If you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day party this year, you probably already know that you’ll want to stock up with delicious brews like Saranac Irish Stout or Killian’s Irish Red. But you might be wondering what the best menu would be for your event. You may be planning a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, which is great for your family feast but may not be perfect party fare. So, you might want to consider creating a deli platter that will have all of your guests raving.
Creating beautiful deli platters isn’t really a difficult task, if you have everything you need ahead of time. First of all, you’ll need to know how many people are coming in order to plan how much deli meat to buy. Here in the Adirondacks, we tend to have big appetites from all of the outdoor activities we do, so plan on one-half pound of meat per guest if this will be the center of your meal. If you plan on lots of other foods such as salads, chips, hors d’oeuvres and bakery items such as pies, cakes and pastries, then you can probably get away with one-third pound of meat per person.
As you begin to assemble your trays, you’ll also want to have black olives, green olives and cherry tomatoes on hand to serve as garnish. Use toothpicks to build attractive skewers with these items to adorn your trays. If you don’t want a lot of waste, then make sure to purchase the meats that most people want. The most popular meat items on deli trays are ham, roast beef and pepperoni, followed by salami and turkey. Have some bologna on hand if there will be children attending the party, as that’s an all-time kid favorite. And don’t forget the cheeses – plan on having three different kinds such as American, Swiss, provolone and cheddar.
To assemble the plate, first roll your meats to create the most attractive presentation. Make sure your hands are clean, and do this on a cutting board that you clean off after rolling each type of meat. Then, starting at the center of your tray and working outward, create your rows of meat. For the most attractive presentation and ease of use for your guests, place your cheeses on another platter. If cheese is pliable, feel free to roll that as well, but if not, arrange slices in a spiral pattern going from the center of your tray outward.
The best practice is to keep some of your reserved meat rolled and in the fridge, for food safety purposes. That way you can restock the platters as the meats are consumed without having the worry of your guests getting sick. Make sure you have a wide variety of condiments, breads and rolls available as well. To make your table look perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, consider some festive cookies in shamrock shapes, gold-wrapped chocolate coins, St. Pat’s-themed cakes, and Irish soda bread served with Irish butter.
Finding everything you need for your St. Patrick’s Day party doesn’t require the luck of the Irish – you’ll find all of the deli items you need to create perfect party platters right at Charlie Johns, as well as everything else you need to make your party go off without a hitch. And, if you don’t have time to create a platter, they’ll be happy to create one to your specifications. The deli also carries a wide variety of salads that will perfectly accompany your platters.
Be sure to check out the bakery at Charlie Johns, too, where you’ll surely find delicious treats dressed in green for St. Pat’s Day. And, step into their walk-in beer cooler to find the brews you need to please your guests. Charlie Johns is located in the center of Speculator and open Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. If you’d like to order a deli platter, visit the store or call ahead at 518-548-7451.