How To Entertain This Month With Alexandra Dudley
I crave comfort food in October and risotto is exactly that. I often avoid serving risottos at a dinner party as they can be rather demanding of the cook, requiring one to stand and stir. But there is something cosy and intimate about everyone huddled into the kitchen, leaning on the kitchen counter with a glass of wine while you stir away, which I think is one of the lovely things about November entertaining. There tends to be less need for a show and the dinners I have in November are all about simple food and good conversation. This risotto is incredibly easy to make, and you can prep the shallots and cavolo nero ahead of guests arriving. I serve this with a simple but satisfying crunchy pear and chicory salad. Then it’s baked apples for pudding, which again, can be prepped ahead and put into the oven as you sit down for supper so that they are bubbling and sticky at the perfect moment.
I didn’t do sober October, but I have become more sober curious recently and I’m really enjoy being able to drink something really delicious that’s non-alcoholic. This 0% proof chardonnay from Plus & Minus is delicious. I’ve just bought a case of their red to try next too.
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Chicory, Pear & Hazelnut Salad
Even in the bleakest of winters I crave something with crunch and this salad is particularly good alongside the creamy cavolo nero risotto. You can prep the dressing and leaves ahead of time if you like and toss just before serving.
Roast off the hazelnuts in an oven preheated to 180°C Fan setting for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown and begin to smell nutty. Allow them to cool before roughly chopping.
Separate and wash the leaves of the chicory. Then whisk together the dressing in a large bowl.
Slice the pear into thin slices then stack the pieces and slice again into thick matchstick sized pieces.
Add the chicory leaves, sliced pear, and most of the hazelnuts to the bowl with the dressing, then use a vegetable peeler to peel in large shards of grana padano. Toss everything together, transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.
Cavolo Nero Risotto
The captivating green of this risotto comes from cavolo nero. The darker, taller Italian cousin of curly kale, its flavour is similar but richer and almost sweeter. The cavolo nero is blitzed up with nutmeg and stock before being added to a simple risotto base.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the chopped cavolo nero and boil for 3 minutes until cooked. Drain and refresh with cold water a couple of times before draining again and transferring to a high-speed blender.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and about 200ml of stock. Finely grate in the nutmeg and blitz until you have a puree. You may need to some more stock to loosen the mix.
Heat a good glug of olive oil in a heavy based wide pan and add the shallot. Cook gently over a low heat until soft and translucent (about five minutes). Then grate in the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
Add the rice and cook for a further minute. Then, pour in the white wine and allow the alcohol to cook off and liquid to absorb, stirring as you do.
Slowly add the stock, ladle at a time stirring regularly and only adding more stock when the liquid has nearly absorbed.
Test the rice after 15 minutes. It should be al dente but almost cooked. Cooking times vary but it shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes. You may not need all the stock.
Add the pureed cavolo nero and stir until the risotto is warm and beginning to simmer again.
Switch off the heat and add the butter and grated cheese.
To serve spoon into bowls and drizzle with good quality olive oil and grate over some more cheese.
Baked Apples With Maple & Pecans
A humble yet incredible comforting pudding, I love cooking with baked apples this time of year. Make sure you use a firm tart apple. I went for Granny Smith for this, but Braeburn and Gala apples work well too.
Preheat your oven to 170°C Fan setting. Place your pecans on a dry baking tray and toast them for about 10 minutes or until they have browned slightly and begun to smell fragrant. Allow them to cool before roughly chopping.
Core the apples using a corer if you have one, otherwise I find a sharp thin knife works well too. Just make four slits cutting a rough square around the stem and fiddle a little with your knife to loosen the core. Give your apples three or four faint vertical slits down the side (this just helps them to cook). Then arrange your apples onto a baking tray.
In a small bowl combine the pecans, maple syrup, mixed spice and sugar. Spoon the mix into your apples pushing the mix into the wells where their core once was. Any extra nut mix that you cannot push into the apple or the wont stay put on top can just be spooned onto the baking tray. Top the apples with knobs of butter and add any remaining into the pan to cook with the juices.
Bake your apples in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until they are soft and their skins have turned golden brown.
Serve with cream or a scoop of ice-cream.
For more from Alexandra, follow her @AlexandraDudley or visit AlexandraDudley.com.
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