Meringues

Any excuse to make meringue. They also conveniently make great little holders for Smy Goodness preserves and more. Clockwise from top left are:

• Lemon curd with candied lemon peel, cream and fresh raspberries
• Fresh mango circles marinated in Seville orange marmalade and cardamom topped with toasted pistachios and cream
• Black cherry & black pepper compote with almonds and cream
• Strawberry & balsamic vinegar compote with almonds, fresh strawberrries and cream
• Passionfruit jam topped with toasted macadamia nuts and cream.

I love eating and making meringues all year round including boozy Christmas-y toppings like winter berries stewed in cherry brandy made in the summer. The meringues can be made as individual servings, as large centre pieces or as bite size portions with different toppings.

Sumptuous Spread

Meats

• Salame
• Prosciutto
• Roast chicken
• Roast duck

  Preserves

 

• Six-pepper jelly
• Black cherry & black pepper compote
• Apple and pepper chutney
• Pumpkin & pomengranite chutney
• Plum gumbo
• Seville orange marmalade

Etc.

• Homemade bread, ciabatta and baguette
• Pickled beetroot
• Pickled cabbage
• Olives
• Cava
• Vegetable Juice

Cheese:

• Gorgonzola
• Red Leicester
• Stilton
• Colby
• Manchego

 

Duck and Chorizo Gumbo

My time in New Orleans has influenced so much of my entertaining philosophy; there should always be good food and music on both the table and in the air. This is one of my favourite dishes to prepare and share for big groups and it is an easy one to prepare the day before and free up time to relax and laugh with your guests and these types of dishes are always better the following day.

It's all in the roux! This cannot be stressed enough that the roux stage requires attention to detail and not taking your eye off the ball for the 20-25 minutes of non-stop stirring that the roux will require.

I love dishes where there isn't necessarily a right or wrong recipe but one that is either a family recipe or one that utilises left overs. This tends to be my gumbo recipe of choice but I do love making a prawn, sausage and chicken gumbo as well. Which flavours of gumbo do you enjoy?