Tis the Season… entertain your friends with these tantalizing Party Bites!
Sausages with Mustard, Honey and Chopped Rosemary
Combine 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teasp. chopped rosemary. Grill 500g sausages. When cooked toss in the mustard and honey mixture to coat.
Spiced Beef with Fruity Chutney
Place a 2½–3kg joint of spiced beef in a deep casserole dish as near to its size as possible. Add 250ml water and cover tightly.
Cook in a very low oven, Gas Mark 1, 140°C (275°F) for five hours. Leave it to cool in the liquid for 2–3 hours and then remove and wrap in tin foil. Store in the fridge until you need it. Slice thinly and serve on brown or white soda bread with a fruity chutney.
Monkfish Wrapped in Bacon
Cut the monkfish into pieces about 2cm wide.
Cut each streaky rasher into 2 or 3 pieces and use these to wrap the pieces of monkfish. Place, joint side down on a grill rack and cook under the hot grill for 5–8 minutes.
Serve with a herb dressing made by mixing 150mls mayonnaise in the processor with 1 tablespoon warm water, 1 chopped garlic clove and a bunch of basil (approximately 20g).
Smoked Salmon with Herbed Cream Cheese
Spread some herbed cream cheese on blinis and top with smoked salmon. Blinis are small pancakes made from buckwheat flour. If you can’t get them use brown soda bread or small pieces of toast.
Tomato, Pesto and Goats’ Cheese Crostini
Using a small pastry cutter, if available, cut rounds from slices of white bread – you should get 4–5 rounds per slice.
Alternatively thinly slice a French stick. Brush with a little olive oil and toast in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Mix together some freshly chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions and coriander, seasoning and a little olive oil.
Top each round of toast with ½ teasp. pesto, a spoonful of the tomato mixture and some soft goats’ cheese.
Skewered Duck with Chilli and Scallions
2 duck breasts, cut into thin
slices, about 4cm long
18 wooden skewers
100ml light soy sauce
2 teasp. sesame oil
2-3 scallions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and
finely chopped
Soak the wooden skewers in warm water for 30–40 minutes to prevent them burning.
Combine half the soy sauce with 1 teasp. sesame oil. Coat the sliced duck in this mixture and leave to marinade while the skewers are soaking. Then thread the duck onto the skewers.
Place on a grill pan, and cook under a hot grill for 4–5 minutes, turning half
way through.
Mix the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil with the scallions and chilli. Serve as a dipping sauce with the skewered duck.
