Page 209 - home and garden

WINE & FOOD | RECIPES

BETTER

LATE THAN NEVER

SYBIL KAPOOR DESIGNS A TIME-TOLERANT MENU FOR GUESTS WHO TEND TO ARRIVE
LATE, INCLUDING NIBBLES TO STAVE OFF HUNGER PANGS AND A MAIN COURSE AND
DESSERT YOU CAN MAKE AHEAD. ALL RECIPES SERVE 6 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
PHOTOGRAPHS LENNART WEIBULL | FOOD PREPARATION AND STYLING BIANCA NICE
WINE RECOMMENDATIONS JOANNA SIMON | TABLE STYLING ALEXANDER BREEZE

MIXED CROSTINI
You can mix and match these four types of crostini – outside but still nice and soft on the inside. Set aside.
cherry tomato, roasted pepper, crab and egg – to taste. A 2 For the tomato topping heat the oven to 200°C/fan
35cm-long baguette yields about 25 slices and each oven 180°C/mark 6. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Place in

topping is enough for 16 crostini, so these recipes will non-stick roasting tray with the garlic and olive oil. Season
make enough for 64 canapés – perfect for a small drinks and mix. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft and
party. To serve all four as hearty nibbles before a small squishy. Scrape into a bowl and add the vinegar and
dinner party, halve the quantities so you make 32 canapés. lemon thyme. Leave to sit for 2 hours, then spoon on to
The better the quality of your bread, the more delicious 16 crostini. They can be left, covered, for an hour.
your crostini, but you can also serve these toppings on 3 For the pepper topping quarter and seed the peppers.
savoury biscuits or pastry bases. Place skin-side-up under the grill and turn it to high. As
• 3 good-quality • 8 fat green olives, soon as the skins blacken, remove to a bowl and cover for
sourdough baguettes, stoned and sliced 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel and cut
each about 35cm • Finely grated zest into small strips. Place in a clean bowl with the balsamic
in length (you will of 1 lemon vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, olives and lemon zest.
have some left over) • Handful of flat-leaf Season to taste. Leave for 2 hours, then spoon the mix-
• 3tbsp extra-virgin parsley, roughly sliced ture on to 16 crostini. They can be left, covered, for an
olive oil For crab topping hour. Garnish with parsley before serving.
For tomato topping • 200g white crabmeat 4 For the crab topping squeeze the excess liquid out of
• 500g ripe cherry • 1 small, tender stem the crabmeat and spread out on a plate. Pick out any tiny
tomatoes celery, finely diced bits of shell, then place in a bowl with the celery, spring
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled • 1 trimmed spring onion, chilli, olive oil, lime zest and juice. Season to taste.
and finely sliced onion, finely diced Mix well, cover and chill. Spoon on to 16 crostini shortly
1
• 3tbsp extra-virgin • / 2 Thai chilli, finely before they’re needed. Garnish with the coriander.
olive oil diced, or to taste 5 For the egg topping place the eggs in a saucepan of
• 1tsp good balsamic • 1tbsp extra-virgin cold water, bring up to the boil and cook briskly for 10
vinegar olive oil minutes. Drain, cool and peel. In a bowl, mash the eggs
• 1tsp lemon thyme leaves • Finely grated zest roughly with a fork and mix in the mayonnaise. Lightly
For pepper topping and juice of 1 lime season, cover and chill until needed.
• 1 red and 2 yellow • 16 coriander 6 Remove the outer layer of the leeks (or spring onions)
peppers leaves, ripped and cut off the green section of their leaves. Wash thor-
• 1tbsp good balsamic For egg topping oughly to remove any grit, then drop into a saucepan of
vinegar • 3 organic medium boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes (1 minute for
• 1tbsp extra-virgin eggs spring onions) or until tender. Drain in a colander and
olive oil • 2tbsp mayonnaise cool under running water. Squeeze dry and slice finely.
• 1 clove garlic, finely • 6 baby leeks (or 7 To serve, spoon the egg mixture on to 16 crostini.
chopped spring onions), Garnish each with sliced strips of leek or spring onion
• 1tbsp capers, rinsed trimmed at both ends and a blob of caviar.
and drained • 50g lumpfish caviar To drink A white or rosé, still or sparkling, with plenty of
1 Cut the bread into as many 1cm-thick slices as you are flavour and freshness to accommodate the vibrant
going to need (see above). Lightly brush one side of each flavours of the toppings. Among many possibilities are
slice with olive oil. Heat an oven-top griddle pan over a Sauvignon (Blanc or Gris), dry Riesling, Lugana, Chilean
medium-high heat and lightly toast the sliced bread Viognier, English sparkling, or this Greek white: Atlantis
for 30 seconds on each side – it should be crisp on the Santorini 2013, £10.50, Marks & Spencer.

HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK NOVEMBER 201515 207
HOUSEANDG ARDEN. C O . U K NO VEMBER 20