Monday, May 05, 2008

Dinner party debrief

I mentioned the dinner party I had on Saturday night - it was the first formal dinner party I've had in ages and so I thought I'd post the menu and my thoughts on its execution.

  • Avocado soup (served cold topped with caviar) - Semillon Champagne
  • Tartare of ocean trout with sushi rice, avocado and grapes - Chilled Sake
  • Grilled breast of duck with apple and ginger dipping sauce (served with steamed veg) - A couple of shirazes
  • Citrus syrup cake with double cream - A couple of dessert wines
The first 3 are Tetsuya's recipes. I was a little concerned that we may need to order pizza since I had never tried a recipe from that book, and it is a little short on details (but definitely not on ingredients). Thankfully my guesses mostly worked and everything was edible at least (well almost).

I liked the avocado soup, but I wouldn't take Tets' recommendation to increase the quantity from a cup to a bowl to make a real entree. Way too rich. Nearly everyone liked it, which is not too bad considering it was so intense.

The tartare was awesome. I am so making that again, despite having to peel 30 grapes - it has to be said that was not the high point of the cooking experience. I definitely don't want to work in Tets' kitchen....

The duck was good, but I botched the thing in many ways. There wasn't enough (despite quadrupling the serves in the recipe), I overcooked the duck, I forgot the two garnishes (leeks for the duck and black sesame seeds for the dipping sauce) and the dipping sauce should have been made a few more days in advance (rather than just over 24hrs in advance). I would also do different veg next time. I will do it again though, until I get it right damnit!

The cake was good - fairly tart, and I just served heaps of it to make up for the lack of duck. It also went well with the stickies. I have only just started doing desserts other than cheese (due to hubby's gout), and they definitely make a good support for a sticky.

So it has increased my confidence to try some other recipes from the book, although maybe only one or two new ones at a time from now on. We have another dinner party next weekend, so I had better start planning...
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4 comments:

  1. mimbles6 May 2008 at 15:08

    You're intimidatingly adventurous with your cooking, you know this don't you? :D Also, I want that cake recipe! I'm not usually a cake person but I REALLY liked that one. Not asking for the tartare recipe, divine though it was, I don't see myself as a grape peeling type ;-)

    Thank you for a lovely meal and very pleasant evening all round. Sorry to hear Elissa wasn't well, take it the croup stayed away?

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  2. Kris8 May 2008 at 07:02

    That's a serious kind a of a dinner party - peeled grapes!; duck! Very impressive. We stick to afternoon teas for social event now, to avoid meltdowns that something so ambitious would surely bring on to us.

    Well done

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  3. Unknown8 May 2008 at 23:06

    That is some fancy cooking!

    My dinner party menu is pretty well limited to roasted chicken!

    -radical mama

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  4. Ariane9 May 2008 at 10:09

    Cooking is my sole creative outlet. I have black thumbs in the garden, I can't make anything to save my life, don't have a musical bone in my body... you get the idea. Cooking is it, hence the enthusiasm. Although I'm drawing a blank on inspiration for tomorrow night. Just can't settle on a theme I like...

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