Whether you’re having a big get-together or lying low on the sofa, seeing out the year with good food is always a good idea. The options, as I see them, are threefold. One is to go all out – cue an entire baked cheese, not least because we know, come the stroke of midnight, we’re all granted a clean and shiny new slate, right? Second, stick to old-school classics, which in my book means chipolatas, full stop. And the third? The third is for those who by this stage of festive proceedings are craving something that’s deliciously, nutritiously green. Whichever option you go for (not that you have to choose – why not have all three?), here’s to making good food, sharing good food and celebrating all the good things that doing so can bring.
Baked camembert, ’nduja and honey (pictured top)
Serve this as a party sharer or a starter for two, or spirit it away and devour solo on the sofa – either way, it’s an unashamedly rich, sweet, spicy, tangy and decadent way to mark the new year.
Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 2-4 (or 1)
50g ’nduja
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp moscatel, sherry or white-wine vinegar
¼ tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar
⅛ tsp flaked sea salt
1 x 250g box camembert
To serve
1 conference pear, cut lengthways into thin wedges
1 head red or white chicory (AKA endive), leaves separated
Crusty bread, toasted
Put the ’nduja, oil and rosemary in a small pan on a medium-high heat and, once it starts sizzling, turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for three minutes. Take off the heat, and stir in the honey, vinegar and a teaspoon of cold water.
In a small bowl, mix the crushed fennel seeds and sea salt, and heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.
Remove and discard all the plastic from the camembert, then score the top of the cheese in a crisscross pattern and return it to its cardboard casing. Put the box on a roasting tray, then spoon the ’nduja mix on top of the cheese and spread it out evenly. Bake for 17 minutes, until melted and bubbling, then remove, sprinkle over the fennel salt and serve straight away with the pear, chicory and bread alongside, for dipping.
Sticky treacle sausages with whisky and orange
A party isn’t a party without chipolatas, right? They’re the ultimate finger food, and they’re super-practical, too, because you can eat them hot or at room temperature.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 8-12
130g diced pancetta
2 tbsp whisky
35g treacle
30g demerara sugar, or light brown sugar
24 pork chipolatas (680g), separated
1 orange
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.
Put the pancetta in a small saucepan and saute on a medium heat for five minutes, until it turns golden and a decent amount of fat renders out. Add the whisky, stir to deglaze the pan, then add the treacle and sugar, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, just until the sugar dissolves.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, put the sausages on top and pour over the pancetta sauce. Stir to combine, then spread out the sausages evenly across the tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until nicely browned and coated in the glaze. Remove and leave to cool slightly.
While the sausages are cooking, use a peeler to pare off two strips of zest from the orange, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith, then cut each piece of zest into very fine strips.
Transfer the sausages to a platter, spoon over any pancetta glaze left in the tray, sprinkle over the orange zest and serve.
Kale and mixed peel dip
There’s nothing like adding mixed peel to a dip to keep the festivities going. We’ve used kale, but the same approach works just as well with all the trimmings from brussels sprouts. The hawaij spice lends the dish a wonderful warmth, but if you can’t get your hands on any, try another warm spice blend, such as Lebanese seven spice or baharat. You can make the dip in advance and top it with the crisp kale when you’re ready to eat. Eat with pitta chips or a crudite such as chicory.
Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 6
150g kale, leaves stripped off, stalks discarded (115g)
35g pumpkin seeds
105ml olive oil
1½ tsp hawaij spice, or baharat
Fine sea salt and black pepper
80g spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
250g Greek-style yoghurt
100g soured cream
45g chopped mixed peel
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
40g picked coriander leaves
20g picked dill leaves
½ tsp urfa chilli flakes
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. On a lined baking tray, mix 45g of the kale with the pumpkin seeds, a tablespoon of olive oil, half a teaspoon of the hawaij spice and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, then roast for eight minutes, until the kale has crisped up and the seeds are toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Put the remaining 70g kale and 50g of the spring onions in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and, once hot, add the kale and spring onion mixture, season with a half-teaspoon of salt and the remaining teaspoon of hawaij spice and fry, stirring, for five minutes, until the kale mix has softened and the spices smell fragrant. Tip into a bowl, then stir in the yoghurt, soured cream, mixed peel, garlic and a good crack of pepper.
Wipe out the food processor, add the coriander, dill and the remaining 30g spring onions and pulse until finely chopped. Stir this into the yoghurt bowl.
Spoon the yoghurt mixture into a shallow serving dish. Pour the remaining two tablespoons of oil over the top, then scatter over the crisp kale, pumpkin seeds and urfa chilli, and serve.
