Gourmet night: what do you need?

At a gourmet table everyone cooks their own food. Each guest therefore needs a spot at the set, plus a plate and a spatula made of wood or plastic. On your shopping list are the ingredients for the little pans, oil for frying, sauces and something to go with it.

A good guideline for an adult is 200 to 400 grams of meat, fish or meat substitute. The more side dishes you have on the table, the less you need. Place the table so the set's plug can reach the socket without an extension cord.

Gourmet night: what do you need?

Set everything out beforehand on platters and gourmet plates so you don't have to go back to the kitchen during the meal.

What should you prepare and buy?

Put these items out before the guests arrive:

The gourmet set, with a pan or a spot on the plate for each guest.
A wooden or plastic spatula by each pan so the coating stays intact.
A plate for each guest, preferably with compartments so sauces and cooked bites don't mix.
Separate forks and a separate platter for raw meat and fish so raw and cooked items don't get mixed.
Small bowls or a squeeze bottle for the oil and the sauces, enough for both sides of the table.

For the shopping list, write down:

Boneless meat, chicken or fish, or a meat substitute such as tofu or halloumi, cut into small pieces or strips that fit in a pan.
Vegetables for frying, such as mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, onion and cherry tomatoes.
Vegetable oil or a liquid frying product to cook the bites in.
A few sauces to dip the cooked meat and vegetables in.
Something on the side, like a baguette and salad, and raw snack vegetables to nibble on between bites.

What can go wrong with the gourmet set?

The set determines how many people can cook at the same time and how quickly their bites cook. The durability of the non-stick coating in the pans makes or breaks how long they last.

Spatulas and utensils: small but important

Small spatulas belong with every gourmet set. They are exactly the right size for the pans and make it easy to turn ingredients without spilling. Make sure there is a spatula for each guest, that avoids confusion and is more hygienic. For raw meat and the other ingredients use separate serving spoons or forks so you don't touch raw and cooked food with the same utensil.

Is one set enough for your whole group?

With a set that only has pans, the number of pans is the number of people who can cook at the same time. Count them before you finalize the guest list. There are also sets with only a plate or with both. A plate fits more at once, including larger items like pancakes.

If more guests show up than there are pans, put down a second set or choose a set with a large plate. Otherwise someone will repeatedly be left without a spot to cook. For a second set you also need a second socket at the table.

Why aren't the bites cooking?

Sauces complete the gourmet evening. Think of a garlic sauce, a spicy sambal, a fresh yogurt sauce or simply a good barbecue sauce. Put them in small bowls on the table so everyone can reach them easily. More variety in sauces means more combination possibilities, which keeps the evening interesting even if the ingredients are simple. Make sauces yourself or buy them ready-made, both work fine. The important thing is there's something for every taste.

What damages the pans' non-stick coating?

Most pans and plates have a non-stick coating. Turn and scoop out with a wooden or plastic spatula, and only cut on your plate. Cutting in the pan or scraping with a fork damages the coating.

Wood and plastic prolong the life of the coating, although a non-stick layer will only last a limited time even then. A pan with bare spots or a flaking coating should not be taken to the table anymore. Ask the maker of your set whether you can buy a spare pan.

Where do you place the gourmet set, and is it okay to use an extension cord?

Preferably avoid an extension cord with a gourmet set. The fire department recommends that appliances that draw a lot of power, such as deep fryers, be plugged straight into the wall. A set that needs to stay hot all evening falls into that category in our view.

Arrange the table starting from the socket:

Push the table close enough to a socket so the set's cord reaches.
Read the manual for your set to see if an extension cord is allowed. If it is and you use a cable reel, unwind it completely, because a coiled cable can get hot.
Give a second set its own socket and don't put both on the same power strip.
Place the set in the middle of a sturdy, flat table, away from curtains. How much clearance to leave for heat and grease splashes is in the manual; for a table grill that can be half a meter.
Lay the cord so no one trips over it and small children can't reach it. Do not move the set while the plug is inserted.

What damages the pans' non-stick coating?

How much meat should you plan per person, without ending up with heaps of leftovers?

The lists from supermarkets, butchers and cooking websites usually come out at 300 to 400 grams of meat, fish or meat substitute per adult. Still, figures range from 200 to 600 grams, because not every guest eats the same and not every table has the same amount of side dishes.

Where you fall within that range depends on each guest:

An adult who also eats baguette, salad and fried vegetables can get by with about 200 grams.
An adult without many side dishes is at 300 to 400 grams; 300 grams is therefore not a large portion for such a person.
A big eater can consume up to 500 or 600 grams.
A child can manage roughly a third to a half less than an adult at the same table.

For eight adults you'll then need between 1.6 and 3.2 kilos (8 × 200 or 8 × 400 grams). If you prefer to count pieces, 300 to 400 grams is about ten pieces per person. For the vegetables you fry, plan around 50 to 100 grams per person.

The Voedingscentrum points out that it's easy to serve too much at a gourmet table. If you don't want leftovers, buy toward the lower end of the range.

How much meat should you plan per person, without ending up with heaps of leftovers?

Where do the raw meat, the oil and the sauces go on the table?

Put raw meat, fish and chicken on their own platter, separate from the plates everyone eats from. Provide separate forks, for example in a different color, so everyone can see which fork is for the raw meat.

Put only part of the meat and fish on the table at a time; the rest stays in the fridge. According to the Voedingscentrum, meat and fish should not be left out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. What remains on the table should be kept covered on a cooling element, as far from the hot set as possible.

At each end of the table there should be a bowl of oil or a squeeze bottle with frying product, with the same sauces beside it. That way no one has to reach over the hot set. For the sauces small

dipping bowls are enough; they take little space between the plates.

Which compartment plate do you place by each guest?

Our

gourmet plates with compartments have four, five or six compartments. A flat plate also works if you don't mind the sauces running together.

The round white

Cosy & Trendy-gourmetborden met 6 vakken of ø 23.5 cm have room for many different sauces.

In the large compartment of the

Cookinglife-gourmetborden met 4 vakken you can fit a baguette, salad or your cooked bites, with three small compartments for the sauces beside it. These plates are white and rectangular, 26 by 20 cm.

For dark tableware the square

Cookinglife-gourmetborden met 5 vakken in zwart, about 24 by 24 cm.

Where do the raw meat, the oil and the sauces go on the table?

Related products

Cookinglife Fondue Plates / Gourmet Plates / BBQ Plates - 3 compartments - White - 26 x 20 cm - 4 pieces

Cookinglife Fondue plates / Gourmet plates / Barbecue plates - 5 compartments - Black - 24 x 24 cm - 4 pieces

Cosy & Trendy Gourmet plates 6 compartments ø 23.5 cm - 4 Pieces

Cosy & Trendy Fire paste holder

Related categories

Gourmet set

Gourmet evenings are popular during the holidays and on cozy nights with family or friends. You'll need a gourmet set, gourmet plates for the ingredients, small pans to fry on the set and enough spatulas for everyone at the table. With the right equipment everything runs smoothly and everyone can enjoy their favorite combinations.

At Cookinglife you'll find everything you need for a tasty gourmet evening. From gourmet sets and matching compartment plates to spatulas and platters for the ingredients. Quality doesn't have to be expensive, but it should last for years. Good materials make the difference between a bite that burns and one that's just right.