Roast Jerusalem artichokes
Parsnip, mustard and parsley mash
Crunchy roast coriander potatoes
Cucumbers with tomatoes, cream and mint
Amaretti with brandy and ice cream
Iced strawberry parfait with strawberry sauce
White chocolate and ginger parfait with dark chocolate sauce
Rhubarb and ginger crumble cake
Passion fruit and orange granita
Mushroom, lemon and garlic salad
Smoked mackerel with dill mayonnaise
Poached whole salmon with basil mayonnaise
Boiled shrimps or prawns with herb mayonnaise
Ballymaloe glazed loin of bacon with spicy mayonnaise
Cold roast chicken with herb stuffing
Roast lamb with redcurrant jelly
Traditional roast rib of beef with horseradish sauce
Friends, family, good food, good times-this is what entertaining is all about. It can be as relaxed as flopping down on the sofa with a few friends to share nibbles and drinks, or as formal as getting out your best china and ironing your tablecloth for a three-course meal. How you choose to share your time and your cooking creations with your loved ones is entirely up to you. What each kind of gathering has in common, however, is a happy, welcoming atmosphere, and the main ingredient for that is you.
The kind of entertaining my family tends to do at home is most often spontaneous and casual. Maybe there’s a big pot of cassoulet bubbling away gently in the oven and we’ll realise there’s enough to share, so after a phone call or two we find ourselves with several hungry friends arriving at the door with bottles in hand. But there are also times when we’ll have a larger gathering or a particularly special evening when we want to push the boat out and make more of an effort with both the food and the table decorations.
In this book I hope to give you the inspiration and tools you will need to entertain for any gathering, whether relaxed and intimate or a great big bash, while actually getting to enjoy yourself as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned cook or a complete novice in the kitchen; I’ve tried to give you achievable recipes that take the mystery and complication out of cooking for a special occasion. And you’ll find many of the recipes easy enough to cook to make any meal a special occasion.
Your guests
Whatever sort of entertaining you are doing, do let your friends know what kind of party it is, whether a casual plate-in-your-hand-type supper, a stand-around evening of cocktails and canapés, or a more chi-chi dressy affair. There’s nothing worse than turning up in jeans only to find that everyone else is in a little black number.
Be sure to always ask about food allergies or other dietary requirements. It’s often easier to make the same food for everyone, so don’t plan your food until you know what your limitations are. Of course, if
