More entertaining - The method in the madness and after the weekend!

I try very hard not to waste anything - remember the reserved stock – here's where you'll use it and an added bonus – you're using a stock packed with flavour – perfect for a sauce supreme. I made it ahead and fridged!

Sauce Supreme

500ml stock – vegetable or chicken

ideally cold

30g unsalted butter

30g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon mustard

400ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.

Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes then cool, cover and fridge.

You can make ahead and freeze the sauce if it's more convenient – it's every bit as good from the freezer.

When I was ready to assemble I flaked and mixed the chicken and the ham hock, folded into the sauce supreme and finally added a puff pastry lid, egg washed and baked for 40 minutes. (180fan/200c/Gas 6).

The leftover food – pie, roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese was all duly wrapped and fridged, ready for my Sister to transport home the following day. It's another meal that they don't have to cook!

Later that day … a text from my Sister :

“Just eaten a takeaway from an impressive place,

you should try it, oh sorry it's you!”

Phew – mission accomplished!

Next weekend it's a dinner party and then I'm hanging up my apron for a while.

More entertaining - Sunday's menu

We decided that a walk would be a great idea on Sunday morning and so it seemed like a good idea to start the morning with a bacon roll. An army marches on its stomach, as they say!

Before I give you the menu … remember the “late lunch or a snack” I'd planned for Saturday afternoon? Like I said at the time, you can never predict how circumstances can change – work went on longer than expected and they weren't able to set off until 3pm which meant that the late lunch or a snack wouldn't be needed.

Everything happens for a reason, so they say. The “late lunch or a snack” became lunch on Sunday! We had a great two hour walk and then back home – preparing lunch took as long as it took the oven to pre-heat for the ciabatta – pulling out the remaining bits and pieces and an ice cold beer whilst waiting. I just love it when a plan re-arranges itself!

Sunday evening meal

Chicken and ham hock pie in a

sauce supreme and puff pastry

Roast potatoes

Cauliflower cheese

Steamed runner beans

Veggie stuffing for the veggie

Apple Crumble with ice cream

and/or clotted cream

My recipe choice from Sunday evening's meal is the Chicken and Ham Hock Pie. Again I've chosen it because it fits in with the principles I've used from the beginning – plan your menu, serve what you know your guests love and cook ahead as much as you can.

I slow cooked chicken breast in chicken stock. The pie was to serve 3 adults – I slow cooked 5 medium sized chicken breasts, cooled then bagged and fridged. I set aside and fridged the stock too.

I cheated and decided to use ready-cooked ham hock. There's a great deal in M&S at the moment – 3x100g packets of Pulled Wiltshire Ham Hock for £7. I used all three for the pie.

Coming up – the method in the madness and after the weekend!

More entertaining - A bowl of strawberries

Recently I gave you the dessert “Lemon Pots” with strawberries, a compote and Amaretti crumb to serve after the currys et al.

If it ain't broke … don't fix it.

I served a variation on that theme :

A bowl of strawberries

A bowl of strawberries, hulled

Sweet White Miso ice cream

Miso caramel sauce, warmed to drizzle

Strawberry compote

Crushed Amaretti biscuits

Toasted, salted pecans

I served each element of the dessert in a separate bowl, placed on a large tray, with the miso caramel sauce warmed in individual jugs. Each guest had an empty glass dessert bowl and a spoon.

As a special treat I served Limoncello shots on the side. The Limoncello had been placed in the freezer along with the shot glasses too.

The strawberries this year have been exceptional and it seemed a shame not to take full advantage.

Do you remember the “Ice Cream Factory” dessert that Pizza Hut used to have – for all I know they may still serve it – it was very popular with kids because they could create their own dessert, admittedly there wasn't too much fresh fruit, it was ice cream, sweets and sauces. I like to think of this idea as the grown-up version.

It's difficult to hit the right spot with a menu for someone you don't know. I can only tell the truth – my Sister's partner, my nickname for whom is Stanley, went home with a pack of recipes for the ice cream, the caramel sauce and the compote. Oh and a packet of sweet white miso too. As a cook I can't think of a greater compliment.

I think everyone slept quite well … now for Sunday!

More entertaining - Strog Part 2 – the day before and on the day

The day before you want to serve the Strog – not a huge workload - take both bags of meat and gravy out of the freezer and fridge to allow them to defrost properly.

Before I begin, a practical tip. My slow cooker can be used on the hob i.e. it's separate from the base. If yours can't then you'll need a large saucepan. As a guide 23x12 cms – 9x4½” in old money.

Tip the contents of the gravy bag – carefully – into the cooker or the pan. Using a large frying pan melt 50g of unsalted butter, add the quartered mushrooms and season with salt and black pepper, sauté gently. The mushrooms will release liquid – continue to cook gently and the liquid will be absorbed, leaving slightly browned mushrooms.

Another tip. If I'm adding cornflour to thicken a gravy I mix it separately in a small jug or cup – with this dish you can use some of the cold gravy or a drop of cold water.

Back to the mushrooms. Add a couple of ladles of gravy from the cooker or the pan and heat gently until simmering, you can then gradually add the cornflour, stirring until smooth and thickened.

Yet another tip – when you're about to add the soured cream add some of the cold gravy before incorporating and whisk together. This will prevent white specks appearing – now is not the time to spoil the appearance of the Strog!

Warm the gravy in the slow cooker or saucepan and then add the thickened mushrooms and the soured cream loosened with the gravy.

All that remains is to add the slow cooked steak to the mushrooms, cream and gravy. Simmer very gently for 20 minutes until piping hot – resist the urge to stir, you'll break up the steak. A gentle jiggle will do the job. To “jiggle” is to give a quick light shake!

You can serve the Strog with whatever takes your fancy. As you know I chose mashed potato – it's not everyone's bag but for me it's the perfect combination. If you're not a fan, then tagliatelle is a popular choice or new potatoes, surprisingly rice is not top of the list but it's whatever your favourite gravy absorber is! It's personal – for me there's nothing quite like Strog ladled generously over a mini mountain of good mashed potato – cuts down on washing up too – you only need either a spoon or a fork to devour!

Then there's the dessert … a bowl of strawberries

Strog Part 1 Method

The reason I've split the recipe into two parts is simple – Part 1 can be slow cooked ahead and then frozen. Part 2 completing the dish is quick and easy – flawless cooking on the day!

Back to the method :

Using a large frying pan heat the rapeseed oil, season

and seal the strips of steak in batches until well browned

then, using a slotted spoon, set aside in the slow cooker

Using the oil and juices left in the pan sauté the onions

and garlic. Add the beef stock pots, mustard, tomato paste

and sweet paprika. Mix together and cook out for 2/3 minutes

so that the stock pots have melted and the tomato paste, mustard

and sweet paprika are combined. Add a glug of water and mix

thoroughly, meanwhile put the kettle on!

Gradually add more boiling water until the onions and

everything else are in a thick gravy. Tip the gravy over your

sealed steak, carefully, then top up with more boiling water so

that the steak et al is completely covered.

Slow cook for 4 hours

Now for the crucial part! When the slow cooking is complete set aside to cool. When cooled remove the the beef with a slotted spoon and place in a strong Ziploc bag, seal and place that bag in another – for safety's sake!

Carefully tip the gravy into another Ziploc bag and as above place that bag in another.

Place both the steak and the gravy bags in the freezer.

Coming up – Strog Part 2 – the day before and on the day ...

Saturday evening meal …

Once again my planning is designed around wanting to spend time with my Sister, who eats very little red meat. The boys love it so as good a place as any to begin. Here's the result :

Saturday evening meal

For the boys

Beef stroganoff (Strog) – with a difference

have you noticed there's a Russian theme here!

Served in large deep bowls on a bed of mashed potato

Steamed veggies on the side

For the girls

Chicken breast in peppercorn sauce

Dauphinoise potatoes

Lemon glazed roasted carrots

Quorn fillet for the veggie

Served in large deep bowls

My recipe selection from the evening meal is the Strog – I said “with a difference” and the difference is it's slow cooked and I don't use traditional fillet – that would be a criminal offence in a slow cooker!

Here's my take on the Strog :

Slow cooked Beef Stroganoff

Part 1

750g rump steak, cut into strips of a similar size

1 tbsp of rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

2 onions, halved and finely sliced

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 beef stock pots

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsps of sweet paprika

To complete the Stroganoff

Part 2

50g unsalted butter

250g chestnut mushrooms cut into quarters

2 tsps cornflour, mixed with a drop of water

200g soured cream

Optional - 1 tbsp of brandy

Add the brandy to the mushrooms when sautéed in Part 2

to a stage when all the liquid has been released and then absorbed

There's a reason the Strog is in two parts – hold that thought!

Strog Part 1 method up next!

Late lunch or a snack

Here's the recipe as promised :

Smoked Trout Mousse

400g smoked trout

2 tsp creamed horseradish (optional)

3 tbsp double cream

1 squeeze lemon juice

pinch of black pepper

Serves 4-6

Flake the trout and place in a mixing bowl with the horseradish and the double cream. Mash with a fork until well mixed, add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with black pepper – salt if required.

Will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

This mousse would also make an excellent canapé topping.

If you want to try a canapé idea, blinis are great! They are easily available – I got mine from M&S – 16 Cocktail Blinis for £2.50.

Here they are :

For those not in the know – a blini is a small, thin Russian pancake and in Russia served – if you can afford it – with caviar! There are variations on the theme sweet or savoury – a very useful addition to your canapé collection. Smoked salmon and cream cheese probably being one of the most popular.

You could be forgiven for thinking I am digressing. For once it's entirely deliberate, one recipe leads to another idea, which you might find even more useful, if you get my drift!

Coming up – Saturday evening meal ...

More entertaining!

You must have heard that expression, “you wait forever for a bus and then three come along at once!” The same can be said about visitors, especially in light of months and months of lockdown and “splendid isolation”.

I've just written about hot weather food ideas and entertaining for one occasion. Now for visitors, special people, who are coming to stay. My Sister and her Partner are coming for the weekend. It's time to plan. The weather forecast isn't brilliant, which is a shame after the recent sunshine but hey it's the one thing we can't control!

As is usually the case there are variables to be included in my planning. They are due to arrive Saturday afternoon and leave on Monday morning. The word “afternoon” to me means any time from 2pm until 5pm – will they want a late lunch or a snack – it has to figure in the planning.

Here are my menu ideas :

Saturday – late lunch or a snack

Smoked Trout Mousse

Chicken Liver Paté

Warm Ciabatta

Black Olives

Balsamic & Olive Oil for dipping

Easy to pull from the fridge, ten minutes for the bread and can be served quickly and everyone can help themselves. Easy too to leave fridged if my timings are out. You can never tell and if you're expecting guests who are travelling a distance you can't control traffic, especially if it includes motorways!

These menu ideas are designed to remind you of your own favourites that you've not served for ages! I'll choose a recipe that I think you'll enjoy from each of the meals.

I've not made the Smoked Trout Mousse for ages – it's not a complicated recipe, can be made ahead and fridged, so a great idea in these circumstances and you can spread the work load.

Recipe up next …

What to cook in hot weather – the final curry photos

and the remaining bits and pieces.

I realise I'm always going on about raita – it's so easy to make and delicious with any spicy food. I mentioned it as recently as June but just for speed here it is again.

Raita

Take half a large pot of plain yogurt - 250g. Add one teaspoon of ready-made mint sauce and stir well. Add salt and black pepper. If you'd like to add finely diced cucumber feel free but add it as you serve so it remains crisp.

Another culinary marriage made in heaven – the fast and economical way.

I don't make mango chutney, simply because as of yet I can't do better than my favourite - Sharwood's Green Label.

You can buy good quality ready-made naan breads but if you want to make your own I'd choose Garlic Roti which was mentioned in Bread for the New Year in July.

There are heaps of ideas on the Indian label – from Bombay Aloo to Koftas – food for thought – sorry!

Okey dokey just before we complete the hot weather ideas here are a couple of photos :

                                       

Butter Chicken – I'd make more

than you need – it's great to pull from the

freezer for a ready-made supper!

Veggie Rendang – just one word – yum!

Neither the Butter Chicken nor the Veggie Rendang are complicated and long-winded whichever route you decide to take – there's fastish and fast!

Coming up – more entertaining …

The Rendang method … and cheating!

Pulling the Rendang together is easy peasy. Use a large frying pan and sauté the onion and the garlic in the rapeseed oil until softened – 3-4 minutes and then add the peas, potatoes and finally the curry sauce. Set aside until you're ready to serve.

This is not a challenging dish – it's what I call a “fly by the seat of your pants” recipe which you can make your own.

As you would expect from me there are always faster alternatives in other words, cheat.

You can buy a ready-made Butter Sauce in a jar, ready to add slow cooked chicken.

You can buy rendang paste and coconut milk, both easily available.

Here they are :

Next up another photo or two and extra ideas

What to cook in hot weather – then there's the Rendang

I've said already that this is a favourite of mine – what I also love about this curry is that it's quick and easy – ideal too for using leftover veggies. I always cook more potatoes than I need and at this time of year it's new potatoes. You can add whatever you've got – cauliflower, peppers, broccoli, anything goes.

Here's the recipe I use :

Rendang Sauce

100 ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild – use medium or hot to suit personal taste)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and

serve. Can be made ahead and re-heated.

I doubled the recipe.

You don't have to make the Butter Chicken sauce or the Rendang either – you can cheat and buy ready-made products or, in the case of the Rendang, there's very little time difference.

I added :

500g of cooked new potatoes, cut into cubes

1 large onion, finely diced

1 roasted garlic clove (optional)

glug of rapeseed oil]

a couple of handfuls of frozen petit pois,

boxed and allowed to defrost

Rendang method up next ...

What to cook in hot weather – here's Dipna's recipe :

Whilst the whole recipe is a salad I've given you the Tandoori chicken element for ease of reference, it's already on the blog but it'll save you time if you'd like to try it.

Tandoori chicken tikka salad

Serves 4

700g (1lb 8oz) chicken breast, cut

into chunks

Marinade

1½ tbsps ginger and garlic paste

½ tsp salt

1½ tsps green chilli paste

2½ tbsps white vinegar

5 tbsps vegetable oil

1½ tsps turmeric

1½ tsps red chilli powder

1½ tsps cumin powder

2 tsps garam masala

160g (5½ oz) Greek yoghurt

or low fat version

In a bowl mix the chicken pieces with the ginger and garlic paste, salt, green chilli paste and the white vinegar and leave to one side.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the oil and turmeric. Add the red chilli powder, cumin poweder and garam masala to the bowl then mix well before adding the yoghurt. Combine the mixture thoroughly.

Add the chicken pieces to the yoghurt mixture. Use your hands to ensure the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the yoghurt marinade. Note to self – you might want to use disposable kitchen gloves! Leave the chicken to marinade for at least an hour. You can leave it in the marinade overnight, this way the chicken will absorb all the flavours thoroughly.

Once the chicken has been marinated, place the pieces on an oven tray. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes.

If you'd like to see a photo-guide for the whole salad, check out the Indian label.

Then there's the Rendang!

What to cook in hot weather - Butter Chicken method and other choices

The simplest recipes are the best and this is no exception.

Butter Chicken Method

Put the tomato paste in a clear measuring jug. Add water slowly, mixing as you go, to make up 8fl oz (225ml) of tomato sauce.

Add the ginger, cream, garam masala, salt, sugar, green chilli, cayenne, green coriander, lemon juice and ground roasted cumin seeds. Mix well. At this stage you can box and fridge until the finishing touch below completing the sauce.

**Heat the butter in a wide sauté pan or a large frying pan. When the butter has melted, add all the ingredients in the measuring jug. Bring to a simmer and cook on a medium heat for a minute, mixing in the butter as you do so.

Now you're ready to add your chicken.

Once again you have chicken choices. I slow cooked chicken breast ahead – one per person plus an extra two for good luck, and then froze. All that remained was to pull it all together and finish off on the day – not forgetting to defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight.

Madhur Jaffrey has another suggestion and that is to add tandoori chicken.

That suggestion gave me an idea for a spot of fusion – of culinary minds that is.

Dipna Anand is co-owner of “Brilliant” restaurant in London. The tandoori chicken is taken from a larger Tandoori Chicken Tikka Salad recipe from Dipna. This is an hommage to Madhur Jaffrey and Dipna Anand. It also proves that recipes that are 40 years old work just as well with “now”!

Chapter and verse to follow

What to cook in hot weather – the curry choices

Before I begin a small tip you may find helpful. I have this habit of re-visiting a menu plan the following day, which again might sound strange, sometimes I miss an element or there'll be an element that doesn't quite fit. In this case I didn't make any tweaks at all so I'm good to go.

I chose Butter Chicken because quite simply it's very popular and always seems to disappear. The Rendang choice is personal to me because I'm a huge fan of sweet and sour flavours. Rendang is Indonesian in origin although it has spread to Malaysia, among other countries in Southeast Asia. It's perfect to put with veggies.

It might seem pointless talking about the intense heat and what to cook after the event but I have a feeling that it will not be the last time we experience it and it's good to have an idea or two in reserve or, you might just fancy a curry in the summer.

There are heaps of Butter Chicken recipes out there – the one I use comes from my favourite Indian cookery book Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery – there was a television series too. I can't believe it's 39 years old!

Here it is :

Chicken in a butter sauce

Makkhani murghi

The sauce in this dish should be folded into butter at the very last minute as it tends to separate otherwise. However, you can combine all the ingredients except the butter up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate them until they are needed.

This is a wonderfully simple but spectacular sauce to which you add chicken.

Serves 4-6

4 tbsp of tomato purée

water to mix

1” (2.5cms) cube of fresh ginger, peeled

and grated very finely to a pulp

½ pint (275ml) single cream

1 tsp garam masala

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp sugar

1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp very finely chopped fresh green coriander

4 tsps lemon juice

1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

4oz (110g) unsalted butter

Coming up – the method and your chicken choices continued

What to cook in hot weather – the dessert photos

Here they are :

the Amaretti crumb - there's no set recipe, it's

so useful for desserts - I grab a couple of handfuls

pop into a strong ziploc bag, bash with a rolling

pin and then roll to a fine crumb

the strawberries

check these beauties out – they are

at their best at the moment

the Lemon Pot

All these elements can be made ahead, the pots need two hours minimum to set – I made them in the morning, to be served at teatime the same day.

Back to the beginning of the menu and the curry choices

What to cook in hot weather … the dessert

Since I mentioned I planned my menu backwards it seems only fitting that I begin with the dessert recipe :

Lemon Pots

600ml (1 pint) double cream

150g (5oz) caster sugar

finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons**

To serve

fresh strawberries

small ramekins or shot glasses

Heat the cream, sugar and lemon zest in a wide-based pan over a low heat until at simmering point. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly until lukewarm.

Mix the lemon juice with the cooled cream in the pan and stir.

Pour the lemon cream into the pots and transfer to the fridge to set for a minimum of 2 hours.

**If you don't have fresh lemons you can use juice and omit the zest – 4 tbsp of juice is equivalent to one and a half lemons.

Here's a thought – add another easy element :

A strawberry compote

500g ripe strawberries, hulled

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Cover and cook for 3/5 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Compote can be store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. I'd suggest you divide in half and freeze one for a rainy day.

If you prefer a smooth compote blitz and pass through a sieve.

The compote can be made ahead and frozen. Serve in a jug so everyone can help themselves.

Photos up next