New Year's Eve - sophisticated yet easy dinner ideas needed please

[joshandjamie]

Hi

We're holding a new year's eve party/dinner at our house. There'll be nine of us. It's meant to be fairly sophisticated with a Rat Pack type feel to it (cocktail frocks, frank sinatra playing, cosmopolitans and martinis with canapes etc).

We're going to be doing a sit down dinner and I want something that looks stylish and individually plated but that doesn't require me to be in the kitchen cooking. I want something I can largely prepare in advance and then literally plate up and serve.

BUT - it can't be seafood/fish as two of us are allergic and it can't be lamb as one of our party won't eat it. I wanted to do Boeuf en croute but the beef fillet would cost us £80!

I have a starter idea - beetroot rosti baskets with smoked salmon (for the fish eaters and cucumber slivers for the others). Am also thinking of a Nigella's coffee and chocolate cake as a pud although still debating this. It's the main course thats the problem. Thoughts??

Thanks in advance

Roast a couple of pheasants and serve them with baked parsnip crisps, red wine jus, roast potatoes and baby vegetables.

Thanks for that. Sounds yum. Any other suggestions??

Pork fillet served with a little casserole made of red onions, apple slices and sage, with a few crushed juniper berries for flavour. Serve with steamed baby new potatoes, red cabbage and fine green beans.