what dishes do you love/hate to see on a buffet?

[lilolilmanchester]

I LOVE cooking and feeding friends, even if a crowd. Am just working on food for a party in November (yes, I know, a long way off but have lots of other commitments inbetween). So... if you are an experienced caterer/party goer, what would you definitely "do" and definitely "not do"... for example, couscous is dead cheap, easy to cook and you can add lovely things like roast veg... but no one eats it......... that's the kind of hint I am after.

FWIW, menu so far looks like:

salmon
coronation chicken
mixed meat platters
mixed cheese platters

bean salad
watermelon, feta and olive salad
butternut squash and chickpea salad

variety of other salads... green/tomato/pasta etc etc

(don't worry about desserts, totally sorted in that area) thanks in anticipation

interesting salads is always top of my list.

current favourites are strawberry and spinach, sweetcorn, tomato and feta, and carrot and peanut.

potato salad is always good, if doen well (which, imo, means no fecking egg in it!)

It all looks sounsd lovely. I hope I'm invited.

I always slow roast a shoulder of Lamb so it shreds off the bone and stick it next to a pile of flatbreads, salad and dips. Have done this with different marinades so vary the dips, sauces and salads to suit - favourite is simple rosemary and garlic but harissa is popular too. Also do mini tarts with goats cheese and cherry tomatoes, potato cakes with smoked salmon and sour cream, and mini thai fishcakes served in a little gem leaf.

These are my faves because they can be prepared in advance and they always go down well - so well I often don't get to eat any!

thanks all for your helpful feedback.

EnglishGirl... I love the sound of that lamb BUT I shy away from cold lamb as I find it quite fatty... should have said, I won't have access to any ovens etc so it will all have to be cold. Does that lamb work ok if not straight from the oven?

Its fine - I normally cook it during the day to be served in the evening. If you aren't keen on Lamb I have done the same with chicken or slow cook a pork leg with a bbq marinade for pulled pork. I don't find the Lamb fatty as it renders down when you slow roast it and the shoulder isn't as fatty as some cuts.

I like anything that isn't fiddly so if I can bang it in the oven during the day then serve it with bread, salads etc. at night it gets my vote!

Hate cold pasta
Love cous cous and roasted veg
Hate goat's cheese
Love a cheese board, especially a nice Stilton
Interesting bread please, and pudding that is not frozen gateau.
Love that greek spinach, feta and filo pie.

Little sausages with honey, mustard and sesame seeds. Adults and children love them alike. Get them from the butchers.

loving all the feedback you're giving - thank you, exactly what I am looking for. Blueshoes... are those sausages ok cold?

Englishgirl, that sounds delicious. How do you make your mini tarts with goats cheese and cherry tomatoes?

Salad in November? Such a shame you have no access to cooking/heating facilities

Coronation chicken is the business in my book. If you have that, some spinach salad and maybe some cold salmon you can't go far wrong. Good luck.

Agree about good bread - with some good salty butter. I've never done the spinach and feta pie for a party although we have it often at home - think it would work well for a buffet so I'll steal that one for next time thanks :)

blueshoes - it depends how -lazy- busy I am. The cheat version is with bought in puff pastry. I slow roast half cherry tomatoes overnight in a really low oven with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut pastry into rounds, prick middles with fork leaving a rim around the edge. Stick in fridge for 30 mins then top with a tiny bit of tomato puree, roast toms and crumbled goats cheese - after about 30 mins they'll be done and can be stored to eat cold. If I'm being good I'll make the pastry but for a decent quantity for a party shopbought does a good job.

I don't like lots of mixtures that all splodge together on the plate - ugh. So for me, the perfect buffet wouldn't be a buffet - it would be a huge cheese board with grapes, celery, nuts, crackers, good bread etc. And then pudding. Although I would never so no to either a veggie sausage roll or an onion bhaji.

strikethrough fail!

I like retro mushroom vol-au-vents(sp?) with that tinned mushroom stuff. Also potato salad with egg, black olives, cous cous (actually bulgar wheat is nicer imo), tuna nicoise, egg sandwiches, mini sausages, crusty pork pies, cashew nuts.

What I don't like is when you're not sure what's in something, or food that looks like something else. So when I pick up what looks like a delicious sausage roll, I don't want to end up with a mouthful of cheesy, oniony, garlicky mush! Maybe labels would be good for anything where the ingredients aren't obvious - quiches, stuff wrapped in pastry, spring rolls, samosas etc.

Thanks, Englishgirl. I will try that.

agree with labelling, had already written that on my list.

There will be a disco & dancing, so not worried about salad in November, we'll all be warm (and we do have heating oop north you know ) ... although having access to an oven would have opened up other options I agree.

I am finding all the feedback really helpful (although it goes to show you'll never please everyone ) keep it coming please

thank you Bandersnatch. Everyone will be able to sit at a table, will still try to make everything easy to eat but at least people will be able to use a knife and fork. I love tabbouleh too, although I've noticed that anything along those lines tends to get left at any party I go to. Might give it a go though because I like it! LIke your other suggestions, although I'm a bit of a strawberry snob so not sure I'll be able to serve them in November?

oh how I wish you could get decent strawberries/raspberries/blueberries in NOvember, would make it so much easier!! But agree, nothing worse than juggling plates of food that need cutting up if you have to stand - think I can get away with slices of meat if that's what I decide to do because there will be room for everyone to sit. (and I know you probably think I'm mad planning food for Nov in July, but am seriously pretty well totally committed on other things between now and then so just doing a bit of planning while I can! )

I have made this at several BBQ's/parties now and it's always gone down very well.

Good november cold food options:

• Cheese board with celery, grapes, walnuts
• Naice ham and/or charcuterie
• Naice sausage rolls/pork pie/other pie
• QUICHE
• Cold chicken drumsticks, heavily marinaded/spiced
• Cold roast belly pork slices, with chutneys/piccalilli on the side
• Maybe mini baked potatoes in foil? Much nicer if you can warm them somehow... serve with sour cream & chives
• Lettuce salads

I would avoid anything too coleslaw-ish, it doesn't really work in november. Also anything made of chicken breast, it just dries out on a buffet. I don't like unidentifiable mulches. I also don't like coronation chicken but am unusual in that!

I particularly like unidentifiable mushes at buffets! I eat it always enjoy it and try to identify it. If I knew what it was I may not have tried it (thinking back to all the scrummy food at a vegan buffet I went to one in particular :) )