Christmas Party Food

Mulled cider At Christmas you could serve mulled wine, but I’m a proper West Country boy and mulled cider is more up my street. Get yourself a really good country cider – cloudy or clear; it doesn’t matter so long as it tastes great.

Makes 8 glasses 10 cardamom pods 4 star anise 3 fresh bay leaves 1 large cinnamon stick, broken in half 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 litres good cider 150g soft dark brown sugar 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and the seeds scraped out 150ml dark rum thinly pared peel of 1 orange

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Proper Pub Food

Tie the cardamom pods, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and peppercorns together in a piece of muslin. Pour the cider into a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the brown sugar, vanilla seeds and pod and the muslin bag and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and leave the cider to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Stir in the dark rum and orange peel. Remove the pan from the heat and serve.

Basics

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Olives marinated with walnuts and pomegranates Zeytoon parvandeh The olive groves of Ramsar in northern Iran provide the region with an abundance of rich, nutty and intensely flavoursome oil and fruit. This popular appetiser showcases the local produce by combining green olives with a tangy sauce made from ground walnuts, herbs and pomegranate molasses.

Olives cured in oil are the best to use here, but if you can only find olives in brine then soak them in a couple of changes of water for an hour to get rid of their saltiness, then add an extra spoonful of olive oil to the mix. Try to use the freshest walnuts you can, as old walnuts leave a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Serve the olives in small bowls alongside a main meal of Gilaki food – such as the Garlicky beans with dill and egg (page 151) or Gilaki herb stew (page 152) – or as part of a mezze of small dishes to start a meal.

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mezze & sides

25g walnuts 250g oil-cured green olives, drained and pitted 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses ¼ tsp dried mint 3 basil leaves, finely chopped

½ garlic clove, minced A generous pinch of golpar (optional) Sea salt and black pepper A handful of pomegranate seeds, to garnish

Grind the walnuts to a fine powder with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. Place them in a medium-sized bowl with the olives, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, mint, basil, garlic and golpar (if you are using it).

Season with a generous pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well, then taste and adjust the seasoning. If you think you’d like the dish sharper, add a touch more pomegranate molasses.

Leave to marinate for at least an hour and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds just before serving. These olives keep well for several days in the fridge.

Serves 6–8, as part of a mezze

GRISSINI, PICKLED RADICCHIO & SALAMI These little cichèti are like savoury lollipops. I can’t imagine any other way of persuading bambini to eat pickled radicchio. Since you are buying the salami and the breadsticks, the only part you need to prepare is the pickled radicchio. When buying breadsticks, choose the slightly more expensive Italian grissini rather than the thick moulded ones; or make your own (see page 100).

For twenty grissini: 200ml white wine 200ml white wine vinegar 4 juniper berries 20 leaves of radicchio Extra virgin olive oil 20 grissini 20 thin slices of salami Bring the white wine and the white wine vinegar to the boil with the juniper berries. When the liquid is bubbling, submerge the radicchio leaves for 5 minutes.

Take off the heat, remove the radicchio with tongs and gently shake off any excess liquid. Keep the pickled leaves covered in olive oil. When you are ready to use them, simply take out the leaves and drain them slightly of any excess oil.

Wrap the top end of the grissini with a piece of pickled radicchio and a slice of salami.

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cichèti

cichèti

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Spuntini & Toasts

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Mozzarella & Cavolo Nero Crostini When it is in season, cavolo nero is one of my hero ingredients.

Its deep, dark green colour and its long crinkled leaves are incredibly glamorous, and it is surprisingly versatile. Florence Knight, one of my favourite chefs, picks the smallest, most delicate raw leaves and tosses them in a delightful anchovy dressing with bread fried in butter. Delicious.

This recipe specifies a swift blanch; you really mustn’t overcook the cavolo nero, otherwise it loses much of its flavour and many of its nutrients too.

For four:

1 bunch of cavolo nero, about 200g, stems removed 3 garlic cloves Good handful of grated Parmesan, about 20g Flaky sea salt and black pepper Extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 8 slices of ciabatta 2 x 125g balls of buffalo mozzarella, at room temperature Place a pan of salted water over a high heat. Cut the cavolo nero into 2cm strips. Once the water has come to the boil, add the cavolo nero and, when the water comes back to the boil, blanch for 2 minutes.

Drain and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid.

Transfer the cavolo nero to the small bowl of a food processor. Add two of the garlic cloves, the Parmesan and some salt and pepper, and whizz to a purĂŠe. With the motor still going slowly add 100ml of the olive oil, then transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the lemon juice.

Now place a heavy-based griddle pan over a medium heat. Lightly coat the sliced bread with a few brushes of olive oil and grill on both sides until lightly charred. Halve the remaining garlic clove and rub over the hot grilled bread. Top with broken-up pieces of mozzarella and a generous amount of the cavolo nero purĂŠe. Serve immediately.

s til t on a nd g r ap e f l a tbreads makes

12 / prep 2 hours / cook 5–6 minutes per flatbread

The layer of melted cheese in these delicious and unusual flatbreads gives them a rich, slightly flaky texture. I often serve them, Ìill warm, with a seleÀion of dÔs, such as tzatziki, guacamole and an aubergine dÔ.

500g Ìrong white bread flour, plus extra for duÌing 10g salt 10g inÌant yeaÌ 30g unsalted butter, soÓened 310ml cool water 250g Stilton, crumbled 24 seedless green grapes, halved Olive oil for cooking

1. Put the flour into a large bowl and add the salt to one side and the yeaÌ to the other. Add the butter and three-quarters of the water and mix with your fingers to bring the ingredients together. Gradually add the remaining water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more – you want dough that is soÓ, but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.

2. TÔ the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5–10 minutes. Work through the initial wet Ìage until the dough Ìarts to form a soÓ, smooth skin.

3. When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a lightly oiled bowl.

Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at leaÌ doubled in size – at leaÌ 1 hour, but it’s fine to leave it for 2 or even 3 hours.

4. TÔ the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it inwards repeatedly until all the air is knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

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How t o Bake

5. Make an indentation in each ball and put about 20g of crumbled Stilton and 4 grape halves inside . Pinch the dough together over the filling to seal it in.

6. Press each filled dough ball gently with your hands then roll it out with a rolling pin to a circle, about 18cm in diameter. The grapes will burÌ and leak a little juice as you do this but don’t worry; use a little more flour to Ìop the dough Ìicking.

7. Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil over a medium-high heat. Fry each flatbread for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and puffy. Leave them to cool slightly on a wire rack, then serve. f l avo u r e d b r e ad s

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APPETITES

8/5/16 11:19 AM

There are certain lowbrow items that even the most discerning guests go crazy for at catered parties: Among them are (the aforementioned) pigs in a blanket, steroidal strawberries dipped in chocolate, and meat on a stick. Trim a pineapple and jab a bunch of chicken skewers into it, like some demented poultry porcupine, and do not skimp on the Fake-­A ss Spicy Peanut Sauce.

In the blender, combine the oil, the juice of 2 lemons, ¼ cup of the fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the lemongrass, shallots, 3 of the garlic cloves, ¼ cup of the sugar, the coriander, and turmeric. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds.

Place the chicken in 1-­gallon zip-­seal plastic bags or a large glass casserole or baking dish with a cover and pour the marinade over, turning the pieces so that they are all coated. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours (any more time than that, and the acid and salt in the marinade will begin to erode the structural integrity of the flesh, leaving you with revoltingly mushy chicken).

While the chicken marinates, make the peanut sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, hot water, and coconut milk and whisk well. Add the remaining juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, and the sriracha and whisk well, adding a bit more water or coconut milk if necessary to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional splashes of soy sauce, fish sauce, citrus juice or sugar as desired. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until 30 minutes before serving.

Soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes before cooking the chicken.

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½ cup vegetable or other neutral oil Juice of 3 lemons, or 2 lemons and 2 limes (about 6 tablespoons) ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce 3 stalks lemongrass, coarsely chopped, or finely grated zest of 3 lemons or 5 limes 2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or mild yellow curry powder 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into 1-­inch-­thick strips 1 cup chunky peanut butter ½ cup hot water ½ cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, or to taste (but you want it spicy) SPECI A L E QU I PME NT

Blender or food processor 45 wooden skewers Grill, grill pan, or broiler

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8/5/16 11:20 AM

Preheat your grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade in the small bowl. Thread one piece on each skewer, leaving enough room at the bottom of the skewer for a “handle.” Grill for 5 minutes, then turn the skewers and use a basting or pastry brush to coat the chicken with the reserved marinade. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until cooked through (cut through the center of one piece to make sure there’s no translucent pink flesh). Serve hot, with the peanut sauce alongside for dipping.

Makes about 45 pieces

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APPETITES

8/5/16 11:20 AM