Thu, 17 December 2015
Planning a cocktail party or soirée over the festive season? Chef Edward Hayden joined with some great ideas for nibbles alongside Mixologist Darren Geraghty from the Candlelight Bar with some Christmas cocktails that will get you in the festive cheer.
EDWARDS RECIPES
NIBBLE 1: BRUSCHETTA SELECTION
I love the idea of this starter as it is one that you can just put in the middle of the table and allow people to help them. I will try to give as many options as possible.
Bruschetta is slices of bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil and baked for 6-8 minutes until toasted and then topped with a variety of toppings.
•Smoked Salmon & Citrus Crème Fraiche (crème Fraiche with Lemon zest & Chopped parsley)
•Thick basil pesto with roasted vegetables (Onions, mushrooms, peppers)
•Red Onion Marmalade, Parma Ham & Rocket Leaves
•Slices of tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella & Basil Leaves
•3 tomatoes (deseeded) diced and mixed with 1 clove crushed garlic, 3 leaves shredded basil and 2 tablespoons olive oil
•Smoked Chicken and Rocket with Basil Mayonnaise
•Smoked Duck
•Parma ham & Asparagus Spears
•Sun dried tomato
•Black Olive Tapenade (olives, walnuts, anchovies, olive oil, garlic-pureed to taste)
•Prawns, Mari rose sauce
•Roasted Vegetables
•Roasted Apples with Blue Cheese & Rocket Pesto
•Sautéed Wild Mushroom & Rocket
•Melted Goat's Cheese & Honeyed Walnuts
•Anchovies, Parmesan & Pesto
•Guacamole
NIBBLE 2: RED ONION & GOATS CHEESE TARTLETS
(Serves 6-12)
These little tartlets make a wonderful beginning to any meal. The sweetness of the red onion marmalade provides a suitable accompaniment to the strong flavours of the goat's cheese. In this recipe we are using convenient puff pastry so you have no excuses not to make these. I have given the instructions for a closed tartlet here and also for small individual open tartlets so you can select which you prefer.
INGREDIENTS
1 packet of puff pastry-thawed naturally
1 quantity of red onion marmalade (see below)
5oz/150g goat's cheese
Semi dried tomatoes/cherry tomatoes (12)
Fresh basil leaves (6-8 leaves-shredded finely)
Egg wash (1 egg mixed with a little milk)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to190C/375F/Gas Mark 5
To do a closed Tart:
Roll out half of the pastry quite thinly and use it to line a 10 inch fluted Flan ring.
Arrange the sun dried tomatoes and shred basil leaves over the base of the pastry.
Spoon in the red onion marmalade and arrange thinly sliced goats cheese on top of the red onions. Season very lightly-just with cracked black pepper as the cheese will be salty enough.
Cover with another layer of puff pastry.
Egg-wash the entire tartlet and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and sufficiently cooked.
Serve with a large green salad (and an optional glass of crisp white chardonnay)
To do an open Tart:
Roll out some of the puff pastry and cut out large discs with a biscuit cutter
Grease a 12 cup muffin tray and secure a disc of puff pastry in each cup.
Place one sun dried tomato and a little of the shredded basil in the bottom of each.
Spoon in a little of the red onion marmalade-about one teaspoon full in each-not too much because it tends to leak.
Place one thin slice of the goat's cheese on top and season with a little black pepper.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese and onion mixture is bubbling.
Remove from the tin with a palette knife immediately as they will stick to the tin if not-causing unwarranted stress!!
Serve Immediately.
RED ONION MARMALADE
INGREDIENTS
4 medium red onions-peeled and thinly sliced.
3oz/75g brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of oil
METHOD
In a large pot place the onions and the oil over a high heat.
Continue to stir the contents to move the onions around and prevent them from sticking.
As the onions begin to colour and soften (after about 3 minutes) add in the brown sugar and continue to stir.
The sugar will begin to soften and will coat all of the onions.
Allow the softened sugar to come to the boil gently.
Next add in the red wine and the red wine vinegar.
Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated off.
Make sure that you stir it occasionally to prevent anything sticking to the base of the pot.
Transfer to clean sterilized jars and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
DARREN'S RECIPES
COCKTAIL 1: IRELAND AM XMAS SPIRIT SOUR
INGREDIENTS
50ml tullamore dew
22.5ml fresh lemon and lime juice
20ml gingerbread syrup (See the recipe for the ginerbread syrup below)
3 dash angostura bitters
1 fresh egg white(30ml)
5ml Blackberry wine liqueur (See the recipe for the
METHOD
Add all ingredients except blackberry liqueur to shaker without ice, dry shake to emulsify
Add ice and hard, shake and strain into glass and sink liqueur
GINGER BREAD SYRUP
(can be bought or made)
Recipe
2 cups water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan - boil.Reduce the heat and simmer for approx. 15 mins.Cover the saucepan and leave to cool.
Blackberry liqueur
Ingredients
1 cup Malbec
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
12-16 blackberries
Method
Bring wine to boil,
Add blackberries reduce heat to simmer, add sugar, stir until diluted, allowing to simmer for five minutes
COCKTAIL 2: COUNTRY XMAS TODDY
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
30ml lemon juice
1Oml pedro ximenez sherry
20ml ginger bread syrup
Pinch black pepper
500ml medium dry cider
80ml glendalough winter gin
1/2 an orange peel
METHOD
Bring cider to boil, reduce to.low simmer add everything but the gin, stir for 3-4 mins, add gin and serve.
