31 July 2011

BBQ BIRTHDAY MENU, David and Sharon Leach.

I catered for a BBQ this weekend for a great group of people that were celebrating the Birthday of David Leach. I am very proud that I was contacted by a work colleague of David's through a recommendation from a Previous Dinner Party. It is always a great feeling when I get asked to do a function through word of mouth. We initially spoke over the phone before we met at David's house near Bournemouth to talk about the menu and how the day would plan out. Both David and Sharon are very lovely people and it was a pleasure to meet them and I immediately felt at ease talking about their day and my business venture in ChefGary

David was really impressed with my previous BBQ functions from my blog and gave me a few dishes that he particularly liked to include in his menu. I came up with the rest and they were more than happy with the final choices, having allowed me a flexible budget to work with. We also chose some great desserts to finish the day off which I always love to do.

When the day came I was greeted very warmly by David and Sharon and I unloaded the food and my equipment. The weather was a bit cloudy but it soon cleared up and the sun came out, enhancing the fantastic gardens and grounds. David was very easy going and I used his own BBQ to cook on which is an amazing piece of equipment. He was a very generous host and it was a pleasure to have a beer with everyone as I cooked up the lunch menu.


Menu

On Arrival,
Crispy duck spring rolls, sweet chilli dip,
x x x
BBQ pitta bread and chilli and basil hummus.

Mains,
Whole roast loin of pork, rubbed in Chinese 5 spice and sea salt,
x x x
Chicken breast skewers, wrapped in smoked streaky bacon, marinated in honey, mustard and soy,
x x x 
BBQ Chicken drumsticks, ground cumin, paprika and brown sugar,
x x x
Chicken thighs, Tikka marinade,
x x x
Chinese 5 spice chicken wings,
x x x
Pork belly ribs, barbecue sauce,
x x x
Butchers handmade assorted pork sausages,
x x x
ChefGary's beef burgers, chilli, basil and shallots,
 x x x
 Monk fish, Parma ham and red peppers skewers,
x x x
King prawn and chorizo skewers, garlic and chilli.
x x x 
Freshly baked cheese and blush tomato bread,
x x x
Cajun potato wedges,
x x x
Celeriac coleslaw, potato salad, tossed salad,
x x x
Wild rice salad: red onion, sultanas, peppers, fresh coriander, chilli and toasted almonds.


Dessert
Banoffe, chocolate and Bailey's cheesecake
OR
Fresh strawberries and cream.

Crispy duck spring rolls
Cheese and blush tomato bread
Tikka marinated chicken thighs, pork sausages
Monkfish, Parma ham and red pepper skewers
King prawn and chorizo skewers
Chicken breast and smoked bacon, marinated in soy, honey and mustard


"The food was truly exceptional and was the highlight of the party. Everyone commented on the excellence of the food and the variety. They also said that they thought you were a perfect gentleman and helped make the party special. We hope to use you again soon and I know a lot of our guests will be in touch with you at some point to cook for them. A date for your diary will be the 20/04/2012, for our daughters wedding, at the house again, so please do provisionally book this date! You are truly exceptional and you deserve to become renowned for what you do and as we have said, everyone was raving about your food and your courteous nature"

"Thank you again for making our birthday BBQ party special" 

David and Sharon 


ChefGary
ChefGary BBQs
ChefGary Private Dinner Parties
ChefGary Weddings
ChefGary Buffets

27 July 2011

ORIENTAL STYLE BUFFET DINNER

I love all types of Asian cuisine and tonight I brought some beautiful King scallops, fresh tuna and fresh tiger prawns and planned an Oriental style dinner menu. I love using fresh ingredients, such as chilli and ginger to spice things up a bit and can't resist some hot wasabi paste and the taste of a good quality naturally brewed soy sauce. It is definitely worth  spending a little extra on a good brand as if I am buying top quality  tuna, I like it served raw and thinly sliced with soy and wasabi.

Menu

Tuna maki, 
x x x
Smoked salmon nigiri,
x x x
 King prawn nigiri, 
x x x
Tuna sashimi, 
x x x
Soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.
x x x
Seared King scallops, spring onion, chilli, ginger and honey,
x x x
Stir fried noodles, chilli, garlic, red peppers, bean sprouts and soy sauce.






Private Dinner Parties
ChefGary Weddings

26 July 2011

PREVIOUS DINNER PARTIES

When I cater for Dinner Parties, I like to take a few photos and produce a little write up from each one  to capture a few memories. On this page, I have listed previous dinner parties with direct links to the full menu below each picture. Each and every menu is bespoke to the host and tailored especially for them. You may gain inspiration from browsing through or I am happy to work together with you to design your own specific menu.



Click the text below each picture for full menus.

Dinner Party, Noel and Michelle Reidy
Dinner Party, Simon Bowman
Dinner Party, Noel and Michelle Reidy, Jan 2012
Dinner Party, Eleanor Willcox
Dinner Party, Margaret Brown
Dinner Party, James and Sharon Sothcott
Dinner Party, Liesl Devereux
Dinner Party, Gary Connolly
Dinner Party, Amanda Cooper
Dinner Party for Joanna and Ian
Dinner Party, Helen Black
Dinner Party, louise Bush, Dec 2012
Dinner Party, Sharon Sothcott.

Dinner Party, Mark and Cindy Billington, November
Dinner Party for Karen Brown
Dinner Party for Jules and Sue, November
Dinner Party for Noel and Michelle Reidy

Dinner Party for Paul and Lorna Benton
Dinner party for Patrick and Tania Trant
Dinner party for Eliza Ferguson 

25 July 2011

PRIVATE DINNER PARTY, SUNDAY LUNCH BANQUET

I have catered for a few events previously for Patrick and Tania Trant, including providing chilli, rice and condiments for a new years eve party and also providing bacon rolls, hot soup, coffee and biscuits for an event at Norman Court Stud. My most recent event with them was to provide the catering for a Sunday lunch Banquet for eight persons. When I come to do a Private Dinner Party it is a great way to ensure providing top quality food and service while being able to relax in your own home and enjoy the occasion. 


Menu

Canapes
Smoked salmon on granary toast, lemon, black pepper and fresh dill.
x x x
Pork chipolatas, honey, mustard and sesame glaze.
x x x 
Individual Parma ham and asparagus quiche.
x x x
Quails eggs with celery salt.

ChefGary's freshly made cheese and spring onion bread.

Main-course
Roast rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding, red wine and rosemary gravy.
Dauphinoise potatoes, roast potatoes, glazed baby carrots, mashed swede and parsnips, 
Saute green beans with bacon and shallots.

Dessert
Chocolate orange cheese cake, raspberry coulis,
or
Meringue, chantilly cream and summer berries.

Cheese course
Mature cheddar, Stilton, Brie and French rouille,
Celery, apples, red grapes, caramelized onion chutney.



Canapes
Cheese and spring onion bread
Roast rib of beef, Yorkshire puddings.
Cheese board

24 July 2011

PRIVATE DINNER PARTY, Hen night


I hold great pride in the fact that my business is growing through word of mouth and every event that I have catered for has come by recommendation. I have used my Website and Blog purely as a base to show people what I can do. I recently received a phone call enquiry for a private dinner party which was due to a search engine hit on my Dinner Party Page. I was really chuffed that I had a potential new client and I was really excited when the booking was confirmed and I helped design a menu with the host to fit the occasion. The menu was to be for nine hens that were celebrating a hen night with a glamorous dinner at home.

I had to travel to a little village just outside of Basingstoke and was totally in awe as I drove up the drive of a beautiful old house with plenty of character and amazingly attractive gardens. I received a very warm welcome and was shown to a lovely kitchen where I unpacked all the food, crockery and cooking utensils. In the kitchen I was shown a beautifully kept Swedish designed AGA oven which was a first for me as although I am familiar with the concept of them I have never had the opportunity to use one before. I had the greatest pleasure of having a huge work space to make use of and I got to grips with the AGA oven until the ladies were ready for dinner. They were all very hospitable and friendly and I was looking forwards to delivering the first course.



Menu

Canapes,
Smoked salmon on granary toast, lemon, black pepper and fresh dill,
King prawns, sweet chilli sauce, crisp iceberg lettuce.

Starter,
Burrata cheese, Parma ham and roasted figs on baby leaves, 
toasted pecans, honey and lemon vinaigrette.
x x x
Freshly made bread, blush tomatoes, spring onion and cheddar.


Main-course,
Char grilled chicken breast, marinated with garlic, fresh basil and virgin olive oil.
Crushed rosemary new potatoes, 
Roasted baby carrots, char grilled asparagus spears and green beans saute with pancetta.


Dessert,
Trio of desserts,
Lemon brulee, white chocolate and fresh minted cheesecake, honeycomb and cinnamon ice cream.



Canapes
Burrata cheese, Parma ham, figs, toasted pecans, baby leaves, honey and lemon vinaigrette.
Blush tomato, spring onion and cheddar bread.
Char grilled chicken, marinated with garlic, fresh basil and virgin olive oil.
Trio of desserts.
Fruit carvings

Thank you to Susan and Eliza Ferguson for being very welcoming on my arrival and thank you for all the positive feedback. I am really pleased that you enjoyed my cooking and it makes all the effort that I put in so rewarding. I hope to cook for you again in the near future.



"Dear Gary ,
Thank you for being such a star and providing such a delicious dinner for the ' Hens ' they all loved it , and they so enjoyed the evening totally made by having their own personal Chef who far surpassed all their expectations. Thank you also for leaving my kitchen so immaculately! We all loved looking at your photos and your lovely write up"
Sarah Ferguson, Hen Party Dinner, Dummer.