Six party recipes to impress people with, rated from 'easy' to 'slightly complicated'

Because sometimes ham and turkey sandwiches just don’t cut it.

PEOPLE COMING OVER?

Not content to serve up hang sangwiches and turkey ‘surprise’?

Courtesy of the folks at Bord Bia, here are a few party platter recipes that might help you through those festive gatherings (and you never know, you might even pick up the odd compliment along the way).

Unless you’ve a pantry the size of a small semi-detached house, it’s likely these will require a quick dash to the supermarket.

We’ve ordered them from ‘simple’ to ‘slightly more complicated’ – which should be a timesaver for those of you who JUST realised there are people coming…

shutterstock_14981515 Shutterstock / Martin Valigursky Shutterstock / Martin Valigursky / Martin Valigursky

Sausages with Mustard, Honey and Chopped Rosemary

Combine 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary. Grill 500g sausages. When cooked toss in the mustard and honey mixture to coat.

Smoked Salmon with Herbed Cream Cheese

Spread some herbed cream cheese on blinis and top with smoked salmon. Blinis are small pancakes made from buckwheat flour. If you can’t get them use brown soda bread or small pieces of toast.

Tomato, Pesto and Goats’ Cheese Crostini

Using a small pastry cutter, if available, cut rounds from slices of white bread – you should get 4–5 rounds per slice.
Alternatively thinly slice a French stick. Brush with a little olive oil and toast in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Mix together some freshly chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions and coriander, seasoning and a little olive oil.
Top each round of toast with ½ teasp. pesto, a spoonful of the tomato mixture and some soft goats’ cheese.

Spiced Beef with Fruity Chutney

Place a 2½–3kg joint of spiced beef in a deep casserole dish as near to its size as possible. Add 250ml water and cover tightly.

Cook in a very low oven, Gas Mark 1, 140°C (275°F) for five hours. Leave it to cool in the liquid for 2–3 hours and then remove and wrap in tin foil. Store in the fridge until you need it. Slice thinly and serve on brown or white soda bread with a fruity chutney.

Monkfish Wrapped in Bacon

Cut the monkfish into pieces about 2cm wide.
Cut each streaky rasher into 2 or 3 pieces and use these to wrap the pieces of monkfish. Place, joint side down on a grill rack and cook under the hot grill for 5–8 minutes.

Serve with a herb dressing made by mixing 150mls mayonnaise in the processor with 1 tablespoon warm water, 1 chopped garlic clove and a bunch of basil (approximately 20g).

party bites

Skewered Duck with Chilli and Scallions

2 duck breasts, cut into thin
slices, about 4cm long
18 wooden skewers
100ml light soy sauce
2 teasp. sesame oil
2-3 scallions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Soak the wooden skewers in warm water for 30–40 minutes to prevent them burning.
Combine half the soy sauce with 1 teasp. sesame oil. Coat the sliced duck in this mixture and leave to marinade while the skewers are soaking. Then thread the duck onto the skewers.

Place on a grill pan, and cook under a hot grill for 4–5 minutes, turning halfway through.

Mix the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil with the scallions and chilli. Serve as a dipping sauce with the skewered duck.

Recipes courtesy of Bord Bia