3 Caterers Share Their Home Cooking & Entertaining Tips
SALSA ROSE
Hesper Bulmer & Olivia Salbaing
Salsa Rose
For an easy canapé, you can’t go wrong with something served on toast. Right now, we’re loving pan con tomate. Grate some good-quality tomatoes into a sieve over a bowl and season with salt, white balsamic, good olive oil and black pepper (reserve any tomato water for cocktails). Rub a raw garlic clove over your freshly made toast and pile on the grated tomato mix. Top with fresh basil, anchovies or freshly picked white crab meat for something more elevated.
Gazpacho is amazing on a hot summer’s day. It’s best made ahead, so it has time to chill. To make 2 litres (to serve 8 for a starter), you'll need 750g of tomatoes, 4 red peppers, half a cucumber, 1 large clove of garlic, half to three-quarters of a chilli, a small bunch of basil, 350ml of good olive oil, and 150ml of white balsamic vinegar. Chop all the ingredients roughly and marinate them together in a bowl for a few hours. Blend the mixture at high speed in a Nutribullet until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Chill before serving, and consider topping with big crunchy garlic croutons and hard-boiled eggs. If you can't find white balsamic, a mix of sherry or red wine vinegar with a touch of agave will work as a substitute.
If you’re after a crowd-pleasing main course, a T-bone steak is the perfect centrepiece. Cut it to 6cm thick to serve six people with sides, and cook it slowly over embers (never an open flame) for juicy meat with melting fat and a smoky flavour. A whole free-range, organic chicken is another great option – at this time of year, we like to spatchcock it and start on the BBQ before finishing in the oven. You can dress chicken in so many ways and it never gets boring: stuff ’nduja under the skin or use a harissa rub for a spicy kick; keep it fresh with a Vietnamese dressing with lots of lime and herbs; or whizz up garlic and soft herbs to make a green butter to spoon over the chicken.
One of our favourite summer salads is thinly shaved fennel tossed with watercress, toasted pine nuts, white balsamic and chilli. It’s fresh and zingy, and the perfect side to accompany the recipes mentioned above. We also love a green and yellow courgette salad. Look for heritage varieties like trombetta, which is especially delicious thinly sliced and served raw, and create a courgette caesar salad topped with plenty of shaved parmesan. Also, good tomatoes work with everything. We like using a range of varieties and sizes. If you're tired of burrata, try making your own stracciatella by shredding a mozzarella ball and mixing it with double cream, then serving it on top of tomatoes.
SALSA ROSE
One of our most popular dishes is monkfish cooked on the bone on our asado grill. Monkfish is meaty, making it ideal for the BBQ as it holds its shape well and doesn’t stick to the grill. You can be bold with flavour pairings, but we like ours cooked simply with a garlic herb and caper butter.
We’re a big fan of food stations. We’ve set up some successful bloody mary bars recently, creating jugs of tomato mixture then allowing guests to personalise theirs by adding their own vodka or tequila, tabasco, brine, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, olives and pickles. Food-wise, if you have a large party, a jamon leg is always a huge hit – grab a whole one from Brindisa and let your guests carve themselves slithers throughout the evening.
Spicy palomas are easy to prepare and can be prebatched in a few bottles. For one serving, start with 50ml of tequila (we love El Rayo Plata), 75ml of fresh pink grapefruit juice, 25ml of agave, a squeeze of lime and a dash soda water. Shake all the ingredients (apart from the soda) with some sliced jalapenos, strain into an iced fill glass, top with soda and garnish with a jalapeno. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the tequila with Seedlip Spice 94.
To create a warm and fun atmosphere at home, you’ll want to get as much cooking done as possible the day before. Prebatch your cocktails and start early on the prep so you can enjoy time with your guests when they arrive. For a simple but beautiful table, use small vases to bring fresh flowers inside. It’s cost effective because you don’t need much to fill them, and they are small enough that they don’t interfere with your platters. Finally, one simple touch that goes a long way is buying fresh bread from a local bakery for guests to snack on before supper. We love the potato sourdough from our friends at The Dusty Knuckle.
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SALSA ROSE
SALSA ROSE
Josh Bradshaw & Charlie Karlsen
Opus 11
First impressions count, so you need to think about how you will be greeting guests. The aroma when you open the door is important, as is the first drink, as both dictate an evening. But above all else, music and lighting are key for setting the tone. The lighting needs to be soft and sensual – bright overhead lighting is always a no. Dimmable lamps are always a great addition, and candles are a must – we’re obsessed with Diptyque, which are definitely worth the investment.
Avoid playing music that’s too heavy. Instead, go for an uplifting playlist to enhance the atmosphere. We always play Gabriels, especially their album Angels & Queens, which is the perfect background music and so soulful. That said, by the end of the night we will always switch to Shania Twain and Celine Dion.
When it comes to tablescaping, current trends favour a modern aesthetic. Think precision-based, bold, crisp and clean tablescapes without too much fuss. This doesn’t mean everything has to be black and white; you can still incorporate colour in an understated, subtle way. Maison Margaux is creating some amazing and unique tablescapes, as is H&M Home for something more affordable. It also has a variety of pieces for at-home food stations, along with chic plates, bowls and jugs that align with the minimalist trend.
If you want to stay on trend, bud vases with single stems are out. Instead, greenery is making a big impact at luxury events. While flowers can be pricey, plants in beautiful pots – such as ferns and other greenery – offer a stunning and more sustainable alternative. If you're attending an event or wedding, consider taking some flowers home.
You can also elevate a dinner party by investing in beautiful charger plates. They instantly make the table look high end. When you walk into a room and see charger plates underneath the dinnerware and adorned with elegant napkins, it enhances the overall look. If you plan to host regularly, consider investing in a high-quality set of cutlery and crockery. Not only will it last for years, it will also enhance the dining experience.
OPUS 11
Making canapés to suit all dietary requirements is a good idea. They could be vegan, dairy free or gluten free, and incorporate a range of seasonal produce. Filo pastry is great because it’s often gluten free and vegan, and makes the perfect base for savoury parcels stuffed with veggies. As for the crowd-pleasers, beautiful fluted tartlets with fresh, colourful summer ingredients always go down well.
The most popular cocktails for our celeb clients are currently tequila based. About 70% of our cocktail requests are for agave-based cocktails like our kaffir lime, coffee and hibiscus margaritas. To make one, combine 50ml of tequila blanco and 40ml of kaffir cordial (made from 1 litre of water, 700g of sugar and 30g of kaffir leaf). Shake well, double strain, and serve in a tumbler over a clear ice cube. Garnish with a dry lime wheel and enjoy. For a wow-factor drink, branded ice is great. When making cocktails, it's not just about the drink itself – consider the presentation, from the glass to the garnish, as it enhances the overall drinking experience.
At our supper clubs we always do cocktail hour at the end of the evening. Setting up a cocktail station where you and your guests can mix drinks and experiment with different flavours would be a lot of fun. With martinis making a comeback, it’s the perfect time for everyone to learn how to make the classic cocktail.
Always give guests something to take home. We’re about to launch Bisquit, a biscuit company, as bespoke sweet treats always add a personal touch. We’re also fans of initialled, embroidered napkins which can be used in lieu of place cards and make the loveliest keepsakes. If you’re having a smaller gathering, find out what each person likes to drink beforehand and incorporate personalised touches throughout the evening.
Don’t worry about being too fancy. People are coming for the company more than anything else. If you’re looking to save money while hosting, do your research when it comes to wine as there are so many great supermarket wines, especially from Lidl and Aldi. You don’t have to break the bank to find a good bottle.
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GRAPE & FIG
Toria Smith
Grape & Fig
To create a tasty grazing display at home, focus on the quality of the produce you're serving, not just the quantity. It’s lovely to tell your guests some interesting facts about the ingredients you’re serving, such as where a certain cheese is made and why it’s special or award winning. Also, don’t forget that sometimes less is more. At Grape & Fig we favour chic, elevated sharing platters and boards, and family-style dishes over large, grazing ‘table’ displays, where the whole table is spilling over with food. Consider all the elements you’re displaying alongside your food (not just the food itself) to create a thoughtful aesthetic. Think about the tablecloth, napkins, serveware, seasonal flowers, candles and handwritten menus.
Our perfect grazing display showcases British produce, namely British cheese and charcuterie. These are the heroes of each board or display. In our signature cheeseboards we include a selection of cheeses, charcuterie, antipasti, nuts, fresh and dried fruits, crackers, fresh bread, chutneys and fresh honeycomb. Our favourite cheeses right now are Wigmore and truffle cheddar – both perfect for those balmy summer evenings with a crisp glass of wine.
For an easy yet impressive appetiser, a seasonal crudité board always looks good. Plus, they’re a healthy option and can be prepared ahead of time – just add hummus or whatever dip you’re using just before serving. At this time of year, we’re using lots of baby veggies, like carrots, beetroots and cucumbers, as well as courgette flowers and crunchy radishes.
To make a grazing board look extra special, pop a runner down the middle of a table. Then you can make a few cheeseboards, for example, on smaller, thinner boards and position them down the centre of the table, interspersed with small flower arrangements and candles. This makes it easy for guests to enjoy the food – and makes for a very Instagrammable aesthetic. Garnishing is also key – think edible flowers and fresh honeycomb on your cheeseboards and micro pea shoots on your crudités.
We love the trend of turning your dining table into a giant cheeseboard. Cover your table with brown parchment paper and place your food directly onto it. Using a marker pen you can label not only your food items, but also wine glasses and name places to make the tablescape extra fun.
One of our favourite make-ahead desserts is pavlova. You can make the base the day before, then quickly top with cream and fruit before serving. It doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’, so you can’t go wrong, and it’s easy for guests to help themselves.
Our favourite cocktail to make has to be a picante with tequila, agave nectar, lime and chilli. We also love Lockdown Liquor’s Picante and rate all its pre-made cocktails which come in stylish bottles and can be personalised with names.
Don’t forget that hosting is about bringing people together. Food is a connector in itself, and if you’re using exceptionally good-quality produce, and styling that produce in a way that looks beautiful and appetising, you don’t need to overthink it too much – so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Don’t make your display too overwhelming, as this will overwhelm your guests. We’re big on party games and two of our favourites include ‘Two Truths and A Lie’ and ‘Who Am I?’ which always go down well.
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GRAPE & FIG
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