Please critique my buffet menu

[SundayTulips]

Hi all, we’re cooking for and hosting a buffet for between 20-36 adults next month (depending on RSVPs). We want it to be well done but not fussy (ie really high quality ingredients done well but not in a faffy way). There will be a number of vegetarians to cater for. For that number of people I can’t do too much hot food as don’t have the oven space to keep it all warm. Guests are international and fancy!

I was thinking:

Home made dips - baba ganoush, beetroot, red pepper plus crackers/flatbreads, fresh focaccia and oils

Rare roast beef fillet, cold, sliced, with horseradish sauce on the side
Marinated roast chicken thighs (anyone have a knockout recipe?)
Spinach and feta borek
I need another veggie main. I was thinking a frittata or similar but would love ideas

Straciatella and heirloom tomato salad with basil
Baby new potatoes with herbs
Giant couscous and roast vegetable salad (any dressing recipes are so welcome!)
Roasted white asparagus with aioli

Probably eton mess and brownies for pudding

We haven’t included fish as wanted to be able to focus on a few things done really well, although if suddenly half our guests turn out to be pescatarian I may need to rethink this. If so I would probably do a big bowl of white fish ceviche or similar

Thank you!!

Thanks, I agree but think it’s probably too similar to the Borek here (which looks a bit prettier)

Shamelessly adding a comment so I can come back to this thread for our wedding buffet. We have a similar menu but instead of couscous we will do fragrant vegan rice with cashew nuts and roasted veg. We have vegans and coeliacs as well as fussy autistic teens to cater for.

Less choice but plentiful and high quality dishes is my principle to work to.

I'm adding a homemade 'slaw alongside new potatoes and bread

That chickpea confit is amazing. I often make it with harrisa rather than the suggested spices. Slices of flatbread to go with it.

Edit: I finish it without the lid so it is not as liquidy. No one wants liquid at a buffet!

Maybe a roast tomato tart. Vegetarian (or vegan) and another thing which can be made ahead.

Another vote for salmon. I think that would look more appealing than cerviche - which is nice but I would wonder how long it had been sat for!

Sounds lovely! I second swapping out Eton Mess for something else though, as it needs to be assembled last minute or it just melts into a soggy heap personal experience.

A quiche? Veg, long stem broccoli and olive, or crab or salmon.

Me! I love a bit of salmon on a buffet

I think you need some potatoes, maybe roasted mini potatoes? Or new potatoes with butter and parsley?

This has always gone down well and you can make extra dressing to add to the tabbouleh if you wanted to make sure it had no chicken in:

Ingredients
• 1 large red chilli
• 3 clv garlic
• juice of 4 limes, about 120ml (8tbsp) juice
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 4 chicken breast quarters (breast and wing), each about 300g (11oz)
• 125 g (4oz) cucumber
• 450 g (1lb) tomatoes, preferably plum
• 225 g (8oz) onions
• 2 tbsp. capers
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• salt and ground black pepper
• 225 g (8oz) bulgar wheat
• 50 g (2oz) pinenuts, toasted
• 3 tbsp. each chopped fresh parsley and chives
• 50 g (2oz) raisin
• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• lime slices and flat-leaf parsley to garnish

	<span class="underline">Step 1
</span>
De-seed and finely chop the chilli. Place in a non-metallic bowl with the crushed garlic, 45ml (3tbsp) lime juice, turmeric and lightly scored chicken. Toss and marinate in the fridge for at least 3hr.
	
	<span class="underline">Step 2
</span>
Meanwhile, chop the cucumber and tomatoes. Thinly slice the onions. Mix the tomatoes with the capers, 30ml (2tbsp) lime juice, sugar and seasoning.
	
	<span class="underline">Step 3
</span>
Place the bulgar wheat in a bowl; cover with 600ml (1 pint) boiling water. Soak for 10min. Drain; stir in the cucumber, toasted pinenuts, herbs, raisins, remaining lime juice and 45ml (3tbsp) oil. Season.
	
	<span class="underline">Step 4
</span>
Drain the chicken (reserve the marinade). Place, skin side up, in a roasting tin with remaining oil and onions. Cook at 240&deg;C (475&deg;F) mark 9 for 30-35min or until cooked; set aside. Add the tomato mixture and remaining marinade to the roasting tin; return to the oven for 5min.
	
	<span class="underline">Step 5
</span>
Spoon dressing over the chicken. Garnish and serve at room temperature with the tabbouleh. 

It really is delicious and can be served hot or cold

I would include a fresh fruit platter because I don't like either Eton mess or brownies.

I'm allergic to wheat and would appreciate a gluten-free carb option - could be rice salad or potato salad, maybe instead of the couscous. And Cos lettuce leaves or endive leave as a carb-free thing to dollop the delicious dips onto.

I have found that cooking chicken breasts instead of anything with a bone makes eating and serving much easier and eliminates waste. Any leftovers are easy to freeze and use later.

It all sounds gorgeous, I hope you and your guests have a lovely day.

She already has new potatoes.

It sounds amazing. Yum. If you wanted to add another salady vegan dish I can recommend Nigel Slater's aubergine bulgur wheat pilaf here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/oct/12/foodanddrink.shopping1

It's really easy, can size up or down and will happily sit at room temperature. So good!

That's a lot of work! Not helpful but for that many I'd have it catered.

Forgot to add that I made the chickpeas in the slow cooker - this would make things easier for you then it's just sitting in the pot keeping warm, waiting for people to help themselves.

And if you wanted a bit of alternative to baby potatoes, Greek lemon and oregano potatoes are lovely. Plenty of recipe's and they are great and a one pan dish without much faff other than mixing up the stock some lemon and cutting up potatoes

Sounds delicious! I'd definitely do the chickpeas or something as a vegan option.

Would a big pavlova work better than Eton mess? Might not go as soggy?

Add a green salad
Leave the Eton mess deconstructed, so that people can add fruit and cream to their own meringues- avoids sogginess
Otherwise, sounds lovely

With the giant couscous salad, a good dressing (I usually do it for rice salads not couscous, but should work) is a tablespoon each of olive oil and pomegranate molasses, fresh chopped mint, squeeze of orange juice and orange zest, spoonful of ras-el-hanout mixed spice or tsp each of cinnamon and cumin.

How many dips are there? Is the beetroot and red pepper a dip? I'd probably do a humus and / or a tzatziki

Other than that sounds divine.

I'd drop the roasted asparagus, white asparagus need a lot of peeling and that is going to be no joke for 36 people. Plus ime they need roasting for about twice the time given in any recipe. I'd second adding a cheeseboard instead. Less faffing around. Also, as many posters have said, Eton mess is a last minute thing, perhaps a large tiramisu instead? Or a large crumble?

That’s what I was thinking when I opened the thread. Scotch eggs, Doritos, sausage rolls and pieces of quiche. Probs a few mini pork pies and cocktail sausages x

Your menu looks great on the whole, though I'd be skipping the dips if I was a guest, I am not hugely fussy but none of those appeal to me. Maybe a sour cream with chives type dip?

Also, I would add fresh fruit salad and cheese (with figs/grapes) which people can have as starter or dessert or to bulk out their main course if they are super fussy. Just remember that a good fruit salad is really time-consuming to prepare on a scale like this, been there, done that! I usually cheat by starting with a tin of pineapple chunks and a tin or 2 of mandarins in their own juice which helps with other fruit not discolouring too. Then pick from apples, grapes, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, mango, according to what is in season. Add raspberries/bananas at the last minute. Pomegranate seeds for a touch of the exotic!

Previous poster was correct re catering extra for vegetarians, I'm guilty myself of opting for veggie option if the main is something I can't stomach.

I watched an episode of Mary Berry Cooks: Summer Lunch the other night. She did roast beef, gammon and individual salmon fillets with a red rice salad, baby gem salad. The individual salmon fillets looked great and are portioned so people can help themselves easily. This link might be useful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b040tts4

Lose the chicken thighs. They're messy.

Add the salmon and a good cheese board.

BTW it sounds lovely.
Can I come?