End Of Summer Feast

I had it in mind to host a dinner party for my friends so I could have a big cooking session, and turns out that all of us needed a bit of a blow out, putting the world to rights over great food and wine.

The weather has changed and it feels like summer is in full wind-down, with autumn peeking it's head around the corner, so that was the theme. A transition of Summer to Autumn.

Appetiser:

Baked Artichokes, to pluck a leaf whilst pouring our first glasses of wine.

Starter:

Foccacia spread with a layer of fresh fig, topped with baked jamon wrapped mozarella, so it oozes out the melted cheese when cut.

Pasta:

Prawn ravioli with a spiced tomato and prawn bisque.

Main:

Roasted autumnal chicken with rosemary, thyme and apricots, served with roasted red cabbage.

Dessert:

Oat cake, soaked in rum syrup, served with greek yoghurt and crushed rum chestnuts. This wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be which was a shame but oh well!

Baked Artichokes: These couldn't be easier and it looks impressive.

Cut off the stem so they sit upright. Pull/trim a layer of the outer leaves. The closer to the middle there's more flesh on each leaf so I take a few outer ones off as there's nothing to eat. Chop off around 4 cm of the top of the artichoke, just until the outer leaves get a tiny trim. Use your fingers to gently pull open the leaves so theres a bit of a gap between them and between each layer, like opening a flower. Spinkle over salt and pepper, and drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 45-60 mins.

Focaccia Topped with Jamon and Mozarella. Easy prep and assemble.

I made my focaccia and added in crushed hazlenuts for extra flavour and crunch. I haven't quite perfected this recipe and it never turns out as it 'should', but this time, I wanted a flatter piece of bread so it was fit for purpose! Mash up the flesh of some figs and spread a thin layer onto the focaccia slices. Wrap a mozarella ball in jamon/prosciutto, be generous and try to close all the gaps as it will seep out. Bake the mozareela jamon ball in the over until the jamos goes crispy, mozarella may seep out as it's full of liquid but thats ok. Place the mozarella jamon ball on top of the focaccia and I drizzled it with some basil oil for colour and an extra pop of flavour. Honey could be added too however I think the fig already adds the sweetness.

Prawn Ravioli with Spiced Tomato Bisque. Fiddly and a lot of effort but worth it.

I'll share my fresh pasta recipe another time and focus on the filling and bisque for now. Get some whole, uncooked prawns, and cut off the head, tail and legs, then you should be able to peel of the remaining shell. Keep the discarded parts in a bowl, don't throw away! Slice down the prawn back and underside to remove the two black lines. Blend or chop the prawn flesh into tiny pieces. Fry some chopped garlic, adding in the prawn, then ricota, s&p and lemon zest. That your ravioli filling ready! Add your discarded prawn heads, tails and shells and add to a sauce pan, with a splash of wine and chopped tinned tomatoes. Boil, boil, boil till it starts reducing down then add in a handful of parsley and s&p. Add in more wine or some water if you need more volume but do as soon as possible so the flavour can infuse rather than be diluted. When you're ready to servce sieve the whole thingso you have just the liquid left. This is going to be the most intesnly, delcious, flavourful liquid you've ever tasted! EIther drizzle the bisque over the plated ravioli, or laddle the bisque into a bowl like soup and lay ravioli on top.

Autumn Roast Chicken: So easy, so delicious.

As early as you can, season quarter chicken pieces with whatever flavourings you like, I went with s&p, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest. Drizle olive oil and rub in all over. After a few hours, lay in an oven dish and add halved plums or apricots. Put in the oven and give a minimum of 1 hours, ideally 1.5. Check on it and cover with foil if you need. Cooking it for more time than just for it to be cooked is essential for it to be delicious as the meat will fall off the bone and you'll be left with the most flavour packed juice in the tray. For the roasted red cabbage, slice finely and add to an oven dish with s&p and olive oil, I added a bit of nutmeg too. Ideally cook it so it starts to crisp and mix often.

Desert: I wouldn't make this again so no point in sharing.