Family style

Family style is a way of serving a meal where the food comes to the table on large platters and in big bowls, and everyone helps themselves. It is the opposite of plated service, where each person gets a plate already arranged in the kitchen. Many home meals, and many restaurants built around shared dishes, work this way.

How to do it

1. Choose dishes that hold well for 15 to 30 minutes on the table: roasts, braises, grain salads, roasted vegetables, bread, dips.
2. Warm serving platters and bowls in a low oven, about 60 to 80°C (140 to 175°F), for hot food. Chill them for cold food.
3. Put a serving spoon or tongs in every dish.
4. Carve, slice or portion large items before they go out, so they are easy to take.
5. Add a simple garnish, such as chopped herbs, a drizzle of oil or a wedge of lemon.
6. Place the dishes so that every part of the table can reach at least one of each.

Why it works

Shared dishes make a meal relaxed and social. Guests take as much or as little as they want, which suits mixed appetites and diets. The cook spends less time plating at the last minute. Food served in a large mass also stays warm longer than food spread thin on single plates.

Common mistakes

• Serving food that needs to be eaten the moment it is cooked, such as fried food or a soufflé. It suffers while dishes are passed around.
• Too few serving utensils, so people use their own forks.
• Platters that are too full to pass without spilling. Refill from the kitchen instead.
• Forgetting guests with allergies. Keep a spoon in each dish so foods do not mix, and say what is in each one.

In recipes

"Serve family style" means bring the whole dish to the table and let people help themselves. Many food cultures eat this way, from Spanish tapas and Middle Eastern mezze to the Swedish smörgåsbord and shared Chinese dishes.