Party Catering

I was recently asked to make potato salad and coleslaw for a party of 40. So as not to end up with the same old stuff I searched around for inspiration, and found it in herbs and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The following recipes are scaled down to serve 10-12 people.

Potato Salad

Adding dill to potato salad lifts it out of the ordinary, and be sure to use red-skinned potatoes.

5 lb red-skinned potatoes
1 red onion
handful of fresh dill sprigs, chopped
handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 tbsp Hellman's (for nothing less will do) mayonnaise
4 tbsp soured cream
4 tbsp 
1 tsp grated horseradish (or horseradish sauce)
salt & pepper
lemon juice

Wash the potatoes. Add them to boiling, salted water and cook for around 12 minutes or until they don't resist the knife when pierced. Meanwhile slice the onion and make up the dressing by mixing the Hellmann's, soured cream and seasonings (keeping aside a handful of dill and parsley to garnish the dish). Drain the potatoes, and immediately they are cool enough to handle remove the skins, cut into bite-sized slices and fold into the dressing with the onion. (While still warm the potatoes will absorb the flavor better.) Adjust seasoning, adding a few squeezes of lemon juice, and garnish with the remaining handful of herbs.

Asian-Inspired Coleslaw

1 medium white cabbage
4 large carrots
1 sweet onion
handful of fresh chives or spring onion
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup lightly salted peanuts
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
juice of 2 limes
black pepper
chili flakes

Put the sliced onion into a large bowl. Grate the carrot coarsely and add to the bowl. Grate the ginger finely and add. Remove any blemished or dry outer leaves from the cabbage, then quarter it, cut away the core and shred the leaves as finely as possible. Combine with the onion and carrot.

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together, making sure the honey is dissolved. Add chili according to taste. Add cilantro, leaving a handful aside for garnish.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Leave for at least 30 minutes to soften and absorb flavors.

Grind peanuts coarsely - a pestle and mortar are the best tools for this job - and fold into the salad. Garnish with remaining coriander (try including the green part of the spring onion or the chives too) and serve.

Hallowe'en Frighteners

Take a look at my special events recipes site for some Hallowe'en ideas, if you dare...

Jesse Grant Hester's Special Events Site

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon is in good shape and plentiful in early summer so with your melon baller in hand try making this wonderfully refreshing salad. Serve it chilled as an appetizer.

Ingredients for 4 people

Half a medium water melon (to yield 3-4 cups of melon balls)

A handful each of freshly picked and chopped mint and parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of half a lime and half a lemon

1/4 tsp cumin seed, freshly ground

Salt, pepper, chili flakes, sugar to taste

Scoop the flesh of the watermelon into balls with a melon baller. (It is worthwhile doing this - rather than simply chopping - for the texture and sensation in the mouth.)

Make up a dressing with the oil, citrus juice, cumin and seasoning. Be cautious with the sugar - a pinch may be enough, depending on how sweet and ripe your watermelon is.Toss the watermelon balls and the fresh herbs in the dressing, then chill for at least an hour.

The addition of crumbled feta will make this a more substantial salad.

Grilled Vegetables

This is the time of year for grilling and for getting fit. Invest in a vegetable basket, such as the Weber Style, and do both at the same time with vegetables on the grill. Here are some suggestions for a meal for four people, or a side for several more. Feel free to vary and invent!

The mixture pictured includes baby tomatoes,
asparagus and zucchini in bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 small red onion
1 small head broccoli
1 cup small brown mushrooms

Marinade

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
chili flakes, salt & pepper to taste

Slice the onion. Slice the eggplant thinly (this is important for absorbing the marinade and because it takes longer to cook) and cut into small wedges. Cut the peppers and broccoli into bite-sized chunks. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and halve them.

Press the garlic clove and mix it in with the vinegar, oil, herbs and seasoning. Add the vegetables and marinate them for a couple of hours.

Heat the grill to 500 degrees. Place the vegetables in the basket on the grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure they are not burning, but do just begin to caramelize.

Red Onion Marmalade

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 large red onions, finely sliced
1 tsp dill seed
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add the onion and dill seed, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the brown sugar, chili sauce and  a couple of tbsp cold water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, then add 125ml red wine and 75ml balsamic vinegar.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until syrupy. Serve with Glamorgan Sausages.

Glamorgan Sausages

Here's another recipe handed down from my Welsh ancestors. In the Welsh language these are: Selsig Morgannwg. These simple sausages don't sound like much but they taste surprisingly good, and they will delight your vegetarian guests.

Ingredients - Serves 4 (12 sausages)

6oz fresh white breadcrumbs
4oz cheese (Caerphilly is authentic, but a mixture of Cheddar and goat’s cheese, such as feta, works well)
1 small onion or white part of one leek
handful of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp mustard
salt and black pepper
groundnut oil for frying

Grate the cheese. Chop the onion or leek very finely. Mix with the herbs, fresh breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Beat together 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, add mustard and use enough of this to bind the mixture. Divide into 12 and roll into sausage shapes.

Dip each sausage into egg white plus any remaining beaten egg mixture, then into well-seasoned flour. Chill for at least 20 minutes, then dip into egg again and coat with dried breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with Red Onion Marmalade.

Tapenade

This is a killer dip or spread, bringing the flavor and sophistication of the Mediterranean to your table. Use the serving suggestions from my Three Dips post. It also has a wonderful affinity for eggs: mash up with boiled egg for a sandwich filling, or spread on toast then top with fried or scrambled eggs.

Note that it is very rich, and quite salty, so do not be tempted to add more!

Ingredients for one bowl

8 oz Kalamata olives, stones removed
2 anchovies (rinse to remove excess salt rinsed off)
1/2 cup capers, drained
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled
pulp/juice of half a lemon
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
a small handful of fresh herbs - a mixture of parsley, basil and oregano works well

Place all the ingredients in a food processor such as the Vegemix, and blend until well mixed but still with little chunks for texture. Adjust seasoning with black pepper, chili pepper and/or lemon juice as needed. This keeps well for a week in a covered jar.