Scrub the Irish stew. Who needs beef and guinness stew? We're having fish pie for the diplomatic piss-up, sorry, reception.
The problem with stew is that, although it is a one-pot meal, and theoretically it should be relatively easy to eat it with a single implement (essential if there isn't enough room for your guests to sit down!), the gravy is just too runny. It also has the disadvantage for a smart dinner that the meat tends to stick in your teeth.
So fish pie it will be. This has the added advantage that I've cooked it before so that we don't have to have several trial runs. Instead I can concentrate on the rhubarb tart.
This afternoon the idea of rhubarb jellies seemed very seductive - little shimmering jewels of tart pink jelly would be a wonderfully light ending to an otherwise rather heavy meal - but the idea of guessing how many people would turn up and investing in glasses for it is too daunting.
The current menu is as follows:
Oysters, cocktail sausages, smoked and fresh salmon rillettes on cucumber and cherry tomatoes stuffed with herbed cream cheese.
Fish pie; leek and pumpkin gratin; apple, beetroot, celery and walnut salad; tabouleh; carrot and feta salad
Rhubarb tart; possibly apple tart as well?
Coffee and home made chocolate fudge.
STOP PRESS! It has just occurred to me that the jellies might not need to be served in glasses - instead I could make them in little metal moulds (I already own at least 12 of these) and turn them out onto dessert plates. Then we could decorate them with a green herb, some icing sugar and thick cream. What herb would taste nice with rhubarb?
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3 comments:
This all sounds incredible, though it brings back shuddering memories of the two old ladies standing behind us in the Avoca Cafe, repeatedly muttering 'Fiishshs Pieieieie' to eachother til I was put off my lunch!
Jellies in ice cube trays, not a bother. Or even in those disposable plastic ones if you're desperate. And you could serve them in strips, like condoms! ... Though I think you'd have to put vodka in 'em then...
Ice cube trays would leave me with very small jellies, and I don't think it would be easy to make them look perfect. We're concerned about presentation almost as much as flavour here, remember!
I had thought of trying to do something kitsch with children's party bowls, but if the hostess didn't want the servers wearing leprachaun hats, she probably doesn't want kitsch at all.
This doesn't solve your problem about the glasses but what about doing Knickerbocker Glories with the rhubarb and the jelly? You could poach chunks of rhubarb and maybe do strawberry jelly or another flavour. Layer it in champagne flutes with a little bit of whipping cream (maybe with a hint of whiskey?).
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