Are you excited about themed dinner parties? Have you always wanted to host one? Now, you can! Take a look at our flavor-filled article to learn more.
When you think about dinner parties, you imagine being surrounded by not only good food but great company and also some really engaging conversation.
Those are the essence of a successful dinner party – a mixture of simple and tasty ingredients brought to life by you.
As with any party, planning in advance increases the chances of your success and makes the whole thing quite easy to pull off. The key is to make your lists as accurate as possible and give yourself time to complete each task. This will help to not only minimize any unforeseen chaos but also help in tackling them. This is where we step in. To make your Chinese-themed dinner party successful, we’re providing 5 flavorful dishes that are definite hits!
So, without any further ado, let’s jump right into it:
Mouth-Watering Mung Bean Jelly Salad
Mung bean jelly, known in Chinese as Liangfen, is a very regular savory dish in China. You can have it as a snack or just as a cold dish. To prepare this dish, you’ll have to get started from the day before your party.
Start by making a block by using mung bean starch and water one day in advance. Don’t forget to put it in the fridge! You can also add Wood Ear, a black edible fungus; it goes really well with the mung bean jelly.
The jelly is slippery and soft; Wood Ear, on the other hand, is crunchy and crisp. Add them together, and they taste absolutely wonderful. To do this, you’ll need to soak the fungus the night before and slightly blanch it in boiling water.
Finally, garnish your salad with fresh coriander and slices of red chili, and that’s it!
Delicious Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles
There are 3 elements that make up this dish – freshly cooked noodles, various veggies with different colors and textures, and fried pork belly cubes simmered in a dark, salty, and rich sauce.
For vegetarians, you can replace the pork cubes with Shiitake mushrooms, and it’ll still taste bomb. The best thing about this dish is that you have to do most of the preparation beforehand, and this won’t compromise any of the freshness either.
All you have to do is cook the pork the night before and cut your veggies such as cucumber, radish, etc. You can also just blanch some bean sprouts and edamame a few hours before the party.
Once your guests arrive, just boil the noodles and set up the plate. Then, all you have to do is start a debate about Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein Noodles and determine which is your guests’ favorite!
Beautifully Slow-Poached Chicken Thigh
Our third dish for your Chinese-themed dinner party is none other than the slow-poached chicken thigh. This is one of the chicken thigh recipes loved by many. It’s filled with numerous different textures and tastes, which will surely leave your guests wanting more.
To start preparing this dish, first, poach some chicken thighs with plenty of ginger and spring onion. Once they’re cool, wrap each piece up individually with cling film and refrigerate overnight. After that, they’re all ready to be sliced neatly.
Next up, you’ll need King oyster mushrooms and Noodle mushrooms. Briefly cook them in the chicken stock; this will help maintain their original, earthy flavor.
Once you’re ready to serve, peel and slice some celtuce, aka Chinese lettuce. Place your chicken thighs and mushrooms. Finally, for the dressing, mix some spring onion oil, a few spoonfuls of chicken stock, some light soy sauce, and you’re done!
Irresistible Pan-Fried Vegetarian Dumplings
The best part about Chinese cuisine is their marvelous dumplings. So, naturally, your dinner party must have dumplings too.
These yummy dumplings are filled with shitake mushrooms, scrambled eggs, mung bean vermicelli, Chinese chives, and carrots. With a nice balance, this combination of flavors will make the dumplings irresistible.
Having dumplings on your menu is definitely a must, but it’s also a really great choice from the chef’s point of view. Sure it takes a bit of time to make them, but thankfully, you can prepare in advance.
Just freeze the dumplings immediately after you’ve assembled them. Then all you have to do is fry them without defrosting for a few minutes before serving. It’s completely stress-free, and you just know they’ll be a great hit.
Sweet Snow Pear Stew and Glutinous Rice Balls
By now, your guests might already be full and refuse second/third helpings, but there’s always room for some light, refreshing dessert.
To make the stew, braise some snow pear, aka Asian or Nashi pear, with rock sugar, goji berries, and Chinese dates in advance. Keep it in your refrigerator, and serve it cool. I served two classic Chinese sweet treats: Snow pear stew and Glutinous rice balls.
For the glutinous rice balls, known in Chinese as Tang Yuan, fill them with some black sesame seed paste and freeze them. You can also get bicolor glutinous rice balls to give your dessert some nice colors.
Since both the dishes can be frozen well, you can prepare them a few days earlier too. However, we suggest you encourage your guests to try the pear stew first, as the rice balls have a really sweet taste!
Final Thoughts
It’s a wonderful idea to be interested in different cultures and cuisines, even more so when you want to have a dinner party themed after it! While cooking for many people can seem stressful, let us tell you that it doesn’t have to be.
Take the time to plan your menu, prepare the ingredients you’ll need, and stay organized as you cook your way through these delicious meals to wow your party guests.
We hope we’ve managed to inspire you and give you the confidence you need to make your Chinese-themed dinner party happen! Don’t forget to let us know in the comments how it went, and all the best!
