Quick cooking advice please! Cold meal for tomorrow's lunch - when to cook?

[BarbaraVineFan]

We have a friend coming over for lunch tomorrow and I am planning a cold meal, as it's so hot - cold poached or baked salmon, potato salad, a roasted vegetable salad and a green salad with avocado and cucumber.

Just after some quick advice - in order for everything to be cold by lunchtime tomorrow, do I need to cook it tonight, or can I do it in the morning? And also - how would you advise cooking the salmon in order for it to still be juicy and tender when cold? I don't want to poison anyone, but overcooked salmon is so horrible. Thanks in advance!

I'd probably do it tonight, just so I wasn't fannying about tomorrow morning, but it should still be ok if you cook it early tomorrow.

I'd bake in oven in foil.

Thanks @Hatty65 . I was hoping not to have to do it tonight, as I'm knackered! You might be right though - I'll have to start very early in the morning if I don't

Wrap the ruddy thing in foil, squirt a bit of lemon juice on, black pepper, chilli flakes or whatever you fancy and just shove it in the oven for 30 mins. When it's cold stick it in the fridge over night.

(I like the easy life)

Or hot salmon with various salads would be lovely. Saves worrying!

Is there time for it to cool and go in the fridge before you go to bed tonight though?

@TyneTeas i would have thought so - not planning on going to bed until 11 or so

Do it in the morning. Don't cook when you're tired. You could boil the potatoes tonight but I'd leave the rest.
None of that should be too demanding if you get organised.

Don't overbake the salmon. Twenty minutes is plenty - wrapped loosely in foil (with a splash of olive oil, sliced lemon and some tarragon would be my preference)

I did similar food at the weekend and cooked everything at about 9am. Left it to cool on the worktop and it was room temperature and perfect for lunch. But I don’t like to eat fridge cold food.