It’s nice to go out for dinner, but there’s something very special about using your own home to host a fine dining experience.
No matter how many cookery or dining shows we watch on TV, when it comes to creating the same thing at home, it can be a bit stressful.
Kevin Shand, proprietor of Aberdeen-based modern private fine dining company, Flavours at Home, has more than 14 years experience in some of the UK and Australia’s top AA rosette rated restaurants.
He’s taken time out from his busy kitchens to share his top 10 dinner party tips with us:
Clean house = peace of mind
Always make sure the dining room is clean, tidy and clutter free ensuring that wherever the guests stand or sit they feel they have somewhere to put their drink down. It’s also essential that the bathroom is clean!
Create a theme
You don’t necessarily need to go fancy dress but you can do this by doing a specific type of food such as Italian; you can have Italian-style canapés and cocktail on arrival, Italian wine, movie music, red, white and green candles and/or napkins.
Warm welcome
Setting the right atmosphere from the first minute is crucial.
Offer a signature drink, serve some nice crunchy and slightly salty nibbles before serving a selection of hot canapés.
An amazing atmosphere
Have music playing in the background, light a few seasonal candles – but nothing too strong in the dining room, and try to keep the room at a consistent temperature throughout.
Table plan
Always mix and match your guest’s personalities by having males and females sitting alternated next to one another.
Never have two big personalities sitting next to each other, give them opposite sides to showcase their chat and give everyone a place name.
Make sure your seat, as host, is very accessible to the kitchen area.
Eating space
Every guest should have plenty of legroom, enough arm space to eat, and plenty of room behind him or her if they wish to relax in their seat at the end of the meal.
Basically, do not create a squashed dining environment, and the less clutter on the table, the better.
Menu content and food quality
When writing your menu, keep it simple – big flavours cooked simply with quality seasonal ingredients are the key to happy guests.
To keep things simple offer a cold starter which can be prepared in advance.
I also always try to serve a simple course in-between starter and main, such as a sorbet, frozen fruit or even a light soup course. This is something that needs no effort but again gives you more time to get the main ready to serve.
Always have hot main course plates, as it is vital to help keep the main warm.
Pudding should also be simple. Try serving in a tall glass, allowing you prepare in advance and garnish when ready to give that finishing touch.
Having good knowledge of where your food comes from not only impresses your guests, but also gives them the confidence of eating quality food. Always try and use a few local ingredients where possible.
Reduce stress
Planning ahead as much as possible. Writing the menu with simple ideas and preparing the food well in advance, where possible, makes things easy for you.
After-dinner fun
Create a separate bar area where you can set up a small table with various types of drinks, fruit juices, fresh fruit, cocktail shaker and a bucket of ice. This almost gets the party started when your meal has had time to settle.
Why not plan a couple of fruity cocktails and serve them in jugs and to keep the party going, consider a couple of light-hearted fun games that gets everyone involved.
Enjoy yourself
Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the dinner. Practice makes perfect, so keep doing them – the more you cook for guests in your own home the better you will become.
You can see Kevin in action at the 2014 Scottish Home Show which runs from September 26-28 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.