Dinner Party Dishes in Advance

[GingerKombucha]

I've managed to sign myself up to a couple of Friday night dinner parties. Only problem is I get home from work at 6.30 and guests arrive at 7. What dishes can I prep in advance and just cook or reheat on the evening? I love cooking and usually go fairly all out for dinner parties so wouldn't want to do something like lasagne or fish pie.

Have you got the first Jamie Oliver cookbook? His side of salmon with green beans, cherry tomatoes and anchovies is perfect for this and is an absolute doddle. You don’t actually have to use a side of salmon, although it looks posher and therefore festive. Takes half an hour fridge to table.

if you haven’t got the cookbook, it’s very simple - blanch beans, chop cherry tomatoes in half, pour lots of olive oil over and mix so all covered. Put them in a roasting dish around the salmon, put Kalamata olives and anchovies all over the top of the bean/tomato pile, drizzle the salmon with a bit of oil and season with some salt and quite a lot of pepper. Put the whole lot in the oven on 190°C for about 20 mins and then check the salmon. It might need a bit longer but keep an eye on it. I put foil over for the first 15 mins, but you don’t have to.

The prep ahead bit is that it can all be done the day before and foiled in the fridge, then bung in the oven. Serve with bread and that’s about it. I don’t usually even bother with new pots, although obviously nice and make it go further.

It isn’t a ‘go all out’ dinner party food but is tasty and looks nice because of the colours/big slab of salmon.

Anti pasti platter (just needs constructing)
Nigel Slater’s coq au reisling with greens and new potatoes (prep ahead)
Lemon posset (prep ahead)

All three courses sound delicious - am definitely going to try.

I don't have that cookbook (though I do love an old Jamie Oliver cookbook, before he got gimmicky with 15 min meals and 5 ingredients) so will give it a try

Start with a salad of rocket, fresh figs and burrata with your favourite vinaigrette, just needs to be assembled. Very light and fresh tasting.

For the main course, Keith Floyd's recipe for Spanish rabbit and red pepper stew, but use chicken instead of rabbit. Cook the evening before and reheat on the night.
It's a very attractive dish when served, but you could also add black olives for an extra flavour & colour. I usually serve it with couscous or new potatoes.

To keep the summer season theme going I'd serve compote of cherries with amaretti biscuits on the side. You could add ice cream or Greek yoghurt if liked. Poach the cherries the previous day, you could add a dash of cherry liqueur before serving if liked.

Pate with melba toast or salad (could be meat or fish) or soup in cooler weather, unless you are a fan of cold soups like gazpacho or tarator
Casserole of your choice - they always taste better 24 hours after they are first made or curry or something like a beef wellington that you can prep in advance
Tiramisu, trifle, pavlova with season fruit or cheese board

Tagine is a really good dish to make in advance because the flavours only improve with time and they’re quick to reheat. They can be scattered with flaked almonds, pistachio or pomegranate seeds just before putting on the table. Herby couscous can be made in advance as it doesn’t need to be served warm, but couscous only takes a few minutes to make anyway. Serve with flatbreads and tzatziki or yogurt. I normally make a chicken or lamb tagine and a veggie version. This is my winning veggie version https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/apricot-and-honey-vegetable-tagine.html

Lemon posset was mentioned above - one of my favourites, yet so simple. I’m a bit of an ‘all out’person too. If you have time to make a lemon drizzle cake the night before (in a regular sandwich cake or traybake tin, not a loaf), you could serve the posset in little glasses on a plate alongside a slice of cake sprinkled with soft berries.

Starter I would make some sort of salad. A Greek salad is really refreshing and easy to make. If you do make a cake the night before, or have the oven on for your tea, halve some cherry tomatoes, place on a baking tray skin side down and cook in the oven for same amount of time as the cake. Fab with any salad, or if you go down the antipasti route they make a nice accompaniment too. I’d add shot glasses of gaspacho to the antipast selection.

I would be favouring salmon for tbe main, a sit cooks quickly. . Boil new potatoes tbe night before. Next night put them into hot oil in the oven when and cook to crisp up. Roast asparagus and a selection of other veg at the same tim. serve with a tomato and red pepper sauce you can make the night before. If you buy a jar of cooked red peppers, you can juat stick them in a pan with some fried up onion and garlic, a tin of tomatoes, some dried herbs, salt and pepper tben whizz with a hand blender.

I cook everything the day before, because I am old, and so too knackered to enjoy myself if I have done anything except set the table on the actual day.

As it happens, people coming tomorrow. They are getting vichyssoise ( it’s in The freezer, get it out tomorrow am); a version of Coronation chicken but slightly Asianified with satay in the sauce, that will have a rice mould salad with tiny bits of tomato and peppers in it. That goes in the fridge in a big bowl, the actual plating with push moulds is an hour before.

Pudding is strawberry fool ( making that this afternoon, though I will whip the cream for the topping about 18.30 tomorrow) with cantucci for texture.

Entrees:
All are made a day ahead, although the salad just needs putting on a plate

Smoke salmon or mackerel terrine with melba toasts. Mushroom pate if you have any veggies coming. https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/individual-smoked-salmon-terrines-for-christmas/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mushroom-tarragon-pate

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tomato-bruschetta

https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/bresaola-parmesan-salad/

Desserts

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chocolate/simple-chocolate-tart/ Served with berry coulis

Cheesecake, tiramisu or trifle can all be made a day ahead

I'm having a think about mains, but you could have a vague theme. Say Thai/Sth East Asian. Chicken satay for entree and Thai curry made the day before that just needs heating through. I cook rice and keep it in the freezer. Once defrosted and heated, I wouldn't know it wasn't freshly made. A mango pudding for dessert. https://teakandthyme.com/mango-pudding/

Or look at Ottolenghi and have a middle eastern theme. His Marbella chicken is delicious and could be made the day before and reheated.