Posted by Kevin Fallen on March 04, 19100 at 19:44:04 :
In Reply to: Long Distance Catering posted by Elizabeth Lira on February 25, 19100 at 21:40:28 :
: Hi All-
: Just found you webiste and am very interested in participating! Could use some professional feedback for the following question
:
: I'm on the web because I'm looking for a few hot side dish recipes that will hold (very hot) for at least two hours before serving. The location I'll be serving out of has only a small apartment size oven and the event is for 300+ folks to be plate served. It has proven difficult in the passed to keep some items hot and tasty for such a long period of time.
: For ex. roasted new potatoes steam and lose flavor
:
: We have not written the menu in stone but I am thinking about a crab stuffed chicken breast for the entree. I suppose a rice dish would be the best bet, but I do NOT have a really FANTASTIC, FABULOUS, TO-Die-For rice recipe.
: Any hints, thoughts, ideas and/or recipes would be appreciated!
: Many thanks and happy partying!
Hi Elizabeth,
You might want to take another look at doing this party of 300, plated sit-down if you have no one that can take responsibility and able to follow through on either the front or back of the house. How can one person prep, load, deliver, unload, set-up, prepare, plate, serve, clear, plate, serve, clear etc., etc., You need to get some form or mid-line management in place to pull this one off. Your menu, sounds like you should design it with the foods that hold well and entrees that will maintain moisture and can be served with a sauce. Rice or rissotto is a great idea and easy to plate. Honey glazed carrots are great for transporting and holding, cook them firm prior to leaving. Salads can be pre-made and put in totes and held in walk-in. Fluff up prior to dressing and desserts, suggest something easy to transport. Cobblers, bread puddings, crisps. all hold well in Cambro. Ice cream or Ice cream cakes are fine in regular coolers with dry ice. Or any type of frozen cake or pie would be acceptable under these serving conditions. Your main problem will be staffing. Find someone responsible that works in the business, maybe a hostess or sous chef at a restaurant, offer them a good nights pay and look at Ron's "Sequence of Service" above. Remember, this is a party of 300 that can break you business over the weekend with bad word or mouth advertising.
If you don't have time to set up a portable kitchen, look at single burner gas burners to help reheat with. To buy, they run about $25.00 If needed set up chafing dishes. You mentioned to be there at noon, a chilled Prime Rib can be reheated in a chafing dish in 4 hours! The same could hold true for a rice side dish. Bring chilled and heat in a chafing dishes. Hope this helps and good luck. But before you commit to the function get your equipment and staff in order. Kevin