Dinner Party Menu Suggestions?

[Platypus]

Starters: -
A tomato and moz salad can be prepared wel in advance (buy a nice pesto sauce to dribble over before serving, or maybe quickly dry fry a few pine buts or something).
Or make a nice soup which can be cooked earlier and just reheated before serving.

Mains: -

The key here is to get something which takes a couple of hours to cook. That way you can stick it in before your guests arrive, the smell wil drive them insane, and will be ready for serving whenever you are.
Like a slow roast rack of lamb, or joint of meat?
Veg wise - you could chop up a load of veg in advance (cauliflower, brocoli, thinkly cut carrots, onions, peppers, mange tout etc) and quickly stir fry it all in a big pan with oil and some spicey sauce (I like nando's perio peri garlic at the minute, and also any kind of Insanity sauce (just a tiny tiny bit though). The hot spicey taste gives the veg a really different feel, and you can stick the whole big pan in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves.

For potatoes - make potato gratin? (Thinkly cut slices with cream and milk) and stick that in the over to cook for an hour too.

Everythign wil be ready at the same time if you time it right, and the only thing you have to do it stir fry the veg quickly.

Desert: -
A premade chocolate mouse, which has set overnight in the fridge?

Er, this is spooky! Are you a mind reader, or my GF in disguise??

Lamb for main with potato dauphinoise (which is what you describe) was high on my list of possibles, as was the mousse.

Thank you for the other suggestions

[Charles Foster Kane]

3 courses, nothing too elaborate. I'm no Gordon Ramsay!

Dishes which don't rely on precise timings, i.e. no need to spend all evening in the kitchen rather than quaffing fine wines with esteemed guests!

Any suggestions?

I'm curious as to why you would invite people to a home-cooked meal, when you have no idea what to cook.

I would order a good Thai meal.

[Moscow Mule]

Start - Portobello Rarebit (big mushrooms stuffed with a mixture of grated cheese/mustard/egg - in the oven for 10 mins)

Main - Roast fillet of Aberdeen Angus, roll in peppercorn shells before leaving to roast on a rack on the oven ( a kilo of fillet should be enough for 8).
Roasted veggies - chop, put in roaster, drizzle with oil and liberally spread herbs of choice.
Roast tatties or gratin as SA suggested.

Pud - Chocolate Bread and butter pudding (recipes all over the internet).

All of the above have the advantage of being pre-prepared and no hob work is required, just the mastery of a watch and an oven plan.

[Platypus]

I'm curious as to why you would invite people to a home-cooked meal, when you have no idea what to cook.

I would order a good Thai meal.

I do have some ideas, but thought I'd ask the panel for suggestions, so there!

[Lockhouse]

Dessert - The Lockhouse Tiramisu

Home made Tiramisu made with proper Amaretti buscuits and lots of alcohol. Make the night before or first thing in the morning so just whip out of the fridge when ready; Knocks spots off anything bought or had in a restaurant. Takes 5 mins to make.

Dip Amaretti biscuits in pure brandy/coffee/kalua/whatever then line glass bowl with them and add further 1/4 cup of alcohol/coffee mix on top. Cover with 250g-500g of marscapone mixed with 2 egg yolks and vanilla essence. Sprinkle with chocolate. Put in fridge overnight. Never failed me yet.

[Charles Foster Kane]

I do have some ideas, but thought I'd ask the panel for suggestions, so there!

Maybe you should share your ideas, so we don't waste our time.

[Sockpuppet]

Fook that. The best parties are 70's style ones.

Take one large glass bowl stir in 3 to 4 car keys and serve.

[wobbegong]

Packet soup.

Frozen Pizza in the oven.

Choc ice.


Can't get easier than that!

Who can be bothered having to put the kettle on and the oven?

A takeaway is much easier (and doesn't fill your gaff with cooking odours).

[daviejones]

Chicken Jalfrezi
Keema naan
Pilau Rice

Ice Cream & cold beer.


HTH

[ctdctd]

A takeaway is much easier (and doesn't fill your gaff with cooking odours).

but fills your gaff with takeaway pong - horrible the next morning