Easy Entertaining

Host a fabulous party without the fuss. Here are ten tips for serving easy yet delicious party food. 

Entertaining doesn’t need to be an elaborate extravaganza of tricked up canapés with unnecessary stress. Here are 10 chic tips and 2 simple recipes for great tasting party food.

1. Pre-made tart cases are available from delicatessens. Simply refresh in a moderate oven for 5 minutes, fill and serve. Goat’s cheese topped with thinly-sliced marinated artichoke is a great combination.

2. Pre-cut salmon and tuna sashimi is available from most Japanese restaurants. Simply arrange on a serving platter and serve with a light soy and wasabi dipping sauce.

3. King prawns make a great canapé. Ask your fishmonger to peel and devein the prawns for you. Serve with a whole-egg mayonnaise flavoured with lemon zest, capers and chives.

4. Freshly shucked oysters are sophisticated and chic. They are perfect with champagne. Serve on a bed of rock salt either natural or with a squeeze of lemon juice.

5. Rockmelon wrapped in prosciutto is simple, fresh and classy. Add some sliced bocconcini and basil leaves to the fold for a fresh take on a classic combination.

6. For homemade sausages rolls with a twist, wrap chorizo sausages in ready-made puff pastry, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with fennel seeds and bake. Serve with a spicy tabasco dipping sauce.

7. Tapenade crusted lamb cutlets make great carnivorous party food. Sear a lamb rack consisting of six cutlets in a hot pan, rub with tapenade then bake at 180c for 30 minutes. Rest the meat then simply carve each cutlet following the bone and serve.

8. Good quality cheese is a great way to start an evening. Serve with quince paste, seedless grapes and the best crusty baguette you can find.

9. Bread and dips. Rub Lebanese bread with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and warm in a moderate oven. Puree a can of drained chickpeas with a spoonful of yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and tahini for a tasty hummus.

10. For something sweet a lemon and raspberry posset will steal the show. Boil 600 ml of double cream, 140g of caster sugar and the zest and juice of 2 lemons for 30 seconds. Pour into small serving glasses and chill for 2 hours. Garnish with fresh Raspberries.