How To Entertain This Month
Green is the theme of this month’s dinner party, with a large focus on asparagus. The asparagus season is short, so I like to celebrate it while I can. As vegetables go, it’s perhaps the most luxurious of the lot, making it perfect for entertaining. It is wonderful steamed and topped with pats of good salty butter (a side dish that will improve almost anything) but for a heartier side or starter, I love to serve it in a classic French way – as a mimosa salad. You can toss it together with the punchy dressing, but I think it looks most impressive with the dressing and chopped egg piled high on top of it.
Asparagus appears in a spring green risotto too, paired with green pistachios to create a slightly more indulgent creaminess. Then, it’s chocolate for pudding to balance out all the green. A hybrid between a chocolate pudding and a brownie, my chocolate hazelnut skillet cake is best eaten warm from the oven. Make sure you invest in some good-quality vanilla ice-cream for this one too.
A friend brought a bottle of New Zealand Babich Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to a dinner party and it was perfect with this risotto. It has a strong citrus note with a crisp finish which cuts through the creaminess of the risotto perfectly.
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Asparagus Mimosa
One of my favourite things to eat is perky blanched asparagus with a herby, saucy, nutty dressing. I love using tarragon in this, but feel free to sub it for parsley if you wish. I also love mixing up pine nuts for roasted sunflower seeds.
Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, then plunge immediately into ice cold water until cool. Peel and roughly chop.
Finely chop the tarragon leaves and wild garlic.
Blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes. Drain and refresh in ice cold water. Drain again and allow to dry.
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and enough olive oil to create a glossy dressing.
Add chopped capers, tarragon and pine nuts to your dressing. Stir to combine, then taste to season.
Arrange the asparagus onto a platter. Spoon over the dressing and top with the chopped egg and a few more pine nuts if you like.
Spring Risotto with Asparagus and Pistachios
A vibrant spring green, this risotto makes for a beautiful spring-time dinner party dish. I sub out the usual shallot or onion for bright spring onions, which bring a lighter and fresher taste. Crushed pistachios add another level of indulgence and add to the fantastic green colour. Make the paste ahead if you like, so that all you have to do is throw it in a pan and stir before sitting down to supper.
Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water. Separate the floret from the asparagus stem (keep the florets whole). Then slice the stems into small ½ cm rounds and set aside.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped spring onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes until they have softened.
Add the rice and cook for another minute, stirring to combine. Add the wine and allow it to absorb before slowly adding the stock, one ladle at a time. Stir every so often, only add more stock once the liquid is nearly absorbed. Check after 20 minutes. The rice should be cooked through with a little bite.
As the risotto cooks, place the chopped pistachios and one large handful of spinach into a food processor. Add the basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pinch of salt and 6 tbsp of olive oil. Pulse until you have a vibrant green paste.
Once the risotto is cooked but al dente, add the paste along with the remaining handful of spinach, parmesan and butter. Stir to combine. Then add the asparagus (reserving the florets to use as garnish if you like). Taste to season.
Either serve into bowls or bring the whole dish to the table warm, allowing everyone to help themselves. Finish with a good drizzle of olive oil and some fresh lemon zest if you like.
Chocolate Hazelnut Skillet Cake
This is a rich, slightly messy and gloriously chocolatey way to finish a dinner party. I love to bring the skillet to the table and scoop generous bowlfuls right there. I like Hackney Gelato, GROM and Green & Blacks for good vanilla ice-cream to go with.
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan and line a 28cm diameter skillet or cast-iron pan with baking parchment, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Use a cake tin if you don’t have a cast iron pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a simmering saucepan of water then allow it to cool for about 10- 15 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
In a separate bowl and using a clean whisk, whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt. Pour this into your chocolate mix along with most of the hazelnuts (reserving a few for the top) fold gently until just combined.
Pour the mixture into your skillet pan and bake for 25 minutes. It should have a crackled top and a slight wobble in the middle.
Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.
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