A Midsummer Night’s Party
Party like it’s 1999 degrees
Okay, it’s true that the summer solstice was a couple of weeks ago so it’s technically not midsummer any more. However, as meteorological summer runs from June to August we can get away with calling mid-July midsummer. In any case who needs an excuse for a party? The mercury is rising, the skies are blue and the gang has not dispersed on holiday yet, so it is perfect time for an impromptu garden party. First step: ring up your friends - it is last minute so only old fashioned oral persuasion would do. Next step: food.
The menu may look ambitious but is actually surprisingly easy. Many of the dishes are ready-made, just don’t tell your guests. The emphasis is on finger food - this is a casual get together, not a dinner party. For the best produce and finest party-ready food, there’s only one destination: Borough Market. Yes I know it is touristy, but it is a one-stop-shop for all your gourmet party shopping needs. If you go early enough and avoid the ready-made food stalls you won’t have to fight for space with too many selfie-seekers.
Head over to Furness Fish Market, the best fishmonger in Borough Market, and fill your basket with sea bass, tuna, prawns and scallops. At home, slice them thinly, marinate with lime and lemon juice and mix with whatever salad ingredients you fancy. I like chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander, dill, olives and gherkins. For a touch of heat add some chopped chillies or a dash of hot sauce. My secret ingredient is a splash of Japanese sashimi grade soya sauce, which adds immense umami. Serve on shop bought mini croustade cups and you’ve just crafted the zingiest and classiest canapé imaginable.
Brindisa supplies the top Spanish restaurants in London and a visit to their flagship deli in Borough Market will bring back memories of sunny afternoons tapas bar-hopping under a Sangria haze. Put together a selection of acorn-fed Iberico hams and spicy chorizos, throw in some Manchego cheese, juicy olives, smoked almonds and tortilla chips and the best charcuterie board this side of San Sebastian is ready to be served.
The standout butcher at Borough Market is The Ginger Pig - you’ll recognise it by the hungry queue at their shop. The hordes are mostly there for their famous sausage rolls, which you would have tasted virtually from almost every tiktok ever made about Borough Market. For once, the hype is real. These succulent and flavoursome delights are the Rolls-Royces of sausage rolls, a taste of happy pigs roaming around verdant pastures munching on wild herbs. They are also gigantic. Get a selection, slice them into smaller wheels and serve them with cocktail sticks. They are great with little cornichons and mango chutney.
For the main event we will fire up our trusty Japanese konro grill and get the barbecue going. After all, what screams summer more than the aromas of animal flesh caramelising over hot coals? Simply prepare skewers of marinated meats and vegetables and, once grilled to perfection, bathe them in a range of sauces to suit every taste. My favourites are fatty pork with satay sauce, chicken thigh chunks with Korean gochujang paste and watermelon with feta cheese. Eat straight off the skewers to minimise greasy fingers and don’t forget to provide plenty of warmed pittas and green salads for guests to make their own little kebabs.
For a memorable end to the feast start with a palette cleansing platter of seasonal fruits - strawberries, cherries and nectarines are at their peak right now. For more exotic offerings head over to Raya Grocery at Borough Market where you’ll find mangosteens, dragon fruits and even durians, if you are not afraid of controversy.
Last but not least, pay your pilgrimage to the Mecca of doughnuts at Bread Ahead, another Insta-famous Borough Market institution. The queue will be long but your patience will be rewarded with the best gourmet doughnuts in London. Their Creme Brûlée doughnuts really do live up to their global fame and are not to be missed, but their Velvet Chocolate, Salted Caramel & Honeycomb, Lemon Curd and Eton Mess flavours are equally excellent. Get (at least) a dozen and your guests will love you for life.
The perfect garden party calls for the perfect outdoor furniture. Of course we’ll need tables and chairs - we love the Santo Microskin Dining Table and N1 Dining Chair from Nth Degree. However, since the party is all about finger foods and casual mingling, we are going big on lounge furniture. You’ll need a sofa - or two.
The pastel pink metal and cushion combo of the Riviera Modular Couch from Mambo would look great on the patio, or perhaps the Butterfly Sofa from B&B Italia, for the sleek indoor-outdoor vibe.
In the more rustic part of the garden we’d lay out a selection of rugs, mattresses and cushions from the GAN Garden Layers collection to create the most luxuriously picnic area imaginable. Don’t forget to hang a Nestrest Hanging Lounger from Dedon on the tree.
Also make sure there are plenty of chairs, loungers and side tables dotted around the place. Some of our favourites include the Modou Armchair, Banjooli Table and Shadowy Chaise Longue from the Moroso M’Afrique collection.
Over at the sleek & sculptural corner we have the Hygge Lounge Chair from Collector and the Big Foot Side Table from 101 Copenhagen. As dusk turns to night bring out a selection of Chou Mini Cordless Table Lights from LZF to light up the scene in style. After all, we must make the most of it. Who knows when the temperature will rise above 20 degrees again?
For more hot hot hot design ideas hot-foot over to www.do-shop.com.
Dear Mr Ying,
Would you be so kind to send a few of those delicious Creme Brûlée doughnuts to your subscribers, please !?!
😋