PRAWN COCKTAIL RECIPES

Classic Prawn Cocktail Recipe


50ml mayonnaise

30 ml cream, whipped

12,5 ml tomato sauce

12,5 ml onion, finely chopped

2 ml Worcestershire sauce

5 ml brandy

1 ml castor sugar

24 medium-sized cooked, shelled prawns

4 extra cooked prawns for garnishing

1/2 small lettuce, shredded

1 lemon, for garnish


Method:


Take shredded lettuce and place in bottom of serving glasses. Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Add prawns to sauce mixture and coat well. Place prawns in glasses on top of lettuce. Top with a cooked prawn and a slice of lemon.



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Crab Stuffed Prawns

16 large prawns, cooked and shelled

1 cup crab meat

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons snipped chives

salt and pepper to taste


Method:


Carefully remove the back veins from the prawns. Open up the prawn in butterfly-style without cutting through to the other side.



Combine crab meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives and season to taste. Place mixture on top of opened prawn. Chill well.



Serve on a bed of lettuce with cherry tomatoes.



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A plain cheese sauce does the trick, and is quick and easy to throw together just before everyone sits down.

: Asparagus Cheese


1 419g tin white or green asparagus

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black or white pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar


Method:


Melt butter taking care not to burn and remove from heat. Stir in flour and seasonings. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. Put back on stove over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Cook for 5 minutes longer and add cheese.



Stir until smooth and well blended. If you have lumps at this stage, don't panic, just bring over the electric beater and give it a whirl. Gently heat asparagus up in a saucepan. Place on individual plates, poor over cheese. Serve. If you want to get really fancy, you can slice up a small packet of smoked salmon. Place salmon pieces on the top to finish.



Avocado Ritz

2 ripe avocado pears

120 grams cooked shrimps, shelled

juice of a lemon

1 ml salt

1 ml pepper

black caviar, garnish (optional)

seafood dressing * See recipe below


Method:


Open up pears lengthways and discard pip. Sprinkle pear halves with lemon juice to prevent pears from going black. Combine shrimps with seafood dressing. Season to taste. Spoon mixture back into pears and serve straight away.


Seafood Dressing:


300 ml mayonnaise

37,5 ml tomato sauce

37,5 ml cream

12,5 ml brandy

juice of half a small lemon



Mix mayonnaise and lemon juice together. Add tomato sauce and stir. Add cream and last of all, add brandy. Chill for one hour before use. Add shrimps to dressing and fill the avocado pears. Garnish with black caviar, if chosen.



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This is one of my favourite starters. It tastes divine, and it's easy to make.
EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Deep Fried Cambembert with Cranberry Sauce (4)


2 camembert cheese rounds

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1 jar cranberry sauce, warmed

sunflower oil for deep frying


Method:


Cut camembert cheeses into 8 equal parts. Dip into egg and dip into breadcrumbs. I like using the herbed breadcrumbs that comes out of a box. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Repeat the process so that you have a good coating of breadcrumbs. Place back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before deep-frying.



When firm and just before serving, deep fry until golden brown. Place on four plates, heat cranberry sauce and pour over camembert wedges.



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EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Stilton Cheese with Port

150 g Stilton Cheese

65 ml thick cream

30 ml port

freshly ground black pepper

4 walnut halves


Method:


Mash cheese with a fork and add cream and port until well blended, but still rough-textured. Season to taste and pack into 4 individual ramekin dishes. Top each with walnut halves. Serve with melba toast.



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EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Christmas Soups
EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Roasted Tomato Soup with Sour Cream (8)


2 kg tomatoes, quartered

700 g red onions, peeled and quartered

8 garlic cloves, peeled only

6 rosemary sprigs, bruised

4 red peppers, deseeded and quartered

8 tablespoons olive oil

600 ml chicken stock

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 dashes Tabasco

8 dashes Worcestershire sauce

8 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons vodka

(optional)
8 teaspoons of black caviar

(optional)


Preheat oven to 220°C and put tomatoes, red onions, garlic, rosemary and peppers on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season well. Place in oven and roast for about 1 1/2 hours.



Remove the rosemary sprigs and place vegetables that are left over into a food processor. Whiz until smooth. Strain further if you want a smooth soup.



Place back into large saucepan and add the stock, vinegar, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Warm over low heat and add the vodka. Place into bowls and serve with a tablespoon of cream and a sprinkling of caviar.



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EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Sweet Potato and Pear Soup (4)

25 g butter

1 small onion, chopped

750 g orange sweet potatoes (kumera), peeled, and diced.

2 firm pears, peeld, cored and diced

3 cups hot chicken stock

1 cup cream

chopped mint to garnish


Method:


Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until transparent. Do not burn. Add diced sweet potatoes and pear and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Add the hot stock and bring to boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until soft.



Cool slightly and then whiz in a blender or food processor. Blend in batches until smooth.



Return to large saucepan and heat through gently without boiling. Add cream and season to taste. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with ground black pepper and chopped mint.



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EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Chilled Avocado Soup (4-6)

2 large, ripe avocados

3 3/4 cups hot chicken stock

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

150 ml cream

extra thick cream for garnish

nutmeg


Method:


Peel the avocados, remove stones and mash the flesh. Put into a saucepan and add chicken stock and lemon juice. Heat gently, stirring. Cool slightly and place in blender or a food processor. Return to saucepan and reheat without boiling. Season to taste.



Cool, stir in cream and chill well. To serve, pour into bowls, top with a tablespoon of thick cream and an pinch of nutmeg.



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EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Christmas Main Course
EASY CHRISTMAS RECIPES: Festive Lamb Roast(6-8)


1 corned leg lamb

1 small orange, sliced

3-4 bacon bones

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 onion, studded with 4 cloves

4 whole all spice

melted butter

hot orange juice

breadcrumbs

whole cloves


Method:


Rinse meat in cold water, and place in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add orange slices, bacon bones, brown sugar, vinegar, clove-studded onion, allspice and warm water to cover.



Cover and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Cook gently for 2 hours. Remove from heat and cool in the liquid for 30 minutes. Remove meat and place in a baking dish.



Score a diamond pattern on the lamb and brush with melted butter and hot orange juice. Cover with breadcrumbs, and place a clove in the centre of each diamond.



Put into a moderately hot oven and bake for 20 minutes until crumbs are crisp. Remove from oven, cool and place in fridge overnight before carving.



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Christmas Puddings
(12-16)Cooking time: 7 hours
375 g suet

6 cups fine fresh breadcrumbs

4 1/2 cups raisins

1 2/3 cups currants

1 1/2 cups chopped mixed peel

8 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup brandy

extra brandy for lighting


Method:

Grease a 2 litre pudding bowl with melted butter. Place a round of greaseproof baking paper in the bottom of the bowl.



Remove the membrane from the suet and discard. Grate the suet finely. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, raisins, currants and mixed peel. Mix until thoroughly combined.



Add the eggs to the fruit mixture and mix well. Gradually add the brandy and combine thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the bowl.



Place the bowl onto a large sheet of aluminium foil and seal and wrap tightly to prevent water from entering. Double wrap to make sure.



Place a trivet or an unturned saucer into a large pot and place the bowl on top. Gently add boiling water to the pot along the sides. Make sure that you do not pour water onto the aluminum covered bowl.



Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 7 hours. Check the level of water often and top up where necessary. Leave for 10 minutes before turning out onto a shallow flameproof serving dish. Remove baking paper circle.



Pudding can be made the day before. To preheat, steam as above for 2 further hours. To serve, pour a little brandy over the pudding, light carefully. Serve with cream, brandy butter or custard



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Ice Cream Christmas Pudding Recipe

1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup mixed peel

1/2 cup raisins, chopped

1/2 cup sultanas, chopped

1/3 cup currants

1/3 cup rum

1/2 cup red and green glacé cherries, quartered

1 litre good quality vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 litres good quality chocolate ice cream

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Method:

Mix the almonds, peel, raisins, sultanas, currants and rum in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. Chill a 2 litre pudding basin in the freezer overnight.



Soften the vanilla ice cream slightly and mix in the cherries. Press this ice cream around the inside of the chilled pudding basin. Return the basin to the freezer and leave overnight. Check on ice cream to see that it hasn't collapsed on itself. Correct if it has.



Soften the chocolate ice cream slightly and mix with the spices. Stir in the soaked fruit and nut mixture. Remove pudding basin from freezer and spoon chocolate mixture into the centre of the pudding basin. Smooth the top.



Freeze overnight or until firm. Turn pudding out onto a plate. Serve cut into wedges.