Your West Midlands Wedding- Page number 53 - October/November 2021 (Issue 76)

Delectable How to create the perfect seasonal menu C hoosing your big-day catering can be a difficult task, there’s a lot you need to take into consideration – from guests with food allergies to finding a cuisine everyone will like. To help you decide, we’ve rounded up top tips from head chef, Mike Scott from Caviar & Chips to help you create the perfect seasonal menu. Winter “Food doesn’t get much more indulgent than lobster. Poach the lobster in champagne and a little butter, then use the shells and some of the meat to create a glorious lobster mayonnaise. The meat is bound with the mayonnaise before being set atop the brioche, and, just for good measure, try adding a little lobster meat on top.” “For me, Christmas is a time for cheese and the more, the merrier! A disc of smooth, creamy, salty goat’s cheese crusted in chopped toasted walnuts, finished with a luxurious drizzle of truffle-infused honey. I can assure you that when your guests try this for the first time, they will be singing your praises!” “For the potato, go for goose fat, thyme, garlic and salt. I’m a big fan of keeping things simple with roast potatoes – leave the exterior crispy and let the fluffy potato inside do the talking!” DELIGHTS “A cocoa genoise sponge, lightly sprayed with Brandy and rolled around a sweet and nutty praline cream is just the kind of start we want. We generously spread a rich chocolate ganache over the top, then use this as a platform to build some texture and some playfulness into the dish. Chunks of honeycomb provide a sweet, caramel crunch, while the candied pecans and hazelnuts add texture and some warming, roasted flavours. Fresh cranberries provide some acidity (after all, it can’t all be rich!), before the whole thing is decorated with large shards of chocolate.” “Minced turkey and chopped chestnuts make a delightfully seasonal mixture to wrap around a soft-boiled quail egg. Coated in breadcrumbs, crispy smoked bacon, parmesan and herbs and deep-fried until crisp and golden brown. You’ll feel the Christmas festivities starting with a bang!” “Bouche de Noël, yule log, Swiss Roll, Christmas log – regardless of the name, we can all agree that it’s a showstopper!” “A fresh, vibrant, zesty salmon dish is a different take on a classic Christmas starter. Lightly bound with a little dill mayonnaise, this is topped with acidic but light pickled cucumber and crisp, wafer-thin shards of rye bread.” “The turkey dinner has been done every which way but that doesn’t mean it has to be your typical roast. Poached ballotine of breast rolled in prosciutto before being roasted adds a lovely saltiness to the turkey, and poaching means a gentler cooking process so that meat doesn’t dry out. You could even taken the leg meat and turned it into a sausage roll.” www.caviarandchips.co.uk www.caviarandchips.co.uk 53 CATERING