Quarantine barbecue
You can still entertain safely in person
Marinate grilled chicken thighs
Hbig, ere’s a maxim for entertaining in the age of COVID-19: The only way to bring people together is to figure out how to keep them apart.
So on a recent blue-skied afternoon, I stretched a tape measure to 6 feet while my husband, Daniel, arranged chairs and folding TV tables in our narrow Brooklyn backyard. We had just enough room for seven people in a distanced oval: four guests, plus our family of three.
I was positively giddy at the prospect of cooking for friends for the first time since the pandemic began.
Depending on where you live, guidance from your local authorities and your comfort level, it may be possible to get together outside in small, physically distanced groups where guests can remain at least 6 feet away from one another. Even as we texted our invitations, we knew there was no way to have people over that was 100% safe. But there were ways to reduce the risks.
Although most experts agree that the chances of catching the coronavirus from touching objects is low, studies have shown that, under ideal conditions, the virus can live on a surface for up to 72 hours. Quarantining the items for three days and unpacking them with gloved hands would lower the risk to a point acceptable to everyone in attendance.
The first step was to quarantine the tableware.
I put a set of plates, silverware, glasses and napkins on a separate tray for each group, then wrapped each tray in a bag. I also wrapped up cans of seltzer and individual bags of fancy potato chips.
The day of the party, Daniel and I snapped on gloves and packed an ice-filled cooler with the seltzer cans, spaced apart for easy grabbing. Each group had a separate folding TV table next to carefully spaced chairs, and on the table we set bags of potato chips next to a canapé-size hand sanitizer. This wasn’t the abundant hors d’oeuvres spread I was used to, but chips and Purell is surely the snack combo of 2020.
We served the food directly off the grill, and each guest pulled a pipinghot serving off the fire with their own utensils. Minimal risk, minimal fuss.