It’s occasion season, which, paradoxically, is when everybody shares their “guidelines”! Contradiction or in any other case, listed here are mine: 1. In the case of occasion meals, embrace the classics. 2. Serve meals that may be eaten by hand or put in a vessel that may itself be eaten – washing-up, accomplished! 3. If unsure, bejewel your meals: that is the season pomegranate seeds have been made for. 4. Take shortcuts the place you’ll be able to (extracting these pomegranate seeds just isn’t for everybody, in spite of everything). 5. Dial up the salty-savoury components – your mulled-wine-drinking visitors will thanks. 6. Final, and most crucially, by no means, ever underestimate the enduring energy of a sausage wrapped up in bacon.

Chicory boats with feta, walnut and pomegranate (pictured prime)

The filling might be made two or three hours earlier than meeting, if you wish to get forward. Another choice is to serve the filling by itself, as a dip, or spoon it into pre-cooked pastry circumstances (whisper it: vol-au-vents).

Prep 20 min
Prepare dinner 15 min
Meeting 10 min
Serves 15

165g walnuts
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp olive oil
Flaked sea salt and black pepper
15g coriander leaves
15g dill leaves
15g mint leaves
6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (125g)
100g feta, crumbled
165g cream cheese
100g cucumber, grated and liquid squeezed out
130g pomegranate seeds (ie, from about 1 pomegranate)
4 heads crimson and white child chicory, leaves separated

Warmth the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gasoline 5. Combine 65g walnuts in a small bowl with the maple syrup, olive oil and a teaspoon of flaked sea salt, then prepare in a single layer on a lined oven tray and bake for Quarter-hour, stirring each 5 minutes, till deeply golden and sticky. Take away, go away to chill for 10 minutes, then roughly chop.

Put the remaining 100g walnuts in a meals processor with all of the herbs and spring onions, and pulse till roughly chopped. Tip into a big bowl, add the feta, cream cheese, cucumber, three-quarters of a teaspoon of flaked sea salt and grind of pepper, and blend effectively. Stir in 120g of the pomegranate seeds.

To assemble, divide the filling between the chicory leaves – you’ll want a teaspoon or two of the combination on every leaf – then prepare artfully on a platter. Scatter the chopped walnuts and remaining pomegranate seeds on prime, and serve.

Sticky pomegranate and pistachio pigs in blankets

For a fast quick lower, use chipolatas ready-wrapped in bacon.

Prep 10 min
Prepare dinner 45 min
Serves 12-15

24 pork chipolatas, every twisted within the center, then lower in half, to make 2 smaller sausages
24 rashers smoked streaky bacon, lower in half widthways
20g pistachios
1 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp dill leaves, finely chopped
80ml maple syrup
70ml pomegranate molasses
¼ tsp floor cinnamon
½ tsp urfa chilli flakes, or ¼ tsp common chilli flakes

Warmth the oven to 195C (175C fan)/385F/gasoline 5½. Wrap a chunk of bacon round every half-chipolata and placed on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Put the pistachios on a second, smaller tray, then put each trays within the oven. After 10 minutes, when the pistachios are calmly toasted, take away them and put aside to chill, however go away the chipolatas within the oven for an extra 20 minutes, till golden. As soon as the nuts are cool, chop them roughly, combine with the herbs and put aside.

In the meantime, put the maple syrup, pomegranate molasses and cinnamon in a small pan. Convey to a boil, prepare dinner for a minute or two, then pour into a big bowl and go away to chill and thicken for 10 minutes.

As soon as the chipolatas are cooked, put them within the molasses bowl, leaving any fats behind on the tray. Combine gently to coat the sausages within the molasses combine, then prepare in a pile on a serving plate. Drizzle over any remaining molasses, scatter the pistachio herb combination on prime and serve sprinkled with chilli flakes.

Mackerel paté with curried onions and lemon

If you wish to get forward, make the onion butter and paté the day earlier than; deliver each to room temperature earlier than serving.

Prep 25 min
Prepare dinner 35 min
Serves 10

For the curried onion butter
2 giant onions (400g), peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
200g unsalted butter
4 tsp scorching madras curry powder
Salt and black pepper

For the paté
4 scorching smoked peppered mackerel fillets (340g), skinned
120g creme fraiche
2½ tsp creamed horseradish (shop-bought is ok)
1¼ tsp cracked black pepper
4 spring onions (80g), thinly sliced; maintain 15g sliced greens separate
1 giant lemon, zest grated, to get 1½ tsp, and juiced, to get 1½ tsp
10 x 2cm-thick slices of sourdough, toasted and lower in half at an angle

For the lemon topping
1 crimson chilli (20g), lower into skinny rounds
1 giant lemon, peeled, pith, seeds and membranes eliminated and discarded, flesh finely chopped
1½ tsp olive oil

First, make the curried onion butter. Put the onions, oil, butter, curry powder and a half-teaspoon of salt in a small saute pan and prepare dinner, stirring continuously, for 12-Quarter-hour, till mushy and translucent. Go away to chill for 5 minutes, then put in a bowl and chill for 10-Quarter-hour, till the onion combine semi-solidifies.

In the meantime, put the mackerel in a medium bowl with the creme fraiche, horseradish, cracked pepper, spring onions, lemon zest and juice, and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Combine till simply mixed – you need a few of the fish in chunky items – then cowl with a plate (or chill, if serving the following day).

Now for the topping: combine the chilli, chopped lemon flesh, olive oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.

To assemble, divide the onion butter between the toasts, spreading it on thinly. Spoon mounds of the paté on prime, scatter over the reserved spring onion greens, spoon on the chilli and lemon combine, and serve.