Make peak socialising season ever so slightly less arduous with this selection of shop bought items that will make entertaining a breeze …
The Sauce: Foxes Bow x Chimac Whiskey Wing Sauce, various locations
Perfect served over ice (or with Poachers Grapefruit), Irish made Foxes Bow Whiskey is a moreish rye cask finish whiskey that has broad appeal to both amateur and professional whiskey drinkers alike. A match made in heaven can often be an overused phrase but when it comes to the genius pairing of Foxes Bow Whiskey with Chimac, which results in the creation of a Foxes Bow Whiskey Wing Sauce, I could weep with happiness. This is the kind of sauce that makes you want to cook wings, purely as a vehicle for the sauce but it is equally as finger lickin’ good all on its own. An easy one to have on hand for unexpected visitors over the holidays, all you’ll have to do is pop some wings in the oven and drench in this sauce and you’ll have some very happy guests. www.chimac.ie
The Condiment: Builín Blasta Mayonnaise, Galway
The standout of all mayonnaise, Builín Blasta has certainly shaken up the world of mayo since introducing its Smoked Onion Mayo a couple of years ago. Builín Blasta is an Irish language cafe in the heart of the Ceardlann Craft Village overlooking Spiddal Beach. They serve excellent breads, pastries, sandwiches, hot food and coffee, and they make the BEST mayo. The Smoked Onion Mayonnaise is essential Christmas fare and the Spicy Smoked Onion Mayonnaise is, in one word, addictive. Sandwich season needs this, so make your post-Christmas hosting one step easier and set up a DIY sandwich section for guests to help themselves. www.builinblasta.com
The Nibble: Bonilla a la Vista Crisps from Sheridans Cheesemongers, various locations
Spanish crisps rock, and Bonilla a la Vista are the Rolls Royce of Spanish crisps – and crisps in general. Made simply with olive oil and salt, the extra large tin makes an impressive centrepiece and the crisps in themselves are super versatile. Serve them with olives and nuts at a drinks party to be the hostess with the mostess or top with lemony crab or beef tartare to make hors d’oeuvres that will be the talk of the town. If all that sounds like too much effort, simply enjoy on the couch while watching a movie. Either way, they won’t disappoint. www.sheridanscheesemongers.com
The Starter: Arancino from Amuri by Day, Dublin 2
Forget about men being obsessed with the Roman Empire, Ireland, it seems, has gone suppli and arancino crazy and the recently opened Amuri by Day Deli on Dublin’s Chatham Street is filling the niche nicely. With a vast selection of Sicilian delicacies and sandwiches on offer, the deli also offers freshly made in-house arancino and canolo which are perfect for easy peasy entertaining. The arancino come in a variety of flavours and make a wonderful minimal effort starter or grazing nibble when entertaining. However, be warned, they are rather large (and somewhat addictive), so less is most definitely more in this situation. www.amuri.ie
The Sweet Treat: Chocolate from Second Street Bakeshop, Cork
For many of us, dessert can often be an afterthought with all the effort going into the preceding dishes. Guests, however, should always be offered something sweet, even if it’s on the side of a lavish cheeseboard. For me, a bag of sea salt dark chocolate toffee brittle from Cork-based confectioner, Second Street Bakeshop is the perfect choice. Should you prefer to offer milk chocolate, there are plenty of options and the milk chocolate hazelnut toffee brittle is another great choice. As are the salted caramel truffles and the peppermint bark. It’s all exceedingly good stuff actually, entertaining or not. www.secondstreetbakeshop.com