Banquet-style cooking

The Sweeper

Am looking for some suggestions on cooking for large numbers.

Basically, DH is currently stationed at a barracks 45 mins from home, (as opposed to one 2,000 miles away). This means my weekends for the next few months may regularly involve tribes of army lads passing through my house. This is a good excuse for a regular weekend party (especially because they're all signals and polite and well behaved, as opposed to those infantry ferals ). It's also because a lot of them aren't from Melbourne and so have no family nearby and are looking for something to do at the weekend and I've a scary feeling DH will be adopting them. :eek:

However they'll eat practically anything and pickiness isn't usually an issue.

Given they're going to start descending upon me pretty soon, I'm trying to work out dishes in my head that I know I can feed them. I'd also love tips on quick bulk prep - I have every pretty much every gadget you can think of plus a five-ring 900mm cooker with a single huge oven (could roast eight chickens at once on four trays with two to a tray, for instance).

The requirements are that it has to be easy to bulk prepare, but also have some level of complexity because I like people to really, really enjoy what they eat at my home.

Here's one example I've thought of - if I do a curry night, I can cook two sauces (one spicy beef and one creamy chicken for instance) beforehand, and easily cook enough rice for the lot of them on the day, but how about sides? For instance referencing Jamie's 30 minute meals - a carrot salad, poppadums with mango chutney, raiita and chopped salted red onion, Jamie's quick lemon pickle, maybe a daal and possibly some naan breads if I see fit - because all those extras help to feed that many blokes without bankrupting me at the butchers.

I've also thought about lasagne with a green salad and garlic bread - anything else I could do with that?

Last thing, I also have in my garden a six burner gas barbecue with a rotisserie and a wok burner, (seriously, I have every gadget) so any suggestions on what I could do on that would also be most welcome.

Ideas or recipes welcome - you don't have to tell me how to do it to contribute (though it's most welcome if you do) - even if you can remember a good banquet-type meal you've had yourself, tell me about it!

pickarooney

Some of the best evenings we had with large groups of guests were Mongolian barbecue style evenings. The concept it very simple - slice up a boatload of different meats and fish, a truckload of veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms and the like) and put this on the table with a selection of spices and condiments. Assuming you have a couple of raclette sets just basically let everyone mix and match their own meals. It's handy to print out a few basic recipes for people who have no idea what to put with what, but mostly everyone seems to enjoy throwing their own stuff together.

It's not high-concept dining, but it is fun and you don't have to rush around like a blue-arsed fly making sure everyone is fed and watered, no worries about portion sizes or making meals that cater for lactose intolerants, coeliacs, diabetics, vegans and the terminally fussty, plus you get time to talk to everyone.

unkel

The Sweeper wrote: »

how about sides? For instance referencing Jamie's 30 minute meals - a carrot salad

Have made the roast almond / carrot salad and can highly recommend it. It's fresh and light (asian style) and is quick and easy to make. Unlike most salads, I'd say it can me made (with dressing) hours in advance and still be fresh, although I haven't tried that.

pickarooney wrote: »

Some of the best evenings we had with large groups of guests were Mongolian barbecue style evenings.

Very popular in Holland. Takes a lot of pressure off the organiser

Minder

Things to try -

Porchetta
Pulled pork
Chilli dogs
Curries
Cheap cuts - oxtail, short ribs, mince dishes
Mao's braised red pork
Pasta bakes

Things to avoid -

Anti pasti - cured meats etc
Prime cuts of meat

So maybe do huge porchetta roast, serve with masses of salad leaves, Khobz or Pittas, houmous and Baba Ghanoush.

Lamb shoulders, Shorba with sourdoughs, lamb kebabs with pomergranate molasses on skewers, pittas etc as above.

Just a pasta bake - penne with tomato, garlic and basil - loads of cheese - baked (okay, your summer, maybe not).

Jerk chicken and jollof rice. Salsas and nibbles.

Minder

The other thing you may want to consider is cooking those dishes that require a small army to eat - the things that don't scale down to dinner for two.

Terrines
Pasticcio
Feijoada
Pot au Feu
Cassoulet

Or try the dishes that scale up well

Bolognase - the one with the three meats and chicken livers that takes a forthnight to make.
Cous cous - big pot of lamb stew made from shoulder cuts will feed loads and not break the bank.
Pies - made at your leisure and frozen.

The Sweeper

OOOOOOO cassoulet for 12...

pickarooney

Just about to tuck into a feijoada for 10. It was impossible to make it for 4 so we ended up inviting 6 extra!