Celebratory Meal
Don’t worry about planning a menu, just follow this one
Crostini
Serves 6
White Bean
12 thin rounds cut from a baguette
4 tbsp olive oil
410g can cannelloni beans, drained
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp cayenne pepper
fresh basil leaves to serve
l Preheat the grill to high. Brush the bread slices on both sides with half the oil. Grill for 3-4 minutes, turning, until golden.
l Meanwhile, place the remaining ingredients in a pan over a medium-low heat. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then season, leave to cool.
l Top the bread with a basil leaf and the bean mix and serve.
Prawn and Lemon
12 thin rounds cut from a baguette
3 tbsp olive oil
300g large raw, peeled prawns
finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
handful of parsley, finely chopped
l Toast baguette as above. Heat a frying pan on high, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the prawns for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, zest and parsley. Season well and top bread with mixture.
Roast Pork with Garlic Spinach
Serves 6
1.5 kg tied boneless pork loin, with scored fat
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Sea salt, to season
2 tbsp plain flour
4 tbsp Marsala
300ml chicken stock, hot
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
450g baby spinach leaves, washed
l Preheat the oven to 240°C/480°F/gas 9. Rub the vinegar and sea salt into the skin, making sure it gets into the score marks. Roast on a rack in a roasting tin for 20 minutes.
l Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Roast the joint for 1 hour 25 minutes or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted.
l To make the gravy, drain the excess fat from the tin. Put the cooking juices in the tin over a medium heat and stir in the flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the Marsala and stock, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Season and strain into a gravy boat.
l Meanwhile, cook the spinach. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add half the spinach and cook briefly until wilted. Drain in a colander and repeat with the remaining spinach. Tip into a bowl and season well.
l Thickly slice the pork and put on a serving platter. Drizzle with the gravy and serve along side with the spinach.
Chocolate Panna Cottas with Marsala Oranges
Serves 6
175g fresh cream
250ml milk
55g caster sugar
150g plain chocolate
1 sachet gelatine
6 oranges
100ml dry Marsala
l Put the cream, milk, sugar and chocolate in a saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and melt the chocolate. Then bring to the boil, stirring constantly, until velvety smooth.
l Meanwhile dissolve the gelatine following packet instructions. Fold mixture into the chocolate and divide between six ramekins. Cool, cover with cling film and chill for at least 4 hours, until set but still wobbly.
L For the Marsala oranges, cut the top and bottom from each orange. Cut away the zest and pith and thinly slice. Drizzle with Marsala and chill for 30 minutes.
l Dip each ramekin in hot water and turn out the panna cottas onto serving plates. Serve with the Marsala oranges and whipped cream.
