by Mary Berry
CONTENTS
HOW TO USE THIS EBOOK
FOREWORD
THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
SERVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT
CHEATS AND SHORTCUTS
PLANNING THE OCCASION
PREPARING A FEAST
ON THE DAY
PARTY BITES
OUR BEST FIRST COURSES
MAIN COURSES: POULTRY AND GAME
MAIN COURSES: MEAT
MAIN COURSES: FISH
MAIN COURSES: VEGETARIAN AND VEGETABLE SIDES
OUR FAVOURITE PUDDINGS
TEA FOR A CROWD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IMPRINT
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HOW TO USE THIS EBOOK
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FOREWORD
We’ve worked together for 30 years and have written cookery books on a vast range of subjects. One of the many joys of publishing them is the feedback we get from you, our readers. We take your comments extremely seriously. And if there’s one request that’s kept on coming, it’s for a book to serve numbers – a party book, with recipes for anything from a family get-together in the kitchen to a full-on feast. It’s an area we feel well qualified to write on – in our personal lives as well as in our professional lives, there’s nothing we like so much as cooking for family, friends, and neighbours – no matter the number.
At the same time, we’re well aware of the worries that many of you have about cooking for more than six. “What can I make for so many people?” “How can I keep the food hot and will there be enough?” – these are the sorts of question we’re asked, and we hope we have answered them in this book.
In Mary Berry Cooks up a Feast we give you all the advice you need to make cooking for a crowd easy and stress free. There are recipes for summer and winter, for formal occasions and informal occasions, inside the home and out. We give timings for Agas as well as conventional ovens, together with prepare-ahead and freezing information.
We kick off with the basics – how to plan your feast and how to guarantee there’s enough for everyone to eat. We advise on ways to get the most from your kitchen and let you in on a few cheats and shortcuts to make life easier. We also give you ideas on setting the scene and on how to keep your cool on the day itself. Then it’s on to the recipes.
Whether you are cooking for the family or entertaining for a larger number, the recipes in this book are perfect for a range of different styles. There are party bites for a drinks party, impressive mains for a sit-down dinner party, and bowl food for a more casual feast. The choice is yours – and we have included all the tips you’ll need.
To take the effort out of estimating quantities, for the vast majority of recipes we give a list of ingredients to serve six and a list of ingredients to serve 12, with notes on any special equipment.
So here it is – the much-requested book to answer all your party needs and put your mind at rest when cooking for a crowd. We hope each and every one of you enjoys it and finds the inspiration and confidence you’re looking for as you plan your special day.
Remember – no feast is worth stressing over. Whatever happens, fun will be had by everyone – including you!
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THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
If you haven’t cooked for a crowd before, there’s a chance your kitchen might not be geared up for it. Help is at hand – in various guises. Here are our tips for assembling the equipment you’ll need for success.
Once you’ve fine-tuned your menu, check you have all the pots, pans, and dishes you’ll need. If you don’t have absolutely everything, don’t worry – there are often ways round it. In this book we’ve aimed to keep fancy equipment to a minimum and to use standard-sized pieces whenever possible. For cooking some dishes for larger numbers, you’ll need to invest in a big 11 litre (20 pint) pan. Buy a long-handled spatula, too.
CHOOSING DISHES
The majority of recipes for 12 in this book can be cooked in two standard dishes for six rather than in a single huge one. There’s even an advantage to doing this – smaller dishes are a lot less heavy to handle. If you don’t have a second dish, borrow one from a friend or buy a foil dish. The cooking times for two dishes should be the same as for one large dish, but keep an eye on the food towards the end of cooking – the important thing is that it’s cooked right through to the middle.
Foil dishes are not as sturdy as porcelain cookware, so always sit them on a baking sheet, particularly when you’re taking them in and out of the oven, and take care not to puncture them. Because they are made of metal, cooking times are slightly less. Again, check towards the end of cooking to see if the food is done.
IMPROVISING
Take a look around your kitchen to see if there are any pieces of equipment you can improvise with. A roasting tin, for example, can stand in as an ovenproof dish, and we find no end of uses for our preserving pan. To check the capacity of a dish, fill it with water from a measuring jug. Slightly too big is better than too small – for obvious reasons.
PERFECT TIMING
With so much going on in the kitchen when you’re cooking for a crowd, it’s worth putting your mind at rest by investing in a good digital kitchen timer. They are relatively inexpensive, extremely simple to use, and the best models can time up to four dishes at once.
FRIDGE KNOW-HOW
If you are preparing food in advance, your fridge will be working hard in the run-up to your feast. The average domestic fridge isn’t that big and when it’s full to capacity, it has to work overtime to cope. As a result, the temperature inside can rise, even if the weather outside isn’t that warm. A fridge that’s full to capacity doesn’t allow the cold air to circulate freely either, which can sometimes mean foods are inadequately chilled.
Check frequently that yours is working at the correct temperature – 4–5˚C (39–41˚F) – and adjust the controls to lower the temperature, if necessary. If your fridge doesn’t have a temperature display, invest in a fridge thermometer – it’s an inexpensive piece of equipment.
STORING AND WRAPPING
Be mindful of not using single-use plastics. Beeswax sheets are a great product to use instead of cling film for storing and keeping food. Use recyclable materials whenever possible and reuse as much as you can.
GLASSES
Provide all the right glasses for the drinks you have on offer – wine glasses (both red and white), beer glasses, and glasses for water or soft drinks – and make sure there are plenty of them. Some non-breakable glasses or plastic beakers are a good idea if there are going to be children present. You might want to supply an ice bucket and some recyclable paper straws, too. A corkscrew and a bottle opener are essential items, as is a container for corks and caps.
• Red wine can be swirled easily in a large-bowled glass to release aromas.
• White wine will keep cooler in a narrow glass with a stem to hold it by.
• Beer tastes better from a chalice glass, which also maintains the head.
• Soft drinks or water are best served in tall highball glasses.
“Keep an eye on food cooked in
one large dish towards the end of cooking – the important thing is that it’s cooked right through to the middle.”
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SERVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT
From experience, we know it’s better to serve too much food than not enough. That said, you don’t want so much left over that you do not know what to do with it. Here’s how to get the quantities right.
Almost every recipe in this book is designed to serve six or 12. These quantities depend to some extent, of course, on who your guests are. In general, though, we tend to err on the generous side. And to make doubly sure that there will be enough food, we always provide a plentiful supply of bread or potatoes, so that guests can tuck in and help themselves. How much food we serve also depends on the time of day.
SUGGESTED SERVING QUANTITIES
PARTY BITES
• 8–10 per person at an occasion such as a drinks party where you’re serving no other food. Serve up to five different types – cold and/or hot – depending on the number of people you’ve invited.
• 3 per person at a meal with no first course. Serve two different types of canapé – cold and/or hot.
• 1–2 per person at a meal with a first course. Serve just one kind of party bite, either cold or hot.
FIRST COURSES
• Soup: around 300ml (10fl oz) per serving, depending on the vessels used. Soup bowls usually hold 300ml; mugs a little less. For 12, you will need 3.5 litres (6 pints) soup; for 20–25, 6 litres (101⁄2 pints) soup.
• Rocket (as a garnish): 200g (7oz) for 12; 400g (14oz) for 20–25.
MAIN-COURSE SIDE DISHES
• Baby new potatoes: 1.5kg (3lb 3oz) for 12; 2.5kg (51⁄2lb) for 20–25.
• Jacket potatoes: 1 medium potato per person.
• Mashed potatoes: 225g (8oz) (unpeeled weight of potatoes) per serving. So 2.7kg (6lb) for 12; 4.5kg (10lb) for 20–25.
• Roast potatoes: Three small potatoes per serving.
• Green salad/mixed leaf salad: 300g (11oz) for 12; 500g (1lb 2oz) for 20–25.
• Tomato salad: 1 small or 1⁄2 large tomato per serving.
• Rice/bulghur wheat/couscous: 600g (1lb 5oz) for 12; 1.25kg (23⁄4lb) for 20–25.
• Noodles: 1 nest per person.
• Bread: 1 large baguette cuts into 10–12 slices.
• Green vegetables: About 75g (21⁄2oz) per serving. So 900g (2lb) for 12; 1.5kg (3lb 3oz) for 20–25.
• Gravy: 1.2 litres (2 pints) for 12; 1.4–1.7 litres (21⁄2–3 pints) for 20. If your guests are helping themselves from the gravy boat, you might wish to make a little more, as they may serve themselves rather generously.
FOR A BUFFET
• Poached salmon: 2.7–3kg (6–61⁄2lb) salmon (head on, gutted) for 12; 6kg (13lb) salmon for 20–25.
• Ham: 2 slices per serving (if accompanied by another meat or fish); 3 slices per serving (if served on its own).
• Roast fillet of beef: 140–175g (5–6oz) per serving when hot; 100g (31⁄2oz) per serving when cold (cold beef is easier to carve thinly).
PUDDINGS
• Pouring cream: 600ml (1 pint) for 12; 1.2 litres (2 pints) for 20–25.
• Crème fraîche/yogurt: 400ml tub for 12; 2 x 400ml tubs for 20–25.
• Custard: 1.2 litres (2 pints) for 12; 2.4 litres (4 pints) for 20–25.
• Ice cream: 1 scoop per person served as an accompaniment; 2 scoops per person on its own.
• For a cheese board, serve 3–5 cheeses, about 750g (1lb 10oz) in total for 12; 1kg (21⁄4lb) for 20–25. Accompany with your favourite savoury biscuits, a good chutney, and some fresh figs or grapes.
TEA
• For a tea with cakes, serve one round of sandwiches (two slices of bread) per person.
• Most people will drink a couple of cups of tea. For 20 cups, you’ll need about 15 teabags (although it depends of course on how strong you make it) and 600ml (1 pint) milk.
COOKING FOR DIFFERENT NUMBERS
When cooking for 10 or 11 people, just cook for 12 (using the quantities in the book) and freeze any leftovers. When cooking for eight or nine people, use the quantities for six people and make one and a half portions where possible – this will work for some things, but not for all, as liquid quantities can be erratic. Recipes this will work for include Tiger prawn balti, Hot mustard spiced beef, Boneless winter lamb shanks, and 21st-century Coronation chicken. When this won’t work, just cook for six and then add another element or dish – this helps with the ‘feast’ idea, too:
• Serve soup with a salad or salads from the book, or bread and oil on a platter.
• Add extra veg to bulk out sauces such as bolognese.
• For casseroles and curries, cook more rice; add breads.
• For desserts (such as cheesecakes) don’t mess around with the quantities – just make two!
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CHEATS AND SHORTCUTS
If you’re cooking last minute, you might appreciate a helping hand. Luckily, cutting the odd corner won’t affect the final quality of the dish – so long as you choose the right corners to cut. These cheats will take the pressure off.
There are many ways you can cheat and make cooking for a party easier. A quick visit to your local supermarket or delicatessen will provide you with all the ready-prepared ingredients you need to rustle up a speedy dish like the Express Mediterranean platter, for instance – what could be more delicious and trouble-free to serve as your first course. Think simple and in season – if you don’t have the time to make an elaborate pudding in the summer, simply serve fresh strawberries or raspberries with cream, or make our Magenta fruit compote with white chocolate sauce. Simplicity itself.
SALADS AND VEGETABLES
Bags of prepared salads are an excellent timesaver. Buy the different varieties of leaves in separate packets, then you don’t end up getting enormous amounts of shredded iceberg lettuce (not our favourite), and mix them together just before serving. A bottle of good-quality vinaigrette won’t go amiss, either.
Due to over-use of plastics we are not so keen on ready-prepared vegetables, but they are available in bags should you need them. You could also team frozen vegetables with fresh vegetables – frozen peas go well with softened leeks or courgettes, for instance, and frozen baby broad beans can be mixed with any variety of fresh bean.
EQUIPMENT
Certain pieces of equipment can save you time and effort as well. Cake-tin liners take the fiddle out of lining cake tins. They are also guaranteed to be a perfect fit. Recyclable foil containers, such as tart tins, casserole dishes, roasting tins, and platters are not only convenient, they don’t need washing up either. You might appreciate that more than you think at the end of the day.
PREPARING AHEAD
Okay, so preparing food in advance isn’t exactly cheating, but it is a simple way of making life easier for yourself on the day. Throughout this book we give you advice on preparing ahead, but there are plenty of other little shortcuts you can take, too. When you’re making the gravy for the Mini pork en croûtes, for instance, you can mix all the ingredients together, ready to add the juices from the meat at the last minute. We do this all the time.
We also keep fresh white breadcrumbs, grated Cheddar, grated Parmesan, and nuts in separate plastic containers in the freezer. They thaw in minutes, ready to cook with, and taste as fresh as they were the moment you put them in there.
MAKING SERVING EASIER
Serving food to large numbers might seem daunting, but there are many ways of simplifying the task. When serving pies and lasagnes, we often lightly mark portion sizes on the surface with a knife so guests (or you) know where to cut. This works well with whole fish, too.
Cheesecakes, tarts, and quiches can be cut into slices or wedges, so you know they’ll be enough to go round. Place them on a flat platter to serve, and reassemble them so they look whole. To make serving ice cream speedier, once it is frozen, scoop out the number of balls of ice cream you need and arra
nge on a tray. Cover with cling film and place in the freezer. Then all you need to do is arrange the balls in bowls when you are ready to serve, or pile them into a mound and let guests serve themselves.
“Preparing food in advance isn’t exactly cheating, but it is a simple way of making life easier for yourself on the day.”
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PLANNING THE OCCASION
No matter the occasion, when you’re having a party the first thing to do is to make a plan. Careful planning and meticulous organization are key to success. Here’s our advice on the things to consider ahead of your feast.
Take a look at your menu. What’s sitting in the fridge waiting to be transferred to a dish or platter? What needs to be reheated or have the finishing touches put to it? And what has to be put together from scratch? Even if it’s only the potatoes you’re serving with your main course or a salad you have to dress, make sure they’re on your list.
CALCULATE THE WORKLOAD
With your proposed menu to hand, jot down what you can prepare ahead and what you can freeze in readiness for your big day. Will you be comfortable putting the finishing touches to dishes while your guests are there? Or would you rather it was just a simple matter of popping them in the oven? Dishes you can reheat and serve are ideal if you want to spend as much time as you can with your guests or if you think you might get flustered. Even better are cold dishes that will be sitting there ready for you to bring out and serve.
