Do away with paper plates and plastic cups: add a sophisticated twist to your outdoor party this summer.
Hosting a dinner party can be hard work as it is, but when you introduce the complexities that come with entertaining outside, you want to make your menu as stress-free as possible. We enlisted the help of personal chef Rob Scott from Brown Goose to give us his top tips on how to host without the heat of the kitchen.
Entertaining with ease…
“Even as an experienced chef it’s easy to get carried away when hosting any kind of dinner party. Keeping dishes simple yet flavoursome is the key to being able to relax and enjoy being a host. It’s all about doing as much the day before as you can.”
MENU PLANNING
“Flavour and colour are the key when hosting such an event at home. Stick to a simple meat or fish with one potato dish and two vegetable dishes. Any more and you will find yourself more engrossed in food than in the company. Using a BBQ allows you to add another an extra dimension to meat, fish and vegetables.”
UPPING THE STEAKS
“Steaks are great to cook on the BBQ. They require the least amount of effort to cook as well. They are also extremely versatile in terms of what they can be served with, whether that be a luscious salad or hot accompaniments.”
STRESS-FREE SIDES
“The day before your dinner party, boil some new potatoes. When they are cold, slice and toss them in a little olive oil with thyme, rosemary and garlic. Leave overnight then grill on the BBQ alongside the steaks.
Chargrilled vegetables are also a beautiful side to to barbecued steak, gently tossed in a simple herb vinaigrette. Use baby peppers, asparagus and red onions for a variety of colours and textures.”
SOMETHING SWEET
“Choose a dessert that can be made in ramekins or glass bowls. You want something that can be pulled straight from the fridge. Desserts like a lemon posset or chocolate mousse can be served with poached raspberries and homemade shortbread biscuits to add an extra flourish.
Poach the raspberries the night before in a light sugar syrup with star anise, cinnamon and tarragon stalks. Homemade shortbread biscuits can also be baked the day before and stored in an airtight container. All the components just need to be simply put together on a plate when ready to serve.”