Top 10 tips for wedding catering
I got married this summer and my wife Megan and l loved every moment of the big day.
However, the build-up was definitely nerve racking. Being from a large Italian family and having a bit of knowledge around a kitchen, the thing I was most worried about wasn't my shoes, the weather or if she was going to turn up... it was the catering.
That got me thinking about the top 10 tips for wedding catering, but these can be applied to anyone who has to cook for a larger group than usual.
1 Prep prep prep!
There's a reason the professionals use a prep list! It's a handy little to-do list to make sure you're ready for service, to make sure you haven't missed any crucial elements that take a bit of time to put together and, more importantly, lets you prioritise your workload. Got some spuds that are going to take hours to peel? Get those done first and resting in some cold water.
2. Keep it simple
This may seem like a really obvious one, but whenever I go to an event like a wedding, and I see a complicated dinner menu, I always say a little prayer for the chefs in the kitchen.Think about minimum elements on a plate but absolutely maximum flavour. You'll thank yourself for it on the day.
3. Think about your suppliers
I always make sure I check over the produce. The last thing you want is to check over the 60 corn on the cob that you need to BBQ in the next hour only to find that 30 of them have turned bad. Next thing you know, you're scrambling around supermarkets and calling in favours just before service starts.
4. Marinate your meat & fish
Marinating your meat and fish is a brilliant way of packing extra punch into your dishes but also works amazingly well to tenderise meat and fish. It's also really helpful in ensuring you don't end up drying out any of your cuts during cooking. If you're serving fish, think about meatier cuts such as swordfish, which can be marinated in olive oil and lemon juice before cooking. If you're cooking beef, you could use a dry rub or marinade to ensure a great crust when you sear.
5. Don't light your fire too early
You know your grill (I hope) and you know the optimum point for grilling, searing or cooking something through. A classic mistake is lighting your BBQ too early, as you're worried about getting it lit in time or up to the right temperature. You come round to cooking only to find the temperature is dropping. Be organised and light your grill so that the timing is right depending on service.
6. Menu designs
Would a sharing style work? Are you going for a buffet-style event? If you're cooking a buffet-style, you may want to go for something like a cowboy chilli con carne rather than cooking pork chops to order. Catering a sharing-style event, means you can cook larger cuts of meat and present them impressively in the middle of the table.
7. Dietary requirements
Dietary requirements are becoming more important to consider when catering for a larger group. Try to make sure that guests with dietary requirements don't feel like an afterthought. Is it practical to cater for vegetarians and vegans separately? I’d make dishes suitable for both. One tip is to make most elements vegetarian or vegan and then you can just swap out the protein – grilled sticky miso aubergine or meaty mushrooms are a great alternative.
8. Cooking to order
Cooking to order is always going to be part of catering for a large event but you may want to try to keep this to a minimum. Low and slow cuts can be your friend here. That’s why you'll see beef short rib on a lot of menus for larger events. You have control over the cook without the pressure. If you are cooking to order, go for thicker cuts that are going to take a bit longer but you've got more margin for error. Chicken thighs are more forgiving in terms of drying out than chicken breasts.
9. Sides
Sides and condiments can really be the difference between a great meal and an average one. Big leafy salads, confit potatoes and anything else you can prep in advance are your friends here. I love a big heirloom tomato salad, prepped in advance and ready to roll when service begins. Corn on the cob is another amazing side, if you're using a grill when you're catering; you blanch in advance to keep cooking to a minimum during service and finish these off on the grill.
10. Desserts
I'll be the first to admit, dessert isn't my forte. Because of that, dessert always takes me a bit more time to prep for events. I generally opt for surefire options that don't require cooking on the day – sticky toffee pudding with warm custard, cheesecake, and pavlova are always winners for large events and can be prepped in advance too.