Can I ask for help? Need to cook impressive food

[ChairOfTheBored]

Friends are coming round for dinner in a couple of weeks, and I need some menu inspiration.

I am a pretty confident and competent cook, but last time we went to theirs for dinner, it was amazing, so am feeling the pressure.

I work full time, though may be able to knock off a bit early, so grateful for ideas for a simple, but impressive looking dinner menu...

Thanks in advance!

Its hard isn't it ? I am reasobale cook. But I do not have the knowledge to plan a menu so it all compliements eachother.

What is your best dish ? Do you do a fab Beef Wellington or a fab Baked Alaska ? Then maybe add in somnething fancy but tastes good like Dauphinoise potatoes or something like that which is easy, tasty but a bit posh ?
I liked watching Jamies 30 minute meals becasue he gave an idea of 4 or 5 things than formed a complimentary menu.

Am sure that someone can recommend a website that can do that for you. Bet there is one.

Yours can be just as amazing but different! If you are working full time you will not have the time and energy etc to do everything from scratch. If I were you I would do a meze for starters, little bits of this and that, people choose and help themselves, (and their neighbour) it's interesting and relaxed, nothing much to prepare at the last minute. For example, for starters, bread basket or pitta breads, olives, stuffed peppers, hummus, taziki (sp) warm falafel balls, dressed crab is amazing. For main, a peasant one pot stew, stewing lamb is really good slow cooked with garlic, herbs, tomato, beans, (I have a recipe if you want it) this can be assembled the day before and put into a low oven for 4-5 hours without it needing any attention. Serve with jersey royals and fresh green beans. Also good because it is not time critical so you can be with guests and nothing to finish off at the last minute except to cook the veg. Cheese board to follow with grapes and fresh pineapple.

I eat a lot in posh places and I always think very simple food works well. The following spring menu is super easy to prepare - you will have more time to get dressed and to enjoy drinks:

• Green asparagus (2-3 min in lightly salted boiling water) + melted butter + lemon juice as a starter.
• Cold-smoked salmon tossed with cooked tagliatelle (try black sepia ink ones if you want a nice color contrast), creme fraiche, fresh dill or dill seeds, and 1 tbsp rose peppers. This dish is simple but elegant.
• Mousse au chocolat or pavlova with creme chantilly and fresh raspberries or passion fruit. (You can prepare the merengue in advance, whipping the cream only takes minutes.)

Serve with copious champagne (a sauvignon blanc is not a bad choice either for the first two dishes).

Oh, and blini, salmon roe (or other types of caviar) and champagne are also always appreciated. I regularly serve them at parties but only when I can get someone else to do the actual blini-frying for me.

I agree that Asparagus is a good one at this time of year. The best I ever had was in a restaurant, steamed and served with truffle oil and wasabi (the truffle oil was a beautiful yellow and with some green oil (the Wasabi oil, I presume they had diluted powder in some oil). It was utterly delicious!
The maybe some salmon or fillet of beef (always good if you are time bound as it only needs cooking for 15 mins) or lamb shank?
Then you want something lighter for pudding if it's a heavier meat, chocolate and strawberries or raspberries would be a lovely.

Delia Smith's 'Salmon Coulibiac' is fantastic and very impressive. It's like a salmon en croute but in layers inside and if you do the top piece of pastry with one of those lattice-cutting roller thingies it looks incredibly professional and tastes ace. I have never had anything but great responses to it.

I have a rule of make 2 courses, buy and assemble 1 if doing 3 as it saves stress so I might do a platter of cold meats with breads, dips, crudites, olives, etc to start. You can arrange them on platters to look amazing.

I often do desserts like a simple lemon or white chocolate chilled cheesecake with a big dish or strawberries or other fruit so people can have a choice of either or both.

Agreed. Keep it simple. Buy very expensive quality goods and do little to it. Buy good cut of meat. Then as others suggested new pots and asparagus and lovely at the mo. My sil did us minted new pots yesterday and they were DEVINE. Make a posh desert, the day before. Dh does a trifle that people love. My mum does like a chocolate swiss roll thingy. so tasty. A desert thta just needs taking out the fridge is good. You don't want to spend all your time cooking, when you could be chatting.

Jo Pratt does a fab book on dinner party food - my favorite menu follows, I've used it as a whole menu three times now (different people!!) and it's gone down really well. I like things that don't require much last minute effort as we eat in the kitchen so I don't want anyone to see my disasters!!

Always start with champagne and nibbles - I always do dates, stuffed with a bit of chorizo and wrapped in streaky bacon secured with a cocktail stick. Bake for approx 15 mins. People go mad for them and I think they are nicer than prunes.

Crab and Crayfish cocktail - basically posh prawn cocktail, you can be oh so ironic and retro about it Prep all the bits in advance and assemble just before guests come to the table.

Fillet of Beef with chilli chips and asian coleslaw. Delicious - I buy a whole fillet of beef and follow Nigella's method - very hot oven for 25 mins then wrap in foil and rest, well insulated for a couple of hours. Coleslaw made in advance. Chips, I just cut potatoes into chips and parboil them - then lay on a tray and sprinkle with chilli powder and sea salt. Put them into the oven as you call guests through.

Lime and passionfruit cheesecakes - they are fab, there is toasted coconut in the base and they are yum. Made in advance too.

I was also once in a rush and did bought ice-cream for pud. Got six flavours of Simply Ice-Cream which is lovely (try and find a local brand) and laid out a huge tray with bowls of toasted nuts, fruit, crushed ameretti biscuits, those twisty chocolate twirl things, hot chocolate sauce and hundreds and thousands. I already had sundae glasses so everyone built their own and loved it!! (I'm sure I read it somewhere, maybe Jamie Oliver?)

pavlova for pud. you can do the meringue the night before, and leave it in the oven overnight. Fruit can be prepped and put in fridge. Cream can be whipped and put in fridge. Strawbs are lovely atm and I appreciate any reason to eat loads of them!

Sea trout is really special, get it from yr fishmonger. CAn be simply baked in foil with some nice herbs and lemon. Serve with buttered Jersey royals and some springy veg.

Nibbly bits for starter. My go to nibble is good salami and cornichons and bread with oil and vinegar.

Pavlova is so easy for pud and good to make in advance....all you need to is whip the cream and you could make it a bit more swanky by using pomegranate seeds and crushed amaretti biscuits instead of strawberries/raspberries/blueberries etc

Soup can also be made before and you could do a "summer" soup or comsomme...maybe even gazpacho? Or bruchetta?? with different toppings?

Morrocan lamb cutlets for main dish??? Dont take long to cook.

I make this often for starters - it's a doddle to do, tastes gorgeous, and can be made the night before. Have had lots of compliments about it! I swear by the Good Food website - fab recipes and very useful hints from people who have done them.

I do a cheat's tiramisu as well, which is basically a tiramisu without the faffy egg-beating bit (I know this isn't proper tiramisu but I don't care because it's lovely). Make it look posh by putting it in individual cocktail glasses.

What about a chicken, preserved lemon and green olive tagine?

Utterly delicious, easy to prepare in advance so it can be simmering away until time to serve (so you don't have to be faffing about in the kitchen instead of enjoying time with your guests - you only have to add the lemons, olives and fresh herbs at the last minute), and always a great "ta-dah!" moment when you take the lid off the dish to serve.

You could keep to a Mediterranean/north African theme and have a mezze platter for starters too.

delia's choc bread and butter pud. make a couple of days before and just bang in the oven.

Absolutely gorgeous!!!!

Our new favourite "easy but impressive" is Pork Loin or Duck rolled in crushed juniper berries and peppercorns (just crush both together in a pestle and mortar, then coat the meat). Good mash to go with it, and a lovely and very easy port sauce which you can do in advance and just warm up.

Sauce:
Sweat onion in butter til transparent but don't brown. Add a mug of port to the onion and reduce by half. Then add a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly (from a jar), crumble in a chicken stock cube (whole, not diluted) and the freshly squeezed juice of an orange. STir and warm gently for minute or so. I the put it in the fridge as is. Next day, I warm the whole thing up, then strain out the onions (remembering to not just pop it through a seive without putting a new pan underneath!!) and serve. Its super yummy sauce all works well together and smells heavenly.

Our friend is a posh chef and loves it!

pork belly with fennel if you want to be quite trendy...

Thanks guys - there are some great ideas here, and am feeling peckish already!

I have a tagine pot, so may go 'north African' for starters and main, plus I've discovered a good cheese stall near work, so may indulge in some good looking cheese, then something lemony for pudding.

Lemon syllabub is fantastic and so easy. Whipped cream and lemon basically - you can google a receipe that you like - serve in nice wine glasses with crisp biscuits like amaretti or those rolled cigar like ones. Never fails to impress.

Starter here is usually a mediterranean selection - melon, parma ham, olives, sun dried tomatoes etc. Main with this would be Delia's chicken basque, a one pot dish, chicken, chorizo, olives, sun dried tomatoes. oranges etc and the rice added too. It is really deliciious.

Sounds lush. Enjoy it!