Menu for a dinner party - need inspiration

[princesspeahead]

Right. Have a quite major dinner party coming up on the weekend. Two other couples - a client of my dh's and his american wife, and a french couple where the bloke trained as a chef. So not much pressure there, really.

Need inspiration for the whole thing - starter, main, pudding. I'd like two of the three courses to be essentially done in advance (don't mind last minute touches). Don't want anything too heavy, and want to feel vaguely spring-like.
Thought for main course maybe I could marinate some lamb fillets in something or other... serve with dauphinoise potatoes (too heavy?), or couscous, or pea puree or something? Haven't got any thoughts about anything else.....

please, someone help me!

lamb shanks taste like corned beef to me! (not that that is prob, still like them)

How about ironic prawn cocktail, steak and chips and black forest gateau

Or a fondue/raclette (not very light hmmm)

stak and salad and tell him to bog off home if he doesnt like it

stak and salad and tell him to bog off home if he doesnt like it

stak and salad and tell him to bog off home if he doesnt like it

tell him 3 times!!

indeed re bog off

Is french chef bloke client too? If not agree re bog off.

the frenchman isn't a chef anymore (wine buyer) - just trained as a chef.
suzy, our local butcher/meat is spectacular, any lamb from him will be brilliant. but I loathe potted shrimps I'm afraid!
bettys, thanks for the nigel recommendation re lamb shanks, I'll have a look and see if I can adapt it for fillets. my dh would love the white chocolate things - he is a white choc fiend - I'll have a look at those too and see if they are tricky or not.
like the idea of roasted red peppers and marscapone and something or other... will muse on that...

PPH a tagine is dead easy - its just a casserole really! recipie for lamb tagine

But your lamb fillets sound nice as well. Like your idea for desert. The starter doesn't sound quite right though - a mixture of too many different things. Have just found the MOMO lunch menu in case there is any ideas you like there!

What about stuffed peppers?

Mezze (Mechouia, Zaalouck, Bourek of Chicken and Briout of cod)

Chilled tomato soup with coriander

Gambas k'taffe, salmon mousse and chive oil

Piquillos peppers stuffed with salted haddock, served with ratatouille

Marinated salmon with coriander, ricotta and pink peppercorn

main
Pan fried marinated cod, vegetables 'Tian' and three peppers dressing

Saddle of lamb, baby vegetable and thyme jus

Roasted duck breast, sweet potato and grapes

Tagine of chicken and purple olives and Jerusalem artichokes

Tagine of baby vegetables and wild mushrooms

Couscous with marinated spiced lamb skewers

Marinated spiced chicken breast couscous

Vegetarian couscous

dessert
Quince tart tatin, 'tahine' flavoured ice-cream

Home made sorbet

Selection of Maghrebi pastries

Fresh red berries soup with hibiscus and vanilla ice-cream

I object

"
Pan fried marinated cod, vegetables 'Tian' and three peppers dressing "

Huh!

french bloke isn't client, but he is very amusing and I love him so won't tell him to bog off!
soapbox you are wonderful. I particularly like the panfried marinated COD. Oi, Codster, chop a fillet off and send it over here will you?
You are right, the fillet and syllabub (or mousse if I'm feeling energetic) are fine... but the starter isn't. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

the cooking is dead simple beety, it is just deciding what to have which is the tricky bit!

Well give us some clues about what you do like for the sarter, I think if you are having a creamy pudding then a mascarpone element may be too much.
I think Coddy's original idea of asparagus is good. And unless you can find a fool proof recipe with the lamb fillets and pay their cooking time attention your French bloke who can spot a mildy soggy pavlova is going to swoop done on less than perfectly cooked meat. Keep meat on the bone, or why not get your good butcher to bone you a shoulder and stuff it with something then roll it?

Cod

I'm sure you would taste delicious!!

(totally off thread, pph have just been talking to Sally Storey's lot and she is coming to see us - did you have her personally or one of her designers? Big diff in hourly rate which is why I ask!!)

Asparagus with parmesan shavings and best olive oil and lemon juice with fantastic crusty bread.

Boned stuffed shoulder of lamb and a cous cous or bulgar salad with a tomato and onion one on the side,

Creamy white chocolate pudding (still think you should do raspberry trifle though)

ps suzy would love your trifle recipe, just don't think I'll risk it with the frenchman. will have many other opps to use it though

OOOh yes yes do a tagine they're really easy, u can just forget about them. Cous cous a doddle.

And ffs who the h* does he think he is pickin on your pud grrrrrrr.

I'd give everyone else the tagine and nip to the chippy for him

God I love this, I used to do it for a living, it's like having my old life back!

ok just noticed that you love him so don't go to the chippy after all

ah, bulgar wheat salad, now thats a great idea, I'm a bit bored of couscous. I used to do a really nice one with lots of mint... brilliant, thank you very much.

cd, I never used sally, but she is good friend of friend of mine (in fact she and dh have godchild in common) and did their house. It was superb. I'm sure others there are just as good, if you want to save on the hourly rate.

what did u do for a living suzy?

you are rather good at it suzy!
would you like to see the menu for my ds's christening in 2 weeks?!! you may criticise and comment because it is being catered and I can change it....