If you love nothing more than rustling up a gastronomic feast in the kitchen, the chances are that you adore hosting the odd dinner party. Having your nearest and dearest over to critique your latest culinary creations is your idea of fun. However, hosting the perfect dinner party can be problematic. You aren’t just a chef, you are also the host. This means paying as much attention to your guests as you do to the food. If you are cooking a dish that requires constant attention, you need to ensure that your guests are kept occupied. Having diners sat at your table, twiddling their thumbs, and making their own entertainment is no one’s idea of a good time.
Hosting the perfect dinner party goes beyond the food. You need to consider the table settings, the atmosphere, the music, the seating plan, the lighting, and the hosting. Take a look at this ultimate guide to dinner party perfection to inspire your next foodie soiree.
Don’t Overstretch Yourself
Dinner parties can be stressful affairs for the host. It’s important that you don’t construct a menu that is too labor-intensive. Prep is okay, but having to be a slave to the oven when your guests are amusing themselves can make you panic. Instead, opt for dishes that require little input from you on the night. While one pot cooking may seem a little like cheating, you can create the most wonderful slow-cooked meals. Consider serving up a lamb shank and red wine jus main with dauphinoise potatoes and roasted carrots. All of this can be prepped beforehand and placed in the oven while you chat with your friends.
If you are keen to create a three-course extravaganza, go for a starter that requires very little cooking. A pear and Stilton salad can ooze sophistication and be a wonderful light starter. Or perhaps you fancy a 1970s retro prawn salad for your initial dish. A lighter starter means that you can play around with the star of the show – your main course. While a stew is great in the winter, why not consider a paella or fish dish in the summer? These require quicker cooking, meaning you have more time to spend with your guests.
For dessert, always opt for something simple and refreshing. Heavy steamed puddings result in bloated and uncomfortable guests. A refreshing fruit and champagne jelly simply requires you to remove the desserts from the fridge. A chocolate mousse is the same; all you need is a final flourish of icing sugar and a sprig of mint to garnish.
Problems
It is always a good idea to have a backup plan. You can’t account for your oven breaking down. Hopefully, you’ll be able to do the repair yourself because you have a handy spare part in your drawer of doom. If not, consider having a dish that requires no cooking up your sleeve. Salads are great as are hob cooked dishes. You can grill a steak and fry some chips for some retro 1980’s pub grub but with a touch more class.
Your problems might not end with your oven. You may find that your achingly chilled out playlist isn’t working through your Bluetooth speaker, your boiler might have broken, resulting in a lack of heating and hot water, and you might find that a couple of guests call at the last minute to cancel. Try not to panic and go with the flow. The more your stress, the less successful your evening will be. Remember, you are enjoying a gathering with pals – it is the company that is the most important, not the quest for perfection.
The Table
The vibe of your dinner party could be ultra-formal complete with bow ties and evening dresses, or you might prefer a more casual affair. If you have a dress code, state this on your invite. When it comes to the table plan, ensure that you try and keep your dinner party to a maximum of ten guests. Any more and you will need a huge kitchen to accommodate the amount of food you need to cook. And you may need to think about the seating plan in too much detail. With six to ten guests, you can manage your seating plan effectively. You may choose to lay place settings and sit people formally. Alternatively, you could ask people to sit where they please.
Dinner parties can be a whole lot of fun, especially if you are attending them. Hosting a soiree is a tad more complicated. However, follow this guide, and your gathering will go down in history as one of the best.
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