In Episode 28 of Food Matters well-renowned Chef, TV Cook, and Food Media Broadcaster Aisling Larkin brings a very interesting feature this week about Catering an Event at Home - a Garden Party, Communion, Confirmation or even a Retirement Party Food Matters is brought to you thanks to Jack Molloy & Son Craft Butchers, Barrack Street, Waterford.Catering an Event at HomeFirstly, decide on your numbers. How many people can you comfortably entertain at home?BudgetDecide whether you are going to have a buffet or a sit-down mealAlways check in about allergiesBook your catering if you are planning to have caterers. You will need to book these well in advance.Get invites readyBook entertainment: entertainment can get easily booked out in advance.  Table Setting. TablescapingCreate those Restaurant VibesTable linens - cater hire, editions, the design tableFlowers - spring flowers - discount supermarkets have gorgeous flowers that work -  high vase and low rose but style ones ( in jam jars )Napkin - spring of rosemary or lavender, place name and ties with twine or ribbon. Always 3ply not 2, disposable rolls (Zara, H &M, Mango)Podiums Lay out all the dishes on different heights or podiums. Turn bowls and little boxes upside down, hide them under the table linens and then perch things on top.Keeping food warm is tricky, that is why having plenty of salad sides and cold carbs is a great idea.Glasses - a united set of wine glasses and a nice wine glass makes all the difference … you can rent them for about €2 each - €65 for 36 of them  - makes all the difference. Candles again high and low with more tea light style ones as the evening draws in. Setting Up a Bar - very much depends on how many you haveDon’t forget the ice Leave a measure/jigger - or a few around if you are letting people self-pour.Don’t take out the spirits until later.The choice is cocktail, wine, sparkling water and non-alcoholic versions of each and some beers. On Arrival - back to the event - the signature cocktailHugo Spritz - 20mls elderflower cordial, 20mls gin, mint, ice, 100mls Prosecco and 20mls soda waterWater - jugs of water -  flavour with grapefruit and mint, lemon and lime, ice and sparkling water. Nibbles On ArrivalCharcuterie board3 cheese - soft - brie, hard -  gruyere, emmental, manchego, cheddar, smoked and a blueMeats -  prosciutto, parma, mortadella and chorizoCrackers   - Sheridan’s and Dunne’s - simply better rangePesto, tapenade,Fruit - figs, grapes, apples or pears. Hummus boardsHummus, double duty - roast off big trays of Mediterranean vegetables - olive oil, season well. Allow it to cool.Beautiful wooden boards, platters, dollops, hollow, oil, cumin. Season and then spoon veg on top, garnish with some edible flowers - violaBasket of bread and crackersSourdough, an interesting one with a flavour and a delicious homemade treacle and Guinness brown breadSmoked salmon on brown bread, smoked onion mayo, capers and red onionWhen you are laying this out, have small side plates for people to take, napkins. Main MealCook and freeze aheadBig ham boil and glazeSide of salmon - soy and maple glaze, cream cheese, pomegranate and mint tarragon and parsleyChicken traybake - cut the chicken fillets in half in a creamy smoked bacon and rosemary saucePork and Juniper Stroganoff - get the butcher to prepare the pork, make a day in advance in the slow cooker  -  Thursday night for Saturday  -  cover, chill and reheat. Serve them both with ricePappardelle pasta with roast Mediterranean vegetables, parmesan and pesto on the side - same roast vegetables as the hummus boards.Big green saladCucumber saladPotato and Jammy egg salad with watercress  Butcher Boxes - umami duck, wagyu beef box, roast beef box, pulled pork boxJames Whelan - 35 days Salt Aged BeefThis 35-day, Himalayan Salt-Aged grass-fed beef is epic in every way. Be the legend who blows people away with the joy of it. Salt Aged Beef ages over 35 days in Peter’s Salt Chamber, a 12ft solid wall of Hand cut Himalayan Rock Salt Bricks. This results in only one thing – beef of exceptional quality with a truly unique flavour. Dry Age / Salt Rubbed BeefStriploin Roast On-the-Bone 2.5kg€65.00FRENCH DRESSED 5 BONE RIB OF BEEF, 3.5KG APPROX (Serves 10, generously. We suggest carving it at the table for maximum entertainment and drama!The dry-aged process intensifies the flavour and tenderness to give you the perfect meal every time.) How to Roast a Big Joint of BeefCore Temperatures – Out of Oven (After Resting)Rare 48-50oC (52-54oC)Medium-Rare 52-54oC (56-58oC)Medium 58-60oC (60-62oC)Take the core temperature with a thermometer from the very centre of the meat.Bring the meat to room temperatureRemove your Fore Rib of Beef from the packaging and pat dry with kitchen paper. Allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.Preheat your oven and seasonPreheat your oven to 230oC/210oC fan oven/gas mark 8. Season the meat liberally just before cooking. Brush the meat generously with oil and place fat side up into a large, heavy-based roasting tray.Cook to your likingFor a medium-rare joint, place in the centre of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180oC / 160oC fan/gas mark 4. Continue roasting for 15 minutes per 500g until a core temperature of 52oC is reached before resting by checking with a meat thermometer.Rest, Rest, RestRemove from the oven, put onto a clean tray and keep warm, covering with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes before carving.Carve, Serve & Enjoy! Foodie Focal Point - One talking point Taco barChocolate fountainDonut hole wallIce cream bar -  espresso, limoncelloCoffee bar ( for the adults ) affogato, Irish coffee, syrups One or two nice serving platters, beg, borrow, steal….Decant from the containers you bought them fromGarnish - edible flowers, pea shoots    WineCrémant  -  instead of prosecco  -  Crémant is a category of French sparkling wines that are produced using the same traditional method as Champagne, yet from other regions, and often leaning on grapes other than the Big Three of the world's most famous bubbly (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier).Made by a secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle — as opposed to in a pressurized tank, as is the case in the Charmat method most famously employed for Prosecco — in order to convert the still wine into sparkling. This lends depth and complexity to the wine, as well as pastry and bakery-like notes from the extended contact with the yeast, which the law stipulates has to occur for a minimum of nine months prior to disgorgement or clearing the individual bottles of that spent yeast. White - Touraine - French Sauvignon Blanc - really nice, Pinot GrigioRed - Pinot Noir , Beaujolais Please, please don’t overfill glasses. Playlist - Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Imelda May, Hozier, Sade, Katie Mellua, Lana de Ray, Ray La Montagne, Fleetwood Mac, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald  AllergiesA few lactose free breads and a few plant based milksKeep at one main dish vegetarian and one salad Finishing TouchesDon’t dress salads - leave little jam jars of salad dressings beside each saladDecant from bottles into little jarsTwinkly fairy lights …. Around the platters.One or two signature serving bowls - wooden salad bowls, gorgeous water jugsTake home leftover boxes  MenuCharcturie boards, Hummus Boards, smoked salmon brown breadA Classic Creamy Smoked Bacon & Rosemary Chicken Traybake with Basmati Rice,Pork & Juniper Stroganoff with Herby Buttered PappardelleRoast Vegetable Pasta with Creamy Mascarpone and Basil PestoClassic decorated Chocolate Biscuit Cake perfect for the occasion. Brownie Tower Pork & Juniper Stroganoff:3 kg pork shoulder, cut into thin strips4 tbsp olive oil4 onions, finely chopped8 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp juniper berries, crushed4 tbsp tomato paste4 cups of beef stock4 cups of sour creamSalt and freshly ground black pepperChopped fresh parsley, to garnishIngredients for Herby Buttered Pappardelle:2 kg pappardelle pasta1 cup unsalted butter, melted1 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, and chives)Salt and freshly ground black pepperInstructions :Preheat the oven to 160° In a large ovenproof casserole dish, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork strips in batches and cook until browned. Remove the pork from the casserole dish and set it aside.Add the onions to the casserole dish and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and juniper berries and cook for another minute.Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer.Return the pork to the casserole dish and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3-4 hours, until the pork is very tender.Remove the casserole dish from the oven and stir in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.To make the herby buttered pappardelle, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss with the melted butter and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve the stroganoff hot over the herby buttered pappardelle. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.Instructions for preparing in advance:Cook the stroganoff and pasta according to the recipe above.Allow the stroganoff and pasta to cool completely, then transfer to separate airtight containers.Refrigerate the stroganoff and pasta for up to 2 days.On the day of the event, preheat the oven to 180° Transfer the stroganoff to an ovenproof dish and cover with foil.Bake the stroganoff in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until heated through.Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss with the melted butter and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve the hot stroganoff over the herby buttered pappardelle. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.  Chocolate Biscuit CakeIngredients:500g of butter800g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces4 cans (1.4kg) sweetened condensed milk600g digestive biscuits, roughly broken300g malted milk biscuits, roughly broken10 Mars bars, chopped into small pieces300g Maltesers20 Crunchie bars, chopped into small piecesInstructions :Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform cake tin with butter and line with parchment paper.In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir until well combined.Remove the saucepan from heat and add the broken digestive biscuits, malted milk biscuits, Mars bars, Malteasers, and chopped Crunchie bars. Stir well until all ingredients are fully coated in the chocolate mixture.Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, pressing down firmly with a spatula or the back of a spoon to make sure there are no air pockets.Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until firm.Once the cake has set, remove it from the tin and transfer it to a serving plate.If desired, decorate the top of the cake with additional Malteasers and pieces of Crunchie bars.Slice the cake into 20 pieces and serve. Enjoy!This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, making it a great make-ahead dessert for catering events. Just be sure to remove the cake from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature and soften slightly, which will make it easier to slice and serve.

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