How To Entertain This Month, With Alexandra Dudley

/ 09 September 2025

How To Entertain This Month, With Alexandra Dudley

Alexandra Dudley is a food columnist, cookbook author and host of the Come For Supper podcast. In this instalment of her monthly column, she shares a summer-ready dinner party menu that makes the most of the end of outdoor entertaining – as well as her favourite new entertaining extras.

Alexandra Dudley

Save To My Favourites

I will cling onto summer for as long as I can and September is often the month I eat outside the most, enjoying the last of the warm evenings before autumn creeps in. A menu that can be enjoyed warm or cold this month means you can prep the whole thing ahead of time. A pistachio-crusted salmon is a simple but delicious way to elevate some fish. Then, one of my go-to sides for hosting, courgettes and peas are tossed with a garlicky dressing and lots of herbs. Finally, for pudding, there’s an apple tart that looks far more impressive than it really is.

DISCOVER ALEXANDRA'S MENU

Pistachio Parsley Chilli Crusted Salmon

This is a really simple way to level up a piece of salmon for a dinner party. The pistachios add both colour and texture to this and it has a good chilli kick too.

Serves

Ingredients

700g fillet of salmon

100g of pistachios, finely chopped

40g of breadcrumbs

1-2 chilli, finely chopped (seeds removed if you are sensitive to heat)

1 garlic clove, finely grated

25g of parsley, leaves finely chopped

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

A good pinch of salt

4 tbsp of olive oil

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Combine the pistachios, breadcrumbs, chilli, parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt and olive oil.

Step 2

Oil or line a large baking tray and place the salmon skin side down and cover with the pistachio crust, pressing it down with a spoon.

Step 3

Bake for 18 minutes then allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes. It will continue to cook.

Garlicky Pea & Courgette Salad

The beauty of this is that it tastes even better at room temperature and can be prepped ahead. I always have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer and courgettes are still brilliant this time of year.

Serves

Ingredients

400g of peas

2 medium-sized courgettes

1 fat garlic clove, finely grated

Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half

4 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 pinch of salt

25g bunch of dill, finely chopped

1 handful of mint leaves, finely chopped

Method

Step 1

Blanch the peas in boiling water for 3 minutes then refresh in ice cold water and drain.

Step 2

In a large bowl combine the garlic, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil and salt. Add the peas then use a vegetable peeler to peel in thin strips of courgette. Add the herbs and toss.

Speedy Apple Tart

This is the perfect pudding for people who don’t like making puddings. I lean on shop-bought puff pastry here, which is better than anything I could make, and then it’s simply a case of painting over jam and laying over apples.

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry

3-4 eating apples such as Braeburn

2 tbsp of caster sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 tbsp of butter

6 tbsp of apricot jam

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan setting and preheat a baking tray in the centre of the oven.

Step 2

Peel and slice the apples into ½ cm slices. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon and lemon juice.

Step 3

Unroll the puff pastry onto a sheet of baking parchment and score a 2cm boarder around the edges.

Step 4

Spread 2 tbsp of apricot jam in the centre of the pastry then top with the apples in an even layer and dot over the butter.

Step 5

Paint the edges of the tart with beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes until puffed up and golden. Allow the tart to cool slightly whilst you heat the remaining apricot jam. Sieve the jam if there are any lumps then paint over the apples.

Step 6

Allow to cool then serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

THE ENTERTAINING ACCESSORIES ALEXANDRA’S ADDING TO HER TABLE

Louise Jug

£160 | Sharland England

I’m very into brown at the moment. The colour feels so calming on the table and goes with more colours than you think. I love the twisted handle design of this jug.

Available at SHARLANDENGLAND.COM