Sate and panna cotta questions

[CDRFloppingham]

eGulleters,

1. Can I make panna cotta in a large container and let people scoop out their own portion?

2. If yes, what would be the upper limit of volume I could do (1 qt, 2 qt)?

3. I would like to do chicken, shrimp, and, maybe, beef sate. However, we don't have a grill now so I'd have to cook the meat in the kitchen. This will stink up the house. Do you think I would get an acceptable result if I cook the day before (then air out the house) and quickly reheat on a grill pan before service?

4. We want to do food that can be eaten standing up. Can anyone suggest a starch with the sate? Maybe some naan torn into appropriate sized pieces? Lettuce cups (not exactly starch but to complement the meat).

Thanks all eGulleters!

Edited March 2, 2009 by CDRFloppingham (log)

[Tri2Cook]

1. Can I make panna cotta in a large container and let people scoop out their own portion?

Yes.

2. If yes, what would be the upper limit of volume I could do (1 qt, 2 qt)?

There is no upper limit. However, if done correctly, it is somewhat delicate so you're not going to get nice looking servings unless you're really careful with the "scooping". I would suggest a large shallow container over a deep bowl.

3. I would like to do chicken, shrimp, and, maybe, beef sate. However, we don't have a grill now so I'd have to cook the meat in the kitchen. This will stink up the house. Do you think I would get an acceptable result if I cook the day before (then air out the house) and quickly reheat on a grill pan before service?

Reheated shrimp sucks. Reheated beef and chicken don't suck but they won't be at their best. Why would you associate the smells of food cooking with "stink"? I'd think it more likely that people would walk in and say "Wow, that smells great! When do we get to eat?".

4. We want to do food that can be eaten standing up. Can anyone suggest a starch with the sate? Maybe some naan torn into appropriate sized pieces? Lettuce cups (not exactly starch but to complement the meat).

Maybe rice balls you can just pop in your mouth?

[howsmatt]

Deep fried sushi rice cakes under the protein, as you would find in "sushi pizza". You could do a potato croquette (mashed potato with a yolk to help bind-then form, cover in breadcrumbs and fry).