The First-Time Cook. Sophie Grigson

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       2 tablespoons chopped parsley

       MAIN INGREDIENTS

       2 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

       2 celery stalks, thickly sliced

       1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into postage-stamp squares

       2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm (1/2in) cubes

       30g (1oz) plain flour

       250g (9oz) skinned smoked haddock fillet

       110g (4oz) peeled, cooked shrimps or prawns

       LIQUIDS

       600ml (1 pint) milk

       150ml (5fl oz) water

       SEASONINGS

       salt and pepper

       DRESSING UP

       a handful of freshly grated Cheddar cheese

      1 Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter in a large saucepan until the onion is translucent and soft.

      2 Now add the aromatics, using only half the parsley, and all the vegetable main ingredients. Stir around, then sprinkle over the flour, a little salt (not too much as both the bacon and the haddock may be salty) and plenty of pepper. Stir again for some 30 seconds or so to make sure the flour is more or less evenly distributed.

      3 Now add a third of the milk and stir well, before adding the remaining milk, the water, and some more salt and pepper if needed.

      4 Bring up to the boil, stirring frequently to prevent catching (i.e. burning) on the base. Turn the heat down low and simmer very gently for around 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are all tender. Stir frequently to prevent catching. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more milk or water.

      5 While the soup simmers, cut the smoked haddock fillet into chunks about 2.5cm (1in) square, discarding any bones you may come across. Stir the haddock and the shrimps or prawns into the chowder and simmer for a further 3–4 minutes until the haddock is just cooked through.

      6 Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and plenty of cheese. Make a meal of this one, serving it in deep generous bowlfuls with warm bread.

      Starters

       This time, you’ve decided, you’re going for the full works. Entertaining proper, with starter, main course and pudding. Any time-challenged cook (and that’s most of us these days) needs a bevy of almost effortless starters up their sleeves for occasions like these. Starters that will look good, taste fabulous, and take the edge off hunger during the wait for the main course. This is where the deli counter, be it at the supermarket or a proper delicatessen shop, comes into its own, able to provide the makings of a superb first course that demands little more effort on your part than a spot of arranging on pretty plates.

       It’s worth pointing out, too, that any of these ideas below would also make a nifty light lunch. All you need do to flesh them out is add a couple of salads: maybe a green salad or a tomato salad, and a potato salad (see pages 188–89 and 191).

       The one important thing to remember with these simple starters is that they all need to be served at room temperature (except for the grilled goat’s cheese, which obviously needs to be served hot), not straight from the fridge, as cold kills the taste of so many foods. So, lay them out at least half an hour before eating and cover with clingfilm until your guests congregate near the table.

      Four Mediterranean Medleys

      All around the Mediterranean, people love to start a meal with a selection of little dishes to get the gastric juices flowing. One up from a picnic, this mini-feast can consist of no more than two or three items, or stretch to a sea of bits and bobs to nibble on. The point is that they should all have lively, vivid flavours, so a selection will usually include cured meat or fish, cheese, and pickles of one sort or another. Now that our supermarkets stock so many Mediterranean ingredients, it is incredibly easy to put together the same sort of starter here, and the brilliant thing is that it requires next-to-no effort on the part of the provider.

      How Much?

      It’s almost impossible to be precise about quantities here, as so much depends on the rest of the meal, the appetites of your guests, and how many different bits and bobs you put on the table. As a rough guide, make sure that there is enough of each item for everyone to get a decent taste. The more different items you have, the less you need of each one. Provide plenty of bread as well, and don’t worry.

      Presentation

      You have two options here. Option A is to make up individual platefuls of hams and cheeses and whatever for each of your guests. That way no-one is going to squabble over the last slice of Parma ham. And if you are worried that quantities may be a little skimpy, you can pad each plateful out with a small handful of rocket or watercress or other salad leaf, or even just an artful sprig or two of fresh parsley, basil or other herb if you happen to have some to hand.

      Option B, which happens to be the one that I prefer, is to lay your collection of delicacies out on serving plates or platters and arrange them in the centre of the table so that everyone can help themselves. This way everyone can take what they like and ignore what they don’t without feeling embarrassed. And it’s wonderful how a bit of passing this or that around can get the conversation flowing, and invoke a cheery atmosphere.

      Provençal Hors d’Oeuvre

       In the south of France, they do the pick’n’mix starter with much grace. A classic hors d’oeuvre selection may include pâtés and cured hams, or delicious pungent dips and spreads.

      Tapenade Buy a jar of this blend of olives, capers and anchovies. Pile it into a pretty little bowl, and finish with a sprig of parsley.

      Fromage frais aux fines herbes As a complete contrast, make up your own bowl of creamy pale cheese flecked with green herbs. Buy a pot or two of creamy young goat’s cheese (chèvre frais) and beat in either a little crushed garlic or finely chopped shallot, lots of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, tarragon, chives or whatever you have to hand) and a few spoonfuls of cream or milk if the mixture is still too thick to work as a dip. Then scrape into a bowl and place on the table.

      Crudités Serve these with the two dips – in other words, СКАЧАТЬ