A Galentine’s Dinner Party

I recently hosted a Galentine’s dinner party for a special group of friends. 2023 is all about appreciating, finding and creating moments of beauty and joy, so what better way than to celebrate the ones who embody both?

As a host, I want to create a special, elevated experience for my guests, but with a level of informality that brings them into the fold of final meal prep. These days, many gather in the kitchen around the action either intentionally or because of the common design of open kitchens. And, guests are usually there before the food is completely ready; it’s unrealistic that you ask guests to arrive and sit down to eat right away. Usually there are some appetizers happening, so forego the idea of mysterious kitchen activities perfected behind closed doors.

That said, careful planning ensures the right level of preparations remain in the time between guests’ arrival and meal time. Below I’m sharing a menu, timeline and other tips that help ensure hosts create an elevated, yet informal gathering!

The Menu

Appetizer: Charcuterie Tray. Some of my go-to’s include a couple cheeses (usually Manchego, an aged gouda, a truffled cheese, or St. Andre Triple Creme), prosciutto, sliced apple or pear, sugar snap peas or cucumber, grapes, roasted cashews, parmesan crisps, and water crackers. I also love 1-2 spreads (personal favorites are Dalmatia’s Green Olive Spread and Stonewall Kitchen’s Roasted Garlic Onion jam).

Entree: Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks. I purchased four huge lamb shanks for this red wine & minty lamb shanks recipe, and there was a ton left over. For a party of 8, three large shanks may be just fine! Skip the carrots in this dish since they’ll be served separately as a side.

One Starchy Side. The NYT’s potato celery root purée was a fun twist on potatoes, and I halved this recipe. This is a pretty straightforward mash. Highly recommend a ricer or food mill, though serving a rougher-texture mash (via electric beater) is fine too.

One Veggie Side. Thank God for Ina Garten and her orange-roasted rainbow carrots. This dish was so simple, unique and delicious, and received many compliments. Tip: Trader Joe’s has packages of mini rainbow carrots that are already peeled and trimmed. These make prep so easy!

One Light Side (for those avoiding the starch). I added a simple green salad and I found that one box of mixed greens was just enough for 8 ladies (and just enough to fill my salad bowl), but have an extra box on hand in case. This salad is dressed with good olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

A Bread (optional). You can’t go wrong with a garlic cheese bread. Consider this one totally optional but it’s so yummy! Select a rustic style bread that can be sliced between 3/4-1″. Have parmesan (freshly grated is best), a half stick of butter and one head of garlic on hand, and see the schedule for instructions.

The Schedule

Here’s the schedule I used to ensure a smooth dinner party! I like to set the table and plan other ambience the day before because it’s something that doesn’t need to be done “fresh,” there’s less of a rush to it and it’s fun, and it gets me excited about the party. The day of the party will focus on things that need to be done “fresh.”

Day before:

I also did some of these items throughout the week of the party.

• Do any shopping for all menu items.
• Place shanks in the refrigerator. If the shanks are frozen, leave them at room temperature in the morning, and they should be thawed enough to go in the refrigerator overnight.
• Set the table and select and set out all serving pieces that will be used.
• Decide on a playlist and other ambience to set (fire, candles, etc). For this occasion I added a mixed size set of mercury glass votives to the table!

Day of:

• 9:00 a.m. – Prep the lamb shanks and slow cooker. Season the shanks with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides in a hot pan. Set aside, then continue with the recipe to prep veggies and sauce that will go in the slow cooker. Take your time – no rush here!
• 10:00 a.m. – Put everything in the slow cooker and set on low.
• 10:15 a.m. – Clean any areas where guests might visit.
• 3:30 p.m. – slice the bread and bag or wrap in plastic.
• 3:45 p.m. – Peel cloves from a head of garlic and cover in olive oil. Simmer on stovetop or bake in oven.
• 4:00 p.m. – Shower and get ready
  • 4:15 p.m. – pull the garlic off stove or out of oven and mash with butter. Set aside.
• 5:30 – Make celery root/potato puree and preheat the oven for carrots.
  • This dish is best made fresh, but should your schedule get derailed (like mine did!) it’s one that can be made while the guests are there. It’s rather easy, and with others to chat with, take in the ambience and enjoy the charcuterie platter, it’s fine to do during the party. Often guests ask “how can I help?!” and this dish is one where you can invite the volunteer to join in the activity (fill the pot with water and season, once pureed ensure the right seasoning, help transfer to dish, etc).
• 5:50 – Prep carrots and add greens to a salad bowl
  • Toss carrots in olive oil, salt & pepper and set aside.
• 6:00 – Slide carrots into the oven (and turn halfway through). Assemble the charcuterie platter. Pour a glass of wine! Turn on the music and light a fire or candles (but not those on the dining table).
• 6:25 – Pull carrots from the oven and place in their serving dish (they can be served at room temp). Toss with fresh squeezed orange juice and top with orange zest and fluer de sel.
• 6:30 – Guests Arrive – and remaining prep can be done while chatting!
• 6:40 – Smear garlic and butter mixture over sliced bread and cover with grated parmesan. Place bread into oven and set a timer for 5 minutes.
• 6:45 – Remove bread from oven and plate. Turn down the heat and put in the celery root & potato puree to keep warm.
• 6:50 – Lift the lid off that slow cooker! Carefully remove the shanks and place onto a serving dish. Pour the slow cooker sauce through a strainer, skim the top then pour around the serving dish, reserving extra in a separate container or saucepan.
• 7:00 – Light candles on the dining room table, plate the bread, and dress the salad. Pull puree from the oven (and turn off).
• 7:10 – Invite guests to the table!

What Can I Bring?

When guests ask what they can bring or how they can help, let them. Guests are appreciative for the event and want to feel useful. Booze of their choice takes that planning aspect off the table, and one or two desserts are super helpful as well. If you have guests with dietary restrictions, I’ve also invited the addition of a small appetizer that would suit (noting what’s planned). This actually resulted in learning of a super delicious, easy appetizer that I couldn’t get enough of!

Since we were celebrating Galentine’s Day, and knowing my crew, I also invited my guests to bring a fun activity. Of course one of them showed up with a DIY photo booth and silly props!

Hopefully this provides some ideas on hosting a fun dinner party in the future. I’m already planning the next one!