I’m a feeder, you all know that by now right? So when kitchenless, you take those feeding opportunities wherever you can find them. Even in the midst of hen party weekend madness….
Ten hungry hens on a Bank Holiday Sunday after a night of prosecco & Saturday Night Fever dancing is about as demanding a food tribe as possible, but I was up for the challenge. Instead of ordering in a takeout I volunteered to go shopping and rustle up a feast! As most of my supper club pals will attest, it takes a bit of time to think up a menu so doing it on the hangover hoof in my head was a bit of a challenge. Most dishes needed to be cold for ease, some hens adored bread, some found it troublesome, we’d a prawn hater, a fish lover and a veggie, plus plenty of good carbs were required to soak up the alcohol of Hen Games Night. No hugely awkward eaters, thank goodness.
Si’s Chester Caf opened for business…..
For ten of us, with all the food, oil, salt & pepper grinders & cookies, plus taxi, my shopping bill came to £120 for ten courses plus treats. Limited to a supermarket shop – after I wrote this last week as well!! – here was my menu:
- Cheesy baked gnocchi (2 supermarket packs) with parmesan, aged reserve cheddar & a cheatin’ Loyd Grossman sauce
- Garlic & creamed mushrooms. Intended to have parsley, lost it in the taxi.
- Line caught yellow fin tuna (2 steaks) & wild pacific salmon (4 steaks), marinated in lemon juice, pan fried and served on a watercress salad
- Chargrilled asparagus with hollandaise (2 packs asparagus)
- Watermelon, avocado & feta salad
- Grilled halloumi
- Garlic buttered king prawns (special offer on fish counter, couldn’t resist)
- Charred pepper hummus & pittas (no food processor, had to add to shop bought, better if you make your own)
- Seared pink duck breast on rice with a chilli & coriander dressing (4 Gressingham breasts)
- Fajita peppers, plus chicken fajitas (least successful dish, a bit too spicy & I didn’t have any soured cream)
Pretty much every everything was devoured and my hens clucked contentedly, feeling full and healthy. I like to put the fact that none of us suffered shocker hangovers the next day down to all the super foods we ate! Either that or it was the fruit in Donna’s Gin Punch.
It’s entirely possible to nail this menu in four hours including shopping, with accompanying gin punch, using one frying pan and two oven proof dishes. Clearly the gnocchi decor is optional, as is the prosecco hangover from the night before, though a little numbness always helps when faced with a mountain of food to prep 😉
I loved being back in the kitchen! Made me yearn for my finished cooking space and a huge range oven, with a sink and fridge within vision – oh the luxury 😉
Leave a Reply