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

Please remember that meat eater can ( and will! ) eat the vegetarian options but not vice versa.

You could do an ironic cheese and pineapple hedgehog....

I know there are people who won't eat meat on the bone (weirdos) but they're missing out on so much extra flavour...

Chicken thighs (boneless) at least have a lot more flavour than chicken breasts I guess, which is why I suggest them above.

I meant to add in a salmon recipe too, apologies. Agree with others, that it's an excellent addition and one that I'm asked to do at almost every client event for your sort of numbers. It can be served hot or at room temp so is an easy addition to a buffet table.

1 side of salmon
4 stalks of lemon grass, quartered and bashed to release flavour
8 crashed garlic cloves (no need to peel)
About 2 thumbs worth of ginger, peeled and sliced
Coriander stalks (all from a 30g pk of fresh coriander)
About 100ml light soy
4 tbls honey

Take all the ingredients except salmon and stir well in a bowl, then pour over the salmon in a roasting dish that can take it and cover with clingfilm and leave for a couple of hours up to 24.

Preheat oven to 200°c (fan)

Remove the salmon from the marinade and roast for 15-18 mins until salmon is just done (if you want it cooked for longer you can, it's just not as tasty...) and serve on a bed of watercress or similar. Garnish with extra coriander.

I would maybe do a salmon rather than the chicken and something like a tomato salad or greek salad and perhaps some simpler food bits such as tomato’s with herbs, plain carrot sticks, feta cheese etc.

Anyone Coeliac, lactose intolerant, vegan, vegetarian etc etc.

My kind of buffet OP. Sounds delicious.

I've had too many scarring episodes of double-dipping to trust dips, but if you’re set on doing them (and they all sound great) have a lot of spoons for serving them.

Caramelised onion and cheese tart can be made in advance and can be served cold or hot. Otherwise sounds delicious with cheese and chutneys!
When can MN expect our invitations? 😊

Sounds good bar the chicken (also if you do serve chicken chill properly rather than leaving out warm to avoid bacteria). I know you are keen to prep everything but I’d consider buying in some fresh sushi too. This always seems to go down well with an international crowd. I can also recommend this Moroccan carrot salad for taste and colour https://townandcountrymarkets.com/recipes/moroccan-carrot-salad-with-nigella-seeds

Soooo you need to do a continental platter

https://www.gingerray.co.uk/gold-grazing-board-kit?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9Ocrqe1hQMVqJRQBh0zBwnfEAQYASABEgKBofD_BwE

and put lovely meats/crackers/cheese/crudites/dips/chutney

make it your centre piece and do a large Elton mess

yes to the focaccia- buy large and have the balsamic with vinegar in a dipping bowl and serve warm

a large bowl of Caesar salad or prawn cocktail

if you need to serve something hot get a slow cooker meal on the go and guests can help themselves

Id love to eat this, but there isn't enough is there? I did a buffet for nine only NINE the other day and they demolished
2 whole cooked chickens
One large ham
And enormous cheese board
God knows how many hot sausages
An 18 egg egg mayonnaise
An infinite number of bowls of dressed salads, vegetable sides, and breads.
Bless them.

Bloody hell. What were you feeding, an army of elephants!?

It sounds good, but having said that there isn't a lot that I would want to eat. Dips can be very messy. I don't like herbs much so a salad without herbs or a herby dressing would be fantastic. I don't like salmon, but I know a lot of people do - maybe leave the herbs off the baby new potatoes to go with that? I also wouldn't want chicken on the bone... what does one do with the bones? I like a variety of quiches or mini tartlets. I saw Nadiyah do an interesting tart with filo pastry at the weekend which I would like to try, but it might be a bit crumby?
What about sweet things? Even just lots of easy to eat fruit.

It sounds amazing

Since you ask. Chicken on the bone turns my stomach. You get slimy dark meat, sinewy bits, plus the actual bones themselves - and usually have to watch people gnawing on it like Henry VIII at his last banquet. Plus, there are often soft bits of skin. Just, no, thanks 😫I’m happy to sacrifice “flavour” for lean, white, free range breast nicely seasoned and cooked well.

I prefer boneless thighs for polite eating, they have so much flavour compared to breast meet and much juicier too. No aversion to meat on the bone generally but it can be a bit fiddly and messy.

Another for the salmon. If you get a side of salmon and cut it into nice slices (like you'd serve from a whole side) and then you can marinate them and cook. Present on a platter like a side of salmon but as it's already in slices it's easier for people to get a piece.

Marinade: finely chopped garlic, chopped chives or minced red onion, soy sauce, maple syrup (or honey if necessary), rye whiskey if possible (could use rice or white wine instead).

Mix and pour over salmon and leave over night. Place assembled pieces on a double sheet of aluminum foil on a tray. BBQ if possible, otherwise bake in oven. For me I'd do it 20 minutes tops but I'd eat sushi. Maybe up to 30 minutes but don't dry it out. Lots of time the skin will stick to the foil or you might just slide the "meat" off the skin as some people (not me!) don't like the skin.

I’m a vegetarian & I would be VERY happy with this buffet. I second a previous poster who said make sure you make plenty of veggie though! The meat eaters will want some too (as it sounds delicious!)

so I could have breads and dips/oils
Spinach and feta borek
fritatta + Different types of salads

I’d be more than happy with that.

Op, having done this before and for 50, you need to think through logistics.

for example you need to cater like everyone will eat two chicken thighs. That’s 60-70 chicken thighs to cook. You need the dishes to cook them in. And to serve them. Do not underestimate the oven space it takes to do that many chicken thigns.

for the beef, for that many people, you will need at least 4 large joints.

for the sides, you need bowls large enough to hold enough food for 36 people.

id just ignore anyone acting like they are coming and giving personal food preferences like they don’t like meat on the bone. I’ve never had an issue and you have the beef.

if you do a whole salmon it’s going to need to be a bloody big one. For 30 odd people. So possibly three or four depending on size.

i always fo baked potatoes, but again, cooking 36 baked potatoes is a lot. I cook them first, wrap everyone in tinfoil, and cover with heavy bath towels, they stay hot.

for bread and sides you need to buy enough for that many people to eat. 20 is obviously much easier than 36.

if you want this to be nice, I sit everyone outside, have a double oven, and we have a large 8 burner bbq. And I get friends to help me. You need to get your timings right, and ensure you’ve some massive bowls and serving platters.

otherwise, get the caterers in.

I agree with all this. I'm watching this thread with interest because I'm doing a similar dinner later in the year (for 18) and one thing I'm spending quite a lot of time thinking about is logistics- oven space, fridge space, serving dishes, what can be done ahead, how to refresh the buffet so that it doesn't look grim for the last person etc etc. You need to think about really basic stuff like having a pan big enough for potatoes for 30 and a ring on the hob big enough for the pan, or multiple pans etc etc. If you are hoping to speak to your guests you also need to avoid last minute faff, which in my book means keeping the hot elements to a minimum eg hot potatoes, one hot main, one hot side- not multiple hot things that need to be coordinated.

I would not worry overly about people saying they don't like X or Y- the joy of a buffet is that people can take the things they do like, you have plenty of variety and in any event I always find that MN has an unusually high proportion of people who eat a very limited diet. On the same note I would ignore anyone telling you you need more beige, a "continental platter" or pre-cut cheese. If you are cooking for an international crowd they won't get any kitsch jokes about cheese and pineapple. I also wouldn't add in random elements like sushi

Sounds good to me.

These look super chic and are always a show stealer. 1 sheet of puff pastry makes about 33 mini leek tartins. You can make them in advance if you're short on oven space and warm for 4 mins just before serving - they taste amazing hot or cold.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0zSYk1s3Jr/?igsh=MTQ0MGU3ZmlleWVx

. That’s 60-70 chicken thighs to cook. You need the dishes to cook them in. And to serve them. Do not underestimate the oven space it takes to do that many chicken thigns.

for the beef, for that many people, you will need at least 4 large joints.

for the sides, you need bowls large enough to hold enough food for 36 people

^

This is getting out of hand

I did a Middle Eastern buffet a few weeks ago and it went down a storm, borrowed a couple or extra slow cookers and did

vegtable tagine
chicken and apricot tagine
falafel and tomato tagine
Beef tagine - Jamie Oliver recipe
all these in slow cookers, which kept them nice and warm to serve

in the oven I did a leg of Jamie Oliver Moroccan lamb and a citrus roast chicken. Both of these I carved and plated up hot but we’re just as good cold as the evening went on

served with loads of dips/sour cream/olives a crispy green salad cous cous and I panicked and cooked rice too which wasn’t needed. I did a big selection of wraps/flat breads.

i felt there wasn’t enough vegetarian options and did a Halloumi and vegetable tray bake.

this fed 21 adults and 6 children

I second a baked salmon. Also made this the other day and it was great/ dairy free https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/lime-and-poppy-seed-slaw-with-curry-leaf-oil-otk-shelf-love

That all sounds great, OP.

My only query is whether that's enough? 24-36 people is a LOT.

I had eight friends around the other night and we got through four salads (portion size for eight), three mains (including 2KG beef fillet and a 2KG leg of lamb) and a 20' cake. I had no leftovers the next day...

You've said it was for an evening event, so I'd work on the assumption people either won't eat lunch etc.