Hot Autumn Ideas
As with every month and indeed every season, temperatures, moods and foods all change and it’s about the way we adapt to those changes and how we draw on them for inspiration that makes the changes new and exciting.
Take this canape we recently created for an event, instead of just a blue cheese, pear and walnut canape, we crisped some beautiful pieces of sweet potato and smothered them with a glorious gorgonzola, nashi pear, walnuts and toasted thyme leaves, sensational.
If you’re having a fall dinner party and want to add a table decoration without going the full monty then why not try this? One or two rosemary twigs could become a great personal addition to a fall table setting that also smells great, tied together with raffia or offcuts of ribbon makes for an easy fix with a glamorous touch. By personalising a name tag and adding this to your rosemary really ups the game on your party, why not?
And now... #totesdelishchickpotpies
INGREDIENTS
- 50g salted butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 500g skinless chicken thighs
- 4 rashers rindless bacon, chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 250g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/3 cup plain flour
- 2 cups good quality chicken stock
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 sheets careme puff pastry, each cut into 4 circles or squares
METHOD
- Melt 20g butter and oil in a large non-stick frypan, panfry chicken until cooked through. Remove, stand for 5 minutes before shredding or roughly chopping.
- Melt remaining butter in same frypan and sauté bacon, leek, mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until leek is softened and bacon is slightly golden and caramelised.
- Add flour and cook, stirring continuously for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and gradually stir in stock. Add chicken, corn and seasonings and cook until mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer to bowl, stir in cream and parsley and cool. Refrigerate until cold.
- Divide filling between 6 x 1 cup capacity ovenproof dishes or ramekins. Brush edges of dishes with egg. Place pastry on ramekin, with a little overhanging, brush pastry with egg and make a slit in pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden.