Chefjono goes behind the swinging door...
I am not the first to observe that the larger the group, the more likely the food is mediocre. For an excellent article that hits the nail on the head, check out this article at Slate.com…
Soulless Food
Why is what's served at weddings so wretched?
By Regina Schrambling
http://www.slate.com/id/2168011
I have my own observations from freelancing with many top caterers since 1995.
The Rubber Chicken CircuitPoliticians routinely fly across the country attending $500 per plate fund raising banquets. In order to accommodate everyone safely and stay within cheap food cost guidelines the main course is inevitably chicken. White breast meat cooked many hours ahead of time, and then reheated. Even banquet halls don't have ovens big enough to cook 500 entrees at once. We all know what happens to dry over cooked meat, hence the term, the "Rubber Chicken Circuit".
I guess it's some consolation to the rest of us that Politicians have to endure lousy meals many times in a row, but why do we still have to endure so many terrible meals?
Unfortunately caterers have to deal with the bottom line in price per person, and while the menu descriptions are as flowery as the fanciest fine dining restaurants often the top companies don't serve the quality that the menu boasts.
Food Cost, Taste Loss.
To save costs any kind of frozen, pre-portioned, pre-seasoned easy to use option from companies like Sysco food service is used.
Potato salad loaded with citric acid and preservatives, then garnished with purple kale? Check.
Pre-cooked frozen crème brûlée. ? Check.
Previously frozen and even re-frozen seafood. Check.
The sauce covering your expensive Filet Mignon?
A powder called "base" is used to make brown sauce. Laden with MSG and almost all salt and chemicals, its added to water, thickened with cornstarch and turned into peppercorn sauce or labelled "Cabernet Au Jus".
Real demi-glace is a traditional veal stock make only from huge roasted shank bones and meat trimmings and simmered for two days. But grabbing a can full of brown powder, think Knorr Swiss product, and then waiving it in front of a bottle of cheap red wine is what most banquets use.
Repeat this approach for Hollandaise, crème anglaise, and fruit Coulis.
A whole industry has grown up around supplying pre-portioned food service ingredients. Even the large hotels gave up on their butcher shops and bakeries years ago and just bring in exactly what they need for events.
From the carrot sticks to the pastries, (see my Blog article, Why You're Supermarket Won't Bake you Fresh Bread!)
I have seen food re-used from yesterdays event, fish pulled from the freezer and then frozen again, every manner of shortcut that can be used is taken advantage of. Everything that can be partially cooked, counted and wrapped the day before is done so. Large caterers can have many events going on the same day, so most have a strict policy of doing 80% of the prep the day before.
Modern computer controlled ovens minimize moisture loss with large roasts by cooking at low temperatures, starting the night before the food is served. Roasts or steaks are grilled, (marked) at the main commercial kitchen and then transported in Cambro "hot boxes" to the remote site. The meat can stay hot for hours and is later smothered in a sauce for service.
Little of this should surprise the modern diner, after all how do you think they figured out how to feed you in an aeroplane at 30,000 feet?
My problem is that the catering menus read like a gourmet's delight, highlighting words like " hand selected" or "Heirloom" or "Alberta AAA" beef. What's the point of buying nice tuna if the first thing you do is freeze it and then serve it with bright green Costco guacamole?
Why Cocktail Hors d'Oeuvres suck. (To be blunt) It's the math.
At a stand up Cocktail party where there is no main course the formula is 12 appetizers per person per hour, times, say, 4 hours, times 50 people.
That's 2,400 individual pieces of food.
Imagine yourself making just 50 cream cheese filled cherry tomatoes, or even spreading pate on 50 pieces of melba toast.
Fun huh?
Appetizers get made up and frozen during the down times of Monday mornings in catering kitchens. Tray after try of cream cheese tortillas roll ups, trays of mini pastry cups, pate baked off from leftover scraps.
We look for appetizers to be mini versions of main course items, but these days all the caterers offer the same trendy bite sized choices.
Mini-burgers in brioche buns.
Miniature grilled cheese.
Macaroni and cheese spoons.
Mystery meat in phyllo pastry cups.
California roll "Sushi"
Meatballs in sauce, shrimp with a dip.
When people are drinking and being denied dinner, those greasy, salty and odd looking snacks are very appealing.
If you consider the Old School canapé of pate on a baguette slice with a cornichon garnish, what do you have?
Well, pate is 50% duck fat by recipe design, so successful hors d'Oeuvres are by definition…Fat on Toast!
BTW… AT chefjono.ca I have a different approach.
I simply make up a batch of treats one at a time and serve them, then move on to the next.
Crisp Endive leaves with cream cheese, pecan and cranberry.
Bruschetta garlic toast with goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes.
Thai Salad rolls with noodles, coriander, basil mint and hot rooster sauce.
Cherry tomato Popsicles with basil and Boconcini. Etc.
A little pork fat never hurt anyone, but why do everything ahead when you can do so much better fresh?