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If you choose to serve cocktails, try to limit these to one or two, unless you really enjoy acting as bartender and/or have a big budget.
Be sure to have soft options for those who don’t drink alcohol. Even if you just posh-up a big jug of ice water by adding lemon or lime, or mint-or even coriander.
Keeping calm …
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Nobody expects you to be a superhero, so if you need help chopping, recruit a friend or family member. If you’re having a big party, enlist a few people to be on standby to pass things around and pick things up as the evening progresses. You don’t have to do it all single-handedly.
One handy but easily forgotten tip when preparing is to clean as you go along so that your guests don’t arrive to a mess and so you have an easier clean-up afterwards. Chuck out packaging, put things in the dishwasher and wash-up bowls or utensils. It’ll also help keep your head clear if your space is as clutter-free as possible.
Try to remember that part of the fun of entertaining is the preparation itself. So crank up the music, pour yourself a glass, and go for it! Remember, everyone will appreciate your hard work and probably only you will notice if something isn’t quite as you expected. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s all about the having fun and sharing great times with those you love. Be prepared to have a few mishaps and you’ll have a much better time!
I hope this book helps you create many memorable meals. Above all, enjoy!
BRUNCHES AND LUNCHES (#ulink_5f414b2c-db39-52e5-be38-5262da45dc02)
Getting together with friends and family doesn’t always mean ‘dinner’. You can have just as special a meal before the sun goes down. Birthdays, Mother’s Day, or just getting together with the girls are reason enough to plan a nice meal together. Brunch is one of my favourite meals- it allows you to put a little extra something into what is essentially a late breakfast, and it means you can have a sneaky glass of something fizzy or a Bloody Mary before noon! Here you’ll find many ideas for easy and special daytime meals.
BRUNCH (#ulink_6f64246c-fee0-5428-9d9a-329656f7fdde)
Baked eggs with creamy kale (#ulink_dc7365e0-9627-5410-a297-f2839ecf321e)
This is delicious for brunch. If you can’t get kale, use spinach. I love to use the Irish farmhouse cheese Glebe Brethan for its delicious flavour and melting texture, but you can use Gruyère instead.
SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN
25g (1oz) butter
900g (2lb) kale with stalks removed before weighing
Salt and ground black pepper
350ml (12fl oz) single or regular cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
6 eggs
350g (12oz) Glebe Brethan or Gruyère cheese, grated
Six 100ml (3½ fl oz) ramekins or ovenproof dishes
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Add the butter to a large wide frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. As soon as the kale wilts and becomes tender, add the cream and nutmeg, then allow to bubble for 3–5 minutes until thickened.
3 Divide the kale between the ramekins or dishes, placing it around the inside of each dish and leaving a small well in the centre.
4 Break one egg into each dish and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling around the edges. Scatter over a little pepper and serve immediately with a little toast on the side.
Wild mushrooms on toast with chive hollandaise (#ulink_358fd63d-795a-57cd-89bd-84e9c894d934)
I like to use chanterelles or oyster mushrooms for this recipe. Chanterelles are one of my favourite mushrooms. They have a huge amount of flavour and their colour is like liquid gold. Here they transform what is essentially just mushrooms on toast into a luxurious breakfast treat.
SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN
3 generous handful of wild mushrooms
50g (2oz) butter, plus extra for spreading
6 slices of bread
100ml (3½fl oz) chive hollandaise (see below)
For the chive hollandaise
2 egg yolks
100g (4oz) butter, diced
Squeeze of lemon juice
1–2 tbsp chopped chives
Salt and ground black pepper
1 First make the hollandaise sauce following the instructions on page 159, stirring the chopped chives into the cooked sauce just before seasoning,
2 Next carefully clean the mushrooms. The best way to do this is to brush off any soil or debris with a pastry brush. Avoid washing them as this will make them soggy during cooking.
3 Place a large frying pan on a high heat and allow it to get quite hot. Add the butter and when it has melted and starts to foam, tip in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3–5 minutes, tossing regularly.
4 Meanwhile, toast the bread and spread with butter.
5 When the mushrooms are cooked, taste for seasoning then arrange on top of the hot buttered toast, drizzle with the chive hollandaise and serve immediately.
Citrus honeyed fruit (#ulink_b143ce34-2621-5ca1-b47c-5d4b48acddda)
The sweet-sour combination of lime juice and honey is a lovely way to enhance the flavours of some fruit. I like to add chopped mint for a fresh taste. This is ideal for serving at breakfast.
SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN
Juice of 1–2 limes
1–2 tbsp runny honey
2–3 tsp chopped mint (optional)
750g (1lb 10oz) mixed fruit, such as melon, bananas, raspberries, pineapple
1 In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, honey and mint (if using). Peel any of the larger fruit (if necessary) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add all the fruit to the bowl and stir to cover.
2 Leave to macerate for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Sweetcorn fritters with mango and avocado salsa (#ulink_8c8f7d5d-32b9-510a-8184-e47a4a6263e7)
These gorgeous light fritters make a delicious brunch when eaten with the avocado and mango salsa, but they can be served on their own as a starter. You’ll need a good ripe avocado and mango for the salsa, which shouldn’t be made more than half an hour to an hour in advance or the avocado will discolour.
MAKES 15–20 FRITTERS SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN
2 eggs, separated
3 tbsp milk
50g (2oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
200g (7oz) tinned or frozen and defrosted sweetcorn (drained weight)
4–6 tbsp olive oil
For the mango and avocado salsa
1 avocado
1 small or ½ medium-large mango
2 spring onions
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper
1 First make the salsa. Peel the avocado and mango, remove their stones and cut the flesh into 1 cm (½ in cubes). Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
2 Put all the salsa ingredients into a large bowl, gently mix together and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
3 Place the egg yolks in another bowl and mix together with the milk. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together until smooth then stir in the sweetcorn.
4 In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then carefully fold into the corn mixture.
5 Place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. (If using a large frying pan, you may need to add more oil-it should completely cover the base of the pan.) When the oil is quite hot, add tablespoon-sized blobs of the mixture, very lightly flattening these with the back of the spoon if they are too lumpy. Cook for 30 seconds–1 minute or until golden and crusty underneath, then, using a fish slice or palette knife, gently turn over and cook for a further minute or so on the other side. They are cooked when they are golden in colour and have a light spring to the touch in the centre.
6 Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. (You can do several at once, but be careful not to overload the pan or they will stick together. You will need to add more oil for each new batch.) Serve as soon as possible; kept warm in a baking tray in a low oven where they can sit for about 30 minutes, though they are best eaten straight from the pan!
Hot buttered oysters on toast (#ulink_b047b883-14d0-59ae-bedc-87ec992cee0d)
For a little bit of decadence these make a fabulous starter or a light meal.
SERVES 6
18 oysters (3 per person)
50g (2oz) butter, plus extra for spreading
6 slices of bread
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt (optional) and ground black pepper
1 Open the oysters one by one. Place an oyster on a tea towel, flat side up. Wrap your non-cutting hand in another cloth so you won’t get cut if the knife slips. Take an oyster knife, look for a chink in the shell at the narrow, hinged end, then insert the blade and, applying quite a bit of force, press, turn and lever upwards.
2 Put the opened oysters into a sieve set over a bowl and cut away the flesh from the shells. Discard the shells or wash them and use as salt and pepper holders. Tip the juices into a heavy-based frying pan, then, on a high heat, bring the juices to the boil. When they are boiling, whisk in the butter.
3 Add the oysters and, still on a high heat, toss for 1 minute or until the oysters are warmed through and have firmed up slightly and the sauce slightly reduced.
4 Meanwhile, toast the bread and butter it, and place on plates.
5 Just before serving, add the lemon juice and taste — it probably won’t need any salt. Place the oysters on the buttered toast, pour over the juices, add a grinding of black pepper and serve.
Lazy weekend Bloody Mary (#ulink_7cd9d221-cb9f-5a21-9eed-04d388e45e23)
This refreshing tipple is strictly for Sunday mornings. Celery salt isn’t essential, but it goes to perfection, so do get hold some if you can.
SERVES 10
50ml (2fl oz) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp celery salt (optional)
5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated horseradish
1 tsp peeled and finely chopped shallot
1.8 litres (3 pints) tomato juice
2 tbsp dry sherry
