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FeedPAIRINGS September 2002
Sophisticated food and drink options for outdoor, automobile feasts.
Tailgating in Style
Sophisticated food and drink options for outdoor, automobile feasts.
A stylish tailgate picnic owes more to Jay Gatsby than to Joe Six-pack. Well-heeled alumni returning to their alma mater for the classic autumn rivalry, clusters of elite fans watching polo, or pink-jacketed members of a hunt club gathering after a morning's ride are fortified by the contents of handsome, leather-trimmed wicker hampers.
I recall visiting the University of Virginia for homecoming years ago, and being served milk punch and Bourbon sours while nibbling on crabcakes on the grassy lawns of the Jeffersonian campus. For me it was the gold standard of tailgate parties.
Then I attended the Millbrook Hunt in Millbrook, New York, as one of the scores of spectators. They had an actual tailgate contest that could have been staged by Tiffany's. Members and guests tried to outdo each other, not just with the food and drink they'd brought, but also in the accoutrements with which to serve it and even the vehicles used to transport it. Impeccable vintage cars and station wagons, their chrome and burled-wood trim shined to a fare-thee-well, lined the grass. Tables were unloaded and covered with cloths. Grills were lit. Tiny quiches and deviled eggs were passed. And drinks, from Champagne and Bloody Marys to super Tuscans and exotic Belgian beers, were poured and shared.
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Participants in the annual Millbrook tailgate event put as much effort into what they serve and how they serve it as they would for a formal dinner at home. But regardless of whether it's a football game or a fox hunt, devising an alluring menu is relatively easy, especially if certain practical considerations are maintained. The most important point to remember is that it is not a formal dinner. I think of a tailgating feast more like a brunch buffet—most tailgate events are held in the late morning after the hunt, or in the early afternoon before kick-off. Your guests should be able to manage comfortably with plates on their laps, or even while standing around and mingling.
These days, finding everything you need is a cinch, thanks to the Internet. Many foods and most equipment is a click away. (See "Where to Buy".)
I would start with simple luxuries, enough for guests to nibble with drinks while a main course is being assembled or grilled. If the Jay Gatsby spirit prevails, then why not serve deviled eggs? But use organic eggs, and good mayonnaise. Top them with a dollop of salmon or sturgeon caviar if you like.
Smoked salmon has become a more commonplace treat these days, but it's still a treat, even though it is now conveniently presliced in sealed packages. It's easy enough to arrange on squares of thin dark bread. Consider a film of horseradish mayonnaise on the bread before the salmon is laid on. It's just what it sounds like: mayonnaise mixed to taste with prepared horseradish. Add some minced fresh chives or dill. All this can be done in advance, and wrapped on a platter ready to serve.
Though the salmon works best as premade canapés, a foie gras terrine or country pâté can be put right on the table, with a knife and a basket of crusty baguettes so guests can help themselves. A jar of cornichons is a must alongside. A bowl of tiny tomatoes and another of chilled French breakfast radishes, along with a container of sea salt for dipping, add nice touches.
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Hot dogs, hamburgers or even filet steaks (tender and easier to manage than other steak cuts) for sandwiches are typical tailgate fare. But instead of beef, consider bison. The meat is rich and tender, beefy enough, but with a characteristic touch of sweetness. It's best cooked no more than medium-rare because it is extremely lean—and also low in cholesterol. Dozens of ranches around the country ship bison fresh or frozen. Fresh is best. Most buffalo meat is $6 to $12 a pound, depending on the cut.
Sourdough bread and buns go with the meat. As for seasoning the filet, there are now terrific dry rubs available at some supermarkets, like hot or medium Salsa Dust, Cajun Dust and Fajita Dust. Another terrific sauce or marinade, especially if you decide to grill chicken or jumbo shrimp instead of meat, is garlicky Cajun Power. But when it comes to ketchup, forget about fancy brands. There's no substitute for everyday Heinz.
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A somewhat different main course option would be barbecue, such as the pork ribs from Sticky Fingers, a South Carolina-based restaurant group that ships anywhere. A slab of succulent hickory-smoked ribs is $19.99. Just reheat them on a grill.
As a side snack, potato chips are the simple solution—but not just any potato chips will do for this picnic. Organic rosemary and thyme potato chips, or perhaps sprightly black-pepper olive-oil potato chips add a touch of class. They're made and distributed by |
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The ingredients for a salad of fresh arugula are widely available, but they can also be ordered for overnight delivery. Make a simple vinaigrette dressing in advance, put it in a screw-top jar so you can shake it up at the last minute and dress your salad on the spot. Chef Michael Chiarello's company, Napa Style, sells first-rate California extra-virgin olive oil, both filtered and unfiltered, for your salad dressing, along with a robust Zinfandel vinegar.
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As for dessert, brownies always the crowd-pleasers. Mini crème brûlées, available from Haute-at-Home, add an elegant touch. The fixings for s'mores—just graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate—are sold in every supermarket. And as long as the grill is lit, they're easy enough for guests to assemble. Coffee, made at home, can be kept in an insulated jug (and it will stay hotter if the jug is filled to the brim). In warm weather, iced tea is a better option.
As for the grill, the best are fueled by charcoal, not gas. But with Red Envelope's sleek, compact, stainless-steel suitcase grill, with a grilling surface that measures 13 by 19 inches, you have your choice of gas or charcoal. For gas you'll need a small propane tank and with charcoal, hardwood charcoal, not briquets, and a chimney starter (Red Envelope sells one of those, too, also in stainless steel). Both the grill and your cooler can go on a portable roll-top utility table that comes with a carrying bag.
As for serving, brand-new checked dishtowels make excellent, generous buffet napkins. A gracious picnic requires china, glassware and metal utensils, not plastic. Bring the Riedel from home (available from Wine Enthusiast Catalog). And for a further touch of glamour, you can set out Laguiole flatware handmade in France. The flatware is available in service for six—24 pieces in forged stainless steel with polished olivewood handles.
For the cleanup, have two cartons, each lined with a plastic garbage bag, ready. One will hold disposable debris. But until someone invents a portable dishwasher to plug into the car's cigarette lighter, the other will be for the dirty dishes.
And of course, once you've invested in all the equipment for the ultimate tailgate party, you'll have to take advantage of it on other occasions as well. Organize a hike along a wooded trail with friends with the promise of lunch afterwards, or a morning of cross-country skiing in winter rewarded by a hearty tailgate brunch, or a late afternoon party at the beach. Jay Gatsby, to say nothing of F. Scott, Zelda and the Murphys, would certainly approve.
Florence Fabricant is a food columnist for The New York Times and author of five cookbooks, most recently The Great Potato Book (Ten Speed Press, 2000).
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