Words by Emilie Dock
If you’re cooking for a family, or a gathering of friends, you’ll be looking for easy-to-follow, crowd-pleasing recipes. With dishes that can be prepared, for the most part, in advance – like the three we’ve picked out below. Packed full of flavour, this three-course menu is sure to impress, but it won’t leave you slumped on the sofa. Leaving plenty of time for cocktail hour.
Incredibly quick to make, these mini crab gratins come out golden, bubbling and irresistible.
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
½ white onion, peeled and finely chopped
20ml cream sherry
4 tbsp plain flour
400ml milk
200g day-old white bread, with crust removed
40g Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp mild olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
100g mixed brown and white crabmeat
200g white crabmeat
60g vintage Cheddar grated
Extra flat-leaf parsley, to serve
Method
1. Fry the onion in the butter, over a low to medium heat, until it has become translucent. Add the sherry and stir until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the flour, and cook for a few minutes. Then gradually add the milk, stirring frequently, to make a roux. Bring to the boil, and simmer for a few minutes until the roux has become smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
2. Tear up the bread, place in a food processor and pulsed into crumbs (it’s OK to leave some larger pieces). Tip into a bowl, then add the grated Parmesan, melted butter, olive oil and parsley.
3. Stir the crabmeat and Cheddar into the roux, then season to taste. Divide the mixture among four ovenproof ramekins or crab shells. Top with the breadcrumb mixture, then place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the top has turned golden. Garnish with parsley and serve with rocket or other salad leaves.
Wine Pairing
Crab meat is so delicate you don’t want to overpower it, plus you need enough acidity to complement its subtle sweetness. With just a lick of oaky spice and lots of refreshing acidity, this Chardonnay is the perfect match.
Warming spices, dried apricots and a hint of honey sweetness work beautifully with game (available from the Food Halls), and bring brightness to the darkest of winter days.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
2 mallard ducks (total weight about 1.6kg)
2½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp allspice and ground ginger
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
75g dried apricots, roughly chopped
50g toasted flaked almonds
1 tbsp honey
50ml good chicken stock
Coriander and flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
Premade shortcrust pastry
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Pat the duck dry with kitchen roll, prick it all over, then place on a rack in a roasting tin.
2. Mix the spices together and rub half the mixture over the duck. Roast for 45 minutes, basting halfway through. Remove the birds from the oven and set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then cook the onions for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until they soften and brown.
4. Add the remaining spice mixture, garlic, apricots and almonds; cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the honey and stock, and simmer for a few minutes until reduced slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Once the duck is cool, remove the meat from the bones, discarding most of the skin, and chop it into chunks. Mix it up with the onion mixture, along with the chopped herbs.
6. Reduce the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm spring form cake tin and line with 5mm-thick shortcrust pastry; make sure the pastry comes at least 2cm over the side.
7. Pack the filling into the base of the pie; place a round of pastry on top, and brush with the beaten egg. Fold the pastry sides over and press gently to seal. Brush with more beaten egg, make a steam hole in the centre, then bake for 1 hour or until golden.
8. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then take the pie out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Serve with mixed leaves and a dollop of mustard.
Wine Pairing
There’s something rather exotic and fragrant about a Moroccan dish, and this delicious Pinot Noir evokes similar nuances. There’s plenty of fruit in this Beaune from Louis Jadot, which balances beautifully with the richness of the duck and the aromatics of the pie.
The trick here is to use premium-quality chocolate, like our exclusive single-estate varieties, and keep at least three aside for the chef.
Makes approximately 30
Ingredients
For the caramel filling:
30g unsalted butter
120g dulce de leche
¼ tsp Maldon sea salt, finely crushed
20g white chocolate, finely chopped
For the ganache:
100ml double cream
20g unsalted butter
220g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp brandy
For the coating:
150g dark chocolate
150g milk chocolate
Method
1. Over a medium heat, combine the butter, dulce de leche and salt, and heat until the mixture is smooth. Add the white chocolate, mix well until it has melted, then set aside to cool. Line a 20cm x 20cm oven tray with baking parchment, pour in the caramel mix and freeze for two hours.
2. For the ganache, heat the cream and butter to boiling point. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Add the brandy and stir well. Leave to cool (this may take a few hours), then hand-roll into 30 balls, each around 1.5cm in diameter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the chocolates, 8cm apart, on cling film. Lay another sheet of cling film on top and carefully flatten the chocolates using a small rolling pin to make 5cm-diameter circles, around 1.5mm thick. Refrigerate again, for 15–30 minutes.
4. Place ¼ teaspoon of the caramel mixture on each chocolate disk. Using your hands, quickly wrap the truffle, forming a ball. Once all the chocolates are done, put them in the fridge for 15 minutes. (If needed, you can re-mould them at this point.)
5. For the coating, melt the dark and milk chocolate in separate bowls. Dip each truffle into one type of chocolate, then put it on a sheet of baking parchment. Leave to set, then pipe the remaining melted chocolate over for decoration. The truffles can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
Wine Pairing
During the winter months it somehow feels essential to open a good bottle of Port. Most have tried it with Stilton, but chill this Tawny down in the fridge for an hour and it makes a wonderful pairing to salted-caramel chocolate truffles. Rich. Nutty. Divine.
