5 simple Christmas starters
Easiest ever starter - Smoked Salmon
- Fan or curl thinly-sliced pieces of smoked salmon on a large serving plate, along with wedges of cucumber and lemon, and sprinkle with crushed black pepper.
- Pass around the table with a board of sliced, crusty wholemeal bread and plenty of unsalted butter.
- Dot the table with small bowls of good quality olives and pickled sweet peppers.
- Use bread plates placed on top of dinner plates and you don’t even have to clear them away - simply move them to the side.
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- Fan or curl thinly-sliced pieces of smoked salmon on a large serving plate, along with wedges of cucumber and lemon, and sprinkle with crushed black pepper.
Retro roulade
A spinach roulade filled with smoked salmon and Greek yoghurt can be made up to a day in advance, and needs only to be sliced and laid out on plates.
- Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
- Line an average sized roasting tin with lightly-oiled greaseproof paper, allowing the paper to come up the sides.
- Add 175g frozen spinach to a saucepan with a little boiling water and cook for a minute or two. Drain and divide the spinach between two plates, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then chop finely.
- Separate 4 eggs and beat the yolks into the spinach, seasoning well with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk the whites until stiff and fold them into the spinach mixture.
- Pour onto the paper and smooth it to the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Cool for a minute or two, then turn the roulade on to another sheet of greaseproof paper and peel off the paper base. Cover with a clean tea towel until completely cool.
- For the filling, finely chop 200g smoked salmon and mix with a tub of Greek yoghurt or fromage frais and ground black pepper. Spread over the roulade and roll up from either end. (Rolling from the long side will give you a longer, smaller roll; from the short side, a thicker, shorter spiral.) Wrap in greaseproof paper and twist like a cracker. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve
- Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves with fresh lemon juice squeezed over.
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- Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Hot haloumi with cranberry sauce
- Cut slices of haloumi cheese, dip in flour that's been seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry in olive oil until golden. (Don’t worry about them breaking up, as they hold together beautifully.)
- Make a sauce by heating fresh or frozen cranberries, cubed apple, a little sugar and a good splash of port in a saucepan until softened and thickened.
- Serve two slices of haloumi with the sauce on the side.
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- Cut slices of haloumi cheese, dip in flour that's been seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry in olive oil until golden. (Don’t worry about them breaking up, as they hold together beautifully.)
Monkfish in Parma ham with red onion and pepper marmalade
Tip: Ask your fishmonger to fillet the monkfish so they are ready to go.
- Season and wrap each fillet with 2 slices Parma (or Serrano) ham, tucking the seams underneath. Leave them in the fridge on a lightly-oiled baking sheet until just before serving.
- Make the marmalade in advance and reheat in the microwave: heat some olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry 1 finely chopped red onion until soft. Deseed and slice 1 red and 1 yellow pepper into long, thin pieces.
- Add to the onion, cover and cook gently until softened and just holding a shape, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in some freshly shredded basil leaves.
- Bake the monkfish at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 10-12 minutes.
- Slice each fillet into 1cm pieces and serve fanned on a bed of red onion and pepper marmalade.
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- Season and wrap each fillet with 2 slices Parma (or Serrano) ham, tucking the seams underneath. Leave them in the fridge on a lightly-oiled baking sheet until just before serving.
Nigel Slater's classic prawn cocktail
- Shred a gem lettuce heart and pile it into a couple of chilled glasses.
- Peel and dice a cucumber and add it to the lettuce.
- Mix 4 tablespoons of decent mayo with 2 heaped teaspoons of tomato ketchup and a good shake of Tabasco.
- Toss with 250g plump peeled prawns, a squirt of lemon juice, and pinch of paprika.
- Pile the dressed prawns on top of the lettuce and serve with a lemon wedge balanced on the side of the glass.
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- Shred a gem lettuce heart and pile it into a couple of chilled glasses.
Next Up: Christmas dinner timetable
It's probably the biggest meal you'll cook all year, and it's all too easy to get completely stressed out.
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