COME FOR SUPPER AT MY HOUSE
cooking for friends, the recipes, what we drank, the things on the table
Hi and welcome back to COME FOR SUPPER,
This week another instalment of a of real dinner party at my house. What I cooked, what we drank and what was on the table. If you missed the first one of these I did in March you can read it here.
These might be my favourite posts to write so I hope you enjoy it.
Big Love, Alexandra x
If you’re new here, scroll down to find the written recipes and scroll ALL the way down for the printable PDF where you’ll also find some MUSIC TO COOK TO. This one is for all subscribers but if you enjoy this post and would like access to all posts and my FULL recipe archive do consider becoming a paid subscriber. If that’s you already, thank you!! Your support goes right back into my work developing recipes, shooting videos, and writing about all of it.
Note: This post is a LONG one and also contains a lot of pictures which means it may appear clipped in an email. If you’re struggling to view it press VIEW IN BROWSER at the top right of the email and you’ll see it in one.
THE MENU
MOTH COSMOPOLITANS & MOTH MARGARITAS
SUMMER CRUDITÉS WITH WHIPPED HERB BUTTER
FAT GREEN OLIVES
*
LEMON AND PARSLEY CHICKEN WITH GREEN SAUCE
CONFIT TOMATOES, GARLIC, CHILLI ON COLD YOGURT
LEMON ROSEMARY AND CHILLI GRIDDLED COURGETTES
ARTICHOKE, ASPARAGUS, BUTTERBEAN DILL SALAD
BABY GEM, PEA AND PARMESAN SALAD
*
APRICOT ALMOND CAKE
WITH NO CHURN RASPBERRY, PISTACHIO, VANILLA ICE CREAM
THE RECIPES
SUMMER CRUDITÉS WITH WHIPPED HERB BUTTER
Serves 6-8
250g salted butter, softened to room temperature
Large handful parsley leaves
Handful mint leaves
Handful dill
Pinch of salt
½ clove of garlic
Young spring veg to serve, I went for baby carrots, baby cucumbers, sugar snap peas, breakfast radishes and chicory
Some torn baguette or squidgy focaccia is nice on the side too.
Roughly chop the herbs and place in a food processor with the softened butter. Finely grate in half a garlic clove, add a pinch of salt and blitz until you have a green herby butter. Don’t worry if flecks of herbs remain.
FAT GREEN OLIVES
Not a recipe, just a tip. I used to spend a fortune on Perello Gordal olives which are one of my favourites but I found these delicious giant green ones in Waitrose and they are particularly delicious.
MOTH COSMOPOLITANS AND MARGARITAS
I have been a huge fan of MOTH since they launched. I even served their espresso martinis at my wedding. Not only are their cocktails SO GOOD but the great thing about them being in cans is that they chill REALLY QUICKLY so are perfect if you find yourself suddenly having friends over. I always have the marg ready to go chilled in my fridge, either for when a girlfriend pops round for tea (code for a cold marg) or even just for me when I need that post work drink. Where they really come into their own is when entertaining. I always love to serve a cocktail when people come over and whilst I do love to make them, there’s something fun about being able to whip out a marg, a cosmo, a paloma with the speed and excellence of an expert bar tender, when all you really have to do slice a lime or peel a twist. Anything that makes life easier for the host is a big yes for me and the truth is that MOTH drinks are better then anything I make. I LOVE the MARGARITA but the COSMOPOLITAN and PALOMA have just launched and are D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S too.
LEMON AND PARSLEY CHICKEN WITH GREEN SAUCE
A simple marinade that yields a juicy flavourful chicken. The green sauce is spiked with a little chilli which gives it an extra kick (very good alongside a margarita)
serves 6
6 chicken breasts or legs
1 small bunch parsley, leaves picked
2 tsp dried oregano
Zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely grated
5 tbsp olive oil
A good pinch of salt
For the green sauce
1 big bunch parsley
1 bunch of mint
1 green chilli
1 garlic clove
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp water
Make the chicken marinade by finely chopping the parsley leaves and adding to a container or freezer bag (large enough to hold all the chicken) along with the dried oregano, lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic, olive oil and salt.
Mix everything together, add the chicken and ensure all the pieces are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight.
For the green sauce, combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender such as a nutribullet. Add more water or olive oil if you need. You should have a spoonable consistency. Chill until ready to serve.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the BBQ until hot and cook the chicken for about 20-30 mins until cooked through and slightly charred. You could also cook it in an oven set to 200 degrees fan setting.
CONFIT TOMATOES, GARLIC, CHILLI ON COLD YOGURT
Smooshing confit tomatoes and garlic onto a piece of focaccia is one of my favourite summer activities. To be entirely honest you could serve just this and I think everyone would be happy. Cooking confit just means cooking slowly in olive oil. Cooking tomatoes this way makes them gloriously jammy whilst the garlic goes soft and sweet and loses all its overpowering garlickiness. I’ve added chilli to this for an extra layer of flavour. The heat mellow especially in the larger ones but if you like a bit of heat, the birds eye ones retain a good spice kick. It’s perfect atop a base of cool seasoned yogurt.
Serves 4-6
500g cherry vine tomatoes
1 whole bulb of garlic
3 large red chillis
3 small birds eye chillis
2 sprigs of rosemary
Olive oil
300g yogurt
Salt
A squeeze of lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan setting.
Peel all the garlic cloves (this requires a little time but is entirely worth it, I promise).
Place the tomatoes, garlic and chillis in a deep oven proof dish and cover with enough oil that it nearly covers the lot. Add the sprigs of rosemary and cook for about an hour until everything is juicy and bubbling.
Allow it to cool slightly.
Whip the yogurt with a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon in a bowl with a whisk and chill until ready to serve.
Spoon the yogurt onto a serving plate and top with the confit veg, using a slotted spoon to lift it out of the oil. Keep the oil (which will now be infused with garlic and rosemary) for dipping focaccia or toss it into salads and pasta.
LEMON ROSEMARY AND CHILLI GRIDDLED COURGETTES
A simple side that tastes great cold too. You could jazz this up as more of a substantial starter by spooning over some ricotta and finishing with lemon zest too if you like.
Serves 4-6
4 medium sized courgettes
Olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Slice the courgettes lengthways into roughly 5mm slices. Toss together with the rest of the ingredients, adding enough olive oil that they all get a good coating of the lemon and chilli.
Griddle for about 5 mins either side on a hot BBQ or griddle pan. These are great at room temperature too.
ARTICHOKE, ASPARAGUS, BUTTERBEAN DILL SALAD
Serves 4
1 can artichoke hearts (roughly 240g drained weight)
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt
Olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
1 large jar or x2 cans butterbeans, approx. 500g drained
Small handful dill, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half
First drain the artichokes and give them a bit of a squeeze to remove as much of the brine as you can without crushing them. Then halve them lengthways and toss in a bowl with the oregano, a good pinch of salt and a slosh of olive oil.
Heat a frying pan to a medium heat, place the artichokes cut side down and cook for about 3 mins until golden an charred. Flip and cook the other side for about 90 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
Add the asparagus to the same bowl that held the artichokes with a little more oil and salt, toss and cook on the same pan for roughly 5 mins, shaking the pan to ensure they get an even-ish char. Transfer to a plate to cool. Chop into roughly inch sized pieces.
Rinse and drain the butterbeans, then toss together with the artichokes, asparagus, lemon zest and juice, the chopped dill, a good pinch of salt and a slosh of olive oil.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
BABY GEM, PEA AND PARMESAN SALAD
Serves 4-6
X3 heads baby gem
300g peas
Olive oil
White wine or Riesling vinegar
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
A good handful of dill
Approx. 100g parmesan
Separate the leaves of the baby gem, wash and spin dry in a salad spinner keeping the leaves whole.
Blanch the peas, refresh in cold water and drain.
Make a mustardy vinaigrette adding 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar with a heaped tsp or 2 of Dijon mustard to a bowl. Whisk using a fork until you have a thick glossy emulsified dressing.
Add the leaves, peas and tear in the dill. Give everything a good toss, then use a vegetable peeler to shave in the parmesan adding as much or as little as you wish. More is more in my opinion.
Lightly toss again, transfer to a serving bowl or plate and finish with a few more shavings of parmesan.
APRICOT ALMOND CAKE
I tend to find ready ground almonds a bit dry and the texture in this is so much better if you can grind the almonds yourself in a food processor. The demerara sugar gives this cake an almost crunchy caramelised top. I love to finish it with some icing sugar too.
100g blanched almonds or ground almonds
600g apricots
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
2 eggs
splash of Vanilla extract
splash of Amaretto
1 tbsp demerara sugar
icing sugar to serve
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan setting and grease and line the base and sides of a 9 inch spring form cake tin.
Halve and destone your apricots. Chop half into smaller pieces and set aside.
Grind the almonds to a breadcrumb-meets-flour consistency in a food processor, don’t worry if you have some slightly uneven pieces, this will add texture.
Whisk together the almonds, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In a separate large bowl using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one by one followed by the vanilla and amaretto.
Fold the flour mix into the wet mix, adding the chopped apricots half way through. Pour into the prepared tin and top with the halved apricots and sprinkle over the demerara sugar. The batter will rise over the apricots but this ensures you have two nice layers of apricot.
Bake for 50 mins to an hour until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Run a knife around the sides of the tin whilst the cake is still warm to release any juice that may have caramelised. After five mins remove the sides of the tin and allow the cake to cool.
Transfer to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar to serve. I love this with some crème fraiche on the side. Or if you’d like the recipe for the ice cream, you can find it here.
MUSIC TO COOK TO
The Heavy Heavy - Life And Life Only
I first hear The Heavy Heavy playing from a coffee shop called Yallah in St Ives. It has a real surfer vibe as did the dude who made my coffee. Summer energy with a The Mamas & The Papas meets Jefferson Airplane feel. A very good soundtrack to cooking, eating and dancing.
Thanks for reading and see you next week
x💋x💋
I cannot find the ice cream recipe!!!! diaster !!!