My Labor Day Weekend spent Laboring...
Saturday was my first independent catering job, for a good friends' aunt. I had a fantastic time! There were a few small missteps but overall, it went smoothly. The food was a hit and I spent the evening with some great friends.
The Menu:
Shrimp & Grits Station: Shrimp sauteed to order with a White wine/Shallot Cream sauce served over Grits with toppings (Bacon, Kielbasa, Green Onion, Aged Cheddar)
Sauteed Crab Cakes with Tarragon and Lemon served with Shallot & Tarragon Tartar
Thai-marinated Chicken Satays with Coconut-Chile Peanut Sauce
Summer Squash Casserole with Crispy Panko Topping
Asian Pulled Pork served with Jicama Slaw, Soft Rolls and Homemade Pickles
Bruschetta Trio: Caprese; Pesto, Mushroom and Ricotta; Homemade Pimento Cheese
Misses:
The Jicama slaw did not turn out that well. I thought I could just substitute Jicama for cabbage and use my normal slaw dressing. However, Jicama is much more starchy and slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. The texture was also more like potatoes so the cut I used didn't hold up well when mixed. When this was placed on the sandwich, it worked well. But most people ate it on the side, or I should say didn't eat it at all because there was a lot left. The boyfriend was somewhat dismayed that I would make something for a catered event without consulting a recipe. In my defense, I didn't consult a recipe for anything else either, many of which I had never made, and those turned out great.
A super annoying mistake was made on my part as well. I bought the wrong kind of grits. I thought I had bought stone ground, which take about 40 minutes to cook and stay smooth. Somehow, I bought instant grits which take about 5 minutes and get all clumpy and thick. Yes, I had lumpy grits. I am clearly not fit to be called a good southern cook. Please hold your jeers for later.
The only other miss was the chicken satays, my marinade needed to be much stronger. I used lime juice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and lemongrass. I needed more soy and more lime. The suggestion was also made to me to marinate the chicken alone in lime juice for thirty minutes. This is the method used in making the Indian dish, Chicken Makhani, but with lemon juice. The acid helps the chicken to later absorb the flavors better. I should also have added coconut milk or even just oil to make the flavors more well rounded.
Hits:
The bruschetta was the most popular item (or items) by far. Mainly because you could pick them up and eat them by hand and also, mainly because they were delicious. The caprese version consisted of the classics: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. A form of caprese salad is popular at any function. It always tastes clean and fresh, not heavy. The pimento cheese version of bruschetta is enjoyed by all, as a familiar and super-cheesy bite. I never liked pimento cheese until I made it myself. I roast my own red peppers and use an aged white English Cheddar. These two steps make all the difference. The third version is the one I am most proud of: Herb Pesto (in this case, thyme and sage), Sauteed Cremini Mushrooms, Ricotta and Toasted Pine Nuts. This is a fantastic combination of flavors.
The Asian barbecue was eaten up quickly as expected. The barbecue sauce was homemade with roasted red peppers, ginger, garlic and hoisin. Squash casserole was also devoured. What's not to like about squash casserole? And of course, the crab cakes. I don't really like making crab cakes for functions because they are never as good on a buffet. The coating doesn't stay crispy which I think is an integral part of a perfect crab cake. But people love to have crab cakes at their wedding for some reason, so crab cakes it was. And of course the guests ate them up, they were super tasty served with the best tartar sauce recipe I have ever found. Not as good as freshly seared, but you can't really go wrong with something that consists 95% of crab meat.
And finally the shrimp! The cream sauce for the shrimp was PERFECT! Super flavorful, with a nice white wine flavor, it thickened perfectly and clung to the shrimp without tasting overly heavy. The fresh shrimp flavor was able to shine through. Here, I have to give a big THANK YOU to my shrimp de-header, peeler and de-veiner. All 6 hours of your time was greatly appreciated. Since I loved this sauce so much, I thought I should share it with everyone. It goes great with the shrimp, just saute your shrimp in butter until almost fully cooked. Then add a spoonful of the sauce per person and heat through, coating the shrimp. It is also fantastic with pasta. For dinner, I sauteed mushrooms and tossed them with farfalle pasta and this sauce. Excellent.
White Wine and Shallot Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely minced
1 cup white wine
3 Tbl unsalted butter
4 Tbl flour
1 qt heavy cream
freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Method:
1. Add the shallots and white wine to a wide saucepan. Cook on med-low until the white wine is evaporated. Remove shallots from the pan and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, melt the butter on medium. Stir in the flour and cook until it smells slightly nutty. You do not want to brown the flour.
3. Add the heavy cream and cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Once thick, season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Once cool, add the shallots back to the sauce along with the chopped parsley.
You can make this ahead of time and keep in your fridge. It will be good for 3 or so days.
ENJOY!
Saturday was my first independent catering job, for a good friends' aunt. I had a fantastic time! There were a few small missteps but overall, it went smoothly. The food was a hit and I spent the evening with some great friends.
The Menu:
Shrimp & Grits Station: Shrimp sauteed to order with a White wine/Shallot Cream sauce served over Grits with toppings (Bacon, Kielbasa, Green Onion, Aged Cheddar)
Sauteed Crab Cakes with Tarragon and Lemon served with Shallot & Tarragon Tartar
Thai-marinated Chicken Satays with Coconut-Chile Peanut Sauce
Summer Squash Casserole with Crispy Panko Topping
Asian Pulled Pork served with Jicama Slaw, Soft Rolls and Homemade Pickles
Bruschetta Trio: Caprese; Pesto, Mushroom and Ricotta; Homemade Pimento Cheese
Misses:
The Jicama slaw did not turn out that well. I thought I could just substitute Jicama for cabbage and use my normal slaw dressing. However, Jicama is much more starchy and slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. The texture was also more like potatoes so the cut I used didn't hold up well when mixed. When this was placed on the sandwich, it worked well. But most people ate it on the side, or I should say didn't eat it at all because there was a lot left. The boyfriend was somewhat dismayed that I would make something for a catered event without consulting a recipe. In my defense, I didn't consult a recipe for anything else either, many of which I had never made, and those turned out great.
A super annoying mistake was made on my part as well. I bought the wrong kind of grits. I thought I had bought stone ground, which take about 40 minutes to cook and stay smooth. Somehow, I bought instant grits which take about 5 minutes and get all clumpy and thick. Yes, I had lumpy grits. I am clearly not fit to be called a good southern cook. Please hold your jeers for later.
The only other miss was the chicken satays, my marinade needed to be much stronger. I used lime juice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and lemongrass. I needed more soy and more lime. The suggestion was also made to me to marinate the chicken alone in lime juice for thirty minutes. This is the method used in making the Indian dish, Chicken Makhani, but with lemon juice. The acid helps the chicken to later absorb the flavors better. I should also have added coconut milk or even just oil to make the flavors more well rounded.
Hits:
The bruschetta was the most popular item (or items) by far. Mainly because you could pick them up and eat them by hand and also, mainly because they were delicious. The caprese version consisted of the classics: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. A form of caprese salad is popular at any function. It always tastes clean and fresh, not heavy. The pimento cheese version of bruschetta is enjoyed by all, as a familiar and super-cheesy bite. I never liked pimento cheese until I made it myself. I roast my own red peppers and use an aged white English Cheddar. These two steps make all the difference. The third version is the one I am most proud of: Herb Pesto (in this case, thyme and sage), Sauteed Cremini Mushrooms, Ricotta and Toasted Pine Nuts. This is a fantastic combination of flavors.
The Asian barbecue was eaten up quickly as expected. The barbecue sauce was homemade with roasted red peppers, ginger, garlic and hoisin. Squash casserole was also devoured. What's not to like about squash casserole? And of course, the crab cakes. I don't really like making crab cakes for functions because they are never as good on a buffet. The coating doesn't stay crispy which I think is an integral part of a perfect crab cake. But people love to have crab cakes at their wedding for some reason, so crab cakes it was. And of course the guests ate them up, they were super tasty served with the best tartar sauce recipe I have ever found. Not as good as freshly seared, but you can't really go wrong with something that consists 95% of crab meat.
And finally the shrimp! The cream sauce for the shrimp was PERFECT! Super flavorful, with a nice white wine flavor, it thickened perfectly and clung to the shrimp without tasting overly heavy. The fresh shrimp flavor was able to shine through. Here, I have to give a big THANK YOU to my shrimp de-header, peeler and de-veiner. All 6 hours of your time was greatly appreciated. Since I loved this sauce so much, I thought I should share it with everyone. It goes great with the shrimp, just saute your shrimp in butter until almost fully cooked. Then add a spoonful of the sauce per person and heat through, coating the shrimp. It is also fantastic with pasta. For dinner, I sauteed mushrooms and tossed them with farfalle pasta and this sauce. Excellent.
White Wine and Shallot Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely minced
1 cup white wine
3 Tbl unsalted butter
4 Tbl flour
1 qt heavy cream
freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Method:
1. Add the shallots and white wine to a wide saucepan. Cook on med-low until the white wine is evaporated. Remove shallots from the pan and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, melt the butter on medium. Stir in the flour and cook until it smells slightly nutty. You do not want to brown the flour.
3. Add the heavy cream and cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Once thick, season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Once cool, add the shallots back to the sauce along with the chopped parsley.
You can make this ahead of time and keep in your fridge. It will be good for 3 or so days.
ENJOY!
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