With larger groups getting everyone to restaurant can be a challenge and even the most enthusiastic cooks like a night off every now and then!
Eating in with everything brought in, cooked, served and importantly the dishes done typically costs around the same as a middle level restaurant meal.
We can put you in touch with a local catering company that will tailor make a menu for you from a one night dinner to catering all week to make your holiday even more special.
Here are some menu items to get the tastebuds going:
First Courses
- Goats cheese on brioche croute and green leaves
- Chicken Parfait (similar to pate) with fig & red onion chutney, baked baguette
- Tomatoes and mozzarella cheese with French dressing
- Local mussels*
- Risotto balls and pesto** cream
- Spiced honey glazed Haloumi & fig salad
- Crostini ricotta and balsamic cherry tomato
- Local prawns, lemon and Marie Rose sauce
- Jerusalem artichoke and potato soup
Main Courses
- Vegetable or Lamb Moussaka and tomato salad
- Whole baked Salmon in salt crust with minted new ratte potatoes and pea salad
- Gujarat vegetable curry, pilaff rice, coconut dahl and nan bread
- Corn fed local chicken and Forestier sauce, parmentier potatoes, tomato and basil salad
- Tomato risotto with mascarpone and courgette flower fritters
- Mushroom carbonara (pasta) with salad
- Beef sausages and mash potatoes
- Baked meatballs in basil tomato sauce and orecchiette pasta, pickled summer salad
- Baked ricotta and pine nut** cannelloni and frizzy lettuce and green tomato salad
Deserts
- Tarte Tatin, crème fraiche
- Cherry Bakewell Tart
- Profiterole and chocolate sauce
- Crème brulee and raspberry sorbet
- Panna cotta with pineau* macerated strawberries
- White chocolate Charlotte mousse with pistachio tuille
- Grand Marnier Souffle*
- Sticky toffee pudding and caramel cream sauce
- Tiramisu*
- Sticky baked figs with 10-year-old balsamic and crème fraiche
- Crepes suzette*
Another popular option is a family banqueting setup. This includes a themed menu, with a number of dishes from which guests help themselves from the beautifully arranged dining table. These are set up in such a way that each guest can help themselves with ease and comfort from wherever they are seated.
All dishes are home-made, using fresh local ingredients.
This will be followed by a dessert, fruit and cheese grazing table, is set up to allow guests to help themselves after the meal. There will always be a selection of at least three desserts, a variety of seasonal fruit and local cheeses.
Here are three Banquet ideas and a selection of desserts.
Traditional Local
Slow roasted shoulder Of Charentaise Lamb, with a herb crust.
Roasted free range chicken, marinated overnight in a tarragon, lemon and thyme garlic butter.
Caramelised onion and aged Comte tart.
Baked beetroot, Pomme Dauphinoise, new season broad beans (buttered and minted), fresh local spinach, steamed baby carrots, minted new potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, herb and watercress salad, roasted rosemary and garlic new potatoes.
Vietnamese
Traditional Goi Cuon Vietnamese pancake banquet
This is a traditional self assembly pancake banquet, similar to the Chinese Peking duck, but with many more elements, fillings, sauces and fresh herbs. Its also served with rice and noodles, so presents unlimited possibilities.
Vietnamese BBQ chicken
Vietnamese slow roasted duck
Vietnamese BBQ lemongrass beef
Whole prawns
Rice pancakes, crispy lettuce, fresh mint and coriander, rice noodles, crispy black bean and chilli sauce, cucumber, carrots, spring onion, bean sprouts, watercress steamed rice and a selection of dipping sauces.
Vietnamese chicken spring rolls
Fried Vietnamese pepper and lime chicken wings
Chinese/Thai
Crispy Duck Bao buns, with herb salad
Free range Chinese roast soy chicken
Thai roasted cauliflower Laab Salad
Crispy chilli beef dan dan noodles
Chinese pan fried chicken bao bun dumplings
Chinese BBQ chicken wings
Pak Choi with oyster sauce and crispy garlic
Thai prawn and chicken rice noodle salad
Steamed Rice
Vegetable chow mien
Deserts
Lemon Merengue pie
Raspberry cheesecake
Apple Pie
Tarte au citron
Profiteroles with chocolate or caramel sauce
Fruit salad
Rhubarb Crumble
Eaton Mess
Gallette de roi (local marzipan tart)
Chocolate tart
Sample Cheese
Brie De Meaux
Aged Compte
Brillat Savarin
Papillion Roquefort
Pave de Larzac
Neufchatel
Saint Felicien
A selection of local goats and sheeps cheese from our local artisan producer.
Served with local sourdough bread, home made water biscuits, grapes, dried fruit, celery, apples, fig jam and home made chutney.
Lunch option
Local Chaudre Charentaise (fish chowder)
Smoked Haddock and Leek Quiche
Home made Beef Burgers with all the trimmings
Caramelised onion quiche
Whole Baked Salmon
Potato Salad
Greek salad
Home fries
Moules Marinieres / Eclade (cooked traditionally in pine needles)
Local Oysters