An Outlander Inspired Dinner Party

February 16th is nearing and I’m excited! Outlander season 5 premieres that night!

I was a latecomer to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, reading the first novel, Outlander, over 20 years after it first published in 1990. I was hooked. As a result, I spent the better part of the following two years reading through all eight books. Hungry for more of the fabulously written characters, I then moved on to the novellas.

The Outlander series makes me think how an author creates such a beautifully rich world full of characters that readers easily love or hate.

When Starz premiered season 1 in 2014, I was in love all over again. Here we are, 6 years later, awaiting season 5 and book 9.

The Outlander Kitchen Cookbook

Not too long after finding Outlander, I found Theresa Carle-Sanders’s blog, the Outlander Kitchen. Being the lover of all things history, all things food, and all things Scottish… I was beyond giddy. Her cookbook of the same title was released in 2016. It is a wonderful companion for the foodie. Recipes were delicately extracted from the books to create something delicious on which we can feast. Literally.

Dinner, Outlander Style

To celebrate the upcoming premiere, I hosted a little gathering on my own ridge… okay, at my dining room table. It was simple, nothing too outlandish. I “shopped” my house to create the tablescape and drew inspiration from Theresa’s recipe for roasted chicken and tatties.

For dinner, I served spatchcock citrus-herbed chicken with roasted potatoes.

Rosemary herbed wheat bread – made in my breadmaker – was the perfect way to soak up all the lovely juices from the chicken.

The decor was simple and a bit rustic. I used masculine dinner plates with plates a navy trim. A more feminine gray plate with a floral pattern topped the dinner plate. These little gray plates have the look of a Scottish pattern. A Douglas plaid scarf made a makeshift table runner and coordinating plaid napkins helped set the scene.

The centerpiece was built on a rustic wooden tray with wooden candlesticks. The silver deer is part of my Christmas decor but it fits the theme in a unique way.

If you want to read more about how to create a dinner party for your favorite book, movie, or TV show, read my recent article in the Southern Illinoisan newspaper.

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