Home Chef. Neven Maguire
then cook gently for 2-3 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring constantly, until it has all wilted down. Tip into a sieve and drain well, pressing out all the excess liquid with a wooden spoon. Allow to cool.
Crumble the feta cheese into a bowl and then mix in the egg, Parmesan, cooled spinach mixture, nutmeg and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a small pan and allow to cool a little.
Unroll the sheets of pastry and cut the stack lengthways into strips about 6cm (2½ in) wide. Brush the top layer with melted butter. Place a heaped teaspoonful of the filling in the centre of one strip, at the nearest end to you, and fold one bottom corner of the top layer of pastry diagonally over the filling, so that the corner touches the opposite side to make a triangle. Then fold over the filled triangular corner, and continue folding it along the whole strip into a triangular parcel. Repeat to use all the pastry and filling – you should end up with 24 parcels in total.
Brush the underside of each spanakopita with a little of the melted butter and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush the tops with the rest of the melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before arranging on plates or a large platter to serve.
Sang Choy Bow
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp light muscovado sugar
175ml (6fl oz) chicken stock (see page 219)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced, green separated from white
450g (1 lb) minced chicken
225g tin of water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped coriander
4 little gem lettuces, broken into individual leaves (see recipe introduction)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sang Choy Bow are bite-sized pieces of food wrapped in lettuce before eating. Variations can be found in most Chinese restaurants. The secret to making them is to prepare all of the ingredients well in advance. I normally use the smaller inner crisp leaves of little gem lettuce but you could use iceberg lettuce or chicory leaves. Break the leaves into similar sizes, place in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge until you need them.
Place the sherry in a small bowl and stir in the cornflour to form a smooth paste. Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar and chicken stock until well combined. This sauce can be made in advance and chilled for up to 24 hours until needed.
Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic and the whites of the spring onions for 2-3 minutes until softened and just turning golden. Increase the heat to high, add the minced chicken and fry for about 5 minutes until just cooked through and beginning to brown, breaking up the chicken using the back of a spoon to ensure there are no big lumps. Add the water chestnuts and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
Push the mixture to one side and then pour the prepared sauce into the wok, stirring until it boils and thickens. This will take 1-2 minutes. When the liquid is bubbling and thickened stir in the chicken mixture and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the green of the spring onions along with the coriander.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Spoon a small amount of the warm chicken mixture on to each lettuce leaf. Wrap up and eat with your hands.
Black Pudding Croûtes with Red Onion Marmalade
This canapé is not as unusual as it sounds! Black pudding is often served as a tapas dish in Spain, where it is known as morcilla, and is usually homemade from a family recipe that has been passed down over many generations. Don’t be tempted to make these too far in advance or the croûtes will go soggy.
1 French stick, cut on the diagonal into 30 evenly sized slices (ends discarded)
4 tbsp olive oil
450g (1 lb) black pudding, cut on the diagonal into 30 evenly sized slices
100g (4oz) Red Onion Marmalade (see page 209)
flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6. Arrange the French bread slices on large baking sheets in a single layer. Brush 2 tablespoons of the oil on the bread slices and bake for 6-8 minutes until the bread is pale golden and crisp. Allow to cool slightly.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the black pudding slices over a medium heat for 1 minute on each side until cooked through. You may need to do this in batches. Drain on kitchen paper.
Place a piece of black pudding on each croûte and top with a small spoonful of Red Onion Marmalade. Arrange on a large platter, garnish each canapé with a little parsley and serve at once.
Parma Ham & Rocket Rolls
150g (5oz) ricotta cheese
2 tbsp Pesto (see page 208)
10 slices of Parma ham
50g (2oz) wild rocket, stalks removed
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shown on page 59, these are very simple but look and taste quite special. They can be made an hour in advance and kept in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. When cutting the Parma ham, don’t worry if each slice is not perfect, you can neaten them up as you roll them. A great alternative to Parma ham is bresaola – very thin slices of air-dried, salted beef.
Mix the ricotta with the pesto in a small bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
Carefully cut each slice of Parma ham in half across the width and arrange on a clean work surface. Spread a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mixture in a thin even layer over each one, then lay a few sprigs of rocket lengthways across each slice, leaving the sprig ends hanging over the edges.
Roll each one up and arrange on a serving platter. Cover loosely with cling film and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Pumpkin & Haricot Bean Soup
Haricot or cannellini beans work best for this – use the freshest you can find or they can take an age to cook. As this recipe makes such a large quantity you may wish to freeze some. Allow the soup to cool and then pour into freezer bags or containers with lids (leave enough space for expansion). To thaw the soup, leave overnight at room temperature and reheat until piping hot.