Luxury party food for a Christmas to remember

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Let’s face it, Christmas is the ultimate excuse for indulging in all the delicious and decadent foods which, for the rest of the year, we approach with cautious restraint. Extend the Christmas spirit to friends and family this year by serving bite-sized portions of luxury, scrumptiousness at all your festive gatherings.

Here are some of our favourite recipes of the season for inspiration.

Nigella Lawson’s Tiny Pancakes For Caviar

Ingredients

·   55g potato starch

·   64g plain flour

·   pinch of salt

·   ½ tsp baking powder

·   ¼ tsp baking soda

·   150ml buttermilk

·   1 large egg

·   1 tbsp melted butter

·   Caviar and sour cream for serving

Method

In a bowl add potato starch, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In a separate bowl mix buttermilk, egg and melted butter.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together.

Brush a frying pan with butter then spoon a tablespoon of batter for each pancake (keep them at least 2 inches apart). When bottoms are set and golden, flip them and cook other side.

Leave to cool then serve with sour cream and caviar.

Recipe from: At My Table: Cooking for one discerning diner

Jo Pratt’s mini smoked salmon and dill cakes

Ingredients

250g floury potatoes cut into large chunks

2 tbsp cream cheese

200g smoked salmon

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh dill

1 lemon, zest only, finely grated

1 tsp horseradish sauce

1 tbsp drained capers, chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 heaped tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

Olive oil

Method

Boil potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly, then add cream cheese and mash until smooth.

Chop smoked salmon and add to mash mixture. Add dill, lemon zest, horseradish and capers and season to taste.

Shape into walnut-sized balls and flatten gently.

Lightly coat each one with breadcrumbs.

Place on an oiled baking tray, drizzle cakes with oil and bake in oven (200ºC) for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe from BBC Food Recipes

Tom Kerridge’s crayfish ‘popcorn’

Ingredients

·   500g crayfish tail meat, cleaned

·   200g fine cornmeal

·   100g tapioca flour

·   1 tsp garlic powder

·   1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

·   1 tsp cayenne pepper

·   ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

·   330ml sparkling water, ice cold

·   Vegetable oil for deep frying

·   Plain flour for dusting

To serve

·   pinch of smoked paprika

·   pinch of sea salt

·   1 unwaxed pink grapefruit, for zesting

·   Some good mayonnaise or lime and paprika mayo, for dipping

Method

Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180ºC.

Whisk the cornmeal, tapioca flour, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bicarbonate of soda and water into a batter.

Dust the crayfish in flour, shake off excess and then dip them into the batter and fry in batches for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Before serving, season with a pinch of smoked paprika and salt and some finely grated grapefruit zest.

Serve with mayonnaise.

Recipe from Tom’s Table

James Martin’s mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horseradish cream

Ingredients

For the Yorkshire puddings

·   1 egg

·   85g plain flour

·   85ml milk and water mixed

·   vegetable oil

For the horseradish cream

·   1 tub crème fraîche

·   2 tbsp fresh horseradish

·   salt and pepper

For the filling

·   2-3 beef fillets

Method

Make the Yorkshire puddings by adding egg to the flower, stirring continuously add the water and milk.

Add a drop of oil to each muffin tray and put in hot oven. When tray is hot add 2.5cm of mixture to each space and return to oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then allow to cool.

Mix crème fraîche, horseradish and salt and pepper together.

Cook the fillets of beef rare, then slice thinly.

Arrange beef on the Yorkshire puddings then add a spoonful of horseradish.

Recipe from BBC Food

Read more

• 5 things that will be better in the Indian Ocean this Christmas 
• Christmas fun for kids at Constance 
• Constance’s luxury Christmas gift guide