Shrimps skewer with mango salsa.

The salsa is prepared ahead of time and all I needed to do is to plate the salsa into in each container.  The shrimps is marinated, then to sautéed, and skewered and inserted on top of the salsa.

The container are arranged on a wooden tray and brought out to be served.

Martin, our helper fried all the quail eggs for me.

Main dishes

Here I am platting the Hamachi with cucumber consommé.

The cucumber is made ahead of time and chilled.  When it is time to serve this dish, all I need to do is to pour the cucumber consommé on each bowl.

Here I am platting the 2nd dish: caramelized onion quiche and a mushroom soup with the help of Ha.

Using fresh Pine leaves for decoration... I wanted to have a forest vibe and the feeling of going into the forest to pick the mushrooms.

The quiches are pre-made and are reheated in the oven.  Here a quiche is placed on each plate.

Next the soup is poured into each coffee cup and is placed at the far end of each plate.

Here I am pan searing the Foie gras.  The cast iron pan have to be super hot.

The fat from the Foie gras is going all over so I have to wear an apron.

Hoa told me to look at the camera .. Behind me is Martin helping me.

Close view at the Foie gras on a hot cast iron pan. Smoke is everywhere and the fan is turned up to absorb it all...

I have to cook the Foie gras in multiple batch in order to get a good sear.

Here I just turned the foie gras and you can see that the top is browned.

This dish has many components so while I am pan searing the Foie gras, I asked has to brush the onion charcoal on each plate.

Ha at work by brushing each plate.  In the back is Martin washing all the dishes.

Ha is now platting the seared Foie gras on each plate.

It is a lot of work when you have to plate 16 plates at the same time and you have to move quickly as you do not want the Foie gras to get cold before it hits the table.

On the left all the Foie gras are distributed equally and on the right I am adding the charred corn on top of each plate.

Here I am adding the corn into each plate.

Adding the final touch on each pate.

That's a lot of plates!  Final inspection before serving.

View of my stove.  There is a lot going on here.

On the left the lasagna sheet are cooked and ready to be plated.  On the stove I have a bunch of pots and pans that are ready to be plated.

On to the 4th plate.  Clearing my counter so I have room to plate the next dish.

Meatballs are roasted and are places in each bowl.  Sheet of Lasagna are inserted into each bowl and then the chicken jus is poured on top.

Every components are prepared ahead of time and put together at the last minutes.

The porchetta inside the oven..

I am taking the porchetta out of the oven and I am trying to cut off the strings.

Still cutting of all the strings...

Maily and Loan are waiting for the vegetables to come out of the oven for platting.

Hoa is helping Martin drying the plates and to put them away...

Maily put all the roasted vegetables into three large plates.  She arranged them so nicely.

Here she is grabbing for some towels to wipe off each plate.

Loan helping me clean up and Maily cleaning off each plate to make it look perfect.

I cut the porchetta into slices and Loan is helping me arranging them on two serving plates.

Desserts

Galette des rois freshly out of the oven and on a serving platter.

Here I am unmolding each orange cakes into a plate.

Platting the orange cakes...

Martin has a big job.  He cleaned all the dishes and also helped me with some cooking.  I would not be able to do this party without his help.

It is a lot of work prepping for all the food but it is worth it seeing that everyone enjoyed the food.

That's all folks!

Until the next meal.

Filed under: Dinner parties