There are many types of catering businesses; some choose to specialise in a certain area while others opt to cater for any occasion. Regardless of your business direction a catering company’s main objective is to deliver quality food to an event.
Whereas a restaurant has the premises to provide a place to dine and all dishes are eaten as soon as they are cooked, catering businesses will usually operate from either their own commercial premises, from a specially built kitchen attached to their own home or may utilise any available kitchen space at the hosting venue.
Deciding on your catering menu will mainly be swayed by the theme of the event e.g. BBQ, hog roast, wedding or buffet etc. and the premises that you work from or are available to you. If you are working from the venue’s kitchen area then the available choice of dishes is vast. You do not have to worry about the dishes retaining their heat during transportation or how the length of time that they must stand for will affect the final taste and texture. If on the other hand you prepare your dishes off site and have to transport the menu to the venue and then keep it heated at the optimum temperature you will have limitations as to what you can serve if you still wish to retain the quality of the dishes.
Some food items, once prepared and cooked should be eaten immediately; these items should be steered clear of especially if you want to offer high standard and quality menu items. Other foods, which are ideal for prior cooking followed by transportation, allow you to still retain the full flavour and perfect texture even after being boxed up and taken to the venue.
If you do not want to rely on trial and error, therefore a few unsatisfied customers, as to what items travel and maintain perfection the following lists may give you some ideas as to what works well for off site catering and what doesn’t. If some items catch your eye then you may want to experiment and add your own unique and personal twist to a traditional dish.
Certain dishes are simply not suited to off site catering menus for many different reasons. Some recipes may require a degree of last minute preparation that is impossible once you have arrived at the venue. Some foods may dry out if not consumed quickly and others may become soggy when they are left to sit in their own juices. Offering certain meats can play havoc with the perfection of cooking. If they are allowed to stand for too long and are left to be warmed in a chafing dish for example, they will become overcooked and generally too dry, tough and chewy to be pleasurable. Other dishes which may produce a wonderful aroma whilst cooking may contain ingredients that, when left to stand for a length of time, just smell bad. The customers will be put off by all these aspects and the reputation of your catering business may take a knock that it cannot recover from.
Some menu choices that are generally advised to steer clear of can have exceptions to the rule and by utilising certain tricks of the trade you may be able to make them work for your off site catering menu.
Food to avoid; rice
Reasons; when rice is reheated or left to stand for a length of time it may become either too dry or too mushy.
Exceptions; take a portable stove to the venue and a pan with the rice and the correct amount of water. Cook the rice on site to achieve the perfect fresh texture.
Food to avoid; hot pasta
Reasons; pasta, when reheated or left in a warmer will become overcooked and leave a dry chewy texture.
Exceptions; pasta dishes, such as lasagne, will be kept moist by the sauce. Alternatively, as with the rice, you can cook noodles or spaghetti on site and add the sauce before serving.
Food to avoid; fried foods
Reasons; fried foods become cold quickly and the grease will make the ingredients soggy.
Exception; if frying on site is not an option you may need to blast chill the fried food and transport it to the venue in an aerated container thus reducing any condensation. Once at the venue a steam table pan or fried food warmer with a ventilated lid can be used to restore the item to perfection.
Food to avoid; hot seafood
Reasons; fish can easily be overcooked, losing its perfect texture. Also, if fish is allowed to sit in a warmer for an extended period of time it will fill the venue with a strong fishy smell.
Exception; by using a portable grill you can prepare fish freshly on site, or you can make crab cakes that will not succumb to the previously stated problems.
Food to avoid; hot vegetables
Reasons; vegetables are easily overcooked and will become mushy and tasteless.
Exception; slightly under cook any vegetables before transporting. Once they are in the warmer the cooking process should be completed. If this doesn’t occur it is better to have fresh, crunchy and crispy vegetables that are full of flavour rather than tasteless mush.
Food to avoid; lamb, prime rib and most red meats
Reasons; achieving the perfect texture in meats requires precision and the dish should be ideally consumed immediately. If a piece of meat is allowed to rest for too long it will become cold and if it is sliced too soon the juices will escape causing the meat to dry out.
Exception; by taking a portable griddle to the venue you will be able to cook the meats perfectly on site. If this isn’t possible due to time constraints, sear the meat before transportation to the venue and then finish them off on site.
Food to avoid; risotto
Reasons; the consistency of a perfect risotto is difficult to achieve and if allowed to sit for too long it will become cold quickly and turn to mush.
Exceptions; if risotto must be on the menu you will have to cook it on site on a portable stove. The dish should be cooked to order and not made in bulk.
Now that you understand which dishes don’t keep well for catering menus due to drying out or overcooking, you should discover which foods are ideally suited to off site catering menus as they are able to retain their full flavour for a length of time. Do not be lured, however, into a false sense of security when choosing these foods as even they can sometimes go wrong. The following guidelines show which foods work well and why, but also highlight any precautions that should be taken with each dish.
Food item; salads, fruit, pasta and fish, either served chilled or at room temperature
Advantages; these items do not need to retain a heated temperature therefore will not overcook or dry out.
Precautions; cold food can wilt, especially lettuce and other leafy greens. Cucumber can also begin to dry out over a considerable length of time. Fruit that is sliced can turn brown as oxidisation occurs, however orange or lemon juice can act as a preservative to slow this process down.
Food item; chilli or soups
Advantages; chilli often tastes better when left to stand for a while and soups cannot be overcooked or dry out. When a soup is heated over a long period of time it may become thicker in consistency however this can be remedied by adding in a little water.
Precautions; as the soup or chilli stands in the warmer a skin layer can form over the top, so regular stirring is necessary.
Food item; curries, stir fries and any other Asian dish with sauce
Advantages; the sauce will keep the meat and other ingredients soft and moist and adding herbs and spices will give a fuller aroma and mask any problems that may arise.
Precautions; the longer the dish is heated the more the strength of the spices will infuse the sauce making the recipe hotter and hotter.
Food item; braised meats
Advantages; the cooking process means that these foods will retain heat and water perfectly during transportation and until they are served.
Precautions; once these items are transferred to a chafing dish the lid should be kept on as much as possible. The continued heat may cause a little dryness. To remedy this problem if it arises simply baste the meat occasionally in its own juices.
Food item; BBQ
Advantages; using chicken or pork as your BBQ meats, means that overcooking is difficult. Adding a marinade or a BBQ sauce will help to retain moisture.
Precautions; depending on how you want your BBQ to be presented will influence how you warm the items once located at the venue. If you require softer meats, keep the chafing dish covered to retain steam and juices. If you want to serve crispier BBQ items you will need to leave the chafing dish uncovered.
Food item; chicken
Advantages; chicken can be reheated and is difficult to overcook.
Precautions; chicken on its own can seem bland and unadventurous so ensure that it is well seasoned or served with an accompanying sauce.
Food item; filet mignon
Advantages; the tender beef should be served rare so will not overcook when to be stored in a warmer.
Precautions; drying out of the meat could become an issue with the lack of fat on the cut. Grilling or frying on site or wrapping in bacon if cooking off site should ensure that you are able to offer the perfect dish.
Food item; oysters served on a half shell
Advantages; the smell associated with oysters is not overly fishy, and they can be served raw or chilled, eliminating the need for warming.
Precautions; getting a good batch of oysters is essential as you don’t want any guests being struck down with food poisoning. Oysters aren’t to everyone’s taste and the labour involved in preparation is time consuming and monotonous.
Food item; potatoes, either mashed or roasted
Advantages; if mashed potatoes are made creamy initially they should not dry out and will just become thicker when in the warmer. Roast potatoes keep well and are just as tasty when served from a warmer after transportation.
Precautions; keeping potatoes in a chafing dish or warmer may lead to a crispy crust forming around the edges which is not appealing. Keep an eye on this and remove any crust that may occur.
Food item; breads and rolls
Advantages; transportation is simple and there are no requirements for heating once at the venue.
Precautions; when taking bread and rolls to the venue, you should always cover them and store in an airtight container during transfer. This reduces the risk of serving hard, stale bread to the guests. If you arrive at the venue and find that this problem has occurred simply moisten the bread with a little water and reheat.
Food item; Mexican snacks
Advantages; the ingredients can be prepared and transported separately and either put together once at the venue before service or displayed in separate holding dishes so that the guests can create their own taco or fajita etc.
Precautions; letting the guests assemble their own food can seem that you haven’t put much thought, time and effort into the dishes. Each separate ingredient must be prepared with precision, seasoned to perfection and displayed effectively to be able to achieve the desired impact.
If your catering business has been running for a while and you have experience in off site catering you will know that choosing the perfect dishes is essential. Your menu may look wonderful, smell delicious and be beautifully presented before you transport it to the venue, but it is critical that it still appears just as good once it is laid out for the guests.
Selecting dishes that will leave your guests wanting more will provide the type of positive image of your catering business that will bring you future custom. If your business hasn’t been running that long, or you are just branching out into the field of off site catering these lists of dos and don’ts may give you some ideas to set you on the right path.
Although these guides will provide solid starting points, as your experience grows you will learn your own personal favourites and which items work perfectly for you and your customers. Your confidence in your abilities will mean that you can experiment with flavours, ingredients and pairings to create dishes that are unique to your business providing your guests with your own individual signature on the events that you cater.