If you are thinking of hosting a dinner party, think of this event as a piece of theatre. Your food will be the star, so you will want to whip up something fantastic, but you have to set the scene backstage.
Preparing your home for your party
Once you’ve decided to host a party and the invitations have been despatched, you can begin the tasks of cleaning and shopping. Make sure that you have enough clean crockery and cutlery, as well as fresh flowers. You can then read your recipes in order to gather in the necessary ingredients. A successful dinner party needs careful planning.
Stylish main course
A dish that is delicious and suitably grand is Beef Wellington. You can cheat and buy ready-made pastry– flaky or puff are best.
Make sure that you get 1 kg of beef fillet and brush with olive oil before roasting in the oven. Once it’s cooked, place the beef in the fridge for 20 minutes. Chop some mushrooms and then fry with thyme until soft.
Coat your chopping board with cling film, and place prosciutto covered with the mushroom mixture on the film. Wrap the beef with this. Roll out the puff pastry and place the beef in the centre and fold the pastry around the beef. Glaze the whole with egg wash and cook for 30 minutes in a medium oven.
Stunning pudding
Everyone is familiar with Tiramisu, and if made with suitably luxurious ingredients this will complement any dinner party. Add coffee powder with Baileys and dip savoiardi biscuits to the mixture. Line a dish with the boozy soaked biscuits. Whisk the yolks of two eggs with 75 grams of caster sugar and more Baileys and 500 grams of mascarpone cheese. Finally beat an egg white until stiff and add this to the mix. You can now build your Tiramisu layer by layer. Once completed, place the dessert in the fridge and chill for the perfect pud.
Wines for your party
Keep in mind that quality beats quantity every time. Most wine and food magazines carry many affordable suggestions. To start your evening, a bubbly Cava may be a better option than cheap champagne. Also, remember to offer water and non-alcoholic drinks to your guests.