Party Portion Help Needed

LTHers, I could use an assist:

I am planning a family brunch party at my house this weekend (for my twin boys 2nd b-day). Since my family and my in-laws are notoriously picky and hard to cook for, I'm doing your basic bagel and lox brunch.

I don't want to order a deli fish tray because I'd rather source the vegetables myself (and I want the bagels to come from a separate source than the fish).

So, I'll be constructing a fish platter myself by buying lox, whitefish, and maybe some sable. The key questions is "how much fish do I buy"? This is the most expensive part of the day so I don't want to over-buy too much.

If there are any caterers or knowledgeable folks out there who can give me a ballpark "per person" weight on smoked fish for a crowd, I'd really appreciate it. I've seen estimates online that range from 1/8lb. to 1/4lb. per person (a wide spread--double!). In addition to the fish and bagels, I'll be serving a fruit salad and some sort of vegetable salad.

Thanks very much,
Michael

I always do 1/8 lb per person "plus a little more".

One more suggestion - keep it to no more than 2 kinds of fish. Otherwise people feel like they need to take everything and you'll end up buying/ spending more than you have to.

Kennyz wrote:One more suggestion - keep it to no more than 2 kinds of fish. Otherwise people feel like they need to take everything and you'll end up buying/ spending more than you have to.

Thanks Kenny, I was thinking about the same thing.

1/8lb seems reasonable. I've got about 25 people, but I bet 2 or 3 won't want any fish at all (but 2 or 3 others will eat more than one portion for sure). I'm thinking 3lb. lox, 1lb. sable and maybe just a container of whitefish salad (for people who don't want sliced fish--it's cheap enough).

That sounds good.

Reminds me of a recent experience I had buying lox at Fox & Obel, something one should avoid at all costs. It took literally 40 minutes for the poor girl to slice 2lbs of lox, and she F'd it up horribly anyway, giving me bits and shards and trashing about 2lbs of the store's perfectly good, expensive stuff along the way. I felt bad for her, but it was really a pathetic effort. For a "gourmet" store, I'm often taken aback by how clueless and skill-less the staff at Fox & Obel is.

I don't know if this adds anything, but I recently attended a lox and bagels brunch with about 12 adults and a few kids. This group had no problem finishing off two pounds of lox. They were also served smoked chubs, appetizers, blintzes, and dessert.

At our wedding brunch, the caterer estimated 1/8 pound per person, or about 11 pounds of lox. We added an additional four pounds, and IIRC, it was all eaten, even though we also had quiches, pastries, etc.

Happy birthday to the twins,
Ronna

Thanks Ronna, (I'll pass along the b-day wishes to the boys)

It does add something. It adds the wildcard factor that a room full of old Jews will not be shy about shoveling in the lox when it's free. Maybe I'll add an extra 1/2lb for insurance. Or, if stocks start to run low, I can always bring out the birthday cake as a distraction.

Best,
Michael

We always buy the Costco lox when we do breakfast for a large group. Can't beat the quality for the price.

eatchicago wrote:It adds the wildcard factor that a room full of old Jews will not be shy about shoveling in the lox when it's free.

Yes, in my family, that's definitely the case. The lox always disappears first.

Ronna

spinynorman99 wrote:We always buy the Costco lox when we do breakfast for a large group. Can't beat the quality for the price.

Thanks. I'll be using Kaufman. Even though it'll cost me a bit more, I'll need a few other things that they sell (sable, house-made cream cheese, whitefish) and I'd rather they get my business. It will be a sad day when all the delis are gone and Costco is my only lox option.

eatchicago wrote:Thanks. I'll be using Kaufman. Even though it'll cost me a bit more, I'll need a few other things that they sell (sable, house-made cream cheese, whitefish) and I'd rather they get my business. It will be a sad day when all the delis are gone and Costco is my only lox option.

I appreciate the sentiment.

For those out in the NW suburbs, though, I want to recommend Renee Gourmet/Odessa Market as a fabulous source of smoked fish of all kinds. Unfortunately, the city locations all seem to have closed, but the Buffalo Grove location still exists. If you do not speak Russian, you will have to order by pointing, but it's well worth the effort.

Renee Gourmet/Odessa Market
1241 West Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove
(847) 253-5777

As for the old (and young) Jews shoveling in the lox ... buy real lox instead of Nova. It can be costlier, and connoisseurs prefer it, but it is much saltier, so a little goes a long way. (Or if you aren't afraid to look a little like a karger, you can make the fish go farther by buying trimmings and mixing them with cream cheese -- and maybe a little onion -- instead of serving sliced lox.)

If you had a little more time, you could make your own....

Happy birthday to the kids.

LAZ wrote:As for the old (and young) Jews shoveling in the lox ... buy real lox instead of Nova. It can be costlier, and connoisseurs prefer it, but it is much saltier, so a little goes a long way. (Or if you aren't afraid to look a little like a karger, you can make the fish go farther by buying trimmings and mixing them with cream cheese -- and maybe a little onion -- instead of serving sliced lox.)

If you had a little more time, you could make your own....

Happy birthday to the kids.

Thanks, Leah. I've tried the belly lox before with the relatives and they have spurned it ("too salty!!", they say). Generally, with this crowd, what's unfamiliar is un-liked. They've been eating Nova for longer than I've been alive, so that's what they're happy with.

3lbs. of Nova worked out perfectly. I've got about 1/4lb. left for me to enjoy.

1lb of sable was way too little. When Uncle Irving caught sight of the sable, he was on his 3rd helping before most people got their first. I think he ate half of it. I should have just done 4lbs of lox.

Thanks again everyone.

Best,
Michael

Hi Michael,

Many years ago in Virginia, I worked under a crusty old chef who took me under his wing and spent an extra moment with me from time to time teaching me the ways of the kitchen. Chef Steeves had spent his career working in hotels and catering halls up and down the East Coast, The Lord Baltimore Hotel and The Hunt Valley Inn to name a few. He did have a hidden agenda, however, which was that he was born again and tried valiantly to convert this Hebe.

One day when we were setting up for a Jewish function he said to me, "Rosenbaum! I want you remember this! Whenever you are doing a party for Jewish folks, you'll need twice the amount of food!"

He had a million of 'em and they were all true.

And he once asked me, Rosenbaum! What's the one thing that black folks and rednecks have in common?!" I answered that I didn't know. "They both like their meat cooked well done!" "Remember that!", he said.

A while back, The Lovely Donna helped organize a bridal shower brunch at a well regarded high end department store restaurant known for it's consomme and popovers with strawberry butter. 10 minutes into the affair, they ran out of smoked salmon with 30 guests who hadn't yet eaten. They explained that they had ordered 3 oz. per person and that it was usually enough. They failed miserably at trying to salvage the event and ended up having to refund some money.

I guess what I'm saying is that you never know how much is enough and just have to take a gamble and pull the trigger. I'm glad that it worked out for you, and kudos to you for supporting Kauffman's rather than Costco!!!!

LAZ,

Where in Chicagoland do you buy your belly lox? I haven't had any in years and would love to pick some up soon.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Where in Chicagoland do you buy your belly lox? I haven't had any in years and would love to pick some up soon.

I have no idea where LAZ buys her's, but Kaufman's is my go to spot for belly lox, which is the only kind I buy.

eatchicago wrote:3lbs. of Nova worked out perfectly. I've got about 1/4lb. left for me to enjoy.

1lb of sable was way too little. When Uncle Irving caught sight of the sable, he was on his 3rd helping before most people got their first. I think he ate half of it. I should have just done 4lbs of lox.

Couple of decades ago an in his cups G Wiv made an end of Saturday evening brunch invitation at a wife's side family party. Waking up early Sunday with both hangover and vague feeling something was amiss it took a few fuzzy moments to realize we were having 20-people over in a couple of hours.

Having been married only a short time I wanted to impress and in my family nothing says I care like a plentiful platter of lox at Sunday brunch. Loaded up on lox, plain and pepper sable and smoked chubs. Made scrambled eggs, a metric ton of bacon assorted danish, breads, cut veg and sea of bloody mary's.

My brides family, Catholic, were off-put though polite, by the sight of strong flavored oily fish for breakfast and almost all of the fish was leftover. I did, however, run out of bacon early in the game, a fact which I heard about from my brother in-law John for 10-years.

Was still fun and I love the family, well most of them anyway, but my money is better spent on bacon than pricey fish.

Enjoy,
Gary

stevez wrote:

Evil Ronnie wrote:Where in Chicagoland do you buy your belly lox? I haven't had any in years and would love to pick some up soon.

I have no idea where LAZ buys her's, but Kaufman's is my go to spot for belly lox, which is the only kind I buy.

Thanks, Steve. 6-7 years ago I asked a counter person at Kauffman's about belly lox, and they said that they didn't have it. Not exactly sure if (1) they were sold out,(2) they didn't carry it at that time, or (3) I encountered a clueless employee. I seem to recall calling GWiv for a belly lox consultation, and not finding any except for at Fox and Obel, where the deli/charcuterie person truly butchered a pound of hand sliced belly lox which was on the verge of being spoiled anyway. I left F. & O. empty handed that day.

Glad to hear that Kauffman's has it. I'll be there sooner rather than later.

Thanks again,

stevez wrote:

Evil Ronnie wrote:Where in Chicagoland do you buy your belly lox? I haven't had any in years and would love to pick some up soon.

I have no idea where LAZ buys her's, but Kaufman's is my go to spot for belly lox, which is the only kind I buy.

Steve,

Thank you for the heads up!

I was lucky to find real lox today at Kauffman's at $26.99 a lb. The menu sign reads: "Hand sliced lox, weekends only". I guess I got lucky because there was maybe three and a half lbs. of sliced (yes, it was machine sliced) lox, actual belly lox left over from the weekend.

And it is fantastic on a fresh NYBB salt bagel!

Chicago Bagel and Bialy has it. And I have been known to make my own.

Chicago Bagel & Bialy Deli
260 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling
(847) 459-9009
http://www.chicagobagel.com