Dinner menusA list of some of the foods suitable for dinner menus is given below, and both table d'hote and a la carte menus should offer a sensible choice, depending upon the size of the establishment, and the capabilities of the staff. The number of courses on special party menus can be from three upwards. The occasions for special dinner parties are often very important for the guest attending, therefore the compiling of such a menu is extremely important, calling for expert knowledge and wise judgement on the part of the caterer. The following are some traditional and classical dishes which may be used with light contemporary style dishes: • Cocktail, fruit and shellfish. • Fruit: melon, fresh figs, avocado pear, mango, paw paw, etc. • Delicacies: caviar, oysters, snails, potted shrimps, prawns, foie gras. • Smoked: salmon, trout, ham, salami, sausages, sprats, eel. • Hors-d'oeuvre. • Salads: small dressed salad served simply, sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs or topped with hot pieces of lightly fried scallops, wild mushrooms or chicken livers; or cold crab, lobster, prawns, crayfish, etc. • Soup: clear and consomme-based, petite marmite, shellfish bisques and cream soups, turtle soup, etc.; cold soups include vichyssoise and consomme. • Fish: • poached salmon, turbot, blue trout. • shallow poached: sole, turbot, brill, halibut, monkfish, with a classical or contemporary style sauce and garnish. • baked: sea bass, mullet, halibut. • hot shellfish: scampi, oyster, crab, lobster, crayfish. • meuniere: sole, fillets of sole, trout. • fried: sole, fillets of sole, goujons, scampi. • grilled: lobster, sole, salmon. • cold: salmon, salmon trout, trout, sole. • combinations of several fish in delicately flavoured sauces. • Main courses: • light dishes which may be small and garnished. • sweetbreads, quail. • saute of chicken, tournedos, noisettes or cutlets of lamb. • saddle of hare, filet mignon, vol-au-vent. • pot roasted chicken with mushrooms. • pheasant in casserole. • braised ham, tongue, duck, pheasant, pigeon. • Roast: • saddle of lamb or veal, fillet or sirloin of beef. • poultry or game such as chicken, turkey, duck, goose, grouse, partridge, pheasant, snipe, woodcock, guinea fowl, wild duck, plover, teal, venison, saddle of hare. • Grills: • steaks (chateaubriand, fillet, tournedos, rump, sirloin). • lamb (chops, cutlets or kidneys). • chicken (kebabs). • Vegetable: French beans, broccoli, asparagus points, peas, broad beans, button Brussels sprouts, aubergine, cauliflower, etc. • Potatoes: parmentier, noisette, olivette, dauphine, nouvelles, rissolees, Mireille, duchesse, Byron, Rosti, etc. • Sorbet: lightly frozen water ice flavoured with fruit, liqueur or champagne
sometimes served during a meal of several courses with the intention of refreshing the palate before proceeding with the remainder of the meal; a sorbet or a small assortment of sorbets can also be served as a dessert. • Cold dish: such dishes as chicken in aspic or mousse of foie gras or ham may be • Vegetarian dishes: should be a regular feature on menus. • Sweet: • Savoury: any hot savouries prepared in neat, small portions may be used on dinner menus. • Cheese: all varieties may be offered. • Dessert: all dessert fruits and nuts may be served.
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