Help me with my NYE dinner menu

[PercyPigsInBlankets]

Having around a dozen people to dinner on NYE. East London millennials, no strict dietary needs, a few flexitarians.

I want dinner to feel festive, fresh, with a nod to the traditional - as if Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi were making dinner together. I have a small oven, and want to spend time with my guests rather than be cooking flat out during the evening.

Ideas for heavy canapés/appetisers, and main courses/sides please? For pudding Im using an idea from an old mumsnet thread of caramelised pineapple, gingerbread and Wensleydale.

Oh, I am so following this!

for canapés these Ottolenghi sticky pomegranate and pistachio pigs in blankets are delicious, and you can substitute in vegetarian sausages.

F

If your crowd are open to vegetarian food, then Ottolenghi’s aubergine parmigiana pie is stunning. His curried cauliflower cheese filo pie is also a real crowdpleaser - it's familiar but still interesting.

I’ve seen this prawn lasagne with habanero oil go down a storm before at dinner parties. I think you's be able to fit portions of these in a small oven, ad all can be prepped in advance and simply heat when your guests arrive.

I've not tried it, but for Christmas for myself this year I'm planning on this kale pesto strata with gruyère and mustardwhich sounds like it will be delicious.

Bread is always welcome for me as a starter or side. I've made this no-knead focaccia a few times now, and it's wonderful for no real effort. The baking time is pretty short so if oven space is an issue it could potentially bake last minute while something else is resting.

I also echo SummaLuvin that the sticky pigs in blankets (either meat or vegetarian) go down a storm. When I made it was last minute so I didn't have parsley or pistachio for the topping, and even just glazed they were delicious.

That prawn lasagne sounds delicious

Are you able to seat 12 at your table or do you need fork food?

Thanks, this is a great start. The Ottolenghi pigs in blankets are going on the list (I think Nigella would approve), together with the radicchio boats on the same link. Probably need one more hot and one more cold appetiser.

All vegetarian main is absolutely fine. Meat is also good, but the main course needs to be able to shine without it - so maybe two feature dishes and some (ideally cold) sides would be a good blend. I can sit everyone at the table (just!).

The kale pesto strata is going to be perfect for brunch the next day, thank you.

for a cold/room temp side dish this butternut squash with orange oil and burnt honey is lovely and crowd pleasing (just be careful to buy veggie friendly cheese if you have any veggie guests in attendance). Also, as it's squash based it's fairly substantial.

I'd make as many things that can be prepped the day before, so you can spend more time with guests. If you live in London, I'd make the 4/5am trip to both Smithfields and Billinsgate. Fresh king prawns, 1kg smoked salmon for £16, a whole salmon for £10, lamb chops £8/kg, roast beef etc.

I made this for Christmas a few years ago. I did a larger one though in a loaf tin and served it more like a dip: Individual smoked salmon terrines for Christmas recipe | delicious. magazine (deliciousmagazine.co.uk)

Mini Yorkshire Pudding Canapés | Sainsbury's Recipes (sainsburys.co.uk) You can also fill them with leftover Christmas brie and cranberry sauce

Go retro Classic prawn cocktail recipe | BBC Good Food

Whole roast salmon with spring vegetables recipe | delicious. magazine (deliciousmagazine.co.uk)

Dessert- a pavlova can be made a day ahead and just dressed on the day. Or buy those pre baked sweet pastry cases. Any of the following can be made in them. I'm not great with pastry, so just having the make the filling saves times. For 12 people, I've make 2 of the following, or a pavlova and 1 of these:
-Ultimate lemon meringue pie recipe | BBC Good Food
-Simple chocolate tart | Jamie Oliver chocolate recipes served with a simple berry coulis
-Pecan pie recipe | BBC Good Food
-Lemon Tart | RecipeTin Eats
-Passionfruit tart- 1 tin sweetened condensed milk, squeeze in 1 lemon, pulp of 3 passionfruit or a small tin of passionfruit. Mix and bake till just set and starting to colour on the top. Don't let it burn.
-Easy salted caramel tart. 1 tin nestle caramel in a tin, put into the pastry case. Sprinkle salt on top. melt chocolate and smooth this over the top of the caramel in a thin layer. Refrigerate.

Probably not what you are after but I have decided on making loaded nachos for NYE instead of a proper meal as such. They'll only be 6 of us but I thought it would be a fun thing to do.

another Ottolenghi suggestion from me. The pulled pork vindaloo in this link is really tasty can be (has to be) done in advance and then reheated on the hob. He recommends serving in baps with the slaw recipe also in the link, I've not had them together but the slaw is super tasty, can also be done mostly in advance and served cold. I think both these dishes would work really well in a wider spread, and have something special while staying accessible.

Another idea would be raclette or fondue. You could pick up a few fondue sets from charity shops. Cheese is the classic., but also a hot broth you can cook veg and meat in too. People can come and have some snacks, then mingle and drink, the come back again.
Giles & Posner Electric Raclette Grill | Electricals | George at ASDA

A couple of easy canapes.

Filo pastry parcels, just cut filo pastry in quarters, add filling, scrunch the top and bake for 10 mins.

Fillings - cream cheese with or without prawns, or spinach, or mushrooms (cook them first) smoked salmon. Brie with mango chutney works well too.

Get a packet of dried apricots and soak in water overnight, in the morning dry off, they will look like an egg yolk with a slit in them, put some brie in the slit to stuff it and wrap in streaky bacon, again 10 mins in the oven - serve hot or cold.

Buy a large thin based pizza, margarita works best get a cookie cutter and cut out mini pizzas. Yo can add your own toppings if you like.

Bruschetta.

Courgette and coriander soup - chill and put in shot glasses.

Really easy salmon fish cakes.

Mashed potato, supermarket salmon pate / terrine in equal quantities, mix together, make into small patties and bake.

I think we might have a winner with the pulled pork vindaloo, especially if I serve whole for pulling at the table. It can cook all afternoon, and come out to rest for an hour while I roast something veggie.

There is a really good ottolenghi salad with sprouts and pomelo that is always a festive hit for me.