Easy Michelin-standard menu plan

[Repostersyndrome]

Help! Calling all gourmands. I’m hosting 10 people on Saturday afternoon for drinks and then dinner.

Three of them are amazing cooks and spend a lot of time and money eating out at the best restaurants in London. And yes, they do recreate these dishes at home successfully. The other family are amazing home cooks, expert with Chinese food so I need to steer clear of this as I won’t be able to replicate it.

I am surrounded by a billion cookbooks - Ortolenghi, Slater, Phaidon Greek, Persiana, Apollo etc and am overwhelmed. I usually do lamb with a Persian sort of twist or seafood. DH has vetoed my Syrian saffron seafood stew which is my favourite!

I would like the menu to be simple-ish but still impressive, with a seasonal bias (late summer). We don’t have a barbecue.

I like fresh, zingy but also rich flavours. Help!

No curries, pulled pork etc or compile your own tacos etc (much as the kids might like that)…

What are your favourite wow late summer recipes that are impressive but easy-ish?

The whole point of Michelin dining, for me, is that I can't do it at home. Especially not for 10!

I would keep it as simple as possible and focus on your guests enjoyment.

No starters but plenty of canapés with fizz or aperol spritz. Peach chunks wrapped in parma ham, olives, crisps, tomatoes with mozzarella and pesto (from Waitrose), maybe some good bread and hummus from a deli if you have one. All prepped and laid out before anyone arrives.

Then a slow cooked shoulder of lamb, well 2 shoulders. I use Jamie Oliver's recipe. Served with Boulangere potatoes (so just sitting in a low oven) and some seasonal green veg, cooked simply. A cold green herby sauce made in advance such as salsa verde. All served 'family style' so people help themselves to big dishes in the centre of the table.

Dessert if needed would again be prepared in advance or possibly even bought from Cook - their mango cheesecake is lovely and summery. Or make a strawberry roulade in advance - very easy and perfect at the moment.

A huge gorgeous cheeseboard (with hard, soft, goats, blue), ideally from a deli with grapes, crackers, dried fruit and chutneys. Bottle of port.

Yum and relatively easy.

P.s. I adore Ottolenghi's recipes but they take sooooooooo loooooong and you need quite a few of them to 'make a meal' IME.

For some reason the recipe for balsamic glaze didn't upload. This is the recipe mentioned above

Balsamic Glaze

2 cups balsamic vinegar

When making a a vinegar or wine glaze, reduce it slowly. If you boil too hard, the acid will remain and make the glaze too sharp. Reducing it slowly and gently results in a much softer tasting glaze.

Heat the vinegar in a heavy saucepan on a heat diffuser until steam rises from the liquid. Place the saucepand on a heat diffuser and let the liquid reduce very slowly (it shouldn't simmer) for 2 to 3 hours until it has reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze. There should be approx 1/2 cup of balsamic glaze.

Keep at room temperature, if the glaze is too thick, warm it slightly to loosen.

if you want fillet of beef, don’t do steaks, roast the whole fillets.

Thank you again! There are some fabulous recipes here! The great British chefs site ones sadly need you to have a wood smoker and a sous vides contraption (one set of friends coming over do indeed have this - plus all the foam canisters for the molecular cooking!).

So far, we will do a cheese board with smoked anchovy fillets, olives and other nibbles to start. I am fed up with spending loads on cheese only for people to be too full to eat any at the end of the meal!

We will do the 2 legs of lambs posted above by the lovely Mumsnet user.

Im going to do some chicken legs too for anyone who wants a bit of variety.

im going to do potatoes, broccoli and the red pepper and anchovy crumb dish posted above by another lovely poster.

For pudding, I will do one frozen dessert thing with baileys and Oreos but I also want to do a seasonal one. I always do a strawberry roulade but have prob made it too many times now and everyone coming has had it before!

if anyone knows of a nice season fruity dessert that can be made ahead of time, let me know! Off to Sainsbury’s shortly.

Thank you again

In the past I have served a trio of roasts: duck, lamb and chicken. Roast potatoes and mixed roast veg: cauliflower, carrots, broccoli etc.; For nibbles, make a large charcuterie board and arrange it beautifully: cured meats, cheeses, breads, crackers, fruits; For dessert, a strawberry cheese cake with a graham cracker crust. Depending on the crowd, you can create a simple cocktail for the night and create a name for it.

This recipe is absolutely stunning if you're going for a lamb dish. Be aware it takes longer than the timings set out in the recipe though.

www.food.com/recipe/rack-of-lamb-with-a-merlot-glaze-and-cherry-reduction-sauce-101878#reviews

Seasonal desserts based on recent forays into London resto-land:

• Stone fruit crostata - add lavender if you want to be cheffy
• Best vanilla ice cream you can buy, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, pinch of maldon salt
• Roast figs with honey and cinnamon, vanilla ice cream
• Raspberries & cream (a la Alison Roman)

Fresh pudding - Passionfruit Pavlova is always a winner for me.

Phew…Hellish afternoon so only started cooking at 5-6pm:
here is what I’ve done so far: Thanks to @ANiceCuppaTeaandBiscuit , I found a fab recipe on the Alexandra Dudley site: roasted peppers with anchovy crumb and mozzarella;

https://www.alexandradudley.com/recipes/2022/8/8/roasted-pepper-with-mozzarella-and-anchovy-chilli-breadcrumbs

I have made a tandoori marinade from scratch and about 20 chicken drumsticks are currently resting in it:
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/crispy-tandoori-chicken-drumsticks-mango-chutney.html

Have made the Oreo cake with Bailey and vanilla cream - again, it’s just chilling in the fridge:
https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baking-and-desserts/oreo-baileys-fridge-cake/

I have made the crumb for this - it is just setting now - and the raspberry cream. Just need to put them together: (not going to bother with pomegranates): https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/recipe/raspberry-mascarpone-cheesecake-recipe

Olives, cheese from France, a bit of charcuterie, breadsticks, crackers, carrots, dip, smoked anchovies to start.

Had to pop upstairs to charge my phone before tackling the two lamb marinades posted by @Meadowwild next!

Just veg to prep tomorrow (super fine asparagus, sugar snaps, a green salad, mixed tomato salad and of course, roast baby potatoes.

I also made a chicken biryani tonight but no one was hungry!!!

Thank you all for your ideas. I will be using many of them on other occasions!

Sounds fantastic! Hope it goes down well and your guests appreciate all your efforts

Some fabulous ideas on this thread!

I say cheat... either Beef Wellington or Salmon en Croute from Cook

www.cookfood.net/products/Salmon-en-Croute/

www.cookfood.net/products/large-beef-Wellington/

Make sure you hide the boxes well and pass the food off as your own. Either do your own sides or buy the too.

Wow! Well done OP!
I read this thread earlier and was wondering what you decided to make.
Sounds like a fantastic dinner party!

I didn't realise that cheating was an option.

If I'd have known that I would have gone for Tommy Banks at Oldstead. The menus change every month.

Currently, from £35 per person for duck liver parfait served on brioche followed by lamb rump and pressed lamb breast and finished with choux buns filled with hay crème pate and raspberry gel.

Right up to £70 per person for a seven course menu with wine. This is their current offering:

CANAPE
Croustades
Croustades filled with peas dressed in marigold oil and lemon verbena emulsion, topped with yeast powder to finish.

SNACKS
Rosemary & Garlic Candied Hazelnuts

BREAD & CHARCUTERIE
Haxby Sourdough, Chicken Liver Parfait, Yorkshire Charcuterie
Haxby sourdough bread with a cultured butter topped with lemon verbena salt, served with chicken liver parfait, chicken fat & cep butter, Yorkshire charcuterie and Oldstead preserves.

FISH COURSE
Scallops, Courgette, Basil
Pan seared scallops placed on a courgette & basil puree, topped with baby courgettes and pickled courgettes.
Paired with Banks Brothers Muscadet No. 12

MAIN
Beef, Onion, Garlic
Tommy’s classic beef wellington served with with an onion sauce, black garlic puree, elderflower vinegar gel and baby gem lettuce in a salsa verde dressing.
Paired with Banks Brothers Syrah Mourvèdre 1.1

PALATE CLEANSER
Tomato Tea with Basil Oil

PRE-DESSERT
Lemon Verbena & Caramelised Chocolate Mousse
Served with blackcurrant compote

DESSERT
Raspberry, Hay, Hazelnut
Choux bun filled with hay crème pate and raspberry gel and sugared hazelnuts.
Paired with Raspberry & Elderflower White Sangria from Banks Brothers Drinks, using Albariño No. 9

PETIT FOURS
Blackcurrant & Anise Hyssop Macarons
Chicory & Apple Mint Fudge
Salted Caramel Truffles

IN YOUR TABLESCAPING KIT…
You’ll also receive full serving instructions, place cards, hand-poured beeswax candles, and local, Yorkshire flowers

Just as an aside, the Youtube channel "Sorted Food" reviewed their offering a couple of months ago and had a lot of good things to say:

Love the cheat options! I couldn’t do it though… All went OK. Though the cheesecake did not set… grrrr… Seems this is a regular complaint with that recipe. I used the untouched briyani to make an Indian version of arancini and they went down well. Thanks all. Certainly not Michelin or sophisticated but a fun evening.