Dinner For Eight?

Louisa_Jane_2

Next Saturday, our village has a Roving Supper - you go around to peoples houses and have a different course at each house. I have got to provide a main course for 8 people between 8.45 and 10pm. We meet at first persons house at 7 for aperitifs, then starters at next between 8-8.45, so I wont have much time to prepare immediately before main course. I thought of stew and baked potatoes - that will keep, but it's a bit boring! Can anyone think of something original that I can prepare in the afternoon, or that will keep on the simmer for a couple of hours?

count_rostov

What about a poached fish like sea trout or sea bass, served cool with a potato salad, green salad and a tomato salad?

wyebird

Slow roasted lamb with cous cous, pitta bread and Greek salad?

Louisa_Jane_2

Thanks, they sound lovely - I'm off to google some recipes! It's really difficult as I wont be around to do veggies etc, so it's got to be something cold or something that stay in oven without worrying about it.

floss2

It's a Safari Supper......we had a safari christmas one year - was great fun

mrbadexample

:think: Dinner for eight....you probably need to start at about 6pm.

Louisa_Jane_2

I did think about just calling Dominoes Pizza to deliver at 8.45!

lil_me

Morocaan lamb could be cooking while you are out, nice dish with couscous etc. Even a chilli with rice and tortilla chips for scouping, best cooked for longer for flavours. Bolognese or a lasagne you could reheat. If you have a slow cooker you can leave it cooking all day or you could do it in a pyrex with a lid in the oven (just make sure it's not going to go dry!) starting it when you leave on low. That way the main part can cook while you're out, boil the kettle and throw into a pan with rice/cous cous/pasta or whatever when you get back.

Wondering what the starter is, as you don't want a clash of foods.

sallyrsm

I'd do some nice big chicken thighs in the oven with sprinkled over paprika and a little salt and pepper, potato wedges, mini corn cobs, mixed salad... Maybe a rice salad with peas and sweetcorn (although you've already got sweetcorn)
You can cook chicken at a really low temp (Heston Blumenthal did a roast chicken at 60 degrees for hours and then just crisped up the skin... )

mymatebob

I would second the fish idea.
You could poach a salmon and serve it with potato salad and other salad type things

Make it in the afternoon, can all be ready before 5 - leaves you time to go and pamper yourself before you go out

Claero

I used to have a student cookbook which I lent to someone and haven't seen since. In it had a section all about feeding the masses and the one recipe that always sticks in my head is a jambalaya. This recipe was a semi-spicy dish that cooked for a while with rice, peppers, chicken, ham, pepperoni, onions and a few other bits and pieces, to serve with some bread.