Smoked aubergine & yogurt vol-au-vents
These tangy treats are perfect when you need to hold out for the big meal. If you can, serve them as soon as you make them, to get the most out of the contrasting temperatures of the yogurt and the aubergine. If you want to avoid the effort involved in straining the yogurt overnight, skip this stage and just use the best thick yogurt with the highest fat content you can get (sheep or goat's for preference). Serves eight.
500ml full-fat yogurt (not the set or Greek varieties)
Salt and black pepper
375g all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
6 small-medium aubergines
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp parsley leaves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 pomegranate
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
Prepare the yogurt a day in advance. Line a large sieve with muslin and rest it over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt, sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, stir and tie into a parcel. Leave in the fridge overnight. The yogurt will lose lots of liquid and go thick and creamy.
Next, make the pastry cases (this can also be done a day ahead). Roll out the pastry 5mm thick, then cut it into eight squares (8cm x 8cm), or use a 10cm round cutter to stamp out circles (this will give you only four to six pieces). Put the pastry shapes on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Score a shallow border all around about 1.5cm from the edge - take care not to cut all the way through (if making rounds, a smaller cutter will make life easier). Prick the inner part with a fork and brush the border with beaten egg. Chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
You can prepare the smoked aubergine in one of two ways. Line the base of a gas ring with foil, turn the flame to high, then char the aubergines all over for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the flesh is soft and the skin burned and flaky. Or put them under a hot grill for 40-60 minutes, turning occasionally (they may burst slightly, but don't worry). Set aside the aubergines until just cool enough to handle.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Bake the vol-au-vents for 10 minutes, until risen and golden brown (check underneath to make sure they are done). 'Peel' off a layer of pastry from the centre to create a cavity and set the cases aside somewhere warm.
Make an incision along the centre of each still-hot aubergine and scoop out the flesh. Drain this in a colander, then chop and mix with garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, spoon a generous amount of warm aubergine (reheated in a pan if necessary) into the vol-au-vents. Spoon yogurt on top and swirl the two together a little. Scatter with pomegranate and black sesame seeds, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Deep-fried stuffed green olives
When else could you even remotely justify stuffing olives, then coating them in breadcrumbs and frying? Probably the worst ratio of work per bite in the food world. Still, now is a time to sit in a group, do silly fiddly work and end up with a great nibble. The feta can be substituted with a soft goat's cheese. Serves four.
20-30 medium green olives, pitted
50g feta, crumbled
3 tbsp plain flour
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp flaked chilli
1 egg, beaten
80g panko breadcrumbs
300ml vegetable oil, for frying
Stuff each olive with feta, completely filling it up. Wipe the olives clean with kitchen towel. Mix the flour, pepper and chilli in a shallow dish. Put the egg in another dish and the breadcrumbs into a third. Roll the olives in flour, then in egg and finally in breadcrumbs, to coat all over. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan until almost smoking. Put in a third of the olives, enough to fit without overcrowding; don't drop them or you risk a splatter. Fry for 20 seconds, until golden brown, remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the other olives. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Soy grilled quail eggs with sesame salt
These were inspired by a Japanese yakitori restaurant we often go to. The marinating and grilling gives the eggs a sweet, smoky aroma, accentuated by the milder sesame flavour. Ideally, they should be somewhere between soft-boiled and hard-boiled when you serve them, but this is not always easy to achieve. They will be delicious nonetheless. Serve as a snack, and make more than you think you'll need - they're very good. Makes 24 canapés.
1 tbsp sesame seeds (black and white)
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
24 quail eggs
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
Scatter the sesame seeds inside a nonstick pan and place it on medium heat. Jiggle them around for four minutes or so, until toasted evenly, then remove from the heat. Once cool, tip into a food processor, add the salt and blitz in a few pulses, to break up the seeds just a little.
Fill a medium pan with water and bring to a boil. Place the eggs inside and simmer for two minutes for soft-boiled (leave for another minute if you like them harder). Remove, refresh in cold water and peel. Mix the soy and oil in a bowl, add the eggs, coating them in the mixture, and marinade for 30 minutes.
Place a griddle pan on a medium to high flame and leave until hot. Lift the eggs out of their marinade and place on the griddle. After 20 seconds, turn them and leave for another 20 seconds, to get char marks on all sides. Remove, stick each egg on a wooden skewer and serve warm, or at room temperature, with the sesame salt alongside for dipping into.
Spicy nuts
To keep you going throughout the festive season, just in case. Double or triple the quantities: you'll easily get hooked. Serves six to eight.
100g cashew nuts
100g macadamia nuts
120g pecan nuts
60g whole almonds (skin on)
80g pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp nigella seeds
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp fine salt
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tsp cayenne
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Scatter all the ingredients bar the pepper and cayenne in a roasting tray. Roast for 15-17 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts turn dark brown. Remove, stir in the pepper and cayenne, and taste. Add salt if you like. Leave to cool in the tray, stirring from time to time. Once cool, transfer to an air-tight container.
