Lunch for 17.

[Huntsman]

I'm soon to be serving a salad lunch for 17.

I'm planning to roast 2 large chickens, a side of salmon and a 3kg gammon joint, some cured meats.

Various salads, dips, crusty bread, bread sticks etc.

How many new potatoes for 17? 3kgs?

[vaud]

3-4kg, depending on how you will serve them

Potato salad is probably the easiest as you can do it the day before.

Or a mix of potato salad and either jacket potatoes/wedges are good for a wide time span.

[Huntsman]

I hadnt thought of doing spuds more than one way.

I like that, a few paprika wedges would add a bit of choice.

[sherman]

Do not do jacket spuds.
Hardly anyone will eat them and you will be left with 15 jacket spuds.

Wedges would work as long as you have a way to keep them hot.

Jersey royals or the freshest new potatoes you can get tossed in butter would be good.

Canarian wrinkly poatoes are also easy to make on mass

Edited by sherman on Monday 20th April 20:44

[S100HP]

Huntsman said:

I'm soon to be serving a salad lunch for 17.

I'm planning to roast 2 large chickens, a side of salmon and a 3kg gammon joint, some cured meats.

Various salads, dips, crusty bread, bread sticks etc.

How many new potatoes for 17? 3kgs?

Isn't this what Gemini/ChatGPT is useful for?

For a lunch spread as generous as yours—with roast chicken, salmon, gammon, cured meats, and various salads—3kg of new potatoes is a perfect amount for 17 people.
While standard catering for a single side dish often suggests around 175g-200g per person (which would be about 3.5kg), the variety of other substantial proteins and salads on your menu means guests will likely take smaller portions of each item. [1, 2, 3]

1. Why 3kg works:

• The "Spread" Factor: With three main proteins (chicken, salmon, gammon) plus cured meats, the potatoes are competing for plate space. In a "big spread" with many options, standard advice is to budget for about 125g (roughly 4oz) per person.
• Portion Math: 3kg divided by 17 guests gives each person approximately 176g. This is equivalent to roughly 5-6 thumb-sized new potatoes per person, which is considered a standard healthy portion.
• Buffet Style: People tend to "graze" when there are many choices, taking a little of everything rather than a mountain of one thing. [1, 3, 4, 5, 6]

1. Cooking Tips for your Crowd:

• Preparation: If you're roasting them, 3kg will fit comfortably on two standard roasting trays. If boiling, a large 5-6 litre pot should handle them easily.
• Variety: Since you have salmon and gammon, consider dressing half the potatoes in a light herb vinaigrette (to go with the fish) and the other half in a classic butter or light mayo dressing (to go with the meats).
• Leftovers: If you have particularly "hearty" eaters or want leftovers for the next day, you could bump it up to 4kg. This would allow for nearly 240g per person, ensuring you don't run out even if the potatoes are the "star" side. [7, 8]

This is what it said

[48k]

If it's a sit down lunch I'd go with new potatoes. They are the most palettable/reusable when cold if you do too many. Jackets / wedges will go soggy and go to waste, unless you literally do 17 jackets and serve the plates with a jacket potato on and let people add their own salad.

[21TonyK]

Maybe a little heavy on the gammon and light on chicken?

[Huntsman]

Thank all.