Right I have 6 people for dinner (inc me and dh) on Sat night and havent entertained for ages.

[Enif]

One of them is a fantastic caterer (when you go round to watch the rugby you get homemade sushi and goats cheese and chili jam croutons for example)

What can I make that is impressive (but not TOO impressive IYSWIM) and lots can be done in advance??

Am having uncharacteristic Enid catering black spot.

Also will be the inaugaration of our DINING TABLE rather than being in the kitchen so feel I need to step up the game a bit with nice table stuff.

Now this is when having full time childcare and being a SAHM would be fabby

How about........................

Twice baked Goats cheese souffles. (Advance)

Fiddly but Fab
I have a fab recipe for Chicken Mousse with Mango and ginger but you would put on less weight eating a pound of butter.

Rack of Lamb or Rib of Beef

or

Duck with Ginger and Soy sauce

Advance
Everlasting Sylabubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb which can be made first thing in the morning.

Or chicken breat stuffed with smoked garlic and gruyere.

yes had thought of duck braised with ginger and soy for main (easy to do in advance) with a chicory, watercress and pear salad

do you think souffles would go?

someone did a slow cooked roast pork for us the other day

It was so delicious, it melted in the mouth

Maybe not with the duck.

How about a small amount of goats cheese, on a bed of rocket with lemon based dressing ??

Ha ha at sahm/nanny! Hmm. Can you tihnk Nigel/Nigella and Shop Very Well, so things like some fantastic cheeses and fruit, wonderful olives, artisan baked bread, that kind of thing and do something very simple as a main course, posh sausages and mash or fish in parcels?

You could do a risotto for a starter which you can always half cook beforehand...or a soup / salad option which can always be prepared.

For main course - I would always do something oven-based if you're looking for prepared options and given that it's still cold and wintry, you could get away with a flash casserole of sorts. On the other hand - you could do a fish based course - seabass wrapped in tin-foil and then oven-baked. With this, you could also stuff the fish beforehand with vegetables or use a ginger/lime marinade.

For pudding - well creme brulee can be done in advance and stored in the fridge, as can home-made profiteroles. Or one of my favourites is individual strawberry shortcakes where you can make the biscuits in advance, buy the coulis and then just layer with cream and strawberries just before serving!

Hope you find something suitable....

foxy - this friend has done that for us TWICE

so I cannot repeat it

dont think goats cheese and salad would go with duck and salad

god I have completely forgotten how to do this

much easier when its just a kitchen supper

I am slightly taking the piss wrt artisan bread but serious about the other stuff.

www thats where the nanny comes in

dds are compliant on the whole but will baulk at being driven to smokery and farm shop and made to poke artisan cheeses

Sorry missed the salad with the duck..........hmm let me think.....

Shall I tell you what works best?

A beautifully decorated table. This can be simply. I put a piece of coloured chiffon down the centre of the table and a few small tealights in pretty holders. Then I do the whole cutlery thing (soup spoon, fish knife whatever) and lower the lighting in the whole room... I might put candles around. It looks really effective.

Then I serve up what I think is a simple bog-standard Jamaican meal and people always go away impressed.

Of course... I'm sure that whatever you do it will look wonderful and taste wonderful. The most important thing is that you all enjoy each other's company.

cant skive work on Friday as am interviewing for my maternity replacement. hmmmmm. maybe skive Thursday and drive down to smokery for some smoked eel as starter

marsy

I am hoping to do that too

trouble is I have no table setting stuff really

need a nice runner and some pretty water glasses and a jug

have candles and woodburner in room

also funky new chairs

yes, fish always a good starter with duck (though I hate fish ewww)

if no smoked eel, smoked mackerel pate always easy - or nice smoked salmon and potato cake biscuit things

do you think nibbles with drinks then duck and salad enough?

then I could do a nice pudddingy tart and some cheeses for the end of the meal

or just make a big pile of choc brownies and dump on table with cheese

Message withdrawn

yes nibbles fine

always think starters are a PITA

would much rather have a nice main and a lovely dessert than a great, filling starter

no a big posh one in new 'dining room' with proper grown up table and chairs

actually not that posh but still, not in the kitchen

Message withdrawn

I think you can forget starters, just do olives and drinks and on with main course, then pudding can absolutely be brownies and cheese.

we have guests to stay

and we think they will like these friends of ours who have had us for lunch about 6 times so we HAVE to have them

they are all really nice

Oh is it that poor woman? Give her a large helping of sympathy with hers.

enif, you are supposed to be resting