A post-lockdown Italian(ish) feast for friends
May 2021
When you are cooking for a couple of friends you haven’t seen in many months (say, for example, after a pandemic?) you’re going to want to make sure that most of your time is spent chatting to them with a glass of fizz in your hand, rather than sweltering in the kitchen preparing something overly fancy.
This Italian-inspired (but definitely not authentic) menu was conceived for just such an occasion. In May this year, COVID restrictions relaxed a little further, allowing us to have our first dinner party since early 2020. We lost no time in inviting two of my oldest and dearest friends round for a night of food, wine and a long-awaited hug.
I designed this menu so that (with the exception of the gnocchi ) everything could be made ahead and assembled at the last minute. The starter, in particular, is really easy to put together – just buy the best quality antipasti you can afford and assemble on plates while the spicy nduja twists puff up in the oven. You can have the starter with everyone seated at the dinner table, or more informally, standing up in the kitchen with everyone picking at the selection at their leisure.
Although all of the ingredients here are seasonal – May is excellent for lamb, and cherries are just coming in you could also consider making it in the early autumn. September is the very end of the season for both lamb and cherries. You could also substitute plums if the cherries are hard to find by then).
Below, I share the three recipes that make up this meal (you don’t really need a recipe for antipasti) and step-by-step guidance for putting the whole thing together, with enough time to spare for a drink (or two) before you eat.
The menu
spicy nduja twists
slow-cooked lamb shank ragu
poached cherry cheesecake
The day before…
1, Start to prepare the cheesecake, up to and including step 9 in the recipe. You can finish it off the next day, once the thickened poaching liquor for the cherries has cooled.
2. Prepare the Ragu.
On the day
3. Finish the cheesecake (if you haven’t done so already) add the cherries and sauce on the top and allow to chill for several hours. If possible do this first thing in the day so the cheesecake topping has enough time to set.
4. Prepare the nduja twists and leave them, laid out on trays, in the fridge until you want to bake.
5. Prepare the gnocchi (if you are making it fresh). I haven’t provided my own gnocchi recipe here because I think Felicity Cloake’s version is – as it says in the title – perfect.
When you are ready to eat…
6. Pre-heat your oven just as your guests arrive. This way it will just be hot enough by the time you’ve all had your first drink.
7. Pop the nduja twists in to bake, while you assemble your antipasti plate. Once the nduja twists are ready, give them 5 minutes to cool slightly and serve. Don’t forget to put some water on to boil for your main course.
8. When everyone is ready for their main course, cook the gnocchi and warm through the lamb ragu. If you want to serve pecorino with the main course, make sure this is out on the table with a grater so that guests can help themselves.
9. When you serve the main course, take the cheesecake out of the fridge. It will benefit from having a little bit of time to come up to room temperature before eating.
