Play the perfect host thanks to MasterChef’s Marcus Wareing’s stress-free three-course menu
Thought hosting a dinner party was stressful? Not any more! You'll be inviting your friends every week once you realise how easy it can be...
WE'VE all been there.
You invite your friends over for dinner and then the night before you're frantically flicking through recipe books, hoping you have the right ingredients in the back of the cupboard to create something vaguely edible for everyone.
Step up MasterChef's Marcus Wareing and his stress-free three-course menu. Hallelujah!
STARTER
Courgette and ricotta fritters
Serves 4
Prep time 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes salting
Cooking time 15 minutes
Cals 451
Sat fat 6g
*1kg courgettes, grated
*2tsp sea salt
*2 shallots, roughly chopped
*1 clove garlic, crushed
*250ml white wine
*250g ricotta cheese
*Zest 1/2 lemon, grated, plus juice for squeezing
*30g panko breadcrumbs, plus 150g for coating
*Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 Put the grated courgettes in a colander and sprinkle with the sea salt. Set over a bowl and leave for 30 minutes to drain.
2 Put the shallots, garlic and white wine in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Simmer to reduce in quantity until you have about 3tbsp of liquid remaining. Strain through a sieve and discard the shallots and garlic.
3 Put the courgettes in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Tip into a large bowl and add the white wine reduction, ricotta cheese, lemon zest and 30g of breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into balls approximately the size of golf balls, lightly flatten, then roll around in the 150g of breadcrumbs to evenly coat.
4 Pour enough oil into a wok, large saucepan or deep-fat fryer to come halfway up the pan. Place over a medium heat. If using a deep-fat fryer or if you have a thermometer, heat the oil to 180°C. If not, to check the oil is at the right temperature, drop a 2–3cm cube of bread into the hot oil – it should turn golden and crisp in 1 minute.
5 Fry the fritters in batches for about 3 minutes, until they are golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle the crunchy fritters with sea salt and serve hot with a squeeze of lemon.
Tip!
To get ahead, prepare these up to the frying stage and keep uncovered in the fridge.
MAIN COURSE
Miso-baked cod with sesame dressing and pak choi
Serves 4
Prep time 25 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Cals 270
Sat fat 2g
*4 thick cod fillets, skinned
*2tbsp white miso paste
*300g pak choi
*2tsp toasted sesame seeds
For the dressing
*50g tahini
*11/2tbsp white miso paste
*1tbsp olive oil
*1tbsp rice vinegar
*1tsp agave syrup or honey
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7 and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Rub the cod fillets with some sea salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, rinse the cod fillets and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2 Sit each piece of cod on a large piece of foil. Spread or brush the miso paste over each fillet and pull up the foil edges to seal, leaving plenty of space around the fish so it can steam. Transfer all four parcels to the preheated baking tray and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, trim the ends from the pak choi and slice each one in half lengthways. Sit in a steamer set above a pan of boiling water. Steam for 2–3 minutes, until just tender.
4 To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together with 11/2tbsp water.
5 Scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the cod fillets and serve with the sesame dressing, steamed pak choi and some steamed rice.
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Dessert
Banoffee bowl
Serves 4
Prep time 30 minutes, plus overnight marinating
Cooking time 25 minutes
Cals 745
Sat fat 26g
For the bananas
*2 large ripe bananas
*25ml rum
*25ml maple syrup
For the biscuit crumbs
*50g soft butter
*75g caster sugar
*75g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
*1/4tsp baking powder
*2tbsp double cream
For the caramel cream
*100ml whipping cream
*Juice 1/2 lime
*200g caramel condensed milk or dulce de leche
To serve
*100ml double cream, lightly whipped
*Freshly grated nutmeg
1 To prepare the bananas, peel and dice them and place in a bowl with the rum and maple syrup. Cover and put in the fridge overnight to marinate.
2 To make the biscuit crumbs, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy then fold in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
Mix in the cream to form a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Roll out the biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 2cm thick (the shape doesn’t matter as it gets broken into crumbs once cooked). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. Once cooked, leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then break into small chunks while still warm.
4 To make the caramel cream, whisk the cream until it forms firm peaks. Stir the lime juice and a pinch of sea salt into the condensed milk or dulce de leche until smooth, then fold in the cream. The caramel cream can be made ahead; simply chill in the fridge in a bowl or piping bag until ready to use.
5 To assemble the dessert, divide the biscuit chunks into bowls, reserving a few to decorate, and top with the marinated bananas and any
syrup they have created. Pipe or spoon the caramel cream on top. Add a dollop of whipped double cream to each bowl and finish with freshly grated nutmeg and some of the biscuit crumbs.
Tip!
Short of time? Skip steps 2 and 3 and use crushed digestive biscuits instead.
Recipes from (HarperCollins, £20) out now