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Menu
Elderflower Bubbles
Seafood Skewers with Chilli, Lime & Herb Oil
Baked Antipasto Platter
Home-made Hummus
Toasted Ciabatta & Garlic
Chicken Parma with Smoked Paprika Sauce
Spring Greens Spaghetti
Lemon Curd Crumble Slice
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Elderflower Bubbles
Offer this drink as a refreshing and sophisticated non-alcoholic alternative to real bubbles.
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1 cup elderflower cordial
1 cup crushed ice
5-6 mint sprigs, torn
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
1.5 litre bottle lemonade or soda water |
Combine cordial, ice, mint and lemon in a large jug and top up with chilled soda or lemonade.
Makes 2 litres
Seafood Skewers with Chilli, Lime & Herb Oil
You will need 12 long metal or wooden (pre-soaked) skewers.
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300-400g white fish (choose medium or firm-fleshed fillets)
200-300g boneless salmon fillet
24 raw prawns, tails on, peeled and deveined
12 mussels, cooked and shelled
24 pieces scored squid
¾ cup olive oil
1-2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
2 limes, juice and finely grated zest
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, eg parsley,
thyme, rosemary, dill
Extra limes for squeezing
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Cut the fish and salmon into bite-sized chunks and thread onto skewers along with the prawns, mussels and squid pieces, alternating colours and textures as you go. Place the skewers on a lined baking tray.
Combine the oil, chillies, garlic, lime juice and zest and herbs and then brush over the seafood.
Cook skewers in a pizza oven, on a barbecue hot plate or under an oven grill until the seafood is cooked and coloured, basting with herb oil during cooking. Serve with wedges of lime.
Makes 12 large skewers
Baked Antipasto Platter
Serve this warm, Mediterranean-inspired medley alongside the hummus and garlic ciabatta for guests to assemble their own delicious morsels.
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1 cup mixed olives, pitted
250g feta, diced
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
2-3 chorizo sausages, sliced
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
4-5 fresh or dried bay leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
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Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake or 200°C regular. Line a large, shallow roasting dish with baking paper.
Place olives, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and chorizo slices in groups in dish. Sprinkle herbs over and drizzle with oil. Bake 10-15 minutes until tomatoes are bursting, olives are hot and feta is golden. Arrange in little dishes for serving. Serves 6-8
Home-made Hummus
This addictive spread is really quick to whip up using canned chickpeas and it will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
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390g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt to taste
¼-¹/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Extra oil and cracked pepper for garnish
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Place chickpeas and garlic in a food processor and mix until finely chopped. Add tahini, lemon juice and salt and pulse together, adding enough oil to make a thick, smooth paste. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavours to meld.
Serve garnished with a swirl of olive oil and some cracked pepper sprinkled on top. Makes about 1½ cups
Toasted Ciabatta & Garlic
You could simply buy some crostini or similar to put on your starter platter, but toasting your own bread is cheap and easy, and fun if you happen to have a pizza oven. The warm garlic for rubbing over the bread adds a gourmet touch.
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1 ciabatta loaf, thickly sliced
1 whole bulb garlic, halved crossways
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Lay bread slices on an oven tray. Add the garlic halves and then toast in a hot oven (about 200°C fanbake) or a pizza oven until bread is golden and crunchy. Use the warm garlic bulb to rub over the toasted bread. Serves 6-8
Spring Greens Spaghetti
This quick and tasty combo pretty much covers off the green vege and starch requirements in one easy dish.
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400g packet fresh spaghetti pasta
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup minted baby peas
100g (1 packet) sugar snaps or snow peas
¼-½ cup basil pesto
2 good handfuls (about ½ a bag) baby spinach
Parmesan to serve
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Cook pasta to packet instructions until al dente then drain off excess water.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan, add peas, sugar snaps and pesto and cook 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook 1-2 minutes until just wilted.
Stir pesto mixture through pasta, season to taste and pile into a serving dish. Top with freshly grated or shaved parmesan.
Serves 6-8
Chicken Parma with Smoked Paprika Sauce
Chicken thighs are a good choice for a homely baked dish such as this as they stay nicely juicy – unlike breasts, which are easy to overcook and dry out.
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12 chicken thigh cutlets (bone in)
12 slices parma ham or prosciutto
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup white wine
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Grated parmesan for sprinkling
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Preheat oven to 180°C. Wrap chicken thighs in parma ham slices to make neat parcels. Heat oil in a large frying pan and sear chicken all over until coloured. Arrange in a medium-sized ovenproof serving dish.
Add onion, garlic and paprika to pan and sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated then add tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, season to taste then pour over chicken thighs.
Cover dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle parmesan over and cook a further 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling. Serves 8-12
Lemon Curd Crumble Slice
If you want to really impress, serve this slice with a dollop of limoncello cream made by combining 1 cup cream, softly whipped, with 2 tablespoons limoncello liqueur and icing sugar to taste.
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250g butter, softened
180g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Curd filling:
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour mixed to a paste
with 2 tablespoons cold water
2 egg yolks
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
50g butter, chopped
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Preheat oven to 170°C fanbake or 190°C regular. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Sift over flour and baking powder and beat on lowest setting (or mix in by hand) until mixture forms clumps.
Shape dough into a smooth ball. Break off a quarter of the dough, wrap in plastic and chill (this will be used for the topping). Using floured fingers, press remaining dough into a lined slice tin (about 20cm x 30cm). Bake 8 minutes or until just starting to set and colour. Take from oven and set aside.
Curd: Meanwhile, heat water and sugar in a small pot, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add cornflour paste and simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks, lemon juice, zest and butter until butter has melted. Cool 10 minutes then pour over the semi-cooked base. Grate chilled dough over top and bake 20-25 minutes until golden and base is cooked. Cool completely in tin before cutting.
Dust with icing sugar if desired and serve with cream – see above. (We also garnished our slice with candied lemon slices bought from Nosh in Auckland.)
Slice will keep for 2-3 days, stored loosely covered and in a cool place. Makes 12-16 pieces
Plates, bowls, vases, glasses, jugs and tablecloth from:
French Country, 0800 503 500;
side table from:
Freedom Furniture, 0800 469 327;
all other items stylist’s own.
Thank you to the Blackmore / Kilvington family for the use of their home.
Story: Jo Wilcox
Photographs: Kieran Scott
Stylist: Claudia Kozub
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