milk and red onion salsa

I have the recipes and am more than happy to post photos if you decide you want more info!

[SneakyGremlins]

Sushi?

[NymanPerkins]

Chicken or lamb shawarma with sides, plonk on table and dig in while chatting/drinking.

[DrMantisToboggan]

This salmon dish is very tasty and looks great. Serve with new potatoes/homemade wedges and green veg.

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

Thanks all. Will fly ideas past DH. I have the first Ottolenghi book, so will dive into that.

Stroganoff is always nice IMO, maybe not impressive enough, but I have a nice pistachio and lemon rice recipe which will go well.

[moreismore]

The first ottolenghi book should have recipe for slow roasted belly pork with a plum relish? Omg it’s amazing. Relish can be made ahead and the pork takes a while to cook but not much actual hands on prep. It’s so so good!

[madvixen]

Sticky slow roast lamb always works for me
www.thelondoner.me/2016/03/sticky-slow-roast-lamb.html

[cdtaylornats]

sweetjamaica.co.uk/jamaican-brown-stew-fish-recipe/

Caribbean Brown Stew Trout

[myheartgoesout]

I'd do lamb shawarma - which is dead easy, with a chopped salad - toms cucumber & red onion, homemade hummus and homemade pitta - very easy. All this looks great on the table and avoids the plating up fuss over presentation. More time? then make more mezze dishes but it really isn't necessary, imo home cooking is about welcoming your friends not trying to replicate a restaurant meal (and I have to keep reminding myself not to be over ambitious) - the trend is towards the increasingly casual and simple.
Nigella also does a slow cooked lamb peking duck style, served with the usual spring onion, cucumber hoisin sauce and pancakes - now that is good!

[sashh]

Home made kebabs.

pork mice
onion
garlic
salt, pepper, spices of choice - cumin works well, I would normally put chilli in but can be done without
bamboo skewers (or metal)

bag of ready prepped salad

cucmber
mint sauce
natural youghurt
pita breads

put the skewers to soak

fry the garlic and onion, allow to cool and whiz in a food processor.

Add onion, garlic, seasoning and spices to the pork and mix well.

form the meat onto the skewers.

I put the skewers in the oven with a Pyrex square dish, the skewers rest on the sides of the dish and the meat drips the fat into the dish.

This takes 20-30 mins, so prep before and put on when you are sitting down to nibbles.

warm the pita in the oven and serve plates of pita, salad and kebabs.

Mix a bit of mint sauce into some yoghurt for a sauce.

You can also have peppers and lemon slices.