5 Tips for a Successful Dinner Aperitif
Jun 21, 2019
Want to take advantage of summer to get together for an aperitif dinner? To avoid turning these moments into moments of stress, here are 5 tips for a successful dinner aperitif .
Tip 1: Think of everyone
Between people on diets, children who swear by chips and those who are vegetarians, it's not easy to navigate. To make your task easier, bet on a few sure bets, like chips or a quiche Lorraine, which will definitely find a buyer.
And add healthier and plant-based alternatives, grilled vegetable skewers, dips of all kinds ( ratatouille cream , artichoke cream ) in which your guests can dip vegetable sticks, breadsticks or tortillas as they wish.
For those who love charcuterie but are careful about their figure, try Beef Biltong, a dried meat with -3% fat, rich in protein; delicious and super healthy!
Tip 2: Go simple
Summer dinner aperitifs are often more relaxed than those of the end-of-year holidays. Everyone is in shorts, the cicadas are singing and no one will judge you if you offer something less elaborate than verrines from starter to dessert.
So focus on simple, seasonal recipes. As a starter, several kinds of dips and spreads to please everyone, as a main course we take the opportunity to use the barbecue, and we offer marinated meat skewers, grilled fish and vegetable skewers. For dessert, a beautiful seasonal fruit salad or a little ice cream will refresh all your guests.
Tip 3: Less diversity but more quantity
To be as efficient as possible during your preparations, focus on quantity rather than diversity. In fact, it is much simpler to prepare 5 recipes for 15 people, than 10 for 8 guests, and in the end the quantity will be the same.
So choose dishes that you can easily make in large quantities, savory tarts, cakes, homemade dips, fruit salad, skewers, etc. This way you waste less time in the kitchen.
Tip 4: Share tasks
In this case two schools compete, those who happily accept that their guests participate and those who want to make everything from A to Z.
In the first case, you can ask your friends to bring a little something, a drink, a dessert, etc. This will save you too much work in the kitchen and everyone will be able to show off their cooking skills.
In the second case, share the tasks with your other half, one takes care of the starters while the other manages the barbecue during dinner, the children can help make the skewers for example. Don't hesitate to delegate and don't put too much pressure on yourself, it's above all a moment that should be friendly for everyone.
Tip 5: Don’t forget the ice cubes
The weather is going to be nice, it's going to be hot (at least we hope so), so we're going to have to quench the thirst of all these beautiful people!
As for alcohol, it will depend on the taste of your guests, but cold beers to start the aperitif can be a good idea. For wine, there is of course the essential rosé (which you should not forget to chill for several hours before), white or red depending on your preferences. You can also bet on cocktails like the mojito (a sure value) for a tropical atmosphere, or rum flavored with passion fruit .
For soft drinks, there are of course sodas that will appeal to children, but you can also offer fruit or flower syrups for more originality, with still or sparkling water. And above all, don't forget to stock up on ice cubes because we always end up needing them.
All you have to do is enjoy these moments with friends!
