I'll be honest, I love hosting a dinner party. The key is to organise food that can mostly be prepared in advance. This way you can relax and enjoy yourself and your guests (also after a few vino's my cooking capabilities go out the window!).
The following are some menu's from dinner parties I have had which work well, are easy enough to cook and allow you to spend the majority of your evening at the table.
Please feel free to email me if you would like any of the recipes.
Party of Four
(old school friends who will in actual fact eat anything and a lot of it)
Starter: Dukkha crusted haloumi on sticky balsamic with rocket
Entree: Prawn and fennel salad on a fennel puree
Main: Beef fillet with a chilli caramel sauce and asian salad.
Dessert: Honey parfait with hazelnut praline and raspberry coulis
How to impress friends
Starter: Strawberry sake shot
Entree: Prawn and zucchini terrine with gazpacho.
Main: Chicken and almond roulade with caramalised vinegar dressing on potato mash
Dessert: Friands with lemon curd
Persian Feast
Eggplant and crushed walnut dip
Whipped yoghurt with feta and soft herbs
Dill, broadbean and pea pilaf
Prawns braised in a tamarind herb sauce
Grilled saffron chicken with lemon chilli and mint
Shiraz salad
Flat bread with rosemary
8 guests, 6 courses, 1 cook - Solo degustation
Strawberry sake shot
Oysters, Thai style
Salmon carpaccio
Chicken and almond roulade on celeriac puree with caramalised vinegar
Beef eye fillet on wasabi mash with wild rocket
Rosewater pannacotta tea cups
AND THEN....
The joint degustation was born:
After such a successful first degustation I decided to have another. My gorgeous husband came up with the idea of all guests putting forward a course in the meal. So, 9 guests each bought about their cooking best, armed with food matching that of fine dining and of course wine to accompany each meal. To make sure everyone was on their A-game, we all chipped in for a $100 voucher at an Adelaide restaurant, and after each course was served we scored the meal and the person with the highest scoring dish won. I have to say that this was an incredibly fun night and the quality of food was way beyond what I expected. This truly out did going out to dinner and has now become somewhat of an annual venture. For the record the pork belly won, and deservedly so.
Warning: nine courses with matching wine DOES fill you up and DOES have an alcoholic effect.
Without further ado, I bring to you the menu from the original and possibly the best,
dego-a-go-go.
Salmon sushi timbale
Seared scallops with asparagus and burnt butter
Chargrilled tuna on white bean salad with olive salsa and a rocket dressing
Pork belly three ways
Roasted pear wrapped in prosciutto with blue cheese filling
spiced lamb with minted yoghurt
Kangaroo and macadamia nut salad
Beef roulade
Trio of desserts: white chocolate mousse, honey parfait and piedmontese chocolate terrine
Degustation 2: The sequel
Cucumber soup with spicy crab meat
Prawn, advocado, mango salad with mango dressing
Lobster tail on fennel puree with lobster bisque
Duck pancakes
Minced beef and lemongrass in betel leaf with sweet fish sauce
Seared venison with blueberries, shallots and red wine
Japanese style beef eye-fillet with wasabi mash
Lamb backstrap with zucchini rosti
Bailey's creme brulee with poached pears and marscapone
Cucumber soup with spicy crab meat
Prawn, advocado, mango salad with mango dressing
Lobster tail on fennel puree with lobster bisque
Duck pancakes
Minced beef and lemongrass in betel leaf with sweet fish sauce
Seared venison with blueberries, shallots and red wine
Japanese style beef eye-fillet with wasabi mash
Lamb backstrap with zucchini rosti
Bailey's creme brulee with poached pears and marscapone
