I remember when I first started hosting dinner parties, I had a huge new respect for my mother. I was struggling to prepare a simple meat-starch-vegetable meal for four people and I couldn’t seem to get everything coordinated so all three elements would be ready at the same time. Meanwhile, my mom had (seemingly effortlessly) made dinner for our family of eight – not to mention dinner parties for much larger groups – day after day and never once did I hear her say, “Ooops – dinner’s going to be a bit late because something’s not ready yet.” It took me quite a few years of cooking to approach her level of ease in the kitchen. Along the way, I’ve accumulated a few tricks that really help me pull everything together in a cohesive way:
Make a schedule that includes tasks that can be done a few days ahead, the night before, and during the day before your dinner party. Include how much time it will take to prep and cook each dish and build in cleanup time as well. Being organized is truly half the battle!
Lots of dishes can be made hours, days and even weeks ahead so choose menu items that won’t mind the cold. Mashed potatoes freeze beautifully, for example. Most desserts, including cheesecake, pies, mousses and more, can similarly be made ahead and frozen.
Many meat dishes can be cooked to the halfway point then immediately refrigerated. Pop them back in a preheated oven or onto the barbeque to finish cooking for the remaining time and you’ll be freed up to prepare other elements while the main finishes. There are lots of make-ahead sides that can be similarly ‘suspended’. One of my favourite tricks is to blanch (par-cook) vegetables and reheat them in a little butter in a frying pan immediately prior to serving. No soggy, overcooked veggies in my house! Two more great examples of foods that can be suspended are pasta and risotto. Many restaurants partially cook their pastas then drain them. Just before serving, the par-cooked noodles are plunged into a pot of boiling water to complete the cooking process and rewarm them. Rice for risotto can be par cooked in a similar manner. Spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, then return to the pot and add more warmed stock to complete the cooking process.
You’ll enjoy that step a lot more and even if the food’s not ready when your guests arrive, they’ll feel welcomed and you’ll give the illusion of having everything under control. This step should include getting out all the serving dishes you’ll need, filling candleholders and vases and selecting the music you’ll play. These things take time but are much more pleasurable when done ahead of time.
Have wine open or a pitcher of cocktails prepared, as well as nibbles like nuts, fruit, cheese etc. set out for your guests to enjoy when they arrive, freeing you up to complete food preparations.
There’s a reason this is a must in commercial kitchens. It’s hard to work in a cluttered space and easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re faced with a mountain of prep dishes.
Not everything at the table has to be hot, even in the winter. A composed salad (components are artfully arranged on plates in advance, then drizzled with dressing but not tossed immediately prior to serving) can be an impressive, delicious appetizer. By diversifying your menu, you won’t be relying on one appliance (e.g., your oven) to do all the cooking.
Nicole MacPherson recommends buying a portable oven. “They’re about $35. And they do take up a little bit of room when you're not using it, but think of them as a giant, more efficient crockpot. I make turkeys in them and have full use of my ovens for other things. Or sometimes I will set side dishes in them to either stay warm or cook quickly. They heat up very, very fast compared to a conventional oven and cook things much more quickly (think 6-7 minutes per pound for turkey instead of 12+) but they also have a very good thermal range and can be set to 150-200F to keep things warm.”
Speaking of tools, this inexpensive yet essential gadget takes the guesswork out of trying to decide if the roast turkey is actually cooked or if Uncle Les’ steak is going to be extra-rare, the way he oddly likes it.
Remember that steaks, roasts, whole chickens, etc. need standing or resting time before you carve them. Remove them from the oven, stove or barbeque and tent loosely with foil. Let sit 10 – 15 minutes. Use this time to finish preparing your vegetables or have a glass of wine with your guests.
Festive Inclusion: Make Parties Fun for Special Needs Kids
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