# Fish quantity for 75?



## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Hi everyone! I have a small wedding next weekend and the menu consists of both crumb topped cod and marinated steak tips for the mains. The sides are grilled veggies, provencal potato salad, pasta salad with pesto and peas, and a spring greens salad. There are apps prior, and of course, rolls and butter with the meal.

My question is this: how much fish would you prepare? I'm figuring on 4 ounce portions so people will be able to take some of both the beef and fish, but understand that I should go heavier on the beef. What do you think?

Since the fish only takes 20 minutes in the oven, would you suggest I bake it off there- there's only a residential sized oven, or start it at my kitchen, top it off on-site, and give it a few minutes in the oven?

I tried to sell them on a chilled salmon with cucumber dill sauce, but to no avail....


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## rivver (May 13, 2009)

I do that dish all the time and I hate it! Im assuming this is a buffet style event? If so I would make 80 pieces. I cut a 6oz piece, line them all on a kitchen sheet tray, then coat on a grain lemon dijon mustard, then top with panko and lemon zest.

Do not pre cook, or you will have angry guests; the fish will be well done by the time you get there.. Cod dries out and becomes nasty. I cook mine in a convection oven which Im sure they dont have. But anyways I cook mine 3/4 of the way in the oven and finsih it off under the broiler to get a nice color on the crumb.

Buffet style is a guessing game at best. Some wont even look twice at the fish and yet others will take 2 pieces. If this was my function I would go 80 with 6oz cuts, cause if the fish starts to fly and you get nervous you can always cut the pieces in half which I have done many times. 

Good luck and dont precook=) On a side note I would only prepare that dish at the event, cause if you salt it to soon then the salt will bring out the water in teh fish and leave you with a big soggy mess and your fish will be nasty.


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Thanks, Rivver. I'll be visiting the site later today, but assume they only have a residential electric oven for cooking the fish. I guess I'll just have to tray it on half sheet pans and cook a couple at a time. That way it can come out of the oven and hit the buffet fresh. It's going to be fine; some weddings I don't even have running water nearby. I should consider myself lucky here!


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Over the years I have seen choices by customers change from what used to be 75% beef 25% fish. to almost 40%beef and 60% fish. Men still are beef eaters, woman fish. If this were snapper, or sword I would say more fish. Cod not being fish of choice I would say less. Me I would give 3 ounces beef and 3 ounces fish to each (a no brainer) I would have fish all preped and cook there, not before. Cook with plenty of liquid on pan (lemon, wine, butter etc) so it wont dry out. Save gallon jugs filled with water and bring near where you are so you don't have to run for water to fill chaffing dishes and other needs, or bring a long hose. GOOD LUCK
P/S When setting buffet put all salads, rolls first so they fill their plates with these filler type items and by time they reach the protein, there is not as much room on plate


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Thanks Ed! I agree with the buffet set up. One of my staff insists that the proteins go first in line and I veto her every time. She thinks it looks better, but I tell here when she owns the business and pays the bills, she can make those decisions; until then, the salads go first and the meat last.

We don't use chafers on the buffet line preferring instead to use white platters and keep refilling them. I like the look of the white. If the kitchen if far away, we keep the chafers hot in our prep tent to use for refilling. In this case, the kitchen is about 15 feet from the buffet. We really lucked out this time! Often we're a football field's distance from the action....or at least it seems that way when I get home and my feet are on fire.

Since we serve the meats on the buffet line, I agree that we can cut back to 3 oz servings of each one. There's always a little more tucked away anyway should we need more.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

for newbies:
just make sure of the oven's size, nothing like having small ovens and large 1/2 sheets.....also that the ovens are calibrated!

*There's always the option of putting a staff person on proteins.

Life is so much easier with a functioning kitchen near by:smiles:


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

You should be able to get at least 15 orders 3 ounce fish on a half sheet pan. If you are limited to 2 shelves in oven, place rolled up balls of foil in corner of each pan and you now can stack and get 4 pans at a time. Will take a little longer to cook due to volume in oven but now you can do 60 pieces at 1 time. Make sure fish goes into oven at room temp .


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Excellent idea! We do that to freeze out scones, but I would never have thought of doing it in the oven. Thanks!!


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