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Seven fishes for 9 guests

A sit-down seven fishes for 9: 6 dishes, about 739 g of food a guest (14.75 lb in all), 31 lines on the shopping list and around 30 drinks. 50% of the cooking can happen before the day.

Dishes
6
Food
14.75 lb
Drinks
30
Shopping lines
31

Sized by the planning engine

The menu, amounts and kitchen check

  • · We set food for 7 PM — change it if your timing is different.

Menu for 9

Starters

  • Ceviche1.5 batches · 12 servingson the day

Mains

  • Moqueca1.5 batches · 12 servingsday before

Sides

Bread

Dessert

About 739 g of food a guest. 50% of the cooking can be done before the day.

Shopping highlights

  • Fish2.8 lb
  • Fish fillets4.3 lb
  • Aji2 oz
  • Cauliflower2.8 lb
  • Cilantro2 oz
  • Citrus for garnish2 ea
  • Lime12 ea
  • Onion13 oz
  • Onion3 kg
  • Pepper1.3 lb

10 of 31 lines. The full list comes with the plan.

Kitchen check

RECOVERY WINDOW — Clear

Recovery window is the busiest part of this starting kitchen.

Recovery window57%
Cold storage52%
Wash-up throughput48%
Counter & landing33%

Checked against a starting kitchen of 1 oven and 4 burners — not yours yet. Seats are not counted here: the planner asks for your real number rather than guessing it.

Drinks and cost

Drinks, all kinds
30
Ice
14 lb
Food, estimated
$244

About $27 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.

Countdown

The seven fishes timeline, condensed

  1. 4 weeks before

    • · Send the date, the start time, and a question about what people do not eat.
    • · Seven fishes is a count of dishes in some families and a count of species in others. Plan the pans before you plan the seventh.
  2. 2 weeks before

    • · Order the things that sell out. Leave the greens for the week of.
    • · Decide the table before you buy anything for it.
  3. 1 week before

    • · Cook whatever is better the next day. Leave the last fry for the day.
    • · Count the zero-proof and the water with the rest of the drinks.
  4. Day before

    • · Clear the surfaces you will actually serve from.
    • · Label what is already done so a helper does not redo it.
  5. Day of

    • · Finish only what cannot wait. Put the rest out before people arrive.
    • · Keep one person out of the kitchen once guests are in the room.
  6. Day after

    • · Cool leftovers in shallow containers. Note what actually ran out.
    • · Eat the food that keeps. Throw out the food that does not.
The full checklist

Other sizes

Seven fishes for more or fewer

Questions hosts ask

How much food for a seven fishes for 9?

About 14.75 lb of finished food, or 739 g a guest across 6 dishes, with moqueca as the main. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.

Should a seven fishes for 9 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?

A sit-down meal works for 9 if you have a chair for everyone. Count your seats first — the planner never assumes them — and switch to a buffet if you are short.

How many drinks for a seven fishes for 9?

About 30 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 14 lb of ice.

How far ahead should I start planning?

Start 4 weeks before: send the date, the start time, and a question about what people do not eat, and seven fishes is a count of dishes in some families and a count of species in others. Plan the pans before you plan the seventh.

What does a seven fishes for 9 cost?

The food in this plan comes to roughly $244, about $27 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.


The whole night

Plan my seven fishes for 9

Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.

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