Dinner for Twenty—Your Timetable
Planning a dinner buffet for twenty requires organization, patience, and a good checklist. We'll provide the list, but the rest is up to you!
Two to Four Days Before: - Make pesto for Lavender Honey Almond Crusted Rack of Lamb; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Make vinaigrette for Lobster Salad with Mango and Avocado; refrigerate.
- Make ponzu sauce for Ginger Shrimp; refrigerate.
- Make clementine sauce for Seared Sea Scallops and port wine balsamic sauce for Wild Striped Bass; refrigerate.
- Prepare shell for Bittersweet Chocolate Basil Tart; wrap and refrigerate.
- Make Fig and Goat Cheese Wontons and freeze, uncooked.
- Make Chestnut Potato Cakes mixture; freeze.
One Day Before:
- Make Asparagus and Wild Mushroom Ragout; cover and refrigerate.
- Roast Thyme-Roasted Baby Carrots, cool, and refrigerate in an ovenproof container.
- Make grapefruit sauce; refrigerate.
- Make shrimp; refrigerate.
Day of Party:
- Thaw and fry wontons.
- Prepare chocolate tart filling and assemble tart.
- Sear lamb (serve at room temperature, or keep warm in oven); reheat pesto.
- Assemble lobster salad.
- Roast fish; reheat sauce.
- Immerse asparagus in hot water to reheat; warm sauce on stovetop.
- Thaw and fry potato cakes.
- Reheat wontons on a baking sheet in oven; cover with tinfoil until ready to serve.
- Sear scallops; reheat dipping sauce.