Braised beef brisket — sear and get into the slow cooker first thing (needs 8–10 hrs on LOW); once fork-tender, slice, skim fat from the sauce, and refrigerate the meat and sauce together
Chickpea & butternut squash curry — roast the squash first for extra depth, then make the curry fully, cool, refrigerate (reheats very well)
Chocolate avocado mousse — blend, divide into 15 small cups, cover and chill (can be made up to 2 days ahead)
Mixed berry & citrus salad — prep the fruit and dressing separately and refrigerate
Afternoon
Charcuterie board — buy the meats and cheeses, portion into serving-ready piles, cover and refrigerate
Homemade hummus — make and refrigerate
Roasted carrots — roast fully, cool, refrigerate (reheat next day)
Yoghurt-tahini sauce — mix, refrigerate
Blanch green beans/broccolini — blanch, shock in ice water, dry, refrigerate in a sealed bag/container
Monkfish curry sauce base — make the sauce up to the blending stage (don't add fish, prawns or squash yet); cool and refrigerate
Roast the butternut squash for the curry — roast, cool, refrigerate; add to the sauce when finishing the curry
Potatoes for roasting — peel, cut and parboil, cool, refrigerate (roast fresh on the day for the best texture)
Evening
Slice and prep any garnishes that hold well (coriander, herbs — store wrapped in damp paper towel in the fridge)
Set the table, chill wine, lay out serving platters, boards and utensils so the day-of is mostly cooking and plating
Day of the party
Morning
Take the brisket out of the fridge; skim off any solidified fat from the sauce
If not already done, collect the monkfish and prawns fresh (best bought within a day of the party)
2–3 hours before guests arrive
Reheat the brisket, covered, at 165°C until warmed through (~30–40 min)
Reheat the roasted carrots at 200°C (~10–15 min)
Roast the potatoes fresh (45–55 min), timed to finish shortly before serving
Put the 2 chickens in to roast (~1 hr 30–40 min), timed backwards from your serving time
Reheat the chickpea & butternut squash curry gently on the hob
Within 1 hour of serving
Sauté the green beans/broccolini fresh (quick, ~5 min from blanched)
Sear the monkfish and finish the curry — add the roasted squash and raw prawns to the sauce, simmer 3 min, do this close to serving so the fish stays tender
Cook the basmati rice for the curry
Warm the crusty bread
Assemble the charcuterie board with breads/crackers (keep the GF crackers separate and clearly marked)
Dress and assemble the cucumber/tomato/feta salad and kale & apple salad
Rest, then carve the roast chickens
Combine the berry salad and dressing, garnish with mint, and serve
Garnish and serve the chocolate avocado mousse
What not to do ahead
Monkfish and prawns — always best cooked and added to the curry close to serving
Green beans — texture and colour suffer if sautéed too far ahead
Roast potatoes — best roasted fresh; they go soft if roasted early and reheated
Roast chicken — carve close to serving for the best juiciness
Crusty bread — warm just before serving
Equipment/space check
Slow cooker, day before: the brisket takes the slow cooker for 8–10 hours on LOW — start it early morning so it's done in good time to cool and refrigerate that evening.
Oven, day before: free for roasting the squash (200–220°C), since the brisket is in the slow cooker rather than the oven.
Oven, day of: roast potatoes (200–220°C) and the 2 chickens (200°C) both need oven time close to serving — stagger them so the chicken isn't waiting on the potatoes, or use a second oven/the barbecue with a lid if you have one.
Hob, close to serving: curry sauce finishing, rice, and the green beans all need hob space at roughly the same time — plan which rings each will use in advance.
Fridge space needed for: brisket, chickpea curry, chocolate avocado mousse, berries and prepped fruit, roasted carrots, blanched beans, monkfish curry sauce base, roasted squash, charcuterie meats/cheeses, hummus, and prepped garnishes — this is the tightest constraint, so consider a cooler with ice for overflow if your fridge is small.