Right on track
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday October 27, 2009
The spring racing carnival has started. As ever, it's about much more than the horses; it's also a celebration of fabulous fashion and delicious food.But the last thing you want to worry about on race day is the catering. Soggy sandwiches, wilted salads and warm champagne are not part of the package. The trick is to get organised early so you can relax and enjoy the event.Here are a few tips for the menu.Keep it simple. Hamper food needs to be portable and sturdy, not fussy or complicated.Choose food with bold flavours that taste good cold. Finger food should be easy to eat to avoid drips on expensive outfits.Substantial carbohydrate-rich foods are good to balance alcoholic beverages. And speaking of drinks, don't forget a delicious non-alcoholic fruit punch and plenty of sparkling mineral water to pace yourself throughout the day.My suggestions follow these guidelines. The frittatas are a great brunch item. Transport them freshly baked in their tins, to enjoy still warm from the oven.The waldorf salad is a classic. I have added smoked chicken, which has lots of flavour and keeps well. Serve in takeaway noodle boxes for an easy, stylish and portable lunch.The raspberry and lemon friands are a sweet treat; moist and full of flavour, they are sturdy enough to last until the day's end.Raspberry and lemon friandsLook out for the traditional oval-shaped friand tins to make these little delicacies. For bite-sized treats, use mini muffin tins. The mixture will make about 40 minis.6 egg whitescup plain flour, sifted1 cups icing sugar1 cup ground almonds2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind180g melted butter1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)Preheat oven to 200C. Lightly whisk egg whites until foamy. Set aside. Sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl, add ground almonds and lemon rind and mix well. Stir in butter and egg whites and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add berries and gently fold into mixture. Grease friand tins with softened butter or cooking spray. Spoon mixture into tins and bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tins for five minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.Makes 9 friandsPea, mint and prosciutto frittatasFrittatas are perfect hamper food. They transport easily and are delicious served cold. You can make a large frittata or smaller ones in blini pans or muffin tins.2 cups frozen baby peas6 eggs1 cup thickened creamcup vegetable oil1 cup grated parmesan cheese4 spring onions, white part only, chopped cup loosely chopped mint cup loosely packed chopped basil cup plain flourSalt and pepper4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin stripsPreheat oven to 190C. In a large bowl, mix peas, eggs, cream, oil, cheese, onion, mint and basil. Slowly add flour. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into greased pans or tins. Scatter prosciutto over the top. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until firm and set (a large frittata will take longer). Remove from oven and cool.Makes 6 small frittatasWaldorf salad with smoked chickenThis is a slight variation on the classic, with race day in mind. Use fresh walnuts from the shell if you can find them. Roast them and add to the salad at the last minute.2 egg yolks1 tsp dijon mustard2 limes, zest and juice500ml grapeseed oilSalt and white pepper to season3 small, crisp red apples, cored and cut into chunks3 corella pears cored and cut into chunksJuice of 1 lemon3 stalks celery, sliced on an angle1 smoked chicken breast, thinly sliced1 baby cos lettuce, leaves roughly torn100g mache lettuce1 cups roasted walnut piecesMake a simple lime mayonnaise by whisking the egg yolks, mustard and lime zest in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking continuously. The mayonnaise will start to come together and become quite thick. Whisk in the lime juice and check the taste. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place apples and pears in a large bowl and squeeze over lemon juice to prevent browning. Add celery, chicken, cos lettuce and mache. Toss to combine. Add enough mayonnaise to bind the mixture lightly (any leftover mayonnaise can be kept in the refrigerator for another use). Just before serving, toss in the roasted walnuts.Serves 6
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald