Ideas for Bulk Party Food

Evergreen

I'm planning a small party for a couple of weeks time and will have about 20 adults over.

I was trying to make things easy on the cooking side and supply a couple of bulk cooked foods that people can choose from. I mentioned chilli and rice to my wife, but she was not to keen - she didn't say it, but reading between the lines I guess she likes the idea of bulk potted food but wants something a little more fancy than chill + rice.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

The Hill Billy

Roasted lamb with Moroccan spices, served with salad & mini-pittas so they can make their own kebabs. A pot of cous cous (quick to prepare) on the side with flat breads & hummus.

olaola

Spatchcocked chickens with salads
Lasanga
Pulled pork with cheesey coleslaw
Steak sambos (with soft goats cheese, german mustard, rocket and tomato on ciabatta)

Evergreen

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Roasted lamb with Moroccan spices, served with salad & mini-pittas so they can make their own kebabs. A pot of cous cous (quick to prepare) on the side with flat breads & hummus.

That sounds really great. I am a Moroccan food virgin, so where would I have to go to get Moroccan spices?

Evergreen

olaola wrote: »

Spatchcocked chickens with salads
Lasanga
Pulled pork with cheesey coleslaw
Steak sambos (with soft goats cheese, german mustard, rocket and tomato on ciabatta)

Is a spatchcocked chicken pretty much the same as the boneless ones I see in Tesco?

The Hill Billy

Evergreen wrote: »

That sounds really great. I am a Moroccan food virgin, so where would I have to go to get Moroccan spices?

Maybe ask your butcher to 'butterfly' the lamb for you. Ie, take it off the bone & work it into a fairly even thickness. This will make it quicker to cook & easier to carve.

Coat the lamb with a dry rub of a mix of the following ground spices:
3 tsp Cumin
3 tsp Coriander
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon

Roast the lamb slowly & when done, carve thinly.
Let the guests fill their mini-pittas with the lamb & shredded salad (crispy leaves, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, etc.
Maybe have a couple of bowls of natural yogurt (plain or with mint, garlic, fresh coriander, etc) & a hot or spicy sauce for those with more adventurous tastes.

olaola

Evergreen wrote: »

Is a spatchcocked chicken pretty much the same as the boneless ones I see in Tesco?

Nearly – you leave in most of the bones except for the spine and the breastbone (I leave the breastbone in myself, too much faff to take it out)
You can use the spines for stocks for cous-cous or the like if you’re serving it with salad. If you have a BBQ – it’s great for getting some flavour onto the birds. You can finish them off in the oven if you wanted. 4 birds would be plenty for 20 people.

Evergreen

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Maybe ask your butcher to 'butterfly' the lamb for you. Ie, take it off the bone & work it into a fairly even thickness. This will make it quicker to cook & easier to carve.

Coat the lamb with a dry rub of a mix of the following ground spices:
3 tsp Cumin
3 tsp Coriander
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon

Roast the lamb slowly & when done, carve thinly.
Let the guests fill their mini-pittas with the lamb & shredded salad (crispy leaves, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, etc.
Maybe have a couple of bowls of natural yogurt (plain or with mint, garlic, fresh coriander, etc) & a hot or spicy sauce for those with more adventurous tastes.

This sounds great, thanks a lot.

We are moving towards a Moroccan themed party and any other suggestions are welcome.