2 hours ago, dtremit said:Given the pandemic, we aren't going to want to go out to eat a fancy birthday dinner, so I'm planning to cook something. But while I know I will have a kitchen and a gas grill in the rental house, I don't have a lot of confidence it'll be well equipped, and we'll have limited (but non-zero) space in the car for equipment. I will of course bring good knives and make sure I have a couple of good pans to work with.
What do you mean with gas grill? I googled it and saw outdoorsy bbq units, so I'm thinking you're not referring to a gas grill oven in the kitchen itself?
Not an expert on grilling or meat, but what about beef tataki? It's quick and can be presented festively across veggies of your choice on some nice big plate.
If meat and fish is doesn't appeal that much, why not go for some big bold veg? If it's not something you do at home, this could feel special. Grill a cauliflower whole, so you have a centerpiece to cut at the table. Douse it in some colourful marinade so the cutting gets an extra wow factor. Or take a comfort food route: grill an entire celeriac and slice it thick as an alternative burger.
