Three recipes for Christmas entertaining …
Featured Image; Trish Deseine’s Oatcakes.
SPICY, MAPLE ROASTED CACAO CASHEWS
Roast up a nice batch of these and stash in a closed tin with a little kitchen paper in the bottom to keep them crisp. They will last for up to a week.
For 6-8
5 minutes preparation
15 minutes cooking
300g cashew nuts
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons dark muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or chilli flakes, or black pepper if you prefer)
Heat the oven to 190C. Mix all the ingredients except the nuts and in a large bowl. Then add the nuts and toss, making sure they are well coated.
Spread the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment for about 10 minutes, stirring half way through. Roast until the nuts are dark golden and caramelised. Keep an eye on them so they do not burn!
Remove from the oven, shake and separate if they’ve stuck together and leave to cool. Sprinkle with a little more salt if you like and store away.
OYSTERS WITH MANGO AND HORSERADISH
Trust me on this, it’s a revelation!
For 12
20 minutes shucking
5 minutes preparation
24 oysters, freshly shucked
200g fresh or frozen & defrosted mango, puréed
3 or 4 tablespoons horseradish sauce
Pop a little mango purée and horseradish onto each oyster with a teaspoon and serve.
OATCAKES WITH REMOULADE AND CAVIAR
Obviously, if you do not have caviar to hand, some good quality fish eggs will do just fine. Céleri remoulade, along with many French bouillon classics, is having a moment in Paris. Well made, it is a delight. Refreshing and crunchy, and great with the toasted flavour of oatcakes or fresh soda bread.
For 6 – 8
1 hour preparation
1/2 celeriac, peeled, julienned
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of a lemon
4 tablespoons good mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sharp mustard
Freshly ground pepper
250g caviar or other fish eggs
10 – 12 oatcakes
Finely chopped parsley and chives to garnish
Toss the fresh celeriac in the salt and lemon and leave to marinade for 30 minutes to an hour to extract some of the moisture. Drain and dab with kitchen paper before mixing through the mayonnaise sharpened with mustard and pepper.
Serve the remoulade atop oatcakes with the caviar or fish eggs. Garnish with a little parsley and chives.
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