Party-Perfect Bites E-Book

Milli Taylor

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

A mouthwatering collection of recipes for small bites and fingerfood – ideal for serving at parties or any social gathering, large or small.

Das E-Book Party-Perfect Bites wird angeboten von Ryland Peters & Small und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:

Leseprobe

party-perfect bites

party-perfect bites

delicious recipes for canapés, finger food and party snacks

Milli Taylor

photography by Helen Cathcart

To Mum and Dad, for raising me with such a healthy appetite for all good things in life.

For more information about Milli’s catering, see www.milliscatering.co.uk

Designer Barbara Zuñiga Editor Kate Eddison Production Controller Sarah Kulasek-Boyd Art Director Leslie Harrington Editorial Director Julia Charles Publisher Cindy Richards

Food Stylist Milli Taylor Prop Stylist Jo Harris Indexer Hilary Bird

First published in 2014 by Ryland Peters & Small 20–21 Jockey’s Fields London WC1R 4BW and 519 Broadway, 5th Floor New York NY 10012

www.rylandpeters.com

Text © Milli Taylor 2014 Design and photographs © Ryland Peters & Small 2014

ISBN: 978-1-84975-568-9 eISBN: 978-1-78879-011-6

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.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

US Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been applied for.

Printed and bound in China

Notes

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

• All spoon measurements are level, unless otherwise specified.

• All herbs used in these recipes are fresh, unless otherwise specified.

• All eggs are large (UK) or extra-large (US), unless otherwise stated.

• 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.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer. Recipes were tested using a fan-assisted oven.

contents

Planning a Party

Dips & Dippers

Mediterranean

Scandinavian

Indian

Asian

North African & Middle Eastern

The Americas

Sweet Bites

Menu planners

Suppliers

Index

Acknowledgements

planning a party

I cook all sorts of food for different events, but my most positive feedback is always from my canapé parties. Don’t get me wrong; a classic devilled egg will always go down a treat, and who doesn’t love a cheese straw? However, it does feel about time we shook things up a bit and got more adventurous with our party food.

I’ve taken inspiration from supper clubs to street food and everything in-between. I hope in this book I can introduce you to some new flavours and ingredients and you’ll have as much fun creating them as your guests have eating them.

What should a canapé be?

* Bite-sized – they should be easy to eat.

* Full of flavour – make that one mouthful pack a punch.

* Fun – don’t get worked up about what’s authentic and correct; this is the time to play around with flavours.

We eat with our eyes

Canapés should look appetizing. You can go the whole hog with the micro-herbs and fancy toppings, or keep the food simple and decorate your plate.

Not every plate of food has to have decoration, although a garnish can help indicate what is in the canapé. For example, if I’m serving some spicy fishcakes I may put a bunch of fresh coriander/ cilantro and chilli/chile on the side of the plate.

Sometimes simple is best. If your food looks intricate and pretty, let it stand alone on a plain white plate.

Think beyond your kitchen plates. A banana leaf polished with a little vegetable oil can look lovely with tropical food on it. You can use anything from tin serving trays to chopping boards, as long as they are clean and food safe. But think practically. Your plates need to have a flat surface so your creations don’t fall over and they should be light enough to hand around. If you’re serving skewers, make sure there is an empty pot or glass for people to dispose of their used skewers.

Planning your party

Some of us are planners, some of us are not. Some love a spreadsheet, while others just hope it will all be alright on the night. Even if you fall into the latter camp, be aware that the more you plan and do ahead, the less you will have to do on the day, and the more fun you can have at your own party.

There are three main aspects to party planning:

* What food you are going to serve.

* What your guests are going to drink.

* The other stuff...

What food will you serve?

Quantity

If you are thinking of serving pre-meal canapés, perhaps as an alternative to a starter, then you should allow three to five canapés per person.

For a drinks party of around three hours, I would offer 11 canapés per head. You could start with a few canapés, then offer bowl food to ease the workload.

There does not have to be a different variety for each canapé. For example, if you wanted to provide 12 canapés per head, it could be four types, three of each. I tend to cater for at least one and a half of each canapé per person, so that if someone takes two, another person won’t go without.

Choosing which canapés to prepare

Pick a mix of hot and cold bites, including some things you can make ahead. Balance the menu in terms of fresh/fried, light/filling and different flavours. Offer a variety of fish, shellfish, meat, poultry and vegetable canapés. Use local and seasonal ingredients, not only to reduce the food miles, but because they cost less and taste better.

Be generous. You may not cook each of your guests a fillet steak/beef tenderloin for dinner, but at a canapé party, just one steak can make 20 canapés. It feels like a luxury to be offered prawns/shrimp, fillet steak/beef tenderloin or caviar, even if in such small quantities.

If you know good store-bought products that can make your life easier, use them. Always. No one expects everything you offer to be home-made. I often order miniature bagels from my local bakery, and if throwing something impromptu, I will pick up some mini croustades from the shop and fill them at home with something fresh and delicious.

Will anyone be bringing children? Keep kids happy with mini sandwiches, crudités and happy with mini sandwiches, crudités and cocktail sausages.

Don’t forget dessert! You would end a dinner on a sweet note, so do the same with canapés. Last impressions are as important as first ones.

What will your guests be drinking?

Running out of booze at a party is a real no-no. To ensure this doesn’t happen, buy more than you think you need, by purchasing from a company with a sale-or-return option. Many companies also offer free delivery and free glass and ice bucket hire with a deposit.

If you are sticking to a budget, here are my tips:

* Consider pitchers of cocktails or spritzers in the summer, and mulled wine in the winter.

* Use Champagne for toasts and then Cava or Prosecco for refills.

* Look for deals a few weeks before the party – some don’t stick around for long.

Don’t forget the soft drinks

People who are not drinking alcohol shouldn’t be made to feel left out, so provide an interesting ‘mocktail’ or a sparkling elderflower pressé that can be used for a toast in a flute.

Ice

If you have no refrigerator space for drinks, then use large plastic ice buckets to chill drinks.

Buy and arrange a delivery of ice. Maybe not if you have a short guest list, but it’s good not to have to think about it, and terrible if you run out.

The other stuff not to forget

There’s a lot to think about when catering for large numbers at home. With moving furniture, cleaning, drinks and cooking, accept help when offered!

You may want to do all the cooking yourself, but hiring waiting staff or bar staff makes life easier.

Getting friends to lend a hand in the kitchen or serving drinks is also a must. If I have a friend who doesn’t know many people, I’ll ask him or her to hand around a plate of canapés – an easy way to approach guests and make quick introductions.

Many of the following tasks can be done early in the planning process.

* Invitations – it sounds obvious, but make sure your guests know that you will be providing food. Then they can let you know if they have any food intolerances. It is best to have a few vegetarian and gluten-free options anyway.

* Music – make a playlist, or use a sharing app.

* Transportation – make sure you have a local taxi number written somewhere that people can see.

* Coats – will guests be wearing coats when they arrive? It may be worth buying a cheap, collapsible rail or just making sure you have a bed made up on which you can pile them.

* Neighbours – advise (or invite?) the neighbours. If they know what time you are finishing there will be less reason for them to feel disgruntled.

* Buy napkins, toilet paper and rubbish bags.

* A day or so before the party, clear out your refrigerator to maximize the space. You need to be mindful of leaving food unchilled for too long.

A note on all recipes.

If you are doubling or tripling recipes, be aware that you may not need to multiply your seasonings and dips in the same way as your base ingredients. For example, for lamb skewers you will need to double the lamb, but perhaps just stick to one quantity of marinade or dipping sauce.

Helpful tools

* Measuring spoons – it’s very important in some recipes to make sure the measures are precise.

* A 24-hole mini muffin tray.

* Non-stick silicone mats.

* Disposable piping/pastry bags.

* A sugar/candy thermometer. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, a thermometer is useful in keeping your oil at the right temperature for frying.

Dips & Dippers

It really isn’t a party without dips! Fill a tray with an array of colourful dips, crackers and crudités. They are easy to prepare ahead and any early arrivals can be kept happy while you nip back into the kitchen.

romesco dip

6 tomatoes, halved

4 red/bell peppers, halved and deseeded

6 tablespoons olive oil

50 g/generous ⅓ cup hazelnuts or almonds, blanched

15-cm/6-in. piece of stale white baguette/French bread, broken into chunks

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon smoked paprika salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes 800 g/1¾ lbs.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Place the tomatoes and peppers in separate roasting pans, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each pan. Roast in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the skins on the peppers have started to blacken.

Meanwhile, blitz the blanched nuts in a food processor or blender.

Remove the tomatoes from the pan and set aside. Add the chunks of baguette/French bread to the tomato juices in the pan. Let cool.

Remove the peppers from the pan and place into a bowl. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap, and let cool.

Once cooled, remove and discard the skins from the peppers and add the peppers to the food processor along with the tomatoes. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the garlic, soaked bread, sherry vinegar and smoked paprika. Blitz until smooth. Season with salt to taste, then serve.

guacamole

6 ripe Hass avocados, halved and stoned/pitted

½ red onion, finely chopped a handful of freshly chopped coriander/cilantro

2 red chillies/chiles, finely chopped freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes

2–3 pinches of sea salt flakes

Tabasco and cayenne pepper (optional)

Makes 700 g/25 oz.

Scoop the flesh out of the avocado with a tablespoon into a shallow bowl. Add the onion, coriander/cilantro and chillies/chiles.

Add the lime juice, then mash everything together with a fork, leaving the texture quite chunky.

Season with salt to taste. Add a few dashes of Tabasco and sprinkle with cayenne, if you like. Serve with tortilla chips (see page 16).

crudités

A selection of crudités is a quick and colourful addition to any nibbles party. I like to use crisp and fresh baby carrots, sliced sweet/bell peppers and cucumber sticks, as well as blanched asparagus and green beans.

beetroot hummus

140 g/1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

250 g/2 scant cups beetroot/beets, cooked and cubed

1 large garlic clove

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

2–3 pinches of sea salt flakes

Makes 400 g/14 oz.

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

blue cheese dip

150 g/scant ¾ cup Greek/US strained plain yogurt

150 ml/scant ¾ cup sour cream

90 g/generous ¾ cup blue cheese, such as Stilton or Gorgonzola

3 tablespoons mayonnaise a pinch of salt a splash of Worcestershire sauce or freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped/snipped chives, plus extra for decoration

Makes 400 g/14 oz.

Place all of the ingredients except the chives in a food processor or blender, and blitz until smooth.

Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the chopped/snipped chives. Sprinkle some extra chives on top for decoration.

squid ink crackers

Squid ink creates a very dramatic black colour in these crackers. It is available in convenient sachets from Italian and Spanish specialist stores, and from some online retailers.

300 g/21⁄4 cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

80 ml/1⁄3 cup olive oil

3 x 4-g/1⁄6-oz. squid ink sachets

a baking sheet, lined with baking parchment

Makes 15

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the middle.

Mix 150 ml/⅔ cup water with the olive oil and squid ink, then add to the well. Stir gently, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients until a dough forms.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead for about 3–5 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough into 15 pieces and roll them into the desired shapes with a rolling pin.

Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10–15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp on the undersides. Cool on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days before serving.

beetroot hummus (p13), squid ink crackers (p13).