Dinner party main dish advice
January 17, 2016 8:38 AM   Subscribe

Ms. Outfielder and I are having trouble coming up with a main dish for a small dinner party we are hosting. Pescatarian, low-carb.

Hosting another couple, so dinner for 4. We have a soup course worked out, and sides won't be a problem, but we are stuck on the main dish. We don't want it to be a soup, stew, or casserole. It can be any fish that's available wild and fresh in Portland, OR right now, which probably means whitefish like sole or true cod. (Although delicious, we don't want to serve Dungeness crabs, too messy). Or, it can be something vegetarian and low-carb. Any ideas? I'm a decent cook, so it doesn't have to be super simple, but it's not Le Bernardin up in our kitchen, so please no all-day massively complicated recipes. Thanks!
posted by outfielder to Food & Drink (21 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Spaghetti squash is my go to low carb main dish, with any sauce you'd use on pasta. I just stab one a couple times, throw in the oven for an hour, cut in half scoop out seeds. One squash per couple.
posted by WesterbergHigh at 8:42 AM on January 17, 2016


I'm sorry, but it is impossible to make a great suggestion without knowing the rest of the menu! We need to know what other flavores, temperatures, and textures are at play. Please update :))
posted by jbenben at 8:44 AM on January 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


A whole fish baked in a salt crust? Very delicious, simple yet impressive presentation. Retains all the juices, without imparting too much salty flavour. http://nymag.com/listings/recipe/whole-fish-baked-in-salt/

Ottolenghi's Portobello mushrooms stuffed with melting tallegio? https://theyearofplenty.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/stuffed-portobello-with-melting-tallegio/
posted by travellingincognito at 8:45 AM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


If you can get sole, look up sole meuniere, either classic or crusted with ground almonds, easy as pie. Best cooked in butter, though, but peanut oil would be OK.
posted by beagle at 8:48 AM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I absolutely love this bass with potato-cauliflower puree. It's super easy to make and scale up for a dinner party. The one time I served it to guests they loved it, and even though I planned to have leftovers, there weren't any! You can substitute any white fish and omit the potatoes from the mash or substitute other root vegetables like turnips. It goes great with so many different sides. I love sauteed spinach, roasted brussels sprouts or an arugula salad.
posted by stripesandplaid at 8:48 AM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


A vegetable lasagna sounds great for about now if that does not = casserole. Bonus - can and actually should be made a day ahead. There are so many good lasagna asks and they usually include Molly Katzen's Mushroom version, a Butternut Squash version, and zucchini is one of my favorites. Can be as fancy as you want - homemade ricotta and fresh sauce or right from the grocery depending on your preferences. Homemade noodles would be awesome.

On preview - Ottolenghi's mushrooms sound amazing!

Another fun presentation is a stuffed pumpkin with really any kind of stuffing that you like - looks beautiful on the table and on slices on the plate.
posted by RoadScholar at 8:48 AM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


I always make a big Quiche Lorraine in situations like this. Smitten Kitchen has some great quiche recipes. I really like her butternut squash galette recipe.
posted by sockermom at 8:54 AM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: jbenben, we have a lot of soups and sides in our repertoire, so we can craft those around whatever the main is. That said, if the flavors work out we will probably do a carrot-ginger soup and a wild rice/farro/feta salad.
posted by outfielder at 8:55 AM on January 17, 2016


Miso cod, maybe with super-garlicky sauteed greens and hasselback sweet potatoes or butternut squash puree.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:09 AM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


If you can get a meaty fish, you can do a baked fish with a nutty topping. My recipe (in a book, not online) is for pecans and halibut but I have done it with macadamia and monchong (in Hawaii).

Other ideas would be a Veracruz style fish prep or a red curry fish.
posted by vunder at 9:10 AM on January 17, 2016


Ina Garten's Mustard Roasted Fish is yummy and easy.
posted by cecic at 9:17 AM on January 17, 2016


Best answer: The main problem is the time of year. I want to go Asian and light against a carrot ginger soup, but it's winter, dammit, and I want hearty fare!

For 4 people? I think you can marinate and broil a slab of wild salmon (2.5lbs, center cut) and be fabulous. Some kind of soy/mirin/garlic/ginger marinade, then broil, grill, or roast. Crispy skin is nice. You can make a reduction with the leftover marinade (add extra white wine, sake, or similar) and make a beurre blanc sauce for the fish.

Or go fried - any white fleshed fish all the way from almond crusted pan fried to batter dipped and deep fried.

Crispy. Whatever is fresh at the market, make it crispy.

For some reason... Panko or Almond meal crusted large scallops come to mind. Sake wasabi beurre blanc for Panko, or something pomegranate or cherry or citrus if you go almond.

Google gave me a pomegranate, soy, balsamic sauce for scallops. Sorry no link.

Hope that helps!
posted by jbenben at 9:18 AM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


What about just a whole fish baked/steamed in the oven? Something simple and pure to match elegant sides and the rich soup. A cod would be delicious: put it in a buttered or oiled dish, with a couple of carrots and the whites of two leeks. Salt and pepper. Add a large glas of white wine, a bay-leaf and then cover the dish with foil. Cooking time depends on the size of your fish (ask the fishmonger), but from 30 minutes upward. Simple cooking which lets you focus on the guests.

I make a sauce in two minutes by mixing the juices from the pan over heat with a very large spoonful of the grainy dijon mustard and maybe some extra butter.

If your fish is a cod, I'd buy one big enough to have left-overs for a brandade-ish dish the next day. I'd save the leeks and carrots for a side for that meal - cut them up in smaller bits and marinade them in a mustard vinaigrette.
posted by mumimor at 9:28 AM on January 17, 2016


Not sure if this goes against your no casserole rule, but this is my go-to vegetarian main dish recipe: Butternut squash gratin with goat cheese and hazelnuts. I have never had a situation when people did not go crazy for this dish. It is a fair number of steps, but it can be assembled beforehand.
posted by peacheater at 9:29 AM on January 17, 2016 [6 favorites]


Best answer: Can you barbecue? This is our family salmon recipe. Lay out a large filet. Drench in lemon. Chop one clove of elephant garlic with fresh dill equal to four tablespoons, chop this fine in olive oil so the garlic and dill are oiled and impart their flavor in the oil. Cover the salmon filet from one end to the other with the dill and garlic. Grind black pepper lightly over the top, and sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over the whole thing. Put hickory smoke chips in a shallow bowl of water but covered, microwave on high for two minutes.

Put the wet chips in the propane grill, turn it on high. When the grill is hot and full of smoke, lay the filet on the grill and shut the lid for two minutes, then turn the grill down low, with a little foil bowl of water inside. Bake until the salmon bounces back and you can feel it is cooked through. But, it should be moist, cooked like a custard. This is very good. It can also just be baked in your oven, or broiled. Start in a hot oven 425 for two minutes, then drop to 325, until the fish is just barely cooked through. It should be moist, yet falling apart. Overcooking ruins it.

This recipe can also be made with choped fresh basil instead of dill, and can have less garlic for the averse.
posted by Oyéah at 10:21 AM on January 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


Chioppino!

You can make it with all sorts of firm fleshed fish and shellfish. It's easy and delicious. Serve with salad and a ton of sourdough bread.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:54 PM on January 17, 2016


Sweat a sweet onion, a fennel bulb, a red pepper (all sliced thin), a few cloved of garlic in olive oil. Add a can of Italian plum tomatoes. Pour over a cod filet & bake, 400F for about 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness of filet. Hearty & satisfying.
posted by mr vino at 5:21 PM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Check out the Flying Fish Company for fish and seafood that is fresh and in season. There are some great recipes on their website, and they also sell some sauces and accompaniments. They're not the cheapest, but their staff are knowledgeable and helpful.
posted by finding.perdita at 11:19 PM on January 17, 2016


I would do a slab is whatever fish looks good, baked, and covered with whatever spice/topping works with your theme. And if you have time, I would make a trial run beforehand because sometimes fish is tricky if you haven't done it before. I bake my fish with a variety of seasonings. Dry rub barbecue spice is really, really good on fresh fish, believe it or not. Also, spicy mustard mixed with honey. Italian breadcrumbs with garlic and capers. Spicy Cajun seasoning. There are tons of options.

I cover a sheet pan with foil and sprinkle with olive oil. Lay out the filet(s) and then I usually cover the fish with my spice mix, or mix up a 'basting sauce' with olive oil and spices and cover it with that. Use a heavy hand, you really can't use too much unless you are adding a lot of salt and heat. Bake for 35 minutes at 350, take it out and let it sit for just a couple of minutes. That's it! Good luck!
posted by raisingsand at 11:27 AM on January 18, 2016


How about [Rainbow] Trout Almondine?

I've done this for both simple home dinners and flashy dinner parties. The oodles of butter with browned almonds make a really simple dish quite schmick. And the trout has such a distinct yet delicate flavour you're halfway there just with your choice of fish.
posted by prettypretty at 7:23 PM on January 18, 2016


Response by poster: *Drool*. Looks like we are going to have to have a bunch of dinner parties, so many delicious-looking answers. I'll let y'all know what we try for this one.
posted by outfielder at 12:53 PM on January 19, 2016


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