‘What can I bring?' Paul Hollywood, Clodagh McKenna and Rory O'Connell's showstopper party dishes

Irish Times

4 days ago

Summer is upon us and that means one thing: entertaining. Whether it's a barbecue in the sunshine, picnics beside the sea or a long, lazy lunch, summer is about get-togethers centred on food. Often, the occasions that end up being the most fun are pot luck, where everyone mucks in and brings a dish. But the question is, what to bring?
Catering for different tastes and occasions can be a challenge, especially when your only directive from the host is 'a side dish' or 'a dessert' – or, the worst option of all, 'just bring yourself'. Hosting a gathering can be a lot of work, even when it's meant to be low-key, so the least we can do is to arrive bearing something that our fellow guests will enjoy and our hosts appreciate.
Since 'What can I bring?' can be an awkward question for a gracious host to answer, we asked three culinary experts for their fail-safe contributions.
Paul Hollywood
Dubbed 'the king of bread', Paul Hollywood will be familiar to many from his years as a judge on The Great British Bake Off. He has made a career out of all things food related, but says that when it comes to gatherings he takes a far more chilled-out approach than his sometimes steely on-screen persona might lead you to expect.
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'I'm often asked to bring along bread or a cake when I'm invited to a party, so I've written a new book, Celebrate, which will be released on June 5th. It includes recipes for celebrating the special moments in your life,' says Hollywood. 'There are some favourites that I always come back to when I'm asked to bring a dish, like fraisier cake and Key lime pie.'
What he finds usually goes down best is chocolate fudge cake. He is associated with it due to The Great British Bake Off, which is about to begin recording its 17th season.
'Because of Bake Off, I'm often asked to bring chocolate fudge cake as a dessert, so I've included a recipe for it in the book. I top it with raspberries sometimes but I always take one off, just like the cake in the show's opening credits.'
'It's a great birthday gift too. Whether they're turning 60 or six, everyone loves chocolate cake and that's the point of that particular recipe.'
Celebrate, by Paul Hollywood
As we head into summer, Hollywood says that when considering what dishes to bring, think about how easy it will be for people to eat and for you to make. For him, that often means traybakes.
'Traybakes are amazing for a party because you can cut them up into whatever size you like and then everyone can have a little nibble. Rocky Road is a great one because it's really more about setting than baking,' he says.
'Coming into the summer, cupcakes are great too. Eton mess is another good option, because it's literally just thrown together. You just need to get everything ready to go then put it all together and enjoy.'
As for savoury dishes, Hollywood says good bread is always a winner. Acting as an accompaniment, he recommends focaccia as a fail-safe choice.
'I make garlic focaccia and it's quite a wet dough so it can be easy to make. It's all about preparation; you have to think ahead, and that will give you a finished product that's amazing at the end.
'Most people over do it or make too much food, but really you just need one good thing, like good bread or a good cake. Then as long as you have good wine, good beer and good company, you have all you need for a good party.'
Paul Hollywood's chocolate fudge cake, from his new book, Celebrate. Photograph: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton
Paul Hollywood's chocolate fudge cake
This chocolate cake is simple and elegant – perfect for every day but special enough for a birthday too. Change up the decorations to turn it into a showstopper – it looks great drizzled with melted white chocolate.
Ingredients
(Makes 10 slices)
175g soft margarine, plus extra to grease
225g soft light brown sugar
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g self-raising flour
125g cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
375ml soured cream
2 tbsp milk
For the chocolate icing
200g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
65g cocoa powder
120ml boiling water
300g unsalted butter, softened
120g icing sugar
To finish:
Three packets assorted coated chocolate balls (including gold, bronze effect), in different sizes
Method
1 Heat your oven to 180 degreed/160 degreed fan/gas 4. Grease three x 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
2 Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the margarine and both sugars together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and whisk again.
3 In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. With the mixer still running on a low speed, slowly pour in the beaten egg mix.
4 Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add a large spoonful to the whisked mixture and stir in, then mix in a large spoonful of the soured cream. Repeat until all the flour and soured cream are incorporated, adding the milk with the final addition. Beat until you have a smooth batter.
5 Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until the cakes are risen and slightly shrink away from the sides of the tin.
6 Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for five minutes before removing and transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
7 To make the chocolate icing, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool. In another bowl, mix the cocoa powder with the boiling water to make a smooth, thick paste. In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft then add the icing sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and cocoa paste and beat until smooth.
8 To assemble, place one cake layer on your serving plate or cake stand and spread with one-quarter of the icing. Place a second cake layer on top and spread with another quarter of the icing. Sit the final cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.
9 Use a serrated-edge cake side scraper around the side of the cake to create a decorative effect. Arrange the assorted chocolate balls on top of the cake to finish.
Extract taken from Celebrate by Paul Hollywood (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26, Hardback). Photography © Haarala Hamilton.
Clodagh McKenna: 'You don't want to add any unknown stress to your host.' Photograph: Jason Ingram
Clodagh McKenna
Chef Clodagh McKenna is the ultimate host but also likes to count herself as a good guest. When asked what she recommends bringing to a party, her first suggestion is to remember about the host.
'When I'm going to someone's house, if they haven't asked me to bring a dish, I like to bring a home-made gift. Sometimes I bring fresh eggs from my hens or honey – anything like that is always lovely.'
If asked to bring something, McKenna recommends making sure you're all set with your dish before you arrive. Anything that requires additional assembly or oven space is a bit of a no-no as it may just cause hassle for your host.
'I wouldn't recommend anything that needs to be put into a fridge straight away, just in case there isn't space. You don't want to add any unknown stress to your host – you want to take away stress with your help. Something that's ambient is always a good option. No oven space, no extra fridge space.'
Often asked for some sort of sweet treat, McKenna says there are certain dishes that will generally please a crowd.
'Pavlova is a good one, so I bring it along with all the cream and berries, ready to be quickly assembled. What you have to be mindful of is that you might not know who the other guests are, so make sure to bring something that's a bit of a crowd-pleaser. Cheesecake, chocolate tart, tiramisu or bread and butter pudding are some other safety ones that I love too,' says McKenna.
'Otherwise, home-made bread is a great option – everyone loves having home-made bread at a table. If you haven't been asked for anything but then arrive with a dessert, that's a bit of a nightmare for the host, but beautiful home-made bread is always well received.'
Clodagh McKenna's rosewater pavlova with soft summer berries. Photograph: Jason Ingram
Clodagh McKenna's rosewater pavlova with soft summer berries
Ingredients
For the pavlova
9 egg whites
500g caster sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp rosewater
For the filling
500ml whipping cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp rosewater
200g fresh raspberries/loganberries
Sprigs of redcurrants, to decorate
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2 Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and glossy and the sugar completely dissolves. Add the cornstarch, vinegar and rosewater and gently fold until just combined.
3 Pour the mixture on to the prepared baking tray in a circle shape and use the back of a wooden spoon to shape the meringue into a nest. Place the meringue in the preheated oven and turn the heat down to 140 degrees and bake for 1.5 hours. Once the meringue is baked, turn off the heat, open the oven door and allow it to cool completely.
4 When the meringue is cooled and ready to serve you can start assembling the filling. You don't want to add the cream too far in advance as it will soak into the meringue. Gently whip the cream until it thickens and then whisk in icing sugar. Fold in the rosewater and then spoon the filling into the centre of the meringue. Add the fresh summer berries on top and decorate with sprigs of redcurrants.
Rory O'Connell, co-founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Co Cork
Rory O'Connell
Rory O'Connell, co-founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School, has myriad recipes perfect for get-togethers. But he has one unusual dish recommendation that he says works really well for any occasion.
'If I'm asked for a savoury dish, often I'll make scrambled eggs. When the eggs are ready, I add a little bit of cream, which will stop the cooking and hold the consistency. Then I usually add some cooked lobster – but you could also add chanterelle mushrooms, asparagus or broad beans,' O'Connell says.
'I bring them with a loaf of nice sourdough bread, and all you have to do is toast the bread and put the lobster scrambled eggs on top. It's so delicious as a snack or starter and it's quite practical too.'
O'Connell assures us that finishing the eggs with cream means they won't go hard.
'It's a brilliant technique and it's one of those great recipes that works at any time of year with whatever is in season – I made this last week with asparagus and a bit of Parmesan on top. It's the kind of dish that is easy to travel with and relatively easy to put together too,' he says.
These eggs work really well as the sort of thing guests can enjoy while their host is putting the finishing touches to the rest of the meal, says O'Connell.
Conscious that anything a guest brings shouldn't put the host out, he recommends avoiding anything too creamy, such as a cake with buttery icing, as it might melt during transport. As for other dishes that work, keeping it simple is key.
'Meringues are always good; they're very straightforward. I like to bring them with rhubarb or strawberries, whatever Irish fruit that is in season will work really well with them. Often I might just bring a basket of really good tomatoes or a selection of heritage tomatoes – when they're in season, they're fantastic,' says O'Connell.
'Another great savoury option is a bowl of salad leaves and a little jar of vinaigrette. All you have to do is toss them together at the party and it's a beautiful dish that will work with anything else your host might be serving.'
Rory O'Connell's scrambled egg with lobster and chive
Rory O'Connell's scrambled eggs with lobster and chives
This is a delicious combination that can be served as a starter or canapé on grilled bread or Melba toast. Shrimp or crayfish could replace the lobster in the recipe. The addition of cream to the cooked eggs prevents the mixture from solidifying, making it an ideal dish to prepare in advance.
I hold the cooked mixture at room temperature for a couple of hours and serve it on hot grilled or toasted bread. The optional chive flowers make a pretty and delicious garnish, but they could be replaced another time with garlic, kale or fennel flowers.
Ingredients
(Serves 4 as a starter or 30 as a canapé)
225g cooked lobster, chopped into 2cm pieces
4 tbsp cream
8 free-range eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g butter
Grilled sourdough bread, to serve
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chive flowers (optional)
Method
1 Place the lobster and cream in a small saucepan and gently heat to a bare simmer, then remove from the heat.
2 Beat the eggs with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
3 Melt the butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the beaten eggs and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon. When the eggs are just beginning to scramble, add the lobster and cream and keep cooking for a few more minutes, until the eggs are a creamy consistency. Remove from the heat and transfer from the saucepan to a bowl. The eggs will not set hard like cold scrambled eggs, but will retain their lovely softness. The eggs are best served barely warm but are also good at room temperature.
4 When ready to serve, spread the scrambled eggs over the hot grilled bread. Grate over the lemon zest and finish with a sprinkling of chives and chive flowers (if using). Serve immediately.
Recipe from Cook Well Eat Well by Rory O'Connell, imagery by Joanne Murphy