Grazing & Feasting Boards E-Book

Theo A. Michaels

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 169

Beschreibung

Impress and excite family and friends with 50 bold ideas for beautifully presented sharers from MasterChef UK's Theo Michaels, including cheese, charcuterie and beyond. In this exciting follow up to SHARE, Theo Michaels' GRAZE & FEAST provides everything you could possibly need to delight a crowd with beautiful boards and platters. Designed for effortless entertaining, this book contains the perfect combination of how-to instructions, shopping lists and recipes to create sharers for unforgettable snacks, meals and social events. The cheese board is often the most anticipated delight of any festivity, and here the concept is taken to the next level, with recipes to suit all tastes and occasions. These beautiful boards are both aesthetically pleasing and easy to put together; picture an 'Indian Thali Board', with chutneys, curries and sundries on a banana leaf, or 'Summer Garden' treats of crudités, dips and edible flowers brightening up an outdoor get-together. Casually entertain in style with recipes from Movie Night Boards to Bagel Boards, plus classic boards for cheeses and 'Wine Bites'. Chapters include Brunch Boards, Everyday Sharers, 'Big Night In' Boards, Globetrotting Boards, Seasonal Celebrations and Sweet Treats Boards. Whimsical, tasty and visually enticing, these stunning centrepieces will ensure that you are the life of any party!

Leseprobe

Grazing & Feasting

boards

THEO A. MICHAELS

Grazing & Feasting

boards

50 fabulous sharing platters for every mood and occasion

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

MOWIE KAY

Dedicated to my darling wife Anna and kids Eva, Lex and Luca. And the dog – Belle, she hates being left out…

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Leslie Harrington

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Julia Charles

EDITORS Gillian Haslam & Kate Eddison

HEAD OF PRODUCTION Patricia Harrington

FOOD STYLIST Kathy Kordalis

PROP STYLIST Lauren Miller

INDEXER Hilary Bird

Published in 2022

by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St

New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

Text copyright © Theo A. Michaels 2022

Design and photographs copyright © Ryland Peters & Small 2022

ISBN: 978-1-78879-466-4

eISBN: 978-1-78879-487-9

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in China.

CIP data from the Library of Congress has been applied for. A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

NOTES

• Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cups) measurements are included in these recipes; however, it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

• Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

• Always sterilize jars to be used for storing homemade preserves and sauces before use. See page 29 for instruction on ways you can do this.

• Food safety: ensure your serving board or platter is clean, food-safe and heat-proof if necessary before use. Rub wooden surfaces with olive oil to avoid staining and choose non-porous surfaces for oily or juicy foods.

CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: LAZY BRUNCHES

Overnight Oats Tray

Rainbow Fruit Platter

Build-your-own Pancake Stack

Build-your-own Bagel Board

All-day Brunch Sheetpan

Continental Breakfast Board

‘Jarcuterie’ Buffet

CHAPTER 2: EVERYDAY SHARERS

Salad Bar Board

Build-your-own Cheese Plate

Wine Bites Sharer

Charcuterie Tray

‘Fritto Misto’ Platter

BBQ Skewers Board

Bespoke Burger Board

Sunday Roast Sharer

CHAPTER 3: BIG NIGHTS IN

Kitchen Disco Canapés

Carpet Picnic Board

Movie Night Grazer

Game-night Wings ’n’ Dips Tray

Date-night Decadence

Box-set Binge Picky Tray

Grand-slam Treats

Build-your-own Taco Tuesday

Campfire Cook-out

CHAPTER 4: AROUND THE WORLD

Antipasti Bruschetta Bar

A Taste of the Levant

Greek Mezze Spread

Spanish Tapas

Build-your-own Sushi Bowl

‘Fruits de Mer’ Platter

Indian-style Thali Tray

Scandi Smörgåsbord

Chinese Dim Sum Feast

Ploughman’s Platter

CHAPTER 5: SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS

Valentine’s Day Love Letters

Giant Easter Chocolate Slab

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Board

Father’s Day BBQ Board

Summer Garden Crudités

Snow Day Fondue

Halloween Warmer

Thanksgiving Board

Christmas Treats Tray

Boxing Day Buffet Board

Party Grazing Table

CHAPTER 6: SWEET TREATS

Mini Pavlova Tray

Donut Break Board

Build-your-own Ice-cream Cone Board

Cupcake Party

Banoffee Sharer

Index

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

In my role as an Executive Chef I’ve been creating grazing experiences for many years now. These have ranged from intimate boards for two people to share by candlelight, to huge feasting tables for 250 plus corporate diners. This book is the culmination of all my experience to date, laid out and presented to you in one place.

In the following pages you’ll find my blueprints for 50 themed grazing boards and sharing platters to suit every occasion, from a family night spent in front of the TV to effortless entertaining over drinks with friends, and ranging from the humble to the spectacular. Some offer outrageous fun, others sophisticated elegance. Each sharer is designed around a theme and I’ve listed everything you need to recreate these beautiful edible works of art at home. I invite you to use the list of suggested ingredients as a guide (making any substitutions you like to suit your own tastes or audience), follow my simple recipes, or buy in ready-made versions for maximum convenience. Then using the beautiful photographs as your main inspiration, with encouraging guidance and tips from me on the sidelines, build your boards with confidence and creativity. I couldn’t resist including some of my favourite recipes, but I offer you these as suggestions only — not rules — so feel free to swap out ingredients, or combine elements from different boards to create something you love.

Sharing food is one of life’s great pleasures, it’s something that I touch upon in almost every cookbook I’ve created and something we try to do as a family as often as possible — it’s good for the soul. The concept of ‘breaking bread’ is thousands of years old and I, for one, believe it to be at the very heart of being human. It’s eating together that cultivates our relationships with friends and family and gives us the platform to spend time together. My boards are the very definition of bringing people together and enable you to create shared memories over delicious food, spectacularly presented in a fun, interactive way.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR SHARERS

CONSIDER YOUR BOARD CAREFULLY

Over the years I’ve used a variety of surfaces as boards. You can’t beat a wooden chopping or bread board for a small sharer, or a piece of plywood for something larger. (If you rub olive oil into the wood this helps protect the surface from staining.) Trays are also useful, especially the ‘butler’ style with a shallow lip and handles, which are most convenient for times when you may be casually snacking on the sofa, rather than a flat board, which works best when stationary on a table, as items may wobble and fall off. When you are including oily or juicy food, a non-porous surface like slate or ceramic works best. But as long as what you choose is clean, food-safe and heat-proof, if necessary, you’re good to go!

USE COLOUR EFFECTIVELY

Consider colours carefully, from the surface of the board to the food itself. Use shades that work within your theme, from the board to the small dishes and serving tools. Or, if your board is all one type of food, such as cheese, and seems a bit flat, take a step back and see where you could add bursts of colour to liven it up, either with small dishes of accompaniments or fresh garnishes, such as herbs.

CREATE VISUAL ‘ANCHORS’

Boards work best when they have a few visual ‘anchors’, by which I mean larger pieces of food (or in some cases it might be bowls of dips or sauces), that add structure and give definition. Always position these first and build the board up around them, remembering to consider whether your board will be seen from the front only or from all sides.

POPULATE THE SPACE

Once the big stuff is in place, you can start to fill the spaces in between. Also, remember to keep wet ingredients away from dry. Arrange overlapping lines of bread, crackers or cookies; these can also act as useful barriers between, say, cheese and cold meats, or savoury and sweet. Next add clusters of any medium-sized foods. Odd numbers work best for visual displays so arrange things in clusters of three, five and so on.

HOT STUFF

Ensure food that is to be eaten hot is added last and build up your board in advance leaving a gap for it. I often put a swirl/smear of condiment on the surface as a placeholder for the hot item, then it’s good to go as soon as the hot stuff is added.

MIND THE GAPS

When the board starts to fill up, it is time to move on to the smallest items; placing a handful of olives, grapes or nuts into some of the gaps, or small bundles of radishes or salad leaves and so on.

CONSIDER THE CONDIMENTS

I often wipe and smear these straight onto my boards, but you can also place them in small ramekins and pots with spoons. Position them conveniently close to the foods they pair with, so cheese next to chutney, ham next to mustard.

ADD FINAL FLOURISHES

Use sprigs of fresh herbs, citrus slices and wedges and edible flowers and dot about to add colour and freshness. Adding a drizzle can be a nice touch too, to add flavour as well as visual interest: balsamic glaze, flavoured oils, sweet syrups and sauces can all work. Keep all the garnishes edible to avoid possible confusion and/or food poisoning!

CHAPTER

1

Lazy Brunches

OVERNIGHT OATS TRAY

Overnight oats are a great way to get a headstart on a healthy breakfast and make for a colourful and fun sharer. I’ve given three ideas for flavour variations here to get you started, but really you can experiment and flavour or top the oats with any fruits, nuts and spices you like.

RED BERRY OATS

50 g/½ cup rolled/old-fashioned oats

125 ml/½ cup whole/full-fat milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp natural/plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp runny honey

For the toppings

65 g/½ cup fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and/or hulled strawberries

3 tbsp natural/plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp runny honey

a few sprigs of fresh mint

MATCHA COCONUT OATS

50 g/½ cup rolled/old-fashioned oats

125 ml/½ cup coconut milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp agave syrup

1 tsp matcha powder

For the toppings:

2 tbsp toasted coconut shavings

a pinch of matcha green tea powder

TURMERIC CHAI OATS

50 g/½ cup rolled/old-fashioned oats

125 ml/½ cup full-fat/whole milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp natural/plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp runny honey

¼ tsp ground turmeric

For the toppings:

1 tbsp pistachio kernels

a pinch of dried rose petals (optional)

PRESENTATION

a wooden breakfast tray with cut-out handles and a rim works well here

EACH VARIATION MAKES 1 JAR/SMALL BOWL so scale up to create as many servings as you need

Mix all the ingredients together (except the toppings) in a small cereal bowl or Kilner/Mason jar or similar. Cover the bowl with a small plate (or seal the jar with its lid) and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight. When you are ready to serve, give the oats a stir to mix and add a splash of liquid to loosen, if the mixture seems too thick. Scatter over the toppings and arrange on a tray to serve.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

For a breakfast in bed special occasion, add some colour and wow factor to the tray with a bed of freshly prepared fruit, as pictured (you can follow the ingredients list on page 17 or choose whatever you fancy).

RAINBOW FRUIT PLATTER

Fresh, vibrant and delicious – all the things I want in a fruit platter. I’ve made this one with my favourite fruits to create a beautiful rainbow of goodness. Simply add a bowl of creamy Greek yogurt and a piece of fresh honeycomb to create an indulgent treat. (Pictured on pages 14–15.)

1 cantaloupe melon, quartered and sliced into thin wedges

1 blood orange or red grapefruit, cut into 8 wedges

2 passion fruit, halved

2 kiwi, halved

4 physalis/cape gooseberries

400 g/14 oz. black grapes, snipped into 2–3 small bunches

100 g/⅔ cup fresh cherries with stems

100 g⅔ cup each berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries

400 g/1¾ cups natural/plain Greek yogurt

60 ml/4 tbsp runny honey

200-g/7-oz. piece of natural honeycomb

100 g/1 cup pecan halves (optional)

a few sprigs of fresh mint

PRESENTATION

a large oval platter works well here, either ceramic or metal. If you use metal, line with a sheet of baking parchment cut to size to prevent the acids present in some fruits reacting with the metal

SERVES 4–6

Wash and prepare all of the fruit. Don’t rush at this – use sharp knives and cut it cleanly. Handle berries with care so as not to squash them. Discard any stones and pips and gently pat the fruit dry with some paper towels.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

Decide where you are placing the yogurt and put a small shallow bowl in position.

Start arranging the largest pieces of fruit first, such as the melon slices and blood orange wedges. Add the passion fruit and kiwi halves, with the cut sides facing upwards. Dot the bunches of grapes around the platter and add the physalis/cape gooseberries.

Next fill in all the gaps with the smaller fruits, such as the berries and cherries, so the board looks full and abundant. Cover and chill (or keep somewhere cool) until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, add the pecan halves (if using) and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh mint. (Do not be tempted to do this too early, the nuts will lose their crunch and the mint will become floppy.)

Lastly, spoon the Greek yogurt into the bowl on the platter, drizzle the honey over the top and put the honeycomb piece in the middle.

BUILD-YOUR-OWN

PANCAKE STACK

My memories of being a kid in New Jersey are mainly of eating American-style pancakes topped with melted butter, lashings of whipped cream and maple syrup. At home now we all love pancakes and this is how we make them – big and fluffy with all the trimmings, and with a choice of savoury and sweet toppings, or both at the same time! The secret to a tasty pancake board is to keep everything warm until you’re ready to assemble it. This is my tried-and-tested easy pancake batter recipe, easy enough for my kids to make too so I urge you to give it a go.

300 ml/1¼ cups double/heavy cream

1 tbsp icing/confectioner’s sugar

12 rashers/slices streaky bacon

50 g/3½ tbsp butter, melted

6 eggs (any size)

100 g/1 cup each of blueberries and raspberries

200 g/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved if large

2 bananas, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

salt and freshly ground black pepper

edible flowers, to garnish (optional)

PANCAKES

700 ml/3 cups whole/full-fat milk

1 tbsp cider vinegar

300 g/2¼ cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

1 medium egg

25 g/¼ stick butter, melted

SERVES 4–6

For the pancake batter, pour the milk into a jug/pitcher, add the vinegar and set aside while you mix together the dry ingredients – it will curdle slightly but that’s fine.

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl, then crack the egg into the bowl – don’t mix yet. Now pour in the milk and vinegar mixture and whisk until just smooth. Pour in the melted butter and mix until incorporated. Once done, leave the pancake battere to rest for 15 minutes, this gives the baking powder a chance to aerate the batter; add more flour or milk to get a nice thick consistency (you want it to be slightly thicker than double/heavy cream).

Meanwhile, whisk the double/heavy cream with the icing/confectioner’s sugar until it holds its shape, then cover and chill.

Preheat the oven to 80°C fan/100°C/210°F/Gas ¼.

Fry or grill/broil the bacon until crispy and transfer to a plate. Cover with kitchen foil to stop it drying out and keep warm in the low oven.

Grease a heavy based frying pan/skillet with a little of the butter and place on a medium-high heat. Using a ladle add a portion of batter (about 125 ml/½ cup) and without moving the pan leave it to cook for a couple of minutes until the pancake firms up and you see holes appearing on the top. Using a spatula, flip the pancake over and cook for a minute. Place the pancake on a plate, cover with kitchen foil and keep warm in the low oven. Continue until all the batter is used up.

PRESENTATION

a wooden board is ideal here, such as a large chopping board or bread board. You can cover it with a sheet of baking paper for an easier clean up, if liked

Find a small oven-safe pan or a heat-proof bowl for the scrambled eggs and pop it in the oven to warm. Add a little more butter to the pancake pan and put on a high heat. Whisk the eggs, season generously with salt and pepper and pour into the pan. Gently move the eggs around the pan as they cook, they’ll be done in a couple of minutes. Once cooked, transfer to the warm serving pan or bowl, cover with foil and set aside (do not put them in the oven, they may overcook and turn rubbery).

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

Melt the remaining butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Start with the warm pancakes, overlapping them in a line down the centre of the board (as pictured) or arranging them in stacks, as preferred, and drizzle with the melted butter.

Arrange the banana slices and the berries on either side of the pancakes. Remove the bacon and eggs from the oven, and keeping the sweet and savoury elements separate from each other as far as possible, add them to the board.

Spoon the whipped cream directly onto the board or into a small bowl, place on the board and drizzle with a little maple syrup. Put the remaining syrup in a small jug/pitcher and add to the board for people to help themselves. Garnish with a few edible flowers, if liked.

Encourage everyone to take a few pancakes and top with whatever they fancy, finishing with a drizzle of syrup and dollops of whipped cream.

BUILD-YOUR-OWN

BAGEL BOARD

Enjoy your brunch bagel your way with my build-your-own board; simply offer up a selection of bagels alongside a choice of fillings to enjoy. This board is super-easy to assemble using mostly pre-made ingredients, but I do whip up a cream cheese with chives and horseradish which takes seconds and elevates it all nicely. Buy fresh bagels from a bakery if you can, it does make a difference.

230-g/8-oz. tub/package of cream cheese

1 tbsp snipped chives

1 tbsp creamed horseradish

a squeeze of lemon juice

6 fresh bagels (any type)

150 g/5¼ oz. smoked salmon

200 g/7 oz. pastrami or salt beef, sliced

100 g/3½ oz. salami or chorizo

100 g/3½ oz. Cheddar, sliced

a knob/pat of butter

a few tbsp Dijon mustard

1 avocado, peeled, stoned/pitted and sliced

1 precooked candy or regular beetroot/beet, sliced

1 buffalo (steak) tomato, sliced

½ cucumber, sliced

2 Cos/Romaine lettuces, leaves separated

about 20 large caperberries 2–3 fresh figs, halved

a few sprigs of dill or flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

SERVES 4–6

PRESENTATION

a wooden board is ideal here, such as a large chopping board or bread board

To make the whipped cheese, put the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Transfer half to a small serving dish, cover and chill. Add the snipped chives and horseradish with a squeeze of lemon juice to the remaining whipped cheese in the bowl and beat to combine. Transfer to a separate small serving dish, cover and chill.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

Start by arranging the bagels in lines down the centre of the board, overlapping. (You can leave them whole or split them, as preferred.) Arrange the smoked salmon, cold meat slices and Cheddar slices on the board in groups, separating out the slices and overlapping them. Position the condiments and accompaniments close to what they complement (i.e. mustard next to the cold meats, caperberries with the salmon), either directly on the board or in small dishes. Add the dishes of cream cheese, placing the one with the horseradish closest to the salmon. Finally, add the butter and fresh salad ingredients to fill the spaces, with an eye on the colours being spread around the board and keeping any wet ingredients away from the bagels so as not to make them soggy. Sprinkle over some herbs to garnish, and serve.

ALL-DAY BRUNCH SHEETPAN

There’s a reason this is called an all-day brunch – you can have it anytime of the day! I’ve included things I love, but feel free to add or remove elements to suit your own tastes. For instance, you can omit the sausages and bacon and add slices of pan-fried halloumi for a veggie version. If you don’t have a waffle-maker simply substitute store-bought toasting waffles. Do however always serve with freshly squeezed OJ and hot coffee.

8–12 chipolata sausages

6–8 Portobello mushrooms

2 on-the-vine cherry tomato stems (about 16 tomatoes)

a little olive oil

8 rashers/slices smoked streaky bacon

12 fresh asparagus spears

400-g/14-oz. can baked beans

a pinch of smoked paprika

a splash of vegetable oil