Strawberry Starter
Serves 6
8 ozs fresh strawberries, cleaned and quartered
½ a medium cucumber, diced
1 small onion finely chopped
8 ozs Chorizo sausage finely sliced
½ teaspoon chopped mint
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
5 fluid ounces soured cream
To garnish: sprigs of mint
Mix all the ingredients except mint and cream. Chill.
Just before serving add the cream and chopped mint and toss to mix through.
Garnish with sprigs of mint and serve with melba toast.
Country Pâté
Melt the fat and fry livers, chopped bacon, onions, garlic, mushrooms and seasoning.Keep well covered.When almost cooked add eggs and poach hard in the liquid with the other ingredients.
Skim off some of the fat to seal.
Mince all the above with the cooked chicken meat.Thicken the remaining liquid with flour, cook and fold into minced mixture with brandy and cream.
Press into Pâté dish and chill. Seal with melted fat and continue chilling.
Orange, olive and spring onion salad
This serves four people and can make a dainty first course using the orange shells as containers.
5 large oranges
100g black olives
2 spring onions thinly sliced
1 small lettuce if not using the orange shells.
Dressing
1 X 5ml spoon caster sugar
1 X 5ml spoon mustard powder
1 X 5ml spoon lemon juice
5 X 15ml spoons French dressing
1 X 15ml spoon chopped mint
Sprigs of mint to garnish
Peel one orange and cut the tops off the other four, then carefully cut a very thin slice off the bottom to give a flat base and allow the orange to stand without rolling over. Using a grapefruit knife carefully scoop out the orange flesh trying not to break the segments. Discard all the membrane and pips. Mix the orange segments, olives and spring onion slices in a bowl.
Mix the sugar, mustard and lemon juice into the French dressing and pour over the orange mixture. Just before serving stir in the chopped mint.
Serve on a bed of lettuce or if using the orange shells put them on small plates and spoon in the orange salad. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve with crusty bread.
Mothers Pâté
Preheat oven to 180°C
8oz Pigs Liver
4ozs Streaky Bacon
1 large Onion chopped
1oz Butter
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1tablespoon Chicken Stock
Salt & Pepper
1tblsp Brandy or Sherry
Melt the butter and fry the liver, bacon and onion until tender. Put in food processor with the liquids and seasoning and blend until smooth. Grease an ovenproof dish and pour in the pâté mixture. Stand the dish in a container with an inch of water. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 1 hour.