Anyone having a dinner party this Saturday?

[MarmMummy]

And if so may I ask what you are cooking???!!!!

Haven't had one for over a year and the thought of getting my house tidy, my 2 LOs into bed and dinner for 8 people ready for 8.00 is filling me with complete dread!

Hoping for something pretty and spring like, but filling enough for big men. Was going to do a whole salmon (but have to order in advance) or a beef fillet (but balked at £80 price tag!)..... and am now just panicking!!

Any help gratefully received

i woudl do a casserole tbh.
how many haev you got coming?
do a cold starter or just bits with drinks, hot main and cold pudding

There will be 8 of us in total.

Was thinking of buying cold bits from nice Italian deli as a starter.

Like the idea of casserole thingy but don't want it to be too wintry

i did cold bits once ( spanish style) and it was not as good as like little blinis and stuff and oatcakes with prawns on etc. realyl easy you shove them at the guests with a glass of bubbly

then put veg on.

sat weather is supposed to be DIRE
i like delias chicken basque( but havent a pot big enough for 8) but do with boneless thighs.
Also a boned and rolled leg of lamb is good with garlic in ( get buthcer to do it) with potatoes daohinoise and say green beans and leeks( cook in microwave with butter ONLY - delish)

then a choc mousse and or buy a tarte au citron and shove some raspberries on the top.

Lamb is supposed to be a spring dish? Done simply with lots of greens and new potatoes rather than the full roast version?

If you want springlike, asparagus as a starter? Easiest thing to just steam them lightly and serve with melted garlic butter and parmesan shavings?

I am having dinner for six on Saturday, and I'm making:

Roast half peppers with garlic, basil and anchovies (peppers piedmontese, I think it's called), with nice bread to mop up the juice.

Duck breasts, stir fried greens with garlic and chilli, rice (or mash) and plum and ginger sauce.

Dark chocolate pots

Lovely cheese (my favourite bit of the meal!)

Hope that helps.

oh yes good idea asparagus
buty the marks hollandaise too
i love that peppers dish

mrs M
duck recipe pelase

whole sage crusted pork tenderloins, green veg and mustard or garlic mashed potato for main?

do like lamb though...

Don't really have a recipe. I score the fat, season, and fry fat side down on a hot heat till crispy, then put in the oven fat side up to cook till pink.

The sauce is 12 or so plums, grated ginger, juice and rind of an orange and port (or similar). Boil till it's thick and sticky. It might need sugar added too,

Fish or meat pate with good quality bread as a starter. Garnish with fresh herbs/lemon/chutney as approriate.

Beef Wellington, Whole Salmon, Leg of Lamb with potatoes dauphinoise or similar.

Plum and Ginger Crumble for pudding.

PS Duck breasts with a red wine and cherry sauce very nice too.

Blimey, now I'm really worried!!!

Am sure I used to be able to cook, make decisions about what to cook, feel confident in ability to chat and cook at the same time etc etc........ but seems like a distant memory.

Right, off to pur wine, put eldest to bed, and peruse cookery books for the nth time.

Any more ideas gratefully received! Liking the lamb suggestions in particular!

i did it and then you ram it in for ages
also the spuds i cooked in the afternoon then just warmed up
sauce with redcurrant jelly and red wine - do before

Yes redcurrant jelly and red wine - Delia does a recipe for Leg of Lamb with Shrewsbury sauce. Red cabbage with apples goes well too.

all do aheadable

feed kids frozen pizza( cooked natch )

Like the sound of leeks in the microwave with just butter. How do you do that?

OP: Is it a posh do where you are out to impress, or just old friends round for supper?

I was just thinking, must have some people round, I will do Mexican next time. Loads can be prepared in advance, everyone loves it, you can cater for veggies, informal, lots of bowls of lovely stuff to help yourself to. Easy easy easy.

But if something more formal I would do a roast, tbh, because again everyone loves. Something a bit fancier than your average Sunday lunch. Maybe a roast duck.

We are but dh is a vegetarian so may not suit you

We are having artichoke pate and bread for starters and ricotta and spinach stuffed canelloni bake with salad for main course, Both are made in advance. Pate is served cold and the cannelloni made up the day before or in morning and shoved in the warmed oven when the guests arrive. We will buy dessert probably but otherwise I make a good chocolate torte ( again made inadvance) -

Spot the theme - ie make in advance. That way you get the kids fed and in bed and all the food for the dinner party is ready to go as soonas they are in bed. I will also lay on basic nibbles - crisps/nuts etc. but nothing I have to make.

Don't forget canapes!

Blinis with smoked salmon and creme fraiche.
Crostinis etc.

Go to the Waitrose website - it has hundreds of recipes! Realy good.

Go to the Delicious magazine website and get their salmon wrapped in pancetta recipe - it's fab and pretty failsafe. Make a cheesecake the day before (I did Nigella's maple pecan one from Christmas). No starter but did have smoked salmon pate on mini oatcake thingies and sparkling wine as a canape. Seemed to go down ok. Was a dinner party for six, came in from work at 5pm and had canapes on table for people arriving at 7.30pm; ate at 8.30pm after dealing with children.

i thought it was venison with shrewsbury sauce? (delia)...

don't forget to stud your lamb with garlic

i like spanikopitas for veggies...

i also like to make dh cook far less stressful...

Bellini is good to drink too - just use Cava and Peach juice.

you can make yummy seafood tartlets (cold) for starter too - very summery. just wee pastry cases or blini type things with smoked salmon/ cream cheese dollops and topped with a couple of artfully arranged prawns and herb of choice... easy as you can vary contents with whatever you've got in the fridge...

i do remember dh deciding to make fudge / chocs for coffee... after 3 days the fudge stll hadn't set lol. not his finest hour... we used it as ice cream topping instead

I'm doing dinner for six on Saturday.

We're having roast free range chicken with all the trimmings, and too much wine. Not fancy in the slightest, but my single friends don't do roasts at home, and so consider that a treat.

Pudding will be chocolate brownies and ice-cream, by popular request.

Key thing is atmosphere and doing the food in advance in so far as poss - when they arrive have good upbeat music on, low lights, lots of candles, give them a glass of something sparkly immediately, lots of bowls of olives and kettle chips around. Nigella says never do starter, just hand something tasty round with drinks - I agree blinis as above - feels like a real treat - buy ready made and top with creme fraiche, smoked salmon & sprig of dill. My top dinner party dish is Nigella's chicken and chickpea tagine (p. 111 of How to Eat) - make this in advance and forget what she says about dried chickpeas, just bung in 2 cans (drained) on reheating. Put in lovely white bowls - tagine on one side with chopped coriander on top, plain cous cous on other side with toasted pine nuts on top (so all you need to do when they're there is heat up the tagine on hob and "cook" cous cous by pouring boiling water over it in bowl and leave for 5 mins then serve and bung on garnishes). Cold pud made in advance - Nigel Slater has really easy cheating trifle - you can google recipe - very very easy but always wows everyone! (used bought madeira cake, raspberries, pot of posh custard etc). Cheese - huge bit of ripe brie plus one other, grapes, biscuits, choccies and LOTS of wine - enjoy!!

I'm doing dinner for six on Saturday.

We're having roast free range chicken with all the trimmings, and too much wine. Not fancy in the slightest, but my single friends don't do roasts at home, and so consider that a treat.

Pudding will be chocolate brownies and ice-cream, by popular request.

Ooh, pile of brownies and icecream is brilliant idea!