The secret to pulling off the perfect buffet — from Honey & Co

Perhaps you already know exactly how many people you’re going to have around your holiday table, and perhaps you have sufficient room and enough chairs to accommodate them easily. Or you might take the more cavalier approach of inviting first and thinking later.

Readers of our column can venture a guess as to where we are on this spectrum. We are never quite sure until the last minute who’s coming, thanks to our knee-jerk tendency to invite whoever we bump into in the run-up. We are never short on chairs, but our table can only seat 10 at a stretch, and that’s if both extensions are deployed.

As a result, more often than not we will end up with a spread laid out on the kitchen counter and a stack of plates nearby. In truth, life is always better when it’s a buffet. Friends make their own seating arrangements, perching on chairs, stools, the sofa and, on more than one occasion, the stairs. We take no shame in pulling out the step ladder.

So what’s the secret to a good buffet? It may sound counter-intuitive but, in our experience, the key is to limit the selection. You only need three or four dishes that work together really well and can be made in abundance. Something fresh and crunchy is non-negotiable, as well as a punchy dressing, sauce or chutney to tie the whole thing together.

Turkey is the go-to at this time of year, but there are some cold hard truths about this bird that must be acknowledged if you want delicious results. The first is that a whole turkey will never cook to perfection. The trade-off for well-cooked legs is overcooked breasts, and no amount of brining or basting will change that.

For the best results, choose one thing and commit to it. You’ll be surprised at how good turkey legs are when slow roasted for hours with nothing more than salt and pepper, and you will definitely be surprised at how tender turkey breast can be if it isn’t overcooked. If you opt for breast, there’s another unavoidable issue — even with the best turkeys the breast meat can be bland and woolly. We counter that by pre-salting it, to allow for deep seasoning, and using a supercharged rub of chilli paste and spice. And, just in case that’s not enough, we serve a hot and fragrant quince and chilli sauce alongside it.

The selection here will make for a fantastic festive meal, but you could also choose a single dish to supplement your usual repertoire. It is a buffet after all. The joy is in feasting your eyes, picking and choosing. And, inevitably, coming back for more.

Pastrami-esque turkey

This recipe is for whole turkey breast off the bone. You can cook anything from a 1kg half breast to a full 7kg double breast, as we did for this specific spread. Preparation is simple and stays the same whatever the size of your turkey. The only thing to adjust is the amount of salt rub you use to marinade the breast and, of course, the cooking time.

Salt rub marinade (per kilogramme of turkey)

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together to form a paste and rub it all over the turkey, wrap well and place in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 150C (fan assist).

3. Remove the wrapping and place the turkey on a roasting tray with a roasting rack. Don’t brush off any of the marinade. Carefully cover with foil and seal the turkey in the tray. Place in the oven for 30 minutes per kilogramme of turkey (eg a 5kg turkey will require 2.5 hours; our 7kg turkey took 3.5 hours).

4. No need to uncover until the time is up, at which point, remove the tray from the oven, uncover and baste the turkey a little with any juice that is in the bottom of the tray. If no liquid has formed, brush lightly with boiling water, making sure not to brush off the red marinade. Increase the oven temperature to 180C (fan assist) and return the turkey for 15 minutes to form a lovely red crust.

5. You can check if the turkey is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be just above 60C. Remove it from the oven, cover again and rest for 20-30 minutes before carving and serving.

Chilli quince sauce

To make 2 jars of about 300ml each

1. Blitz the quince, chillies and garlic in a small food processor to small rice-like pieces and place in a small saucepan, cover with a litre of water and add the four lemon halves.

2. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Boil for 10 minutes, skim again and add the mustard seeds, sugar and a pinch of salt. Keep at a running boil, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to squeeze the juice from the lemon halves then discard the rind. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for the last 10 minutes, before removing and transferring to a serving dish or a couple of jars.

Colourful cabbage and pear salad

To serve 8-10

1. Shred the red and white cabbage and keep the two colours in separate bowls. Add one teaspoon of salt to each bowl and mix well.

2. Slice the unpeeled pears into nice slices and douse with all the lemon juice, add the lime zest and segments too.

3. Just before serving, transfer the red and white cabbage to a large mixing bowl, leaving any liquid that has formed behind, add the pear and citrus mix, pomegranate seeds and olive oil. Toss once and serve.

Roasted orange vegetables

To serve 8-10

In another tray

1. Mix the sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash and quince wedges together with the oil, salt and pepper and lay on a couple of roasting trays, in one layer.

2. In a second tray, place all the onion wedges facing up and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

3. Heat your oven to 200C (fan assist). Roast the tray of sweet potato and squash for 30 minutes. Open the oven, mix well to baste, then add the orange wedges and coriander seeds. Roast for another 20 minutes, remove and drizzle with honey.

4. The onions can go into the same oven as the turkey, or simply lower the heat after roasting the vegetables to 160C (fan assist) and roast them for about 30 minutes or until soft. Transfer the vegetables and the onions to a serving platter.

Email Sarit and Itamar at [email protected] and follow them on Instagram @Honeyandco

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