THE MENU FOR SIX
Meet our dream team
ON NIBBLES
ALEX MACKAY
chef and cookery teacher
Ham, tomato & basil sticks with chestnut pesto, and parmesan tuiles
ON THE MAINS
GEORGINA HAYDEN
Cook, food writer and stylist
Slow-roast pork shoulder with leeks and cannellini beans
ON THE STARTER
PETER GORDON
chef and cookbook author
Warm root vegetable salad with grapefruit, walnuts & feta
ON THE PUDDING
PORTRAITS: PETER KNAB, COREY SCHWEIKERT, KEITH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY
CHETNA MAKAN
Food writer, Bake Off contestant and cookbook author
Double-layer custard and chocolate mousse
PASS THE PARCELS Ham, tomato & basil sticks with chestnut pesto, and parmesan tuiles
PHOTOGRAPHS MAJA SMEND
FOOD STYLING JEN BEDLOE STYLING MORAG FARQUHAR
SALAD DAYS Warm root vegetable salad with grapefruit, walnuts & feta
ONE FOR ALL Slow-roast pork shoulder with leeks and cannellini beans
GET THE LOOKHow to make our Easter wreath
YOU’LL NEED…
• 8-9 pussy willow branches (from florists or the garden)
• Thin florist’s wire
• Pre-made bird’s nest (from craft stores or Amazon – or make your own from thin branches and twigs)
• A few feathers (optional; from hobbycraft.co.uk)
• Flowers of your choice – we used Chamelaucium (waxflowers), cherry blossom, dyed gypsophilia and dried flowers
• Ribbon for hanging
• Imitation Easter eggs (from hobbycraft.co.uk) or foil-wrapped chocolate eggs
1 Soak the willow branches in water for at least 2 hours to make them pliable. Bend one soaked branch into a circle and secure with florist’s wire.
2 Take another branch and secure the thicker end to the circle with wire, then twist it around the original branch and secure with wire. Repeat with the remaining branches, starting each roughly 15cm away from the previous one to form an even circle of entwined branches. Push any loose ends into the frame and secure with more wire if needed.
3 Attach the nest with florist’s wire, then add the flowers on either side of it, starting with larger stems and adding smaller, more delicate ones last. Push them between the branches, using wire if needed to secure.
4 Push a few feathers and flowers into the nest.
5 Fill the nest with imitation eggs or (if it’s an indoor wreath) mini chocolate eggs.
6 Use a length of ribbon to secure the wreath to a door knocker or fitting.
LIGHT FANTASTIC Double-layer custard and chocolate mousse
THE NIBBLES
Alex’s parma ham, tomato & basil sticks with chestnut pesto
MAKES 12 (SERVES 6). HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN
These pretty little parcels can be prepared well in advance. My beautiful basil and chestnut pesto is glorious… Serve it with radishes for a crisp contrast to the ham and tomatoes.
MAKE AHEAD
Assemble the sticks up to 4 hours ahead, then cover and chill until needed. Make the pesto up to 3 days ahead, put in a jar and pour over a thin layer of olive oil to prevent it going brown. Chill.
ALEX’S TIP
Put the ham in the freezer for 15 minutes before you begin. The slices can be fiendishly difficult to separate – it’s easier when they’re cold and firm.
• 6 slices parma ham
• 12 sun-dried or sunblush tomatoes in oil
• 12 very large or 24 smaller basil leaves, plus extra to serve
• 12 small radishes
FOR THE CHESTNUT PESTO
• 50g basil (leaves and stalks)
• 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
• 45g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, finely chopped (we used Merchant Gourmet)
• 30g parmesan, freshly grated
• 5-7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for drizzling
YOU’LL ALSO NEED…
• 12 small skewers/cocktail sticks; a mini blender or food processor
1 Lay each slice of ham on a board and cut in half lengthways. Set a sun-dried/sunblush tomato at the bottom of each half-slice, top with 1 or 2 basil leaves, then roll the ham around them, leaving a little of each poking out the sides so they’re visible. Secure each parcel with a skewer and set aside until ready to serve (see Make Ahead).
2 For the chestnut pesto, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and set a large bowl of cold water to one side. Slice the thick basil stalks but leave the leaves whole. Add the stalks and chopped garlic to the boiling water for 1 minute, then add the leaves for 30 seconds more. Drain through a sieve or fine colander, then plunge the basil and garlic into the cold water. Leave for 1 minute, then drain again.
3 Transfer the basil and garlic to the bowl of a small blender or food processor with the chestnuts, parmesan and 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Blend to a coarse puree, adding more olive oil if needed to help the mixture blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper (see Make Ahead).
4 To serve, arrange the parma ham sticks on a platter, then spoon the pesto into a serving dish and set on the platter with the radishes alongside for dipping.
PER SERVING 171kcals, 14.8g fat (3.1g saturated), 5.7g protein, 3.5g carbs (0.9g sugars), 0.7g salt, 0.6g fibre