If you were cooking a meal to impress what would it be?

[Laryh]

Dh and I going away for a week with 4 other couples. The air BnB is quite remote so we have decided that each couple will take a night to cook. I know some of the other couples are exceptional cooks.

What would you make?

I am thinking roast chicken x2, fondant potatoes and some veg. Ridiculously yummy and not too hard.

Dh was thinking spinach and ricotta lasagna (his speciality), garlic flatbread and salad.

What would you do?

I personally try to avoid beef and lamb (I have the sensibilities of a vegetarian but am greedy - working towards going vegan).

I love both. But I think your partners sounds great x

My go to for impressing people is Delia Smiths individual beef en croute and her chocolate mousse for dessert…never fails

I'd hang up my cooking apron for the duration and let your DH do his speciality meal.

Enjoy your break.

Salmon risotto. Few ingredients, one big pot.

Both sound nice but I would probably do potato dauphinoise instead of fondant, it's less faff and more delicious!

I'd love the spinach and ricotta lasagne but it's not something my DH would choose in a million years. I suppose it depends what you think other pepple will enjoy. You can't go wrong with roast chicken.

Something I've cooked several times which is reasonably easy but absolutely dinner party worthy is the Ottolenghi Bridget Jones Salmon. I use some chopped preserved lemon skin rather than the fresh lemon zest but either would be lovely. I've served it with a simple risotto or some crushed roasted new potatoes with garlic and herbs and something like wilted spinach or tenderstem broccoli. It never lets me down.

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/recipes/grilled-salmon-pine-nut-salsa

If the other couples are outstanding cooks I think you are right not to try to hard to compete. Simple and tasty is the way to go. Why don’t you let husband enjoy the limelight with his signature dish and you could pre prep a fantastic pudding? Maybe a cheesecake, a clafoutis, a mousse or a trifle, anything that can be made ahead of time will work. Trifle is so retro it’s coming back!

I'd cook and freeze some things in advance at home.

My go to pudding is profiteroles and chocolate sauce. I freeze the profiteroles and chocolate sauce. On the day pop the pastry in the oven to puff and dry allow to cool, fill with cream, warm chocolate sauce in pan and drizzle over. Always a success.

Easy salad of rocket with grilled hallumi, avocado and pistachios with garlic oil and lemon wedges. Serve with simple fresh fish and quinoa.

You've said no beef, however if this was me I'd do a hearty beef stew with big chunks of carrot and roast potatoes; I'd probably do some mixed veg too.

Both your menus sound good, I'd prefer the lasagna though, (I am assuming it doesn't have tomato sauce).

I roast chicken so often, I'd enjoy it however to cook to impress, how about coq au vin? Just chicken cooked in wine, with mushrooms and bacon. Skinless chicken pieces on the bone are better than using chicken breasts. Added a couple of recipes.

PS. I use peameal bacon when I make it, in place of bacon.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin

damndelicious.net/2022/01/08/easy-coq-au-vin/

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/nov/25/foodanddrink.shopping

i would do both with the lasagna as the veggie option. Also I’d cook at least 3 chickens if I was serving 10 adults. You can make the lasagna in advanced freeze it and take with you

My own fave would be a beef bourginon with potatoes dauphinois. Followed by tiramisu

Always dauphinoise potatoes; Nigel Slater's version.

Then I quite like duck breasts with fat rendered down slowly on a low heat, and French beans or some kind of greens, with a ridiculously easy cherry sauce that consists of cherry jam reduced with red wine.

Boeuf Bourguignon, I agree, is also amazing. Or lamb shanks cooked in a similar way. Might be hard for 8 though as they are quite physically big.

For pudding, I love Green & Black's pear and ginger, chocolate frangipane tart, or sticky toffee pudding, or Nigella's chocolate Guinness cake. Or pavlova. I'm quite practised at puddings.

I would make venison stew followed by homemade ice cream or poached pears.

That's my NYE menu! I love dauphinois and I may include a vegetable, possibly broccoli, the jury's still out.
On the subject of the number of chickens for 10, these are MN chickens, 1 should suffice with butties next day!

I do French beans as the veg
i forgot about MN chickens!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/triple-cheese-bacon-dauphinoise

This dauphinoise is amazing. We have it with steak but would go with chicken really well

If you are going away in winter, I would cook a Tartiflette with some crusty white French baguettes and delicious red wine. It’s easy to put together but tastes like you have spent longer on it and is very comforting….

I wouldn't other trying to impress tbh.

Id just do something easy and nice ha ha like Bolognese or sausage and mash or a casserole.

Can't be doing with working hard to impress friends when presumably they're chill enough to be on holiday with any way.

Firstly do you know which day you're doing? If I was cooking for later in the week I'd check on freezer space and take it pre prepared and frozen.

Secondly I'd want to do something of minimal effort that didn't keep me in the kitchen when everyone else might be having fun. Soni wouldn't do a roast and fancy potatoes. In fact I'd go with your DH and let him make lasagne. Can it be done ahead and frozen?

I'd opt for whatever my husband says he'll cook. I would assist of course - turn the oven on and talk to the others so they don't distant him.😀

If I'm trying to impress, I usually do two legs of lamb - one marinated in garlic and loads of fresh herbs and lemon zest, the other in middle eastern spices, honey and rose petals. Served with a rice based on an ancient Ottolenghi recipe, flavoured with spring onions or lightly fried red onions, flaked almonds, apricot, lemon zest, mild spices. Broccoli in lemon butter.

Or at this time of year I might do a beef stew in red wine with fresh herb dumplings or a goulash with mash or rice.

I would do stovetop food. Steak, green beans, new potatoes and bearnaise sauce. I have the idea that not all ovens are equal and timings vary so what is a successful meal cooked at home might end up a complete balls up in a different oven. I have no science to back that up though.

I would go for your DH - can you freeze in advance . I would also do night 1 if I had a choice. For dessert I would do a selection, lemon posset with shortbread, profiteroles, crepes, lemon tart etc etc

It sounds really simple but it's absolutely delicious.

Warm Roast sweet potato and goats cheese salad. Just needs seeds, bag of mixed leaves, grated carrot and a light drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. Serve with warm flatbread and pakora or meat is preferred.

For something more wintery. Fish in puffpastry.

Buy those mixed fish packets and a block of puff pastry.

Poach the fish in milk and remove bones/skin. Drain off the milk but keep it.

Make a roux using the fishy milk and add a load of finely chopped paisley. Make sure it is really well seasoned with salt pepper and a little mustard powder if wanted. You want it to be the thickness of a custard.

Roll out the pastry into a big square. Put on the fish. Pour over a generous amount of sauce over the fish and wrap up the pastry into as parcel pinching it at the top. Pa by with an egg wash. Bake in the oven until golden (30ish minutes) serve with left over sauce and peas plus boiled potatoes if more starch needed.