DIY Catering with Michael Chiarello
Preparing a wedding feast on your own is a cinch. Just save the gnocchi for the honeymoon
Chef and groom: The Food Network's Michael Chiarello.
No party is too big for celebrity chef Michael Chiarello to handle – not even his own wedding. When he tied the knot in 2003, the Emmy-winning host of the Food Network’s “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello” – along with a handful of chef buddies and a good-sized group of family and friends – kept all the catering duties in-house.
“My wife Eileen and I wanted our wedding to be about more than the two us,” he says. “We also wanted it to be about bringing together our two families. So we invited our moms, dads, cousins, aunts and uncles, and kids all into the kitchen to help us create the celebration from the beginning. By the time we sat down to enjoy the meal, it was really starting to feel like one big family.”
Also an award-winning vintner, the chef emerged from the vines to share – in his own words – his suggestions for a successful DIY wedding dinner:
Don’t go too big
For the average person, I think catering a wedding of 50 to 100 is reasonable, but it all depends on the style of the meal. I strongly recommend sticking to serving family-style or buffet.
Perfect your prep portions
For a sit-down dinner, I think 1-to-6 to 8 (staff to guest) is a good ratio. For a buffet you can get away with 1-to-12. As far as service and cleanup goes, 1-to-20 should be fine.
Arrange it right
If you want to do a sit-down dinner, do yourself a favor and serve it family-style. It’s a great way to bring your guests together, plus it’s going to give you a break in the kitchen. A buffet is always a great way to go as well.
Keep the menu painless
You want to avoid anything that has to be prepared last minute. Don’t do gnocchi like I did! You want to stick to dishes that get better the longer you cook them, like polentas. Trying to keep dishes cold or hot is going to kill you, so try to find dishes that are great served room temperature. You’ll also reduce stress if you stick with dishes that you can prepare days in advance, like antipasti.
I’m also a big fan of speed-scratch ingredients. If you want to do foccaccia, don’t make the dough yourself. Buy pizza dough from your local pizzeria and go from there.
Get the most impact from your foods
Buy fresh, seasonal and local ingredients that will deliver the most flavor and color; the fresher and better your ingredients, the simpler your preparations can be. Serve wine in magnums to create drama and a real sense of celebration. Wine and cheese served at the right temperature will taste a million times better.
Remember, you don’t have to do it all yourself
You’re going to save the most money if you prepare the protein course yourself. I recommend using a caterer or high-end grocery for the less-expensive grains and veggie side dishes. And don’t forget the speed-scratch [for things like dough or stock].
Make it memorable, but don’t kill yourself
Make sure you have people helping you that aren’t actually in the wedding that can stay in the kitchen the entire time. Divide and conquer; give everyone a very specific assignment like flower arrangements, setting the table, etc. The more you have to schlep the harder everything will be, so keep your party close to the kitchen. Rent everything you can. Hire all the cleanup help you can afford and have them there all day.
 |
