Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Dinner Party

 
OK folks, I need some help. We're planning a dinner party - my parents are coming for their first proper visit. They were here to help with the move a couple of months ago so they've seen the place in a mess, but this will be their first time seeing it now it's in order. They will be our guests for the first time.
The menu: I thought I'd make a little sushi to start (obviously), but after that we're a bit stuck. My girlfriend and I are both confident cooks, but it's a question of what to make. We're thinking maybe a warm duck salad with a port and orange dressing, and perhaps a fish course too. But what comes first, the duck salad or the fish? Or maybe that would be a disatrous combination.
We could just knock up a juicy roast, but that's what my parents have been feeding me all my life. It would be fun to try something different.
So I need to know - sushi, then duck salad followed by fish, or fish followed by duck salad? Or neither? There'll be something delicious for dessert, too. Not that I've worked out what yet...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just how many courses are you planning on here? If you're having sushi to start with then I'd follow with duck and treat the fish as the main course - that way you don't put fish and fish together. What sort of fish and how are you going to do it? I think I'd poach or ovenbake my fish - grilling or frying would be too much after the richness of the duck. Poaching in a court bouillon is a good one actually - nice and easy but seems to impress everytime. You need a fairly firm, meaty fish that will hold its shape - something like salmon or halibut if you're really splashing out. After that lot I'd go for something simple and palatecleansing for desert - a homemade lemon/lime sorbet? I once had an amazing desert in a Michelin-starred restaurant of carpaccio of pineapple (sliced as thinly as possible all the way through the fruit with a cheese wire), a scoop of coconut ice cream on the top, with a bit of white rum over it and toasted sichouan (sp?) peppers. Dead elegant, easy to prepare in advance and assemble at the last minute and perfect at the end of a long and rich meal.

Joe said...

Wow! Thank you for that. Sounds like I'll have to come round to yours for dinner some time.
Anyway, it looks like we've abandoned duck AND fish. We've settled on a delicious sounding lamb thing, which my girlfriend is going to cook. It contains aubergines, so that's all I need to know to be happy.
I'll be looking after the sushi (of course) and for dessert I'll knock up one of my trademark chocolate-brownie-whisky-cakes.
I'll let you know how it all turns out...

Anonymous said...

I want some too - how come I've never been able to taste the trademark whiskey-brownie-choclate confection? And the lamb sounds good - is it a north African dish?
Oh it's Katy btw - cos I'm sick of posting anonymously...
Pinches for you both xx