Catering any event presents its own unique challenges. The only sinks are the ones in the bathroom. The only grill is outside and its raining. The host specially requested ice cream, but forgot there was no freezer at the location. Needless to say, catering requires a certain amount flexibility and on the spot problem-solving. Weddings, however, tend to push the challenge-meter over the top. Not only do you face the typical challenges of catering (there's construction down the street so they've shut off all the gas and water, is that a problem), but you come up against clients who often not only have very set ideas on what they want, but might have been picturing it since round about puberty. Goodbye flexibility. So next time that catering bill seems a bit outrageous, just consider it a surcharge for the chef's therapy, whether Freudian or in a more liquid form. When Joel, my partner in crime and fellow chef, and I were approached to cater a wedding for some friends' friends, we did a bit of groaning, but said we'd be happy to help out. Then we heard the details. This was going to be a secret wedding. None of the guests knew they were actually coming to a wedding. Oh yeah, and they were holding it on a boat. Whole new set of challenges. And did we mention the kitchen has about 2 feet of workable space and a single burner. The picture below should give you a sense. Bizarrely enough this tipped the scales in favor of doing the job. It was like being thrown into an impromptu episode of Kitchen Impossible. This job was going to be challenging. So challenging, in fact, we wanted to do it, just to see if we could. The proverbial gauntlet had been thrown. We ended up with a five-course passed small bites menu (after a bit of...discussion with the bride and groom over what was actually possible) that I'm still not entirely sure how we pulled off. The menu was: Crudite with Green Goddess Dressing, Roasted Tomatoes with Oregano and Saba on Polenta, Dill Beef Boulettes with Carrot Sauce, Roasted Pepper Quesadillas with Citrus Aioli, and Chopped Shrimp and Bacon Skewers as well as two types of cupcakes in lieu of wedding cake, vanilla with lavender frosting and chocolate with espreso frosting. It's an event I will not soon forget and, as a memento for you going on this trip down memory lane with me, the shrimp skewer recipe follows. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 lbs. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. Bacon, cooked part way
1 bunch Chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
Process
This recipe is called "chopped" shrimp and bacon skewers for good reason. The process for making this is as simple as chopping all the ingredients together. Because its simple, you should be sure to go for the best ingredients. Ask the fish guy in your market (or better yet, a fish market) for the freshest shimp. Ones with a bit more sweetness will be nice. Similarly with the bacon, bypass the prepackaged Pepperage Farm bacon and ask at the meat counter for what they've got. Make sure to go for pretty small pieces so that they'll press together easily. Grab a little handful and press it around a skewer. Saute in some olive oil on each side until just cooked through. The only thing left is to try not to over-indulge.
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