Impressive dinner main course for 8

[Florabella]

It's my turn to cook for friends, and we have done it so often I have completely run out of ideas. The others are amazing cooks and there is always a lot of effort goes in to it. If I can find a main then I can build the rest round it. Looking for something based round red meat.

Any suggestions?

How about individual beef wellingtons?

Beef short ribs braised in red wine, beef stock, carrots, baby onions and porcini mushrooms for a seriously good sauce.
Serve with potato and celeriac mash which you pile into an oven proof dish, add a breadcrumb, butter and grated cheese topping and crisp it in a hot oven for 20 minutes.
You can do something similar with lamb shanks too.

I recently made the ottolenghi chicken Marbella.it was great as tasted very fancy but you had to make it a day or so before so super easy on the day

ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/roasted-chicken-legs-with-dates-olives-and-capers#

Beef bourguignon if you want classic easy to prep, served with mash, green beans and crusty bread rolls
Or porchetta with polenta, rolls and a nice salad or green veg
Anything with bread apparently

Hugh Fearnley-Wotsit's Donnie Brasco pork.

So called because you can fugeddaboutit.

16ish hours of cooking.

It's perfect.

Lots of leftovers too.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/04/organic-pork-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall

About halfway down that page.

Another vote for Beef Stifado - Hairy Bikers have a great recipe.
Given the time of year I'd go for something gamey - venison in some form or my favourite a pheasant and chestnut stew.
I'm doing Rabbit Parpadelle at my next dinner party

Quick roast strip loin of venison (you'll need two at least) on a bed of puy lentils and morrels.

Or slow cooked whole shoulder of hogget on Boulanger potatoes with nice green sides.

Or mince and tatties (buy shoulder steak, home mince it and slow cook it with a glass of white wine and bay leaves), serve with nice Burgundy ;-)

Sticky ginger beef (can make in advance) with rice and pak choi,
Nigella's no churn coffee ice-cream - so easy and everyone loves it or Baked cheesecake with fruit of choice.

If you havent got it already go and by Ottelenghi SIMPLE. Look at the back of the book, there are menu suggestions. Honestly you cannot go wrong the food is devine.

Bavette?

Another Ottolenghi suggestion but this time it is a spiced slow-roasted leg of lamb with figs which was in the Guardian at Easter - I'll dig out the link. (It also says pistachios but I always leave them out as BFF's DH is allergic).

I've done it a few times now. You scoop out the figs and onions then boil and reduce the roasting juices for a few minutes while the meat is resting and it makes the most wonderful rich glossy spiced gravy. What I like is that even though there are a lot of ingredients, all the prep/cleaning up is done hours before and leaves you plenty of time to get a few sides in (the caramelised onions and figs make one side dish and we usually have some of our favourites: crushed carrots with harissa, lemon zest and yogurt, and za'atar roast potatoes, and buttered peas with a teaspoon of mint sauce).

Roast lamb: www.theguardian.com/food/2021/mar/27/yotam-ottolenghi-easter-recipes-slow-cooked-lamb-figs-herbs-chocolate-hazelnut-buns

Crushed carrots: thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/yotam-ottolenghis-crushed-carrots-with-harissa-and-pistachios/

Duck with cherry sauce.

1 duck will feed 4 people so you will need 2.

Prick all over and put in the oven - a lot of fat will come off so consider the duck on the oven rack and a roasting tin underneath to catch the fat which is ace for roast potatoes.

Cherry sauce, adapted from Delia, 1/2 a jar of Morello cherry jam, 1/2 a bottle of ted wine, put in a pan and reduce it to the thickness of a pouring sauce.

Kharcho - it’s a spicy Georgian beef stew with walnuts and pomegranate juice. It smells amazing while cooking. If you wanted to have a full Georgian menu, you could make khachapuri, which are small cheese pastries, to start.

@sashh
I’ve made that delia cherry sauce, it’s so lush and so simple isn’t it. Thanks for the reminder !

Greek leg of lamb with potatoes the potatoes taste amazing and you can add mezze, Greek salad etc to the menu.

I love these dishes for a crowd. Max flavour, minimal effort:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/greek-lamb-orzo

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/braised-pork-prunes

I tend to do easy mains so I can focus on more impressive starters or dessert.

Try this lorraine pascal dessert but on a slant in champagne glasses : www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vanilla_and_yogurt_panna_76284/amp

Slow roast lamb - either Orlando Murrin 7 hour leg on BBC good food or 4 hour shoulder on Jamie O.

I don’t like pork belly but I do like a slow roast [[https://www.itv.com/john-and-lisas-weekend-kitchen/articles/five-hour-pork-belly here]] one by Lisa Faulkner.

Delia has a nice beef in Barolo recipe with Parmesan mash.

I’d third the beef stifado suggestion. Absolute gorgeous - I like the Cypriot version - don’t appreciate the red wine! You could do an entire Cypriot meal starting with lounza and halloumi. Yum

Don’t spare the red wine - autocorrect! I certainly do appreciate the red wine!

Rick Stein Lamb Kleftico. A one pot meal, super easy and utterly delicious.

Oh, I thought of another one today! Nigella's rolled stuffed loin of pork with rubied gravy from Christmas. It's fabulous.

I love Jamie's duck legs with plums, so easy and delicious:
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/duck-recipes/sweet-duck-legs-cooked-with-plums-and-star-anise

Minimal work at the end, just plate it! I serve it with creamy mash and veg on the side

Hugh FW has a fab pot roasted veal recipe which is lovely (I'll try and find a link) which I've done a few times and has never let me down. But I second a good venison casserole 👍

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/may/21/veal-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall