friends coming for dinner this saturday - please inspire me.

[mckenzie]

It's the first time this couple have come to dinner at ours and I would usually do my signature dish but it's fish and my friend doesn't like fish or mushrooms.

I know this is the lazy way out, I have tons of cook books in the kitchen cupboards I could peruse but I thought instead maybe some kind mumsnetter would inspire me with a tried and tested, nothing too fancy but nice looking nice tasting, dinner party favourite.

Please?

TIA

I always think lamb shanks braised somehow (loads of recipes online) makes something that is more special than your bog standard but doesn't scream making too much effort

Was going to suggest pom bears, but the icon has gone!

this never fails..brown some chicken,onions,celery and garlic.put them all in a big wide baking dish,throw in a bottle of white wine and juice of two lemons,lots of herbs,and salt n pepper.cover with foil and cook at 180 for 2 hours.it's always great,,lots of crusty warm bread and green or tomato salad.x

This is super easy and delicious. You don't have to bother with the fig jam.

I serve it with Gordon Ramsey's easy dauphinoise potatoes and some green beans.

thanks for these replies. My DH doesn't like lamb so that's out unfortunately. So it's between Softpaw and sayanything so far - I like the sound of both.

When I have people over who I know appreciate crackling, I ask the butcher to trim the fat off the loin but I keep it, put the herb rub on the meat and then top with the fat instead of pancetta and tie it all together.

I'll be trying Softpaw's chicken soon!

What about doing Mexican?

I'd un-invite them. People who don't eat fish annoy me :o

I was tempted to just serve the fish anyway Alouiseg and plead ignorance to her dislike for it

ha! Good job I didn't go for my cheeky option as the fish dish I do has pesto in it's topping and I found out today, while talking about something quite unrelated, that said friend doesn't like basil!!

Still can't decide between the pork and the chicken though

one pot thyme and lemon chicken??

You can sass it up with a posh salad and creamy desert?

Cheese on toast

I did this for FIL and his GF last weekend. There was none left. With salad and bread. It was luuuuush. And all prep done in advance, lob in oven. Eat.

You need to cook this as you can see, lots of people LOVE it.

My easy peasy dinner party favourite is chicken balmoral. Chicken breast stuffed with haggis and wrapped in a slice of parma ham chuck it in the oven in a roasting dish with a tiny bit of water in the bottom and an hour later ta dah.

I serve with a whisky cream sauce - always a crowd pleaser because you get to set it on fire! New potatoes and seasonal veg. My only problem is that we need new friends because I think all my existing friends have been served this.

Great if you want to go the whole hog and do a Scottish themed meal; smoked salmon and brown bread to start, chicken balmoral and home made millionaires shortbread with ice cream. Stress free so that I get to drink vast quantities of wine without ballsing up the meal!

Butternut squash risotto?

What about tapas? Don't suppose you have the Moro book?

thank you all for the extar replies. QuintessentialShadows's dish is going to be the one! I've had my heart set on a Le Creuset pan for a few weeks now and couldn't bring myself to splash out but now I actually 'need' it so that I can do hob to oven... well I shall just have to go and buy one won't I?

thanks again everyone. Off to write my shopping list.

dinner was a huge success - thank you again