Your best recipes when you've VIP guests ( or just for yourselves ... )

[Nikita]

Here's one of my favourite, for starting this thread. Of course, it's sea food based ...

Haddock fillet in "Petite mer" sauce - Proudly invented and performed by Nikita


So, you'll need this ...

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And, if you're lucky enough, you'll get that ...

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[MaxxVolume]

Beauty !

A good seafood dinner is such a treat !

 

[Nikita]

Here's one especially designed for slackers ... Lol

Mackerel filets, simply grilled with a bit of mustard and chopped onions, served with a nice fresh Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie.

Quick made and also delicious with some fine slices of rye bread and a bit of Breton salted butter. The only important thing is to have very fresh mackerels, because this fish doesn't bear for a long time. Those came from the fishing port here, a privilege i have.

 

[mkane]

Haddock! A fish we don't see in my parts. Sure looks good

 

[RT Fan]

Looking good, looking good! Fish is the hardest thing to cook properly, especially on the grill. Chicken on the bone would be next. Steaks, chops etc are a breeze by comparison. Cooked up some swordfish on Sunday, olive oil, lemon juice & Chef Paul Prudhomme's "Seafood Magic". Served with roasted potatoes & sauteed green beans and a salad with toasted walnuts & gorgonzola cheese.

 

[trhee]

Usually 5~8 courses with at least one fish/seafood course, one poultry course and one red meat course. I like to throw in a pasta course and a composed salad course as well. Also usually start out with a charcuterie and cheese plate before the first course comes out. Lots and lots of wine as well as single malt scotch for a steak course.

For informal gatherings, I usually do family style and prime rib is pretty much standard for the pièce de résistance. It's easy and allows me to do other things while it's slowly roasting away.

 

[djwhy60]

My favorite to cook is braised short ribs with fried grit cakes. Just something about braising that makes things taste so good!

 

[Nikita]

@djwhy60 : Next time i cook a Boeuf Bourguignon, i'll post it here, you'll give me your opinion

 

[MaxxVolume]

My wife & I cooked New Year`s Eve dinner for my in-laws....we kept it simple, mixed-greens salad, prime rib, garlic mashed potatos, broccoli lightly sauteed in butter and olive oil, and for dessert, Mrs. Volume`s infamous "Devil Dog Cake"....

 

[Nikita]

 

[Kingshead]

As for difficulty cooking things on the grill, just go for it, I've even made bread on the grill. Haven't tried making a pie on it yet, but I see no issues doing so. I grill at least five days a week and I make the whole meal on it, veggies, taters, etc, we eat out at least one, so................

My family are the VIPs in my life so each and every meal gets the VIP treatment, I don't think I could pick which is the best.

So I will go with this, my lady makes the best meat loaf I've ever eaten, I don't have to make it, so it's MY favorite. Sorry, I don't have her recipe. If I ask her for it, then guess who makes it the next time, and yes it would be on the grill, LOL.

 

[jocko_nc]

i usually go rustic Italian like I learned as a kid eating at Noni's house. Not the fancy and expensive stuff, they were poor, but the real deal pasta. Sunday Gravy and meatballs. DIY pasta. Gnocchi. Good stuff you can hardly get eating out. Most guests have never seen it before.

 

[trhee]

Here are a couple of food shots from various dinners with friends.

Spicy Salmon & Masago Crostini

Roasted Asparagus w/ Poached Egg & Mustard Horseradish Sauce

Rack Of Lamb, Shrimp & Scallop Surf & Turf w/ Winter Squash Puree

Sushi Medley

Serving up some prime rib for a casual dinner with some friends.

 

[valvenator]

Dammitt, that's it! I'm moving to Korea!
Seriously trhee that all looks awesome!
I've gotta stop hangin' round here. I'm getting hungry.

 

[MaxxVolume]

Trhee,

What you`ve created is fine art combined with wonderful cuisine....my toque is off to you, Sir !

 

[Nikita]

Trhee,

I agree with MaxxVolume, this is just splendid.

 

[Nikita]

Another simple and quick made one. I like it on summer, having a glass of rosé wine on my balcony. Brochettes of pork sirloin with green peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes.
Just let it grill at your taste. Can work as a starter or main dish, served with by example some fries or a rice salad.

 

[MaxxVolume]

Kabobs are good eatin` ! (versatile, too)

 

[trhee]

Another thing I love to serve at home is raw shellfish, if for no other reason than, I love to eat them. In fact, I'd have no problems finishing the plate below by myself. Usually I'll buy a few dozen of each variety if I'm having a dinner only because I end up eating a bunch before the night is over. Typically, I end up making at least two of these platters, if not three depending on the number of friends I have over. It makes for a nice starter as well as a nice finisher to have after dinner when we start drinking.

Blue Point Oysters, Topneck Clams and Shrimp Cocktail. Served with a mignonette, cocktail sauce, sweet soy dressing and lemons.

 

[Nikita]

That really looks pretty nice, trhee, even if it's not really the way we usually serve raw shells here in my land, but this is also what is fascinating with cooking, revealing the different cultures of people all over the world.

Next time we'll have what we call here "grandes marées" ( litterally "big tides" ), when it's very favorable to go fishing that stuff, i hope i'll be able to show you some examples of what we do here, made by my hand.

Great stuff anyway, and thank you for posting.