entertaining recipes

This great-value family favourite freezes beautifully and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser

Cottage pie

olive oil

¼kg beef mince

onions,finely chopped

carrots,chopped

celery sticks,chopped

garlic cloves,finely chopped

tbsp plain flour

tomato purée

large glass red wine(optional)

beef stock

Worcestershire sauce

few thymesprigs

bay leaves

1.8kg potatoes,chopped

milk

butter

strong cheddar,grated

nutmeg

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-saute-pans">large saucepan</a> and fry 1¼ kg beef mince until browned – you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns.

Put the other 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan, add 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped celery sticks and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins.

Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan.

Pour over a large glass of red wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a few thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.

Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins – if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.

Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the 1.8kg potatoes which you've peeled and chopped, in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.

<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-five-best-colanders">Drain</a> well, then allow to <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-steamers">steam-dry</a> for a few mins. Mash well with the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese, then season with freshly grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper.

Spoon the meat into 2 <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/test-best-casserole-dishes">ovenproof dishes</a>. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.

If you want to use a slow cooker, brown your mince in batches then tip into your slow cooker and stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs with some seasoning. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours. Make the mash following the previous steps, and then oven cook in the same way to finish.

Make this Beef Wellington from Delish.com when you want to impress someone. 

Beef Wellington

(2 lb.) center-cut beef tenderloin,

kosher salt

black pepper

oil,

Dijon mustard

shallot, roughly chopped

thyme

unsalted butter

prosciutto

Flour,

puff pastry, thawed

egg,

Flaky salt,

This was challenging without a food processor and only a 1/2 lb of tenderloin. We had never worked with puff pastry before and we didn't care much for the taste of prosciutto. So by the time it went into the oven, I was frustrated and we weren't expecting this to be so amazing. It was! It was SO good that we are willing to do it again. I only wish I had taken a photo after cutting it in half- it was food magazine grade perfection!

I'm always interested in new recipes. I would like to  make the beef wellington  but my daughter  is allergic  to mushrooms. What if anything could I  use in  place of mushrooms?

Just made this for guests. It turned out amazingly! I marinated the beef overnight in red wine,  olive oil and garlic but that was the only change I made, apart from cooking it in a roaster with a grill to prevent sogginess underneath. It really was easy to make. The video helped a lot.

https://streaming.hearstdigitalstudios.com/4473fe16-ae54-4ad0-97b5-58834fc363c0/video_rover_16x9_1080p_hd_1572627813_743.mp4

Trust us, your effort will pay off big time.

This Beef Wellington Will Wow Your Dinner Guests

This majestic fish pie makes a brilliant dinner party centrepiece which can be prepared ahead

Salmon Coulibiac

eggs

blocks all-butter puff pastry

egg,beaten,

onion,finely

cumin seeds

coriander seeds

cardamom pods

star anise

basmati rice

bay leaf

cinnamon stick

fish stockor water

lemon,juice ½

dill

Salmon coulibiac

First, get everything prepared. Boil a pan of salted water, add the eggs and cook for 8 mins exactly. Drain and cool under cold water, then peel and set aside.

Heat half the butter in a non-stick frying pan and sizzle the slices of salmon for 1 min on each side (Pic 1), just to firm up the fillets but not cook them all the way through. Lift the salmon onto a plate.

Now cook the rice. Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan. Add the onion, cumin and coriander seeds, cardamom and star anise, then gently fry for 8 mins until golden. Stir in the rice and add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick (Pic 2), then pour over the stock and season generously. Cover and bring to the boil, then lower the heat to its lowest setting and continue to cook for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 mins, then stir through the lemon zest and juice. Set aside to cool. This can be done several hrs in advance. Once cool, stir though the chopped dill.

To assemble the pie, roll out one of the pieces of pastry to a rectangle as wide but a third longer than this magazine (23 x 40cm), then lay on a baking tray. Pack half the rice along the middle of the pastry, discarding the star anise and cinnamon as you do so, leaving a good 5cm border around the edge. Lay the salmon over the rice, then slice the eggs and lay those over the whole salmon layer (Pic 3). Top the eggs with the remaining rice and use your hands to gently pack everything down to a firm, even shape. Brush any stray grains of rice off the border, then brush the border with beaten egg,

Roll the second piece of pastry out to a rectangle slightly larger than the first. Drape over the coulibiac and gently press the edges to seal the 2 pastry sheets together. Trim the edges to neaten and crimp with your fingers or press down with a fork. The uncooked pie can now be chilled, on the baking sheet, for a day or frozen for up to 2 months.

To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Brush the pie all over with beaten egg and, if you want, lightly score the pastry with the back of a knife in a criss-cross fashion, making sure you don’t cut all the way through (Pic 4). Bake for 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and continue to cook for 20 mins until golden brown. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then serve in thick slices with a bowl of Dill cream or Herb salsa (see recipes, below).

A hint of orange blossom adds a floral touch to the this polenta and almond-based orange cake.

Orange and polenta cake

unsalted butter,

demerara caster sugar

vanilla essence

(200 grams) almond meal

coarse polenta

oranges

tsp orange blossom water

gluten-free baking powder

Creme fraiche

(250 milliliters) orange juice

milliliters orange blossom water

cardamom pods, crushed

caster sugar

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5977439743001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5977439743001

Still a relatively cheap cut, pork belly yields beautiful soft flesh and crisp crackling when slow-roasted.

Three-hour pork belly

fennel seeds

tsp black peppercorns

garlic

1.5-2kg/3lb 5 ounces-4lb 8 ounces piece boneless pork belly, skin scored

lemons

Toast 2 tbsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp black peppercorns in a dry <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-non-stick-frying-pans">frying pan</a> for a couple of mins. Pound them together in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-mortar-and-pestles">pestle and mortar</a> with some flaked sea salt, the leaves from 1 small bunch of thyme and 3 garlic cloves to make a paste.

Mix with 2 tbsp olive oil and rub all over the flesh of a 1½ - 2kg piece of boneless pork belly. Cover and chill, leaving to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, rub the skin of the joint with plenty of salt and 1 tbsp more olive oil. Sit on a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">wire rack</a> in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/test-five-best-roasting-tins">roasting tin</a> and roast at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 mins.

After this time, squeeze 2 lemons over the skin and turn the heat down to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Roast for a further 2 hrs.

Finally, turn the heat back up to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and give it a final blast for another 30 mins or so, to finish the crackling.

Allow to rest somewhere warm for 20 mins. <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-cooks-knives">Carve up</a> into chunks or slices and serve with the braised cabbage (below) and bay-infused potatoes (see 'goes well with').

Follow Gordon's steps for a sensational roast duck dinner, perfect for entertaining

Spiced slow-roast duck & apple sauce

duck

sunflower oil

lemon

cinnamon

potatoes

watercress

Bramley apples

apple juice

Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Remove any giblets and pull the excess fat from the duck’s cavity. Use a roasting fork or skewer to prick the skin of the duck all over – do this lightly as you don’t want to pierce the meat.

Season generously inside, rub the skin with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, cinnamon, star anise and garlic. Sit the duck in a roomy roasting tin (you will be adding potatoes to the tin later). Roast the duck for 2 hrs, pricking again every now and then. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10 mins until just cooked.

Remove the duck from the oven and increase the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the duck on a board and pour off half the fat from the tin. Toss the potatoes in the tin so they are completely coated in the juices, then push them to the side of the tin. Sit the duck back in and give it a final 20-30 mins in the oven to crisp up.

Meanwhile, make the apple sauce. Peel and finely slice the apples, discarding the core. Melt the butter in a pan until sizzling, add the apples and spices, then stir to coat.

Pour in 100ml apple juice, cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add a splash more juice if the apples are becoming a bit dry. Cook until the apples have collapsed into a fluffy sauce.

Remove the duck from the oven to a board to rest, then place the potatoes back into the oven for 20 mins to crisp up. When the duck has rested and the potatoes are brown, you are ready to carve and plate up.

Make your own pizza with a crispy base, mozzarella cheese and a fresh tomato sauce. Add simple toppings like slices of ham and rocket if you like.

Pizza

fresh yeast

sugar

Italian '00' flour

mozzarella

basil

onion

tomatoes

Mix together the yeast and sugar with 250ml warm water and leave to sit for 10 mins. Place half the flour in a table-top mixer with a dough hook, pour in the yeast mixture and beat at medium speed for 10 mins (or mix in a bowl, then knead with oiled hands in the bowl for 5-10 mins).

Leave somewhere warm for 10 more mins, then add the remaining flour and oil. Beat or knead to a dough for a further 5 mins. Put in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and place somewhere warm to double in size &ndash; about 1&frac12; hrs.

For the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 mins, stirring constantly. Add the garlic, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper and cook for 2 mins more. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a good 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

Once your dough has doubled in size, slap it down on a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 mins until soft but not too elastic. Divide into 6 pieces, roll into balls and leave to rest for 10 mins. Heat oven to the highest temperature possible (270C fan in the Good Food test kitchen) and place a flat baking sheet in the oven.

With a well-floured rolling pin, roll out each ball of dough as thinly as possible. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, oil or dust with flour, then carefully transfer the dough base onto it. Spread over some of the tomato sauce (I like to apply it in the quantity that you would spread Marmite on toast, or the base will be soft and fall to bits), then the cheese and any toppings you desire.

Cook for between 5-10 mins depending on your oven temp, until the base is crisp and the cheese melted. Scatter with basil.

These American-style crisp chicken pieces are the perfect laid-back food to share, great for a movie night

Buffalo wings with blue cheese dip

tbsp butter

tbsp hot sauce

tbsp white wine vinegar

grams/2lb chicken wings

¼ tsp celery salt (optional)

flour

celery sticks, to serve

buttermilk

soured cream

blue cheese

¼ tsp sweet paprika

Slowly melt the butter, hot sauce and vinegar in a medium saucepan, then pour into a large bowl. Mix all the ingredients for the blue cheese dip together with a pinch of salt. Cover and chill until needed.

Trim the end off each chicken wing, then cut each in half through the joint. Tip the wings into a bowl. Add the celery salt (if using), seasoning and enough flour so they’re all evenly coated.

Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan and add the wings (do this in 2 batches if your pan isn’t big enough). Fry them, stirring frequently, until they are cooked through and browned all over, about 10 mins for each batch. As soon as they are cooked, transfer them to the bowl of butter sauce and stir well. Repeat with the second batch. Serve the wings on a platter with any extra buttery sauce poured over and the blue cheese dip and celery sticks on the side

Greg Malouf's reworked babaganoush pairs perfectly with Turkish bread and, for a lighter option, crunchy baby cucumbers.

Greg Malouf's smoky eggplant puree whipped with Gruyere

eggplants

lemon,

(80 milliliters) thickened cream

Gruyere or cheddar cheese, grated

tsp nutmeg

Turkish red pepper flakes

baby cucumbers

micro parsley

Turkish flatbread

olives

This crustless baked ricotta cheesecake with no refined sugar is a guilt-free dessert.

Ricotta cheesecake with roasted blueberries

cream cheese, softened

maple syrup

ricotta

vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

blueberries

(75 grams) roasted hazelnuts, chopped

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5977465262001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5977465262001

Cheesecake with an apricot twist, the flavours of the food gods

Cantabrian cheesecake

unsalted butter, softened

(330 grams) raw caster sugar

ricotta cheese

(500 milliliters) milk

(185 grams) plain flour

apricots, halved, stones removed

(125 milliliters) Pedro Ximenez (Spanish sweet sherry)

(90 grams) honey

rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

A fresh and fragrant salad complements a Mediterranean antipasti spread for relaxed summer eating

Minted courgette salad

red onion

courgettes

mint leaves

Mix the onion and lemon juice together with some seasoning and set aside for 10 mins. When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler to slice the courgettes into thin ribbons. Put into a bowl with the onion and lemon juice, zest, mint and oil. Carefully toss together and serve.

These classic Sicilian treats are hard to resist. Creamy ricotta and zesty lemon curd cuts through the richness of the cannoli pastry beautifully.

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