There
are times when we want to push the boat out, especially after recent
events, so I thought I'd repeat a series on “a dinner party” if
only to illustrate how being organised and planning can take away the
stress. You might find it useful if you're thinking of dipping your
toe in the water at Easter – it matters not what the menu is, the
principles are the same – good luck!
The
Dinner Party
We
don't do much formal entertaining these days and when we do it's
casual and more relaxed, the formality has all but disappeared, thank
goodness! There are however times when you need to step up a gear or
two when special occasions present themselves.
Such
was the case recently when our old friend Neil, who lives
predominantly in the USA, was visiting with his lovely lady Rox. In
itself not an unusual occurrence but this time they were bringing
Rox's best friend and her husband – Gracey and Joe. Although Joe
had been to London on business many moons ago, it was their first
trip to the UK together.
A
dinner date was duly entered in their busy schedule – definitely a
special occasion and so the food should be too.
You
may not be aware but we Brits do not have a great culinary reputation
in the USA so all the more reason to be at the top of my game!
First
and foremost - find out what the dietary requirements are – it's
never a good idea to fly blind in these situations! Mission
accomplished - I have two veggies – although to confuse the issue
one does eat shellfish – the rest of the party eat anything -
always good.
Now
for the tricky bit - I want to spend as much time as possible with my
guests and not be tied to the kitchen only to emerge hot and bothered
– food you serve when you're flustered shows on the plate.
Here's
the menu :
Scallops
and king prawns in black bean sauce
Pork
with Calvados cream sauce
Chestnut
and apple roast for the vegetarians
Gateau
a l'Orange with orange syrup, clotted cream
and
vanilla ice cream
This is only the beginning …
The
appetiser
I've
served this dish on two previous occasions and it went well on both.
Third time lucky me thinks - time for another appearance. If you're
interested in dishes that can be prepped and served in minutes then I
think you'll like this.
Scallops
and king prawns in black bean sauce
Serves
2 as a starter
7 scallops per person (from frozen –
frozen scallops are usually smaller than fresh)
7 cooked king prawns (from frozen)
drop of rapeseed oil
salt and black pepper
Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients
black bean sauce
This is a dish that you pull from your freezer – the scallops
and the king prawns and from your pantry/store cupboard - the black
bean sauce.
As a guide I sourced the king prawns (200g) and the black bean
sauce (220g) from Waitrose - £4.80 and £2.49 respectively. The
scallops came from Marks and Spencer (300g) £9.00. Prices will
vary.
You
need to remember to take the scallops and king prawns out of the
freezer the night before and fridge them.
Make
sure you drain any liquid and pat dry with kitchen roll before
cooking.
I always use the clock face method when cooking scallops –
heating the rapeseed oil until hot and beginning at 12 o'clock and
forming an outer circle in your pan, sealing and seasoning with salt
and black pepper. When you return to where you began turn each
scallop again to seal on the other side. Add the king prawns, season
and then toss together for 2 minutes to warm the prawns through.
Add 100ml of the black bean sauce tossing to cover thoroughly. Serve
immediately.
The
Dinner Party - the table and hints and tips
To
save myself as much time as possible I always set the table ahead of
the party – preferably in the morning. It is also serves as a
useful prompt – you can see what you've forgotten! Are your wine
glasses pristine and polished? Plan ahead … choose your
dinnerware, including serving dishes and spoons.
Unless
you have a kitchen big enough you're not likely to have a warming
drawer. I have a solution. You may not have the warming drawer but
you might have two ovens – a small one without a fan which usually
houses the grill too. Empty the small oven – it's perfect for your
appetiser bowls, dinner plates, serving dishes and jugs for sauces.
There's no need to turn the oven on, the residual heat from the lower
oven rises and gently warms. There's nothing worse than hot food
served on a cold plate or vegetables from cold dishes.
I
decided to have some fun and chose colourful bowls for the appetiser
– have a look at these :
They
measure 12cms x 6cms deep – 4½ x 2½” in old money.
If
you like the look of these, here's what you need to know :
I've
deliberately chosen a menu that allows me to cook ahead and freeze
and to pre and part cook ahead too, leaving me with a 30 minute
finish time. The only dish I'll need to cook from scratch on the
night is the appetiser.
Hmm
… what to serve with.
The
Dinner Party – the vegetable fest!
My
next decision is what vegetables I'm going to serve – here's the
list :
Roast
potatoes
Roast
parsnips
Lemon
glazed roasted carrots
Cauliflower
cheese
Mange
tout – because they are a favourite!
I've got crunch, sweetness, bright vibrant colours and a creamy
cheesy cauliflower dish.
The added bonus – only the mange tout requires steaming on the
night.
The potatoes, parsnips and carrots are peeled and chopped to size
and part roasted on the morning of the party. I par boil my potatoes,
drain, add a tablespoon of semolina then shake well so that they are
coated. The Chestnut and Apple roast too. Bake in a pre-heated oven
180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover and
set aside to cool.
For the cauliflower cheese I steam a whole head of cauliflower,
minus its leaves and then set it aside on a tray lined with layers of
kitchen roll. This allows all the moisture to drain away from the
cauliflower, ready to finish later on.
I make the mornay sauce :
Serves 4-6
40g unsalted butter
40g plain flour
600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed
150g mature Cheddar cheese
(or a combination of Cheddar and gruyere)
salt and black pepper
½ tsp Dijon mustard - optional
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently
for a minute, stirring – make sure you don't brown the mixture.
Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and eventually bring to
the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick. Lower the heat and
simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese, mustard and season. I'd
taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese – adjust
accordingly. Cover and set aside until required.
I grate Parmesan cheese in readiness to garnish the cauliflower
dish and plan to be generous and sprinkle liberally! If you're able
to use the same oven proof oval dish as for the Chestnut and Apple
roast (see the recipe for the measurements and a photo in the
forthcoming step by step guide) – both can then be served straight
from the oven to the table.
Why so many I hear you ask? Easy … variety is the spice of life
and guests will try something new when offered a choice. Most of my
American friends didn't know what a parsnip was never mind about
sampling this most delicious under-rated vegetable … we'll see!
This is starting to take shape …
The
Chestnut and Apple roast
Over the years I've tried lots of vegetarian roasts. The
archetypal “nut roast” makes my blood run cold - for me it
conjures up a dried tasteless mixture that you could use to lay a
crazy paving! I've treated myself to a luxury version where the name
has been changed to make it sound appealing when it's really
appalling. Hence my own version.
Tried and tested, here it is :
Chestnut
and Apple roast
170g/6oz
of dried breadcrumbs
2
tsps dried sage
100ml/3fluid
oz boiling water
or
1
packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – 170g/6oz
1
packet – 180g/7oz of vac packed chestnuts, blitzed to a
crumb
– not dust!
300g
of chunky apple sauce – preferably Bramley apple
or
Portion
of apple sauce, a la Eliza Acton – 225-350g/8-12 oz
1
medium onion, finely chopped
Drop
of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.
2
additional knobs of butter
I used an oval cast iron oven proof dish measuring 25x17x5 cms –
10”x7”x2” in old money.
For your dried breadcrumbs, remove the crusts and tear up into
chunks – weigh to achieve 170g/6oz. Pre-heat oven 150fan/170c/Gas
3. Blitz the bread in a food processor until you get an even crumb.
Spread the crumbs onto a baking tray and bake for 6 minutes until
they are golden. You can make a finer crumb by blitzing again when
cooled. Add dried sage to taste – I'd suggest 2 tsps.
You don't have to make your own breadcrumbs, you can buy them
dried.
Alternatively if you're short of time, use a sage and onion
stuffing mix.
There's a
step by step photo guide and method coming next along with the Eliza
Acton recipe for the
apple sauce.
The
roast – step by step photo guide and method
the
breadcrumbs and the blitzed chestnuts
season
well with salt and freshly ground black pepper
with
the apple, onion and two knobs of butter
fold
the apple, onion and butter through the
breadcrumbs
and chestnuts
here's
the oval cast iron ovenproof dish
the
roast in the dish – if you want to cook ahead
part
bake, covered in foil for 20 minutes, 180fan/200c/Gas 6
cool
and fridge
take
the roast out of the fridge two hours before
finishing
to allow it to reach room temperature then
bake,
uncovered, for a further 20 minutes (10 minutes
in
to the 30 minute finishing time)
cooked
and served in an individual cast iron pot
The best apple sauce up next!
I found this recipe by accident and it is truly the most delicious
apple sauce. Even if you decide you haven't the time on this
occasion stick it in your pending tray and try it when you do have
time – you won't be sorry.
Eliza
Acton's Apple Sauce – with Bramley apples
Pre-heat
oven to 160fan/180c/Gas 4.
Grease
a glass dish with butter.
This
sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the
apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts
here, you can cook as much sauce as you desire – it freezes well!!
So, peel, core and slice your apples – if you can slice them a
similar size they will cook more evenly.
Place
your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER,
SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE!!
Bake
for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20. Apples should be soft. Here's
the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up,
sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter,
whisk again – enjoy.
You
can use this sauce for loads of recipes – I use it as an addition
to my Chestnut Roast at Christmas.
If
you're not feeling so well I can recommend the sauce as the sweet
alternative to chicken soup.
Enjoy!
P.s. The
books … if, like me, you're interested in food history you might
like to add the following to your list. Elizabeth David's
“An Omelette and a Glass of Wine” which
is a compilation of articles and is where I found “Big
Bad Bramleys” which in
turn lead me to “Eliza Acton Modern Cookery”.
The home straight
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