Neven Maguire - Home Chef

Cut the roll into 4cm (1½in) thick slices and place in the tin, one in each muffin hole, with one of the cut sides facing down. Brush the tops lightly with the beaten egg mixture and leave them to rise in a warm place for another 10 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, swapping the tins on the shelves halfway through, until cooked through and golden brown. Leave the rolls in the muffin tins for a couple of minutes and then loosen them from the tins with a knife and slide out on to a wire rack. Serve warm or allow to cool completely.

To serve, pile the rolls into a bread basket and place on the table. These are best eaten warm on the day they are made, or you can freeze in an airtight container for 1 month. To thaw, wrap in foil and bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4, for 8-10 minutes.

1. Roll the dough into a rectangle

2. Spread with fillings

3. Roll up the dough

4. Cut into slices and place in tin

These moreish skewers are shown in the picture on pages 58-9. For hassle-free canapés, most of the preparation can be done in advance. You can marinate the beef up to a day beforehand and store uncooked in an airtight container in the fridge. Soak the skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before use (this prevents them burning during cooking) and then skewer the beef up to 12 hours in advance.

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp whole grain mustard

450g (1lb) sirloin steak, trimmed of any fat and cut into thin strips

Garlic and Chive Mayonnaise, to serve (see page 209)

Place the garlic in a large, shallow non-metallic dish and add the honey, sweet chilli sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and mustard. Mix until well combined. Thread the sirloin strips on to twenty 10cm (4in) soaked bamboo skewers and add the marinade, turning to coat. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium. Drain the beef skewers, reserving any remaining marinade, and arrange on a grill rack. Cook for 5-6 minutes until cooked through and well caramelised, turning once.

Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade in a small pan and allow it to simmer over a medium heat until it is thick and syrupy and reduced by half. Stir in any cooking juices from the grill pan and then brush the sauce over the cooked beef skewers.

Arrange the sticky beef skewers on a large warmed platter around a bowl of Garlic and Chive Mayonnaise, for dipping.

25g(1oz) butter

2 tbsp finely diced onion

3 eggs

450g (1 lb) good-quality sausage meat

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp double cream

500g (1lb 2oz) ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen

plain flour, for dusting

2 tbsp sesame seeds

salt and freshly ground black pepper

This is classic party food! These are ideal to prepare in advance as they can be frozen uncooked for up to one month. Layer between sheets of non-stick baking paper in a plastic rigid container and secure with a lid before freezing. Even more convenient, they can be cooked straight from frozen – simply increase the cooking time by about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Break two eggs into a food processor or liquidiser and add the sausage meat, sweet chilli sauce, basil and cream. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth, then scrape out into a bowl and stir in the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper and spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm (¾in) plain nozzle. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up a little.

Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and set aside to use for glazing. Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a 40 x 30cm (16 x 12in) rectangle and then cut into four strips, each measuring 30 x 10cm (12 x 4in). Pipe the sausage meat mixture in a fairly thick line down the centre of each pastry strip and brush along one long edge of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg. Roll up to enclose and press down the edges firmly to seal.

Brush the four large sausage rolls with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with the sesame seeds. Cut each roll into 2.5cm (1in) lengths, wiping the knife each time to clean off the sausage meat and arrange on two large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Arrange on a warmed platter to serve.

A Chinese takeaway favourite, these are shown in the picture on page 58. They are so easy to make – simply whiz the prawn mixture in a food processor before spreading on the bread. It is best to use bread that is a couple of days old, so that it has dried out slightly and is not too doughy. I like to serve these with a dipping sauce, but they are also great with just a squeeze of lime.

For the prawn toasts

225g (8oz) peeled raw prawns, cleaned

1 egg white

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sweet chilli sauce

1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed

½ tsp freshly grated root ginger

1 tsp Dijon mustard

6 slices of 1-2 day-old white bread (see recipe introduction)

4 tbsp sesame seeds

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the dipping sauce

6 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp runny honey

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

To make the dipping sauce, place the soy sauce in a small bowl and stir in the honey, sesame oil and sweet chilli sauce. Cover with cling film. This will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Place the prawns in a food processor or blender with the egg white, cornflour, lemon juice, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, garlic, ginger and mustard. Blend to form a smooth paste. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Spread the prawn paste over the bread slices (avoiding the edges as the crusts will be trimmed off later) and sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over each slice, pressing them down gently with your fingertips. Arrange the slices of prawn-topped bread on a baking sheet or plastic tray, then cover with cling film and chill for up to 1 hour.

Preheat the vegetable oil to 180°C (350°F) in a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep-sided saucepan. Deep-fry the toasts in batches for about minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and then cut off the crusts and cut each slice into four triangles. Cover loosely with foil, to keep warm, while the remaining toasts are being cooked.