Note: Half a year ago I posted an article about how to plan meals large and small called Le Plan de repas. The article generated many fine comments and a number of questions. It contained a description of how a hastily assembled meal for four was planned and executed. Based on a couple of the questions, I decided that it would be helpful to post a detailed plan and narrative for a more complicated event. Thus the following...

In the middle of January, I was asked to put together a party for a group of friends to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The intention was for the party to be held on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of February. If everyone on the invitation list came, there would be thirty-seven adults and seven children in attendance. From the beginning, I assumed that at least of a couple of the invitees would not be able to attend.

I immediately decided that based on the time of day—late afternoon—and the small size of the venue—my living room—that most of the guests would eat while standing. Consequently, the food would consist of small servings that could be eaten with fingers. Most of the food would be for adult tastes except for a couple of dishes more suitable for the children. Two-thirds of the dishes would be savory and the remainder would be sweet. The accompanying drinks would be limited to red and white wine, sparkling water, and coffee.

Upon consulting a local caterer about the typical consumption of finger food at parties, I learned that I should plan on each person eating six pieces per hour. In my planning, I assumed that the average adult would stay two hours and therefore eat 12 pieces. I assumed that the children would eat less and mainly consume the raw vegetables and the fruit.

As soon as I started to plan the menu, I decided that the cold dishes should be on the buffet table by the time the first guests arrived and that the hot dishes would be passed around the room as soon as they were available from the kitchen. From this I decided that it would be impractical to serve more than five or six different hot dishes during the party. One, I needed to do the final cooking and plating for each dish after the party had started, and, two, someone had to pass the plate around the room. Over the next week or so I put together the menu along with a plan as to how each dish would be served.

From the menu I could see that I would have sufficient platters and bowls to serve everything assuming that one large, round, white platter that was used early on could be washed and then reused for the chicken. I also had access to two standard-size rectangular chafers. I purchased some half-width disposable pans for these so I could put two preparations in each, one pair over ice water and one pair over hot water. In the end, the cold chafer was used for the raw vegetables as planned and the stuffed salmon, which wasn’t planned. Doing so freed up a platter for the chicken. During the party, after each hot dish was passed around, whatever remained to be served was transferred to the hot chafer for the guests to serve themselves.

It was obvious from the beginning that some items of service, namely small plates, demitasses, forks, wine glasses, water glasses, and a coffee urn, would need to be rented. This is very convenient since they don’t need to be washed before returning to the rental company. Ten days before the party, the rental was arranged with a local supplier. At about the same time, I arranged with a local university student to help with plating, serving, and clean-up. She would come a half hour before the party and stay until all the hot dishes were served.

Since my recipes are usually written for smaller proportions than would be required for the party, I transcribed each into a separate file with the proportions scaled up. I also indicated on the recipes steps, that could be completed ahead of time. (Clicking a recipe title above will pop-up a window with the scaled up recipe. To access the same recipes with standard-sized portions, search for the recipe by name in the site recipe index.)

Knowing the menu, I was able to prepare a work schedule for the party. The goal was to do as much as possible before the day of the party. The preliminary plan looked similar to the following:

Wednesday

• Finalize shopping list

Thursday

• Shop for Friday ingredients

Friday

petits pains au lait: prepare dough; proof; bake; store at room temperature

tuiles aux amandes: bake; store at room temperature

gâteau aux noix: bake cake; cool; unmold; chill overnight

truffes au chocolat: prepare ganache; form ganache into balls; chill overnight

pâté campagne: grind meat; season & mix; form in molds; chill overnight

Saturday

• Shop for remainder of ingredients

• Pick-up rental items, flowers, and paper goods

saucisse de Montbéliard: thaw sausage

petits pains au lait: thaw ham

ailes de poulet à la cannelle et à la citronnelle: thaw chicken wings

gambas au vinaigre d’estragon: thaw shrimp

dodines de saumon farcies: form salmon rolls; cook; chill overnight

pâté campagne: bake; chill overnight

gâteau aux noix: frost; chill overnight

truffes au chocolat: prepare couverture; coat balls with couverture & cocoa; chill overnight

tartare de tilapia au endive: prepare tartar; chill overnight

crudités au sauce paprika: cut vegetables; chill in water overnight; steam artichokes; chill

Sunday 10:00am

petits pains au lait: cut ham; assemble sandwiches; chill until serving

gâteau aux noix: cut; plate

dodines de saumon farcies: prepare sauce

pâté campagne: cut; assemble with cornichons; plate; chill until serving

crudités au sauce paprika: make dip

gougère au lard: cut & cook bacon; grate cheese; prepare dough

crème de gouda: grate cheese; prep other ingredients

saucisse de Montbéliard: prepare sauce

ailes de poulet à la cannelle et à la citronnelle: prep ingredients

gambas au vinaigre d’estragon: peel & devein shrimp; prep shallots & tomatoes

Sunday 2:00pm

crudités au sauce paprika: plate & serve

• Pick-up coffee

Sunday 2:30pm

gougère au lard: pipe dough; bake; hold in oven for serving; plate & serve

tartare de tilapia au endive: prepare endive; assemble; plate & serve

dodines de saumon farcies: cut; plate & serve

petits pains au lait: plate & serve

tuiles aux amandes: plate & serve

gâteau aux noix: plate & serve

truffes au chocolat: plate & serve

Sunday 3:00pm

crème de gouda: cook; plate & serve

Sunday 3:30pm

saucisse de Montbéliard: heat in water; drain; cut; grill; plate & serve

Sunday 4:00pm

ailes de poulet à la cannelle et à la citronnelle: cook; plate & serve

Sunday 4:30pm

gambas au vinaigre d’estragon: cook; plate & serve

On Monday, I had the final guest count—thirty-three adults and seven children—so I prepared the shopping list. In all, I would have to go to seven markets to complete my food purchases. My wife would make two trips to the rental company, a trip to purchase the paper goods, a trip to the florist, a trip to the coffee bar, and a last minute trip to a nearby market for some fruit.

In reality, since I had some spare time and the ingredients already on hand, I wound up baking the petits pains au lait on Monday and freezing them until the morning of the party. On Tuesday, I baked the two gâteaux aux noix. After they cooled, I wrapped them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated them until Saturday, when they were frosted.

The remaining Friday activities were completed on Thursday and many of Saturday’s were completed on Friday. The shopping was mostly completed on Thursday and just a couple of fruit items were purchased Sunday morning. Not shown on the shopping list is the wine, which was all purchased in advance, and the sparkling water, which was purchased at one of the stores while the other shopping was being done. The coffee was ordered from a local coffee bar and picked up just before the party. Paper goods were purchased at various times in advance of the party as part of other non-related trips.

On Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed a bit early, exercised, and ate my breakfast. At about nine-thirty, I started the day’s preparations. My wife completed the set-up in the main room, did some last minute shopping for fresh fruit, and helped with a couple of the preparations in the kitchen. Everything proceeded on schedule, without rushing, until about three. At this point, we were slightly behind in plating, but it all worked out fine since the first guests didn’t arrive until about three-twenty. Their late arrival did push the preparation of the hot dishes back a little since I didn’t want these to all be done before most of the guests had arrived. It turned out there was nothing to worry about since all but a few arrived in the next twenty minutes.

What became a bigger problem was that a couple of guests insisted on staying in the kitchen for the entire time I was cooking. So in addition to the guests that came to the kitchen to say hello, which I had expected, at any time I had two to six additional people in my small kitchen to work around. I was fairly successful at keeping these kibitzers out of my path and concentrating on whatever I was cooking or plating. I avoided participating in the conversation going on around me as much as I could. My assistant had a harder time since she needed to get them to move so she could get to the supplies and to the trash.

At about five-thirty, the last dish was cooked and passed, and I left the kitchen to join the guests. The last guests left a few minutes before seven. Clean-up started immediately. By nine-thirty, when the house looked like it normally looked and the car was packed with all the equipment to be returned to the rental company the next day, my wife and I sat down for a little nightcap. It was then I realized that I hadn’t sat since I started working twelve hours earlier.

By all accounts the party was a success, and within a few nights, the leftovers were all gone. It was about a week before my wife would stop talking about how much she liked her party.

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©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.
tartare de tilapia au endive
36 leaves
endive
2 tablespoons
capelin eggs
for tartar:
600 grams (11/3 pounds)
skinless tilapia fillets, very finely diced
3
spring onions, white portion with a little of the green, finely minced
zest from 11/2
lime, finely minced
11/2 tablespoons
lime juice
11/2 tablespoons
light Japanese soy sauce
2 teaspoons
grated fresh ginger
leaves from 18 sprigs
fresh coriander, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper
1.
Combine the fish with the onions, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, coriander, and black pepper. Refrigerate overnight.
2.
Spoon small mounds of the fish mixture onto chilled endive leaves. Spoon a small amount of capelin eggs on each fish mound. Arrange the leaves on a platter and serve.
dodines de saumon farcies
450 grams (1 pound)
tilapia fillet, cut into strips
6 large leaves
fresh basil
90 milliliters
heavy cream
fine salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 kilogram (21/3 pounds)
salmon fillet with skin
for sauce:
100 milliliters
heavy cream, beaten until stiff
4 tablespoons
mayonnaise, whisked until smooth
1
ripe avocado, forced through a sieve
1 tablespoon
lemon juice
fine salt
1.
Combine the tilapia strips with the basil leaves and put through a hand grinder fitted with a fine grinding plate. Add the cream and seasonings to the ground fish and beat with a rubber spatula until mixed and sticky. Set aside.
2.
Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Slice large, thin slices from about a third of the salmon fillet and arrange them in 15-cm wide by 23-cm long rectangle down the center of the plastic. The salmon slices should overlap and form an even thickness.
3.
Spoon one-third of the tilapia filling evenly down the center of the salmon. Lifting the plastic from one of the long edges, gently roll the salmon around the tilapia into a sausage shape. Tighten the plastic as much as possible without squeezing the salmon out the ends. Twist the ends of the plastic and secure with string. Wrap the salmon roll in another layer of plastic wrap and secure the ends with more string.
4.
Repeat the process twice for the remaining salmon.
5.
Bring a large pot of water to a strong simmer. Carefully place the salmon rolls into the water. Cover the salmon with a drop-lid. Maintain the water at a strong simmer. Cook until the internal temperature reaches between 40 and 45°C (130 and 140°F), about 20 minutes. Remove the salmon rolls and refrigerate until firm, about 12 hours.
6.
For the sauce: whisk the cream and mayonnaise together. Whisk in the pureed avocado and lemon juice. Season with salt.
7.
To serve: cut the salmon roll, through the plastic, into 2-cm thick slices. Discard the end pieces. Arrange the slices on a chilled serving plate and remove the plastic. Serve the sauce in a separate bowl.
pâté campagne
2 sheets
caul fat
2
fresh bay leaves
20
cornichons, cut in half lengthwise
forcemeat:
350 grams (3/4 pound)
coarsely ground veal
115 grams (1/4 pound)
coarsely ground ham
115 grams (3/4 pound)
finely ground pork fat
4
peeled, finely ground shallots
8 cloves
peeled, finely ground garlic
1 tablespoon
fresh minced thyme
4 grams
pink salt (6% sodium nitrite)
28 grams (about 4 teaspoons)
salt
6 grams (about 2 teaspoons)
freshly ground black pepper
1
egg, beaten
120 milliliters (1/2 cup)
dry white vermouth
1.
Mix forcemeat ingredients together.
2.
Line two 10 x 23-cm (1 liter) [2 x 9-in (1 quart)] loaf pans with caul fat. Fill with forcemeat and pack down to eliminate air pockets. Place a bay leaf on top of each. Close the caul, trimming off excess.
3.
Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
4.
Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
5.
Bake the pâtés in a bain-marie for about 13/4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 55°C (160°F).
6.
Remove pâtés from the oven and the bain-marie. Allow to cool to room temperature.
7.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8.
Unmold by placing loaf pan in warm water for a couple of minutes.
9.
Cut each loaf into 20 cubes. Place a cornichon on each cube and secure with a toothpick. Serve with mustard in a separate bowl with a small spreader.
petits pains au lait
350 to 400 milliliters (11/2 to 15/8 cups)
whole milk
1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
10 grams
active dry yeast
60 grams (4 tablespoons)
chilled butter, diced
700 grams (11/2 pounds)
all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon
fine salt
1 extra-large
egg, beaten
oil
additional milk
1.
Warm about 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) milk to between 40 and 43°C (105 and 110°F). Dissolve the sugar in the milk and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
2.
Cut the butter into the flour. Place the flour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture, egg, and most of the remaining milk to the flour. Mix the ingredients on low speed until everything is incorporated. Continue kneading for 5 minutes.
3.
Set the dough aside in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp towel, to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
4.
Punch the dough down and knead a bit by hand. Divide the dough into 50 gram portions, and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Divide each portion evenly into 2 elongated rolls with a small dowel. Arrange the divided pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow enough space for each roll to double in size. Set aside to rise for another hour.
5.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
6.
Just before baking, brush the rolls with a little milk. Bake the rolls until browned on top, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7.
Cool thoroughly on racks before using.
crudités au sauce paprika
1/2 bunch
celery, separated into branches, cut into 5-cm (2-in) long pieces
2
red bell peppers, cut into spears
5 medium
carrots, cut into 5-cm (2-in) long spears
12
green onions, cut into 5-cm (2-in) long brushes, soaked in ice water for 30 minutes
3 large
artichoke hearts, cooked, cut into 6 wedges each
225 grams (1/2 pound)
thin asparagus tips, blanched
sauce:
3 tablespoons
heavy cream
1 tablespoon
red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon
sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon
paprika powder
1 tablespoon
minced chives
1.
Whip the mayonnaise with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Set dressing aside in refrigerator until needed.
2.
Arrange the vegetables on a plate and serve with the sauce as a dip.
crème de gouda
3 tablespoons
cornstarch
1125 milliliters (43/4 cups)
chicken stock
1125 milliliters (43/4 cups)
heavy cream
675 grams (11/2 pounds)
Gouda, grated
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
fine salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
108 leaves
fresh chervil
1.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the stock, and combine in a small saucepan with the cream. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.
Add the cheese and stir to melt. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Strain the soup.
3.
Divide the soup between small cups. Top each with a 3 leaves of chervil.
gougère au lard
105 grams (4 ounces)
smoked bacon, cut into very fine strips
60 grams (2 ounces)
Comté, finely grated
pâte à choux:
180 milliliters (3/4 cup)
water
100 grams (31/2 ounces)
butter
3/4 teaspoon
fine salt
135 grams (43/4 ounces)
all-purpose flour
3 extra-large
eggs
1.
Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until it starts to color slightly. Drain very well on absorbent paper. Set aside.
2.
Pâte à choux: place the water, butter, and fine salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add all the flour at one time. Return the saucepan to low heat. Using a wooden spatula, beat until the dough pulls away from the edge of the saucepan and is homogenous. Remove the pan from the heat again and allow the dough to cool for 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time.
3.
Preheat an oven to 180°C (355°F).
4.
Combine the dough with the cooked bacon and place the combination in a pastry bag fitted with a 1-cm (0.4-in) plain tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe 36 walnut-size mounds, about 7 to 8 cm (3-in) apart. Sprinkle each mound with grated cheese.
5.
Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Turn off oven and let the puffs cool to lukewarm with the oven door open.
saucisse de Montbéliard
11/4 kilograms (23/4 pounds)
1.
Place the sausages in a saucepan filled with cold water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Set aside, covered for 10 minutes. Drain well.
2.
Cut the sausages into 2-cm (3/4-in) thick rounds. Heat a stainless steel frying pan over medium heat. Fry the sausage rounds until browned on each end.
3.
Pierce crosswise with a bamboo skewer and serve with mustard.
ailes de poulet à la cannelle et à la citronnelle
2 tablespoons
olive oil
36
chicken “drumettes”
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 fat stalks
lemongrass, peeled, cut into 5-cm (2-in) pieces
3 sticks (about 7-cm long [3-in])
cinnamon, broken into pieces
450 milliliters (2 cups)
chicken stock
11/2 tablespoons
lemon juice
3 tablespoons
butter
1.
Heat the olive oil in a high-sided frying pan over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in the oil. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2.
Add the lemongrass and cinnamon to the oil left in the frying pan. Cook briefly. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pan, lower heat, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3.
Remove the chicken from the frying pan and set aside. Keep warm. Strain the cooking liquids and return them to the frying pan. Discard the cooked lemongrass and cinnamon. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and reduce significantly.
4.
Off the heat, mix in the butter. Taste for salt. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat.
gambas au vinaigre d’estragon
34 (16-20 size)
shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
6 tablespoons
butter
4 small
shallots, minced
400 grams (1 pound)
tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
90 milliliters (6 tablespoons)
vermouth
2 dashes
red wine vinegar
4 sprigs
fresh tarragon, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Sweat the shallots until soft. Add tomatoes, lower heat, and cook until the released juices have evaporated. Add vermouth and red wine vinegar and reduce again.
2.
Mix in 2 tablespoons butter and the tarragon. Adjust seasonings. Set aside and keep warm.
3.
Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil and heat. Add shrimp and cook. Remove and drain on paper towels.
4.
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the sauce. Thread the shrimp onto individual bamboo skewers for service.
tuiles aux amandes
240 grams (81/2 ounces)
finely granulated sugar
45 grams (11/2 ounces)
all-purpose flour
75 grams (5 tablespoons)
butter, melted
6 extra-large
egg whites, beaten
375 grams (13 ounces)
blanched, sliced almonds
1.
Combine the sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the butter and egg whites. Combine with the almonds. Set aside in a refrigerator for at least an hour.
2.
Preheat an oven to 180°C (355°F).
3.
Using a dessert spoon, place spoonfuls of the dough on a baking sheet lined with a silicon-rubber pan liner. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread the dough into a thin layer. Bake for about 7 minutes.
4.
Immediately upon removal from the oven, place the cookies on a curved surface, such as a rolling pin, to cool.
gâteau aux noix
cake:
12 extra-large
eggs, separated
480 grams (17 ounces)
sugar
700 grams (11/2 pounds)
ground walnuts
4 tablespoons
dark rum
frosting:
160 grams (6 ounces)
dark chocolate
40 grams (3 tablespoons)
butter
200 grams (7 ounces)
extra-fine sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons
water
1.
For cake: preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Prepare two 20-cm square cake pan.
2.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar until light in color. Add ground walnuts and rum. Mix well.
3.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Combine one-third with walnut mixture to loosen. Fold remaining egg whites into walnut mixture. Divide between the cake pans and bake 45 minutes.
4.
Allow to cool fully. Unmold.
5.
For frosting: melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Add half of the sugar and mix. Add 3 tablespoons water and mix. When sugar is thoroughly incorporated, add remaining sugar and water. Stir until smooth.
6.
Pour over the top of the cakes and carefully spread to even.
7.
Set aside until chocolate hardens. Cut each cake into 25 pieces for serving.
truffes au chocolat
ganache:
200 grams (7 ounces)
chocolate (64% cocoa min.), finely chopped
50 grams (31/3 tablespoons)
chilled butter, diced
150 grams (5/8 cup)
heavy cream
coating:
100 grams (31/2 ounces)
chocolate (70% cocoa min.), finely chopped
cocoa powder
1.
Put the first chocolate and butter into a mixing bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk the cream into the chocolate and continue until the chocolate and butter are melted and thoroughly mixed. Set aside to cool in a refrigerator.
2.
When stiff but still fluid, pipe the ganache into 2-cm (3/4-in) mounds onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator overnight.
3.
Temper the second chocolate by melting it in a mixing bowl over simmering water until its temperature reaches between 38 and 40°C (100 and 104°F). Stir continuously, off the heat, until the temperature cools to 30°C (86°F).
4.
(The following step requires two persons.) Place about 500 grams (1 pound) of cocoa powder in a mound on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Wearing rubber gloves, one person dabs their fingers in the chocolate, gently coats each chilled ganache ball, and then drops it into the cocoa powder. The second person, also wearing gloves, covers the ball with cocoa powder, shakes off the excess, and places the truffle on a clean parchment-covered baking sheet.
5.
Chill the finished truffles in a refrigerator. Sift the chocolate solids from the cocoa powder and save the powder.
assiette des fruits
3 medium
apples, cored, cut into 8 wedges each
4
tangerines, peeled, separated into 6 sections each
12 large
strawberries, halved
1 bunch
grapes, separated into 20 small bunches
1.
Prepare the fruits as described above and arrange on a large plate.