dinner party for 12

First with only 12 guest there should be no leftovers,. For the Beef if you give a choice  at dinner offer a Petite Filet Mignon or small Sirloin. Most guest then will order the steak over chicken.  Or if it's cost factor  go a Beef Strogonoff or Bourginoinne,with Noodles  or Braised Brisket .Jardenierre .

            Dessert

I would go a Sorbet Trilogy with Berries   3 small scoops of 3 different flavors in a coupe or champ glass, mint leaf and berries.  Easy and nice. You need about a pint and a half to a quart of each depending on scoop size .  Your portion sizes are correct     2.1/2 ounces vege pp. will suffice  1 roll and a half pp for men  1 roll pp for woman . Arrugala alone is to bitter add something else to it.  Keep it simple and nice  ,Good Luck

This is catering?  You're figuring out a menu as a proposal?  Or do you already have the gig?  How much can you spend on food per cover?  What's the general price structure?  Will you be paid "cost plus?"  Or will the food and labor (and everything else) come out of the same flat fee?

If money is an issue, you might be better off thinking of a braise -- some sort of pot roast, "goulash," or braised short ribs for instance -- rather than roasting or grilling a cheap-grade, prestige cut.  On the other hand, some people like "luxury" dishes like Beef Stroganoff, and have no problem with using inexpensive beef to get there. 

Without the budget for at least Choice, I'd stay away from filet mignon.  With a group of 12, the spotlight is going to sharply illuminate you.  Obviously, you're not catering the Plumber's Union Annual Banquet and any problems will reflect on you, instead of the "planning committee." 

The first question to ask is what level of quality your guests expect?   At any given level of preparation, simpler foods usually require better quality ingredients.

I hate to disagree with Ed, but if you don't have leftovers for a party of 12, you're either extremely lucky, or some people are walking away disappointed and hungry.   Talk to your client and work out in advance who gets the leftovers, if any.

Don't plan the chicken portions by weight, but by the piece.  I'd use thighs,  skin, bone, and quarter them myself.  For 12 people, with another entree possibility, I'd budget at least two dozen thighs, and eight pounds of (fully trimmed) raw beef. 

BDL

Are you serving chicken or beef or are you serving chicken and beef on the same plate?

Tarte Tatin with crème fraîche.

Reason I suggested filets is that given a choice, they will all order them.,and you will only need a little of any second entree. Few will order chicken when filet is available in this economy at same price.

Catering, personal cheffing... At any rate, you're cooking professionally and that's the game changer.  You simply must (diplomatically) get your client to nail down the budget as well as a few of the other, major choices.  You can't make choices without knowing what you've to work with.  As it stands, it's not fair to either one of you.

I may be reading too much into this, but I got the feeling that the Marsala was a personal specialty.

Beef Madagascar and Chicken Marsala are too similar for your purposes.  Not so much in taste, but both have meats served swimming in sauces of similar consistency, and shouldn't be be served successively or occupy the same buffet.  If you're serving one or the other, plated, to order, you're fine. 

If not, you either need to go very thick, very thin, or no sauce with one of your choices.  Also, your menu is desperate for starches.  Try and choose two, either of which will go with either meat.  If, for instance, you went with braised short ribs of beef as your second meat choice, "herbed, buttered egg noodles" and "mashed root vegetables (potato, parsnip, rutabaga)" would be okay -- but those are examples more than suggestions.  There are lots of possibilities.

Whatever final decision you and your client reach, try to keep a "flow chart" in your head.  You don't want to have to do too much at the last minute.  By way of another example, take a look at my Proposed Thanksgiving Menu (also a dinner for 12) and you can see how the menu is designed so the work can be done over several days without leaving much at all for just before or during service.  Of course, cooking for someone else and doing your own party are not the same, but they're not all that different either in that both require flow planning.

Although you can get it "fresh" year round, you're fighting seasonality with acorn squash.  Perhaps butternut...  Or, if you want something green:  peas, green beans, sauteed spinach, or...?      

Plan on "seconds," guests will want to try both entrees, so portion accordingly. 

BDL

In my experience as a personal chef since 2000, I approach dinner parties in a little different manner than BDL.

First, no price quotation until the number of guests and the menu have been fixed.

Second, a personal chef is not a short order cook, alternatives or substitutions must be planned for in advance unless the host(ess) is willing to pay for the food and help, knowing that extra food will result. A personal chef does not have the luxury of alternative uses for prepared food, it must stay with the client.

On rare occasions, I have prepared meat and poultry on the same plate (for plated service). Buffet service, with a resulting higher food cost, may provide enough meat and poultry to allow choices, that is up to the client. A great majority of the time, the same thing is served to all, excepting only allergies and preferences known at least a week to two weeks in advance, generally at the time the menu is chosen.

Everything told to you in advance by the client results in lower food cost % as well as less leftovers. If she tells you 6 meat and 6 chicken  bring 7 and 7 . If choice is made by guest based on their whims for that day , you will have leftovers , so charge more. Or try giving Beef and Bird on same plate, this way no leftovers and no choice .

     We did this in NY and did about 8-to 10000 covers a week It was banquet only mostly corp. and weddings . Believe it or not our overall food cost was an amazing 11 to 15 %.

    Again banquet only and based on a huge volume,  When I left  we were doing about 15 to 17 million $ per year, when I started we were doing about 11 mil.. It was the largest and busiest on premise catering facility in the world. Capable of 10 weddings at one time ,Out of 3  kitchens.      It was called "Terrace On The Park "and occupied the site of the NY Worlds Fair Helliport building. in Queens NY. I had 30 cooks and we would have 150 waiters and BT s  working at one time It is still operating , but its hayday is long over. In it's day it was thee place to have a function.

Posted by PeteMcCracken 

Not very differently.  I wouldn't quote without knowing a lot of information, but  would "ballpark" the client as to how much different types of dinners and different options were likely to run, and wanted similar orientation from her.  I'm sure you do and ask very much the same.  The idea is to have no one in the dark at any time during the negotiations and early planning stages so information flows smoothly without wasted time.

While I had a book, my clients came to me either by word of mouth, or (more often) had been guests at parties catered by my company, Predominantly French.  They had a pretty good idea going in of what I did, didn't, could, and couldn't do; and were seldom virgins when it came to hiring a caterer and throwing a catered party.  That knowledge helped both parties greatly.    

I'd get a call from a prospective client asking me if I was available for a certain date.  If I were, I'd ask her, "What did you have in mind?"

She'd say something like "Ben's got a new movie screening at Paramount.  I want cocktails and dinner for about 20 people on the patio."  And we'd take it from there, talking about the menu possibilities along with some ballpark pricing. 

Here, I think, we're reinventing the wheel and if we want to help Cakes we shouldn't assume too much experience.

BDL

Steak Bearnaise ( Fillet Mignon stuffed with Dungeness crab) Topped with Bearnaise sauce...........or Beef Medallions Bearnaise using a Beef tenderloin and cut thin into medallions, cook in  a hot pan with sauteed mushrooms  then, either mixed with the Bearnaise sauce or topped with Bearnaise sauce..................ChefBillyB.............P.S. I'm on a Bearnaise sauce kick, my wife loves it.......

One point to keep in mind, a residential kitchen is a far cry from a commercial setup and most PCs have to function within the parameters of a residential kitchen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakes 

Pete : I saw your post after I posted mine. I lost a job for a dinner party because of my request to see the kitchen beforehand. This was a birthday party dinner for an 80 year old with congestive heart failure who really missed her trips to a restaurant. When I asked for lessons learned for not getting the job I was told that another chef didn't require a look see and that they wanted it to be a surprise. I spent a couple of hours coming up with a menu that was 500mg sodium, a requirement. Tough being a rookie at 60 years old.

Almost as bad as starting at 58

At first, I thought why bother with looking at the kitchen, or for that matter the house and access, not only to the kitchen but the dining area. After getting burned a couple of times, my attitude became adjusted!

Yes, surprise parties require some additional effort, but I will not work in a kitchen I have not seen ever again. On the initial inspection, I check to see if:

• All burners function and also note size and guesstimate heat capacity, may have to use butane/induction burners, rice cooker(s), etc., and
• Calibrate microwave, not difficult, takes all of maybe 5 minutes using the water test
• the oven(s) thermostats are accurate (yes, I take an oven thermometer and check at least at 200°, 325°, 350° and 400°F and write a calibration card!)
• the refrigerator(s) have sufficient empty space for me
• the freezer(s), if I'm planning to use them, have sufficient space
• is a grill available, gas, charcoal, etc., do I want to use it
• trash disposal
• counter space, may need to bring my portable tables
• layout of dining area, possible station locations, buffet setup, etc.
• inventory of china, glassware, tableware, tablecloths, etc., to get a handle on necessary rentals

PCs, unlike caterers, have to work with what the client has, unless you have access to a licensed kitchen and have built up your own supply of essential items.

And always remember, what other PCs do has nothing to do with your approach, just because someone else is a fool does not mean you have to be one too!

I'm not a caterer so I can't get into the nitty gritty like these other guys.  But I have cooked for big parties before and although I prefer to serve family style I have done plated service before.  It might be worth a shot asking the host if you can do family style service which makes things a lot easier than plating, unless you have an assistant.  The key to a big party is making things in advance.  In your OP you said no braises but I believe that braises are especially perfect because you can make it a day ahead and they reheat beautifully. 

For the chicken dish I would do individual roulades stuffed with whatever you like.  They can be assembled and chilled over night and merely seared and roasted in the oven pre-service along with making a sauce for it.  For the beef you can't go wrong with braised short ribs like BDL suggested. 

Lemon herbed orzo cooked in chicken stock for a starch goes with both dishes.  Roasted baby carrots is seasonal and beautiful.

Your arugula salad with pears is screaming for blue cheese and candied pecans.  Just saying.  Assemble the salad a day in advance minus the pears and dressing.  It's a 2 minute job to toss and plate.

When deciding on desserts make them contrast.  One should be chocolate, maybe a dense chocolate tart with hazelnuts.  The other should be light and fruity like baked stuffed apples or fresh fruit salad with whipped cream.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb 

Everything told to you in advance by the client results in lower food cost % as well as less leftovers. If she tells you 6 meat and 6 chicken  bring 7 and 7 . If choice is made by guest based on their whims for that day , you will have leftovers , so charge more. Or try giving Beef and Bird on same plate, this way no leftovers and no choice .

     We did this in NY and did about 8-to 10000 covers a week It was banquet only mostly corp. and weddings . Believe it or not our overall food cost was an amazing 11 to 15 %.

    Again banquet only and based on a huge volume,  When I left  we were doing about 15 to 17 million $ per year, when I started we were doing about 11 mil.. It was the largest and busiest on premise catering facility in the world. Capable of 10 weddings at one time ,Out of 3  kitchens.      It was called "Terrace On The Park "and occupied the site of the NY Worlds Fair Helliport building. in Queens NY. I had 30 cooks and we would have 150 waiters and BT s  working at one time It is still operating , but its hayday is long over. In it's day it was thee place to have a function.

Haha, I've been to several functions there.