Donal Skehan - Kitchen Hero

SERVES 4

2 TBSP GROUNDNUT OIL

4 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED

2 RED CHILLIES, PLUS 1 SLICED RED CHILLI TO SERVE

1 TSP CORIANDER SEEDS

1 TBSP FISH SAUCE (NAM PLA)

1 TBSP TOMATO KETCHUP

2 LARGE SHALLOTS, PEELED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED

3 TBSP SUNFLOWER OIL

300G (11OZ) RAW KING PRAWNS, PEELED AND DEVEINED

2 SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS, FINELY SLICED

250G (9OZ) BASMATI RICE, COOKED AND COOLED

1 TBSP DARK SOY SAUCE

1 TBSP KECAP MANIS (INDONESIAN SWEET SOY SAUCE)

2 SPRING ONIONS, SLICED, PLUS EXTRA TO SERVE

4 LARGE EGGS

PRAWN CRACKERS, TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

Blitz the groundnut oil, garlic, chillies, coriander seeds, fish sauce, tomato ketchup and shallots in a food processor until you have a smooth paste.

In a large wok or deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil over a high heat. Add a spoonful of the paste and stir-fry for 1 minute until you get all those amazing aromas going! Add the prawns and chicken and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes until just cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.

Using another tablespoon of the oil, fry the remaining paste as before and then add the cooked rice, soy sauce, kecap manis and spring onions and fry for 3–4 minutes until the rice is coated and piping hot. Return the chicken and prawns to the wok and toss well until hot.

Divide the nasi goreng among four plates and quickly fry the eggs in the remaining oil in a frying pan.

Serve each plateful topped with a fried egg, a sprinkle of sliced spring onions and chilli, and some prawn crackers if you want.

Chris Terry

ASIAN PORK LETTUCE CUPS

I want to introduce you to what is easily one of my favourite little dinner-party treats. This dish tastes amazing and I hope it will become one of your staple entertaining recipes. The meat mix is full of really light and aromatic flavours and is served in baby gem lettuce leaves, making it perfect finger food.

SERVES 4

1 TBSP SUNFLOWER OIL

250G (9OZ) LEAN PORK MINCE

3 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

1 RED CHILLI, DESEEDED AND FINELY CHOPPED

1 TBSP FISH SAUCE (NAM PLA)

1 TBSP DARK SOY SAUCE

1 TBSP CASTER SUGAR

5 SPRING ONIONS, FINELY CHOPPED

8 FRESH MINT LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED

JUICE OF 1 LIME

TO SERVE

2 BABY GEM LETTUCES, SEPARATED INTO LEAVES

THAI SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the pork mince and fry for 2–3 minutes until the mince is tender, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further minute.

Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar and stir through, frying for another minute until you have a good colour on the meat. Finally add half the spring onions and mint and all the lime juice and fry for 1–2 minutes until the spring onions are just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just warm.

Place 1 heaped tablespoon of the aromatic pork in each baby gem lettuce leaf, top with a drizzle of Thai sweet chilli sauce and garnish with the remaining spring onions and mint.

As much as I enjoy a really good, hearty, home-cooked meal, sometimes I take more pleasure in picking at small mouthfuls that are packed with intense flavours. So while all of the recipes in this chapter are perfect for parties, I also have to admit that I love some of them as a sneaky dinner, eaten just by me when I’m all alone. Party food is a chance to sample lots of different flavours and tastes all at once, and an opportunity to experiment with fresh ideas, so I try to think outside of the box. Like any home cook, I find the desire to impress always sneaks its way into my thought process if I’m cooking a meal for other people. Preparation is definitely the key to success and will avoid you having too much to cook when your guests finally arrive. My method is to always have the main bulk of things prepared in advance, so that when people come through the door it’s just a case of assembly. Getting your guests involved in the actual cooking is another way to take the pressure off: I’ve had some great parties where everyone has made their own pizza, assembled their own fajitas or even rolled their own sushi! Perhaps get guests involved with mixing cocktails – these can be really fun to make and will definitely get the party started. I have included recipes for some of my favourite ones, as well as a few recipes for mocktails, which are non-alcoholic, so great for kids and very refreshing on hot summer days.

ROAST AUBERGINE DIP AND CRISPY HERB AND GARLIC PITTAS

This dip makes a fantastic addition to what my best buddy Jonathan refers to as ‘The Spread’. Which, roughly translated, is the collection of snacks you churn out for guests to dig into at a party.

SERVES 4

VEGETARIAN

2 AUBERGINES

3 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

JUICE OF ½ LEMON

2 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR DRIZZLING

SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2 TBSP NATURAL YOGHURT

2 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER, PLUS EXTRA TO SERVE

CRISPY HERB AND GARLIC PITTAS

3 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

2 TSP DRIED OREGANO

4 TBSP OLIVE OIL

6 WHOLEMEAL PITTA BREADS, SLICED INTO ROUGH CHUNKS

A GOOD PINCH OF SEA SALT AND GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

Pierce the aubergines all over with a fork and place on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until tender.

Remove the aubergines from the oven and allow to cool slightly before scraping the flesh from the skin and transferring it to a bowl. Add the garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and mix through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Finally stir in the yoghurt and chopped coriander.

To make the crispy herb and garlic pittas, whisk the garlic, oregano and olive oil together in a bowl. Dip the pitta slices into the mixture to coat them, then place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes until crisp.

Serve the dip with an extra drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of coriander on top and the crispy baked pittas on the side.