DELECTABLE DELIGHTS

DelectableDELIGHTS CATERING

How to create the perfect seasonal menu

Choosing your big-day catering can be a difficult task, there’s a lot you need to take into consideration – from guests with food allergies to finding a cuisine everyone will like. To help you decide, we’ve rounded up top tips from head chef, Mike Scott from Caviar & Chips to help you create the perfect seasonal menu.

Winter

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“For me, Christmas is a time for cheese and the more, the merrier! A disc of smooth, creamy, salty goat’s cheese crusted in chopped toasted walnuts, finished with a luxurious drizzle of truffle-infused honey. I can assure you that when your guests try this for the first time, they will be singing your praises!”

“Food doesn’t get much more indulgent than lobster. Poach the lobster in champagne and a little butter, then use the shells and some of the meat to create a glorious lobster mayonnaise. The meat is bound with the mayonnaise before being set atop the brioche, and, just for good measure, try adding a little lobster meat on top.”

“A fresh, vibrant, zesty salmon dish is a different take on a classic Christmas starter. Lightly bound with a little dill mayonnaise, this is topped with acidic but light pickled cucumber and crisp, wafer-thin shards of rye bread.”

“The turkey dinner has been done every which way but that doesn’t mean it has to be your typical roast. Poached ballotine of breast rolled in prosciutto before being roasted adds a lovely saltiness to the turkey, and poaching means a gentler cooking process so that meat doesn’t dry out. You could even taken the leg meat and turned it into a sausage roll.”

“Minced turkey and chopped chestnuts make a delightfully seasonal mixture to wrap around a soft-boiled quail egg. Coated in breadcrumbs, crispy smoked bacon, parmesan and herbs and deep-fried until crisp and golden brown. You’ll feel the Christmas festivities starting with a bang!”

“For the potato, go for goose fat, thyme, garlic and salt. I’m a big fan of keeping things simple with roast potatoes – leave the exterior crispy and let the fluffy potato inside do the talking!”

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“Bouche de Noël, yule log, Swiss Roll, Christmas log – regardless of the name, we can all agree that it’s a showstopper!” “A cocoa genoise sponge, lightly sprayed with Brandy and rolled around a sweet and nutty praline cream is just the kind of start we want. We generously spread a rich chocolate ganache over the top, then use this as a platform to build some texture and some playfulness into the dish. Chunks of honeycomb provide a sweet, caramel crunch, while the candied pecans and hazelnuts add texture and some warming, roasted flavours. Fresh cranberries provide some acidity (after all, it can’t all be rich!), before the whole thing is decorated with large shards of chocolate.”

Spring and summer

“Partridge is a beautiful bird to cook with, but incredibly delicate. Basted in plenty of thyme-infused butter, it should be carved once rested, keeping in as much flavour as possible. The leg, once falling off the bone, is then stripped of its meat. Finish with some baby leeks, charred for a smokey note, providing yet another dimension to the garnish.”

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“Barbecue brisket is another classic. This gets roughly the same treatment as the pork shoulder but is cooked for less time so that it doesn’t fall apart.”

“Rhubarb is a staple British ingredient, but it doesn’t just have to go alongside custard. It works for sweet and savoury dishes, pairing well with duck, salmon and pork, as well as herbs and spices. Try pairing it with another ingredient that is wonderful in spring; blood orange.”

“Scallops are my favourite seafood – they taste delicious on their own but are also incredibly versatile. To begin with, I like to add diced celeriac to foaming butter, infused with shallots, and allowed the celeriac to toast and caramelise. Coax out a slightly nutty flavour that is incredibly savoury.”

“I like to use pork belly for my ribs, making sure there is a good two inches of meat above the bone. I rub them with a barbecue rub and allow them to permeate for at least six hours before smoking over wood chips for another six hours.”

“Summer sparks the season of barbecues across the nation. We’ve catered for many weddings with barbecues that have ranged from classic menus with delicious burgers, sausages and kebabs to themed versions with the influence of Greek, Asian or Caribbean cuisine.” “The list of possibilities for slaw is endless. I like a pickled slaw as it cuts through all that richness from the rest of the food and provides some much-needed levity at a barbecue. I like to make my liquor with palm sugar and rice wine vinegar to give a startlingly fresh, zingy, intense liquor.”

“Game in Britain is second to none, boasting a variety of flavours and textures that, as a chef, is a gift to work with. Venison loin has a soft, buttery texture that melts in the mouth. It’s similar to a fillet steak if you’ve not tried it before. However, the flavour has much more depth and allows it to stand up to bolder flavours. I roast baby carrots and piccolo parsnips with a little maple syrup, then add a little garlic, rosemary and thyme to give some sweetness to the dish. Finally, the blackberry jus is formed from a base of deep, rich meat stock. I infuse the blackberries to provide some acidity to help cut through the richness of all that venison.”

Autumn

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“A Mille Feuille is traditionally a dessert, literally meaning ‘a thousand layers’, romantically describing the many thin layers of pastry that steam apart from the butter that melts as the puff pastry cooks. This dish is a savoury take, using pressed squares of the pastry, layered with sautéed wild mushrooms, and shaved pickled mushrooms. There is an addition of blue cheese, for the salty, highly savoury flavour that goes so well with mushroom. A pickled radish and herb dressing helps to balance the other flavours, and a finish of bitter leaves, such as raddichio, frissee and rocket, complete the flavour profiles.” “I absolutely love cooking and eating duck. Firstly, we have a breast roasted, with crispy skin, rendered fat and lovely pink meat on the inside. Secondly, I braise the leg, pull down the meat and make a spring roll, with chilli, cucumber, spring onion, carrot, mooli and a barbecue sauce to bind.”

“Autumn lends itself to warmer and more comforting dishes such as game, root vegetables and fruit and nut desserts like apple and hazelnuts.”

“A good chocolate mousse is loved by almost everyone. One thing a mousse does not possess on its own is texture, and so I like to add both raspberry and pistachio crumble and honeycomb. The raspberries in the crumble are freeze-dried and crispy, adding an intense zing to the dish, while the honeycomb provides the sharp snap in texture, along with its signature deep caramel flavour. To reinforce the touch of raspberry, go for a Chambord cream – after all, an addition of booze never hurt a pudding! Finally, ruby chocolate shards provide some texture as well as a fruity after-taste that helps to balance both the chocolate and the raspberry.”

“A sweet potato fondant provides a lighter alternative to a typical potato element. To this, I add a sweetcorn purée, charred corn and corn florets, to add a delicate touch that contrasts with rich duck. The dish is finished with barbecue sauce and some crispy duck skin, which, if you haven’t tried before, is the best ‘crackling’ you’ll find.”

CONTACT THE EXPERT

Caviar & Chips www.caviarandchips.co.uk

www.michellewilliamsphotography.co.uk i h ll ill lli h t h k hello@michellewilliamsphotography.co.uk | 0759865201

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