An assembly-only seafood brunch for a crowd

Mar 21

I recently hosted a housewarming / holiday party—you can see how my husband and I fit twelve guests in our small one bedroom apartment here →

In order to keep the eats fancy without the fuss, we assembled a seafood brunch. The party was open house style so I kept the dishes small and replenished from the fridge as needed. This helped keep the precious counter space clear and cut down on food waste.

Deviled eggs

Deviled eggs can be prepared the day before—just hard boil them for 8 minutes (instructions for the perfect boiled egg here)—peel and halve. Remove the yolks and prepare the mixture in a bowl before spooning into a plastic ziplock bag. Just before party time, arrange some of the egg whites on a platter (I created a make shift stand from an upside down bowl and side plate). Pipe the egg mixture into the whites and keep the rest in the fridge. Replenish as needed.

INGREDIENTS

12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika, for garnish

Lox Station

Set out cured salmon, capers, thin sliced red onion, lemon, dill, cream cheese, and toasted bread. I opted for smaller packages of salmon so that I could replenish throughout the party and not let any spoil.

Clam chowder

I picked up pre-made, frozen clam chowder from Lobster Place in Chelsea Market—rumored to be one of the best chowders in Manhattan. The morning of the party the chowder was warmed in the crockpot and served with pre-made mini puff pastries and fresh parsley. The chowder was delicious, hearty and simple!

Nuts & Cookies

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