Hosting an Istrian dinner at your villa: a menu, a table and a plan

There is a moment, on a summer evening in Istria, when the heat goes out of the day, the light turns gold and the cicadas fall quiet. It is the perfect time to sit down to dinner outdoors. If you are staying in a villa, or have a house of your own, hosting an Istrian dinner is one of the best ways to share the place with friends. It does not need a chef or a complicated menu. It needs good local ingredients, a long table and a plan that lets you enjoy the evening as much as your guests.

The menu: five easy courses

Istrian food is generous and seasonal, and it suits a long, relaxed dinner served in stages. This menu works from late spring to early autumn and can be adapted to what you find at the market. Most of it can be prepared ahead.

1. The cold plate. Thinly sliced Istrian pršut, a firm local cheese, olives, good bread and a bowl of fresh olive oil. Add melon or figs in summer. Put it out as guests arrive, with a glass of chilled Malvazija.
2. A fritaja or a light starter. In spring, a fritaja with wild asparagus; in summer, a salad of tomatoes, cucumber and onion dressed with olive oil, or marinated anchovies. Simple, fresh, made in advance.
3. Pasta. Hand-made fuži or pljukanci, bought fresh or made the day before, with a slow sauce, with seafood, or in autumn with butter and shaved truffle. Cook it at the last minute; everything else waits for the pasta.
4. The main course. On the coast, whole fish or squid from the grill with blitva (chard and potatoes with olive oil and garlic). Inland, lamb or veal roasted slowly, or a boškarin goulash if you can find the meat.
5. Something sweet. Fritule, a fruit tart, or simply a bowl of seasonal fruit with a local dessert wine or a small glass of biska or herbal brandy.

If you want more background on any of these dishes, our guide to Istrian cuisine and guide to Istrian pršut explain what to look for.

What to drink

Keep it local. Malvazija, fresh and lightly aromatic, carries you from the cold plate through the pasta and the fish. If you are serving meat, open a bottle or two of Teran, the region's deep red. Have plenty of still and sparkling water on the table, and keep white wine in an ice bucket rather than going back and forth to the fridge. Our guide to Malvazija, Teran and the wines of Istria will help you choose.

Shopping: where to find good ingredients

• Morning markets. Town markets in places such as Pula, Rovinj and Poreč sell fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and often fish. Go early for the best choice.
• Fish. Buy from the fish market or a trusted fishmonger the same day. Ask what came in that morning rather than arriving with a fixed idea.
• Pršut, cheese and oil. Look for producers who sell directly, or delicatessens that slice ham to order. Taste before you buy.
• Wine. Many family wineries sell from the cellar door. A morning tasting is a pleasant way to stock up for the evening.
• Fresh pasta. Some shops and producers sell fresh fuži and pljukanci; otherwise both are easy to make the day before.

Setting the table outdoors

The table is half the evening. A long rectangular table where everyone can see everyone else is ideal for this kind of dinner; dishes can be passed and shared, and conversation flows from one end to the other. Place it where guests will catch the sunset but not stare straight into it, and where the cook can reach it easily from the kitchen.

• Linen, not plastic. A plain linen tablecloth or runners and cloth napkins make the table feel special and survive a little wine.
• Serve family-style. Large platters and bowls down the middle are more convivial and easier than plating for ten.
• Low flowers and herbs. Rosemary, lavender, olive sprigs or wild flowers in small jugs, low enough to talk over.
• Light for after dark. Candles in glass holders that will not blow out, a few lanterns, and soft, warm light from the house. Avoid bright floodlights that attract insects and kill the mood.
• Comfort. Chairs with backs and arms make a four-hour dinner a pleasure. Have a few light throws ready for when the breeze picks up.

The best host is the one who sits down at the table, not the one who never leaves the kitchen.

A timeline that lets the host sit down

• The day before. Shop for everything except fish. Make the pasta if you are making it yourself, prepare any sauce or slow-cooked meat, and chill the wine.
• The morning. Buy the fish. Prepare salads and the fritaja. Set the table outdoors and check the lighting.
• One hour before. Slice the pršut and cheese, bring them to room temperature, light the grill so it has time to settle into embers.
• As guests arrive. Serve the cold plate and the first wine. Put the pasta water on.
• During dinner. Cook the pasta, then the fish or meat. Everything else is already done, so you can sit down between courses.

If you would rather not cook

Not every host wants to be at the grill. Some villas can arrange a private chef or catering, and some local cooks prepare traditional dishes to order, especially slow dishes that take hours. Ask your villa manager or the local tourist office for recommendations, and book well in advance in summer.

A table that lasts

An Istrian dinner is really about the table: the people around it, the food passed along it and the hours spent at it. If you own a villa here, it is worth investing in one that seats everyone comfortably and is built to last. The Lampisa atelier in Istria makes dining tables and furniture to measure, with a plywood structure rather than particleboard, so they keep their shape in the humidity of a house by the sea. Our piece on choosing the dining table has more on size and proportions.