The show-stopping dinner party menu
We start things off with a dinner party menu that is so full of flavour you’ll be praying for leftovers… There’s something so simple and delicious about a roasted tomato soup and this recipe comes with parmesan-rich croutons – what’s not to love? For mains, impress guests with a classic French dish – coq au vin. We love this recipe which comes from Alex Hollywood who was taught it by from her grandmother. The slow-cooking process yields a fabulously flavoursome, burgandy-rich sauce.
End your three-course feast with a boozy dessert: this gin and lime custard tart is a winner. Its gloriously glossy, sunshine yellow will lift moods and this one can be made the day ahead if you need it to be.
The vegetarian (and vegan) dinner party menu
This vegan menu delivers on flavour and elegance and could be served for either lunch or dinner. Start with our pea and roasted garlic soup – it uses easily accessible ingredients (hello frozen peas) and is a whizz to make, literally. For mains, this wild garlic lasagne is so totally vegan and makes use of cashew ‘cheese’ sauce – the crowd will nuts for it! Finally, whip up these simple crèmes caramels for an impressive dessert that you can whip out to applause.
The menu for Mother’s Day
Hold on to your hats because this Mother’s Day menu might just blow you away. The star of the show is our next-level rhubarb and custard layer cake: three layers of sponge cake are sandwiched between roasted rhubarb, custard and covered in cream cheese icing then decorated with candied rhubarb and white chocolate shards. It’s pretty impressive.
But before you get to that, treat mum to two special courses first. We’ve kept them light to save room for dessert – top rye crispbreads with hot-smoked salmon and this punchy pink peppercorn and vodka pickle salad for a light and easy starter. Then, give our roast chicken with garlic, sherry and almonds a go. It’s cooked in a casserole with the sherry added after 40 minutes which creates a beautifully rich sauce.
The make-ahead menu
You thought it couldn’t be done, but a 100% make-ahead three course meal IS possible. For starters, whip up our smoked mackerel paté (it literally takes 5 minutes!) and serve with the quick-pickled radishes. The latter is optional but they really do add a zingy burst of colour and flavour to the dish. Next, this slow braised lamb shoulder with preserved lemon makes a moreish main (serve with flat breads, salads and more). Plus, if cooking ahead, it will keep in the fridge for 2 days!
Finally, allow us to introduce the mini pavlova. The great thing about meringues is that they store really well. Make them in advance for these mini coffee pavlovas. When it’s time to serve, whip up the coffee and mascarpone cream and decorate.
