Best Ever wedding Food

macwood2, Aug 12, 7:23am
Am looking for some help in coming up with a killer wedding menu.No price limitations.October wedding.Any help/ ideas/ suggestions would be most appreciated.

village.green, Aug 12, 7:32am
Depends whether you are going to do it yourself or have a caterer! Ruth Pretty does some pretty (no pun intended) amazing wedding menus. She's located in Te Horo.

cookessentials, Aug 12, 7:37am
Are you thinking of a sit down meal type thing, or more finger food or a mixture! Do you prefer buffet style or service!

macwood2, Aug 13, 7:23am
Self-catering - but confident and have a great bunch of helpers.
Cooks - champagne and nibbles to start with and a posh (hopefully) buffet.
The buffet will be the easier option as there is less pressure than serving, I find.I would love your input.Cheers.

firemansgirl, Aug 13, 8:38am
How many are you catering for! Any food restrictions for maybe allergies etc!

bo0tsey, Aug 13, 9:46am
We got married in March, had a buffet with a heap of choices my absolute favourite bits were the whole cooked salmon (with enough left over for midnight nibbles and lunch the next day) and lemon meringue pie.

I also bought a 3 whole cheeses and would have had them for my wedding cake except I asked my grandma to bake a fruit cake as I am the first grandchild to marry and knew it would mean a lot to her. So we had the cheese with our BBQ lunch the next day anyway

macwood2, Aug 13, 10:14am
firemansgirl - about 80 people.
bootsey I love the idea of having a "cheesecake".It's a lot of cheese to get through though!Which 3 cheeses did you have!I am also having a fruit cake.What did you have for your buffet!

mackenzie2, Aug 13, 7:27pm
What are your cooking facilitys on the day like!

recycle_me, Aug 13, 7:55pm
We are having a wedding at home in December and the catering we have is partially organised by us.

The stuff we have done is Pig on a Spit, 2 x roast whole Salmon.I have made 100 x mini pavlovas which are in the freezer.On the day, the guest pile them with whipped cream, Rum Topf, and fresh raspberries.The kids are having an icecream booth, where they can have icecream in a cone and choose to have sprinkles of baubles, chocolate, hail etc on top.

We are also growing all the new Jersey Benne Potatoes which will be served with herb butter on the day.

macwood2, Aug 14, 5:42am
mackenzie - great facilities.Huge commercial oven and 1 x domestic oven.Lots of space.I think you are a caterer (from previous postings) so you will have lots of good advice for me.

bo0tsey, Aug 14, 9:28am
It WAS an awful lot of cheese! considering I intended to use it for supper but it hadn't been left out of the fridge long enough so was all too hard. I ended up giving chunks to people who had given us their time to help with various bits and pieces

We had a maasdam (swiss style hard cheese, good for the base), an Evansdale brie for the medium size layer and a Whitestone blue for the top. mmmmm so good! Evansdale cheeses near Dunedin do EXTREMELY good cheeses and have a really great shipping rate, works out far cheaper than buying 2nd hand through Canty Cheesemongers

For the buffet we had lamb and chicken on the spit and the salmon. Potato salad, pasta and pesto salad and coleslaw.Potatoes, beans and brocolli/cauliflower bake. Dessert was the wedding fruit cake, lemon meringue pie, a cheesecake (can't remember which flavour) and I think the 3rd was pavalova! Can't remember. they came with cream and fruit salad too

We were catering for a largely farming crowd otherwise I would have scrapped the traditional vege and gone for something more interesting ;)

mackenzie2, Aug 14, 7:16pm
Hot potato's with butter
Baby whole green beans with burnt butter
12 - 15 saladsmay include = tomato/basil/feta, Potato salad, Green salad
Red salad (beetroot, grapes, capsicum, mint & parsley)
Rice salad, pasta salad, bean salad, Coldslaw, curried
cauliflower salad, broccolli salad, carrot salad, couscous
salad, roasted kumera/pumpkin salad, pear walnut & blue
cheese salad.
Glazed Ham served with a pineapple chutney
Whole baked salmon with lemon aoli
Mustard crusted beef
Dinner buns with butter
Dessert.Will include 1 each of the followingEclair filled with caramel
Tart, either lemon or passionfruit
Fresh berry (strawberries/ small bunch grapes)
Macaron (you choice filling)

mackenzie2, Aug 14, 7:17pm
I just copied a menu that we had done at the beginning of theyear, was very easy to put together, and serve, pleaselet me know if I can help you with any receipes etc

The desserts always look amazing and go down very well, lots of choice on a plate, and lovely flavours that go really well (we cheated and brought the macarons!)

macwood2, Aug 15, 10:02am
Thx mackenzie
would love to know how to make the pineapple chutney, pear, walnut & blue salad & mustard crusted beef.Just when you have time.

bo0tsey, Aug 15, 7:01pm
That salad really does sound amazing!

maryteatowel1, Aug 15, 7:39pm
Breads

Tortilla crisps & pita bread ŵ handmade hummus & tapenade
Oven toasted bread loaves ŵ garlic butter & parmesan
Tasting platter with dips, pickles, pate & pita bread
Antipasto platter
Oven toasted garlic flat breads

Soups

Tomato & smoky bacon
Pumpkin & coconut
Old fashioned vegetable
Potato & leek
Chicken & corn
Pea & ham
Kumara & bacon
Pear & parsnip

Roasted or baked meats

Peppered rolled pork loin
Whole roasted sirloin of beef rubbed with garlic
Rosemary roasted lamb
Baked maple & mustard glazed champagne ham
Baked turkey ŵ cranberry & orange chutney
Baked chicken breast crusted ŵ sundried tomatoes & basil


Meat dishes

Thai green chicken curry served ŵ rice
Satay beef served ŵ rice
Roasted chicken drumsticks
Chicken breasts stuffed ŵ cranberries & cream cheese
Butter chicken served ŵ rice
Chicken & mushroom in a roasted garlic cream sauce
Guinness pie ŵ pastry topping
Honey soy chicken pieces
Smoked pork belly ŵ beans
Chicken & prawn tom yum curry served ŵ rice

Seafood

Whole shell mussels ŵ a tomato, lime & coconut sauce
Skewered marinated prawns
Seared scallops wrapped in bacon
Fresh ½ shell natural oysters
Marinated fish in coconut cream

Starches

Roasted potatoes ŵ rosemary
Buttered gourmet potatoes
Roasted kumara
Jacket baked potatoes
Asian fried rice
Penne pasta in a tomato or cream sauce

Vegetables

Steamed seasonal medley
Asian style stir fried
Cauliflower & broccoli mornay
Peas & honey glazed carrots
Mediterranean style medley
Salads

Bacon, spinach & rocket ŵ sundried tomatoes & boconccini
Potato ŵ roasted garlic aioli & spring onions
Pasta ŵ sundried tomatoes, chorizo, olives & basil pesto
Pumpkin, bacon & kumara ŵ cashew nuts
Greek salad ŵ feta, cherry tomatoes & cucumber
Indonesian brown rice ŵ fresh pineapple & cashew nuts
Seafood pasta ŵ mussels & prawns in homemade mayonnaise
Roasted vegetables ŵ aioli & kumara curls
Rocket ŵ poached pears, creamy blue cheese & walnuts

Desserts

Sticky date pudding ŵ warm toffee sauce
Brandy Alexander pie ŵ grated chocolate & whipped cream
Homemade profiteroles filled ŵ Bavarian cream
Steamed plum pudding ŵ warm custard
Warm chocolate mud cake ŵ whipped cream
Exotic fruit salad & ice cream
Pavlova covered in fresh fruit & whipped cream
Rich chocolate brownie ŵ berry coulis & cream
Meringue crunch layered with fruit pulp and whipped cream
Indulgent triple chocolate mousse
Berry cheesecake ŵ cream

maryteatowel1, Aug 15, 7:40pm
.or a more up market one.

Mains

Seared beef on horseradish mash ŵ garlic beans & tarragon porcini jus
Chicken breast ŵ toasted macadamia nuts & brandy cream sauce on little garlic potatoes
Lamb rack rubbed ŵ rosemary, served on gratin potatoes ŵ beans & a red currant jus
Asian style pork belly on kumara & ginger rostis ŵ Asian slaw
Hot smoked salmon on saffron couscous ŵ snow peas & a grapefruit & white wine sauce
Stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon ŵ risotto cake & roasted field mushrooms
Roasted scotch fillet ŵ gourmet buttered potatoes, wilted spinach & a mustard jus
Crispy roasted pork belly on caramelized apple ŵ sage & onion mash & slow roasted tomatoes

Salads

Bacon, spinach & rocket ŵ sundried tomatoes & bocconcini
Greek salad ŵ feta, cherry tomatoes & cucumber
Rocket ŵ poached pears, creamy blue cheese & walnuts
Caesar salad ŵ shaves of parmesan & garlic croutons
Snow peas & summer greens ŵ pecans & crumbled blue cheese or feta
Salad greens, tomato, capsicum & red onion ŵ basil pesto

Desserts

Sticky date pudding ŵ warm toffee sauce
Rich chocolate brownie ŵ berry coulis & cream
Berry cheesecake ŵ cream
Kahlua & white chocolate cheesecake
Zesty lemon tart ŵ cream
Chocolate decadence torte ŵ white chocolate sauce
White chocolate and lime cheesecake ŵ passionfruit sauce
Banoffee pie ŵ caramel sauce & cream

mackenzie2, Aug 15, 9:31pm
PEAR WALNUT & BLUE CHEESE SALAD
6 c. mixed greens (really nice with baby salad, rocket is fantastic in it)
2 pears, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. whole toastedwalnuts
1/2 c blue cheese

Mix greens and pear slices. Combine honey and lemon juice. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts & blue cheese.

mackenzie2, Aug 15, 9:38pm
MUSTARD CRUSTED BEEF
Cut excess fat and sinew off a whole fillet of beef (I use fillet or ribeye)
Dry meat with paper towels
Coat the entire top and side of beef with a wholegrain mustard.
Place into roasting dish, best to put baking paper of a drain rack in to stop
beef sticking
Put into as hot an oven as you can I cook mine at 250 degrees, and cook for 20-25 mins till just warm in the middle (I stick a knife in to check)
Rest for at least 20 mins and then serve, Never any of this left over at functions I do!

mackenzie2, Aug 15, 9:52pm
PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY
2 x 410gm tins of crushed unsweetend pineapple
3/4 cup malt vinagar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
6-8 whole cloves

Drain juice from tins, set crushed pineapple aside, add all other ingredients, bring to boil, thensimmer for 10 mins uncovered, add pineapple, bring back to boil, it should be nice and thick, if not add a little cornflour in water, cool. Keeps very well in fridge for up to 3 months. Delish with ham

iman007, Aug 16, 1:38am
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