Terrine of Spring Onion & Chicken In Parma Ham – Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Lemon Sauce, Roasted New Potatoes, Julienne Carrots, Peas – Individual Tiramisu’s

Dinner Party Menu Ideas for 4 People

My style of cooking for our dinner parties is fairly basic, but tasty (I hope) and easy to. The hardest part is to think up different menus, so I don’t repeat anything, and also when you are hosting, it is nice to prepare and cook as much as you can in advance, or dishes that do not need to be cooked when your guests are ensconced, so you spend most of the time with your guests rather than being in the kitchen. You can read about my style of cooking here

STARTER: Terrine of Spring Onion & Chicken Wrapped in Parma Ham

Ingredients

110g SR Flour
3 Eggs
1  Bunch of Spring Onions
200g Parma Ham
2 Cooked Chicken Fillets (cut into small chunks)
2tbsp Milk
100g Gruyere Cheese (grated)
3 Heaped tbsp Cranberry Sauce
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Lettuce/rocket for serving

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180
2. Line a medium loaf tin with the parma ham allowing it to overhang the edge of the tin
3. Mix the flour and the eggs together, then add the milk and mix again
4. Add the chopped chicken and the grated cheese and the salt and pepper to the mixture and stir
5. Add half the mixture to the tin, then add a layer of spring onions running lengthways alternating the direction.  Then add the remaining mixture
6. Fold the overhanging parma ham over the edge to form a parcel
7. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour and turn out and leave to cool
8. When ready to serve slice the terrine and serve on a bed of lettuce/rocket with the cranberry sauce and combine the olive oil and balsamic to make a dressing to drizzle over the top

MAIN COURSE: Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Lemon Sauce (A Mary Berry Recipe) Roasted New Potatoes, Julienne Carrots and Peas (or vegetables of your choice)

Ingredients (Serves 4 – 6)

350g Pork Sausagemeat
4 tbsp Chopped Parsley
2 tsp Chopped Thyme Leaves
1/2 Large Lemon grated zest only
50g Parmesan Cheese grated
8 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Thighs
8 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon
2 tsp Runny Honey
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For the Lemon Sauce
50g Butter
1 Onion finely chopped
40g Plain Flour
450 ml Hot Chicken Stock
4 tbsp Double Cream
1/2 Lemon Juice Only
1 tbsp Chopped Parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200/180 fan
2. Line a roasting tin with baking paper
3. Put the sausagemeat in a bowl and add the herbs, lemon zest and parmesan, salt and pepper and mix well to combine.  Shape in to 8 short sausages (no longer than the chicken thighs)
4. Place the chicken thighs skin side down on a plate or board and open them out.  Season with salt and pepper then place a sausage shape in the centre of each and fold the chicken around it
5. Using the flat of a large knife stretch the bacon rashers out on a board and wrap a rasher around each thigh, with the seam underneath the chicken
6. Arrange the thighs in the prepared tin seam side down and drizzle over the honey.  Roast for about 35 minutes or until cooked through, golden brown and crispy.  Set aside to rest for 10 minutes
7. While the chicken is roasting, make the lemon sauce, by melting the butter in a saucepan.  Add the onion and fry over a medium-high heat stirring regularly for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
8. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for a minute, then pour in the hot stock and whisk until it comes to the boil and then simmer on a medium-high heat stirring occasionally until smooth and thickened
9. Pour in the cream, lemon juice and cooking juices from the meat and season.  Add the chopped parley and serve hot with the stuffed thighs

I served with roasted new potatoes. Just put new potatoes in a dish with some chopped onion, salt and pepper and season.  Drizzle over olive oil and cook for about an hour.  You can part boil the potatoes first to reduce the cooking time. I also served julienne of carrots and peas, but you could serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice

DESSERT: Individual Tiramisu

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 Packet of Sponge Fingers
4 tbsp Tia Maria, Marsala, Brandy
150 ml Strong Black Coffee, cooled
2 Eggs, separated
3 tbsp Caster Sugar
250g Mascarpone Cheese
150 ml double cream
Grated Dark Chocolate or Cocoa Powder for dusting

Method

1. Using an electric hand mix whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and pale
2. Beat in the mascarpone until it is smooth
3. In a separate bowl whisk the cream and then fold into the mascarpone mixture
4. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, and then using a metal spoon gently fold into the mascarpone mixture
5. Place the liqueur and coffee in a bowl and dip the sponge fingers (one at a time) for a few seconds to soak up some of the liquid
6. Place some fingers in the base of each glass dish, cover with a layer of the creamy mascarpone and the repeat until you reach the top
7. Scatter over the grated chocolate or cocoa powder and chill for at least 2 hours before serving

Dinner Party Ideas and suggestions of what I think goes together best

See my other dinner party menus suggestions here