Dinner Party – 4

Smoked Salmon Canapes

Cream cheese	60g / 2oz
chives	30g / 1oz
Smoked salmon	112g / 4oz

Beat the cheese and chives and season. Lay out the smoked salmon on clingfilm slightly overlapping. Spread cheese mix on salmon and roll up tight. Chill. Remove clingfilm. Slice to serve.

Melon Martini (serves 2-4)

Honeydew melon	1
watermelon	¼
Vodka (optional)
Mint	To garnish

For the shot – peel and blend the watermelon and pass through a fine sieve. Chill before serving in a shot glass.

For the martini – peel and seed the honeydew melon. Take out 4 pearls. Blend the rest. Chill. Serve in martini glasses with a single melon ball on a cocktail stick. Garnish with mint. (add optional vodka)

Spiced Apple Compote (serves 2)

Bramley/cooking apple	1
Five-spice	1 pinch
Cinnamon stick	¼
lemon	¼
water	2 tablespoons
Granulated sugar	60g / 2oz

Peel and core the apple, then chop into wedges. Juice the lemon. Put all the ingredients into a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes; making sure not catching. Remove cinnamon stick. Puree.

Spiced Parsnip Cappuccino (serves 2)

butter	15g / ½ oz
mushrooms	112g/ 4oz
thyme	sprig
Full fat milk	25ml
onion	30g / 1oz
Garlic	¼  clove
Cajun spices	1 pinch
Veg/chicken stock	112ml / ¼  pt

Chop mushrooms, onion and garlic. Pick the thyme leaves In a pan melt the butter and sweat the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and thyme. Add the stock. Boil then simmer to cook. Blend. Add spices and season to taste. Serve in coffee cup. Whip hot milk with blender to a froth and put on top of the soup.

Pork & Black Pudding En Croute (serves 1)

Pork tenderloin	112g / 4oz
Puff pastry	112g / 4oz
paprika	1 pinch
Spring/savoy cabbage	60g / 2oz
black pudding	60g / 2oz
egg	21

Finely chop cabbage. Roll out the pastry to square and trim the edges. Season the pork with salt and pepper and paprika. Seal in a hot oiled pan. Leave to cool. Place cabbage in puff pastry. Top with layered black pudding and seared pork. Wrap. Eggwash. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes at 200 deg C / Gas Mark 6 until golden brown.

Red Wine Sauce

Shallot	1
Red pepper	¼
chives	Pinch
Unsalted butter	25g/ 1oz
Brown Chicken stock	4 tablespoons
Red wine	2 tablespoons

Finely chop the red pepper, chives and shallot.  Heat a saucepan and add any juices from the roasting pan but remove any excess oil, add the red wine and simmer for 1 minute then add the shallot, red pepper, chives and stock and bring to the boil.  Whisk in butter.

Pears Poached in Spiced Wine (Serves 4)

Pear (firm)	4
Caster sugar	100g / 4 oz
Red wine	150ml / ¼ pt
Water	150ml / ¼ pt
Lemon	2 strips of rind
Lemon juice	1 table spoon
Cinnamon	1 stick / 1 teaspoon of ground
Cloves	6
Mint sprigs	To decorate
optional	Served cream or crème fraiche

Peel pears leaving stalk intact. Put sugar, wine, water, lemon peel, cinnamon and cloves in pan and heat gently stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Put pears in pan and bring the pouching liquid to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until pears are tender. Turn them occasionally to ensure even cooking. Remove pears from pan, pour over poaching liquid and decorate with mint leaf imitating leaves from pear; serve with crème fraiche or soured cream.

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Dinner Party – 2

Potato & Watercress Capuccino (serves 4)

Potatoes	3 Large
Onion	1 Large
Chicken/Veg Stock	450ml / 1pt
Full Fat Milk	112ml / 1/4pt
Watercress	150g / 6oz
Butter	60g / 2oz

Peel and dice the potato. Chop onion and watercress. Heat the butter in a pan and cook the onions without colour. Add the potatoes. Cover well with stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer until soft. Add the watercress and blend. Froth the hot milk and spoon over the top.

Parmesan and Rosemary Bread Plaits (serves 12)

Strong flour	350g
Easy blend yeast	1 packet (7g)
Olive oil	4 tablespoon
Tepid water	250 ml
Maldon salt	½ teaspoon
Parmesan	3 oz
Rosemary	sprig

Sieve flour and add salt, parmesan and rosemary then mix in yeast. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and add tepid water. Mix to dough and knead for 5 minutes, put in highly oiled bowl and cover for 1 hour in a warm place or until doubled in size. Knock dough for another 2 minutes. Roll out between hands and twist, pressing down on greased tray, brush with egg wash. Cook in pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 10-15 minutes.

Fondant Potatoes

Potatoes	4 maris piper
Unsalted butter	125g / 4 oz
Olive oil	2 fluid oz
Garlic	2 cloves
Bay leaf	1
Rosemary or thyme	1 sprig
Chicken/Veg Stock	½ pint

Cut the potatoes lengthways down both sides. Then peel them into a pebble shape following the natural line of the potato. Place into a deep ovenproof tray. Scatter the herbs and garlic among the potatoes and on the bottom. In a pot heat olive oil and add the butter. When the butter melts pour the mixture over the potatoes and add hot stock. Cook for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 deg C (turning over after 10 minutes).

Seared Sea Bass (per person)

Seabass	1 ½ fillet
Vegetable oil	1 tablespoon
Butter	60g / 2oz

Trim sea bass and cut into diamonds. Score the skin side and season. Heat a pan with the oil and place the fish skin side down and cook till crisp. Turn over. Add the butter. Remove from the heat. Leave for 2 minutes.

Roasted asparagus (per person)

Asparagus	3 spears
Olive oil	splash

Peel or break asparagus. Sprinkle with olive oil. Season  Bake in hot oven for 5 minutes at 200 deg C/ Gas Mark 6.

Jerusalem artichokes

Artichokes	250g / 9oz
Chicken/veg sotck	225ml / ½ pt
Lemon	½
Herbs	Your choice

Peel the artichokes. Slice. Halve the lemon and squeeze. Poach the artichokes in the stock still soft. Mash with a little butter and the herbs. Season. Add lemon ??

Pesto

Garlic	1 clove
Pine nuts	2 table spoons
Basil	8 leaves
Parmesan	2 table spoons
Olive oil	To cover [then add a bit more]

Place all in a container then blend.

Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce (serves 1)

Butter	Knob
Fish stock	4 fl oz
Dry white wine	1 fl oz
Lemon	¼
Parsley	sprig
Cream	1 tablespoon

Chop the parsley. Juice the half-lemon. Mix the stock and wine together in a pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Turn down to a simmer and stir in the cream. Whisk in the butter and then the herb and lemon.

Iced Lemon Sorbet

Stock syrup	450ml / 1pt
Lemons	6
Egg	1 large
Granulated sugar	275g / 10oz
water	575 ml / 1 ¼ pt

Make the stock syrup by adding together 450ml / 1pt water and 225g / 8oz sugar and boiling. Leave to cool. Zest and juice the lemon. Add to the syrup. Leave for 15 minutes. Strain. Freeze. Remove from freezer every 30 minutes and break up until granite (slush). Separate the egg – you only need the white. Boil the rest of the water and sugar. Beat the egg white into meringue and add the boiled hot sugar and fold into the slush. Return this mixture to the freezer and mix every 30 minutes until completely frozen. 

Dinner Party – 3

Risotto with Smoked Salmon, Peas and Prawns (serves 1)

salmon	25g/1oz fillet(skinless)
Arborio rice	125g / 4oz
Peas	3 tablespoons
Prawns, cooked and peeled	25g/ 1oz
shallots	2
Unsalted butter	25g / 1oz
chives	1 tablespoon
Vegetable stock	225-450ml / 1/2pt -1pt

Wash the rice. Dice the shallots. Chop the chives. Gently sweat the shallots in butter without colouring. Add the rice and immediately add the stock and cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes. After 8-10 minutes, the rice should be soft and the stock soaked up. Add the chives, the smoked salmon, peas and prawns.

Chicken en Croute (serves 1)

chicken	½ supreme
bacon	1 rasher
mushrooms	2 (button)
butter	knob
shallot	1 medium
puff pastry	90g / 3oz
garlic	1 clove
basil	1 tablespoon

Chop the basil. Slice the shallots, bacon and mushrooms. Smash the garlic and sweat in the butter along with the shallots, bacon and mushrooms. Add the basil. Roll the puff pastry thin enough to completely cover the chicken. Season the chicken. Place the mushroom mix on top of the chicken. Cover with puff pastry and bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 200degC/gas mark 6. 

Rosemary Baby Potatoes Roasted (serves 4)

baby potatoes	450g / 1lb
rosemary	1 sprig
vegetable oil	1/4pt
salt	pinch

Mix the ingredients together and lay on a roasting tray. Add salt. Place in the oven 160degC/Gas mark 4 for 40 minutes or until tender.

Goat’s Cheese with Red Onion Jam Tartlets (makes 12)

red onions	2
goat’s cheese	120g/ 4oz
fresh herbs	60g/ 2oz
sugar	90g/ 3oz
red chilli (optional)	1
eggs	4
Double cream	4 fl oz
Savoury mini-tartlets	12

Slice the onions and (if using it) chilli. Cook till liquid released from the onion. Add the sugar. Cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture is sticky. Leave to cool slightly. Put the cheese into the tart. Whisk the eggs and cream together. Add the herbs. Pour over the tarts. Cook in the oven for 12 minutes at 180 deg C.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce (serves 6-8)

Dark chocolate	50g / 1.5oz
White chocolate	50g / 1.5oz
Double cream	225ml / ½ pt

Boil the cream and whisk in the milk and dark chocolate.

Pear Belle Helene Spring Roll

Pear	1
Icing sugar	A dusting
Orange	¼
Unsalted butter	25g / 1oz
Filo pastry	1 sheets
Mint leaf	1

Peel and core the pear. Cut into strips. Shred the mint and combine with the fruit. Squeeze the orange over the mixture and dust with icing sugar. Melt the butter. Lay out one filo pastry sheet and brush with warm butter. Place the mixture in the centre and the fold the sides over the filling to meet in the middle. Brush again with butter. Roll up. Brush the top with butter. Dust with icing. Place the spring roll on a tray and bake in a hot oven until golden brown.

Canapes

Goat’s Cheese with Red Onion Jam Tartlets

For the tart (makes 6)

Plain flour	450g / 1lb
butter	225g/ ½ lb
Egg	1
salt	1 pinch

Add the salt to the flour. Sift flour. Rub butter into flour till a sandy texture. Beat the egg and add to the flour. Work into a paste. Handle as little as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out thin. Bake blind.

For the mixture

red onions	2
goat’s cheese	120g/ 4oz
fresh herbs	60g/ 2oz
sugar	90g/ 3oz
red chilli (optional)	1
egg	1
Double cream	1 fl oz
tartlets	4

Chop the onions. Saute the onions in a little oil with the sugar (and optional red chilli). Set aside. Crumble cheese into tartlets. Mix the egg and cream and pour over the tartlets. Bake in the oven at 190degC for 12 minutes.

Salmon Confit

Salmon fillets	4x3oz
garlic	1 clove
lemongrass	1 stick
Vegetable oil	½ pt
shallots	2 large
thyme	1 sprig

Roughly chop the shallots. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife. Braise the lemongrass and put it in a pot along with the shallots, garlic, thyme and oil. Gently heat to bring out the flavours. Now season the salmon and poach it in the oil for 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Parmesan Baskets

Fresh parmesan	Shavings
Vegetable oil	Dab

Grate the parmesan onto a silicon mat. Shape. Roast in the oven for 2 minutes at 200 deg C. allow to settle. Shape using a cup or dariole mould.

Petit Caesar Salad Basket

Parmesan baskets	1
Baby gem lettuce	¼
Anchovies	4
Lemon zest	1/6 lemon

Slice the baby gem. Mix together the lettuce, anchovies and lemon zest. Arrange in basket.

Dinner Party – 1

Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Haddock Crouton (serves 4)

Butternut squash	2
onion	1
garlic	2 cloves
parsley	sprig
Vegetable stock	750ml / 1.5pt
bread	1 slice [cut of baguette bread]
haddock	1 small piece

Peel and chop the squash. Chop the onion and garlic. Lay the squash on a baking tray and brush with butter. Put in the oven for 8 minutes at 180 deg C / gas mark 5. Place the piece of haddock on the sliced bread and put in the oven for 5 minutes at 180 deg C / gas mark 5. Then sauté the onion, garlic and squash in a pan with a little oil for 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Put into a blender. Place the crouton on top and sprinkle with parsley as decoration.

Pesto

Garlic	1 clove
Pine nuts	2 table spoons
Basil	8 leaves
Parmesan	2 table spoons
Olive oil	To cover [then add a bit more]

Place all in a container then blend.

Sweet Chili Sauce

Boil up 4 fl oz water, 1oz sugar, and 1oz chopped chilli.

Monkfish Spring Rolls (serves 4)

Spring roll or filo pastry	1 packet
Monkfish	1 fillet
ginger	30g / 1oz
beansprouts	60g / 2oz
Garlic	2 cloves
Basil	4 large leaves
Egg	1
Shallot	1
Pepper	Twist
Vegetable oil	drizzle

Chop the shallot. Finely chop the ginger and beansprouts. Slice the basil. Slice the fish. Sweat the shallot and garlic in some oil till soft. Add the fish, ginger and beansprouts. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan. Add the basil, season with pepper and leave to cool. Cut the pastry into a square approx 5 inches square. Double layer the pastry and place the mixture in the centre of the pastry diagonally. Brush the edges with egg and roll up. Cook in the oven at 160degC for 10 minutes.

Tomato & Coriander Confit

Cherry tomatoes	1 punnet
Garlic	1 clove
Coriander	sprig
Vegetable oil	1/4 pt

Slice the garlic. In a pan, warm the oil and the garlic. Put the tomatoes in an oven-proof dish and pack close together. Pour the oil over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Add the herbs. Cook in an oven at 180-190deg for 8 minutes.

Potato Gallette with Vanilla

New potatoes	225g / 8oz
vanilla	teaspoon
butter	30g / 1oz
Milk	half a cup

Slice the potatoes. Roast in oven with olive oil. Heat the milk and butter in a small pot until the butter melts. Add the vanilla. Pour this sauce over the potatoes.

Guinea Fowl stuffed with cheese and herbs (serves 1)

Guinea fowl	1 fillet
Garlic	1 clove
shallots	2
Goat’s cheese	30g / 1oz
basil	1 sprig

Chop the shallots. Mix together with the cheese and herbs.. Make a pocket in the guinea fowl, insert herbs and seasoning, fold fillet into flap and put in oven for 8 minutes at 200 deg C.

Bread and Butter Pudding (serves 6)

Bread	12 slices
Butter	1oz
Eggs	8
Caster sugar	175g / 6oz
Vanilla	Drop of essence
Milk	300ml / ½ pint
Double cream	300ml / ½ pint
Sultanas	60g / 2oz
Marmalade	125g / 4oz

Soften the butter. Separate 6 of the eggs – you only need the yolks. Grease a 3 pint oven proof dish of the butter. Make 5 bread and marmalade sandwiches (remove the crusts if you wish). Cut the sandwiches into triangles. Place some sultanas on the base of the oven dish and arrange the sandwiches on top. In a bowl, whisk together the 2 whole eggs and 5 yolks and the sugar. Pour the milk and the cream and the vanilla essence into a pot and bring to the boil. Add in the egg mixture while stirring. Pour half of the egg mix over the bread and allow it to soak into the bread. Now pour the remainder of the egg mix over the bread and add the rest of the sultanas. Cook for 20-30 minute at Gas Mark 4 / 160 deg C.