Making an effort

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Posted at 12:39PM, 25 February 2009 by Christine Hayes - Editor, olive magazine

In recent years it's all been about 'effortless entertaining'. Having friends over for a simple roast chicken followed by a stinky Vacherin or an amazing lemon tart has been deemed chicer than slaving away to create three intricate courses. How we sniggered at old-school MasterChef with its quails stuffed with couscous and spun-sugar desserts, while we casually got mates round for nothing more involved than a lamb curry.

But now that so many of us are trying to save money by cooking at home when we'd previously book a smart restaurant (to celebrate a significant birthday, say, or an anniversary) is it time to start making a real effort again? In olive this month, our reporters tried cooking spectacular 3-course menus gleaned from Gordon Ramsay, Tom Aikens and Giorgio Locatelli's cookbooks, and find out if it's worth all the faff.

When I need to show off, I dip into chef Richard Corrigan's The Clatter of Forks and Spoons and make the squid, chorizo and feta dish he serves at his restaurant Bentley's. It requires a special shopping trip to the fishmonger, some cleaning-the-squid-angst and a degree of time management, and that's about as far as I'll go for a dinner party. No foams, no soufflés, no parfaits at my house, and that's final.

So which chefs do you rely on when you want to make something that elicits an 'ooooh', what's your failsafe show-off dish, and what's just a step too far?

Comments

Aedara

25 February 2009, 2:06PM
Aedara

I think really making an effort can be more rewarding in the long run than doing something simple and having that little bit of free time.Perhaps if you entertain all the time you just don't have the time (being a student I don't actually really entertain at all). But putting in a lot of time and thought into something, especially when it turns out really well is a way of showing affection and feels really special. I tend to get recipes off here but we do have rather too many Jamie Oliver books than are strictly necessary, his recipes are impressive and yet still simple (despite often having ingredient lists as long as your arm).

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James

25 February 2009, 2:32PM
James

If it's a Ramsey book you want, but you want to keep things simple, try Tanya instead of Gordon. And you can't go wrong with Nigella either - is she the new Delia?

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Nicola

26 February 2009, 8:12AM
Nicola

Nigella is definitely one of my favourites! Her cakes and desserts always come out so well. But if I was going to make a meal for friends I'd probably use a selection of recipes from magazines/websites/books...I don't normally stick to one book/chef and I like to try out new recipes! but I dont really go for overly fussy food - i think things can look and taste great (and appear very impressive) without having to slave away in the kitchen ALL day getting everything just right. I also prefer to have most of the prep done before hand so I don't have to actually cook the food when the guests have arrived.

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Andy Lynes

26 February 2009, 10:47AM
Andy Lynes

Today's Special by Anthony Demetre is a good source of "ooh" dishes. I don't really have a failsafe, I like to cook new things a lot of the time, even for dinner parties - it makes things more interesting. Braised lamb shank properly cooked (i.e. sealed off and then slowly cooked with a brunoise of vegetables, stock and wine which you then strain and reduce to make a sauce) can be impressive served with some really good mash and some simply cooked veg. I've never subscribed to the "life's too short to stuff a mushroom" theory, so I'm not sure what a step too far would be for me. Hunting and shooting the animal myself probably.

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christine

26 February 2009, 11:23AM
christine

Andy Lynes - are you, by any chance the very same Andy Lynes who once appeared on the aforementioned old-school MasterChef (click on link in my blog)? If so no wonder the thought of stuffing a mushroom fills you with glee...what did you cook when you were on telly?

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Ellie Reade

26 February 2009, 12:58PM
Ellie Reade

Eating out is nice, but entertaining friends at home is more satisfying. I don't think you need to faff around too much with food (foams and the like) to make it an "ooh" dish. I have a lot of chef cookery books, but we very rarely follow them to the letter - it's more for inspiration. Some of the best evenings we have had were with meals we had made up ourselves (it's all part of the adventure....especially in a galley kitchen Good company, good food, good wine is the best recipe for success

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Andy Lynes

26 February 2009, 3:54PM
Andy Lynes

Christine - yes, that was me on Masterchef - about 12 years and many stones ago. I was a semi finalist so cooked two three course menus. I won't bore you with all the details but one of the dishes I was most proud of was a starter of confit salmon (poached in duck fat) with potato pancake, smoked salmon, anchovy dressing and marinated cucumber. I also cooked a rather complicated pheasent dish and a steamed sponge pudding on that show so I gave myself a lot to do in 2 1/2 hours, but it was great fun.

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dean001

26 February 2009, 4:00PM
dean001

go oliver keep up the good stuff chickens are the best

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Rhodri Marsden

27 February 2009, 4:27PM
Rhodri Marsden

I generally make food that causes people to go "ah" rather than "oooh" - but I just wanted to comment on the link Christine posted to the old Masterchef site. Marvellous. I've just been giggling for approximately 90 seconds over the dessert called "Mediterranean Islands". For dinner, I shall be making some North Atlantic Drift, with North Sea Oil for pudding.

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Pat Evans

27 February 2009, 6:05PM
Pat Evans

Raymond Blanc - delicious recipes, simple ingredients, easy to follow and they are always superb

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LaGirafa

15 May 2009, 3:39PM
LaGirafa

Like Nicola I swear by Nigella for desserts - her chocolate and lime cheese cake and her white tiramisu are to die for. Did however, have a disastrous result when following her yorkshire pudding recipe, as did a frind of mine when they tried it. I tend to turn to Jamie Oliver for ideas rather than following his recipes to the letter. I'm always more successful when just cooking for my family, I guess I'm not so good under pressure. In the past I had a tendency to try too hard with entertaining. More relaxed dining suits me more and is also the type of food I prefer to eat.

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