Donal Skehan’s New Year’s Cocktail Party Menu – Filo Shrimp Cup, Cheat Fondue, Celebratory Chicken Tagine and a Pink Negroni Sbagliato
For many of us there is a lot to do around the holidays: company parties, family celebrations, trips with the little ones and of course the leftovers after the big day. All good reasons to blow it all away with one big last hurray to ring in the new year.
Whether it’s just for you and loved ones or a larger gathering, I have the recipes that will make preparing your New Year’s Eve cocktail party a breeze.
First of all, a little showstopper in the form of a “cheat fondue feast”. No fumbling around with fancy fondue sets – instead, melt-in-your-mouth Irish cheeses baked in a low-sided casserole dish. Serve it with lots of small side dishes like crusty bread, charcuterie, and gherkins, and you have a truly impressive appetizer that can be served while guests mingle, or served straight to the table.
Speaking of mixing, the ubiquitous party canapé gets a retro makeover in the form of these little shrimp cocktail bites. The filo casings and shrimp filling can be made ahead of time and prepared at the last minute without much fuss. The perfect nostalgic bite!
If you need something more substantial to feed your crowd, choose a dish that can be prepared ahead of time and served warm in a bowl. I love serving this festive chicken tagine with jeweled herb couscous, not only because it can be made at least three days in advance, but also because I like to think that in a few days the rich, flavorful sauce will soak through the meat and finished is all the tastier!
Set it up in buffet style and let your guests serve themselves.
Finally, a little something to get the party started. I swear I wrote this recipe for a pink version of the classic before Negroni Sbagliato had a moment on TikTok with the viral voiceover house of the dragon Star Emma D’Arcy.
Anyway, although it seems to be the drink of the year 2022, I give you the pink Negroni Sbagliato, replacing the regular Prosecco with the pink variant, although you could of course use a sparkling rosé here.
Either way, it’ll add a little pizzazz to any party-goer this festive season!
Cheat’s Fondue Fest
Cooking time: 20 minutes. Servings: 8-10
ingredients
5 x 200g soft cheese with washed rind in boxes (or leftover Christmas cheese)
3 sprigs of rosemary
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
A small glass of white wine
2 tbsp cherry (or apple brandy)
200 g tomato relish
1 large baguette, sliced
Charcuterie, for serving
Gherkins to serve
Green salad to serve
method
1. Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5.
2. Place the cheese in a shallow casserole dish or ovenproof dish. Pierce each one a few times with a sharp knife and insert some sprigs of rosemary and chopped garlic into the slits.
3. Pour over the wine and kirsch. Cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. If the cheese is still not quite sticky and melted, continue baking for a few more minutes.
4. You can toss the relish in the cheese or serve it as a side dish. Dip the baguette slices in the cheese and enjoy, and serve with sausages, gherkins and a green salad.
Festive chicken tagine with jeweled herb couscous
Vicinity
Festive Chicken Tagine. Image by Donal Skehan
Cooking time 90 minutes. 6-8 servings
ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1kg boneless, skinless chicken drumsticks, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, grated
2½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tbsp honey
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
300 ml chicken broth
150 grams of dried plums
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the couscous
300 grams of couscous
400ml boiling hot chicken stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
A large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A large bunch of coriander, chopped
150 g flaked almonds, toasted
2 pomegranates, seeds only
method
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the chicken pieces in batches over high heat, seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
2. Remove the chicken and set aside. No need to wash your pot; Preserve all the flavor of your cooked chicken in it.
3. Add the red onion to the casserole and sprinkle with salt to remove the liquid from the onions. Gently sauté on even high heat for 5 minutes and when the onions start to sweat, use a wooden spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add a splash of water to keep them from burning.
4. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute, then add the honey, tomatoes, broth and plenty of spices.
5. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook very gently for 45 minutes, until reduced and chicken is very tender. Add the plums and cook another 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large, wide bowl. Pour in the boiling hot broth and cover with a tea towel. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before fluffing the grains with a fork.
8. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and season well before mixing with the couscous.
9. To serve, stir in chopped cucumber, red onion, parsley, cilantro, slivered almonds, and pomegranate seeds. Alternatively, you can set up many small bowls with the side dish, serve the couscous with the tagine and give the guests the opportunity to help themselves to all the side dishes.
Filo Shrimp Cocktails
Vicinity
Filo Shrimp Cocktails. Image by Donal Skehan
Cooking time: 25 minutes. Servings: 24
ingredients
2-3 sheets of filo pastry
30 g unsalted butter, melted
175 g peeled, cooked Atlantic prawns
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp ketchup
A dash of hot sauce
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of baby lettuce, outer leaves removed, very finely chopped
Finely chopped chives for garnish
Cayenne pepper, to dust
method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Brush 2 x 12-hole mini cupcakes/muffin tins and the filo pastry sheets with melted butter. Cut the leaves into 2.5 cm squares.
3. Place 3 squares on top of each other at a slight angle so the corners start to form a star shape and slide into each hole in the tartlet/muffin tin.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from the molds and let cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Roughly chop the shrimp, leaving enough whole shrimp for the tart garnish.
6. In a bowl, mix the chopped shrimp with the mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped lettuce.
7. Fill the crispy tart cups with the shrimp mixture, top with a whole shrimp, sprinkle with chives and dust with cayenne pepper before serving.
Pink Negroni Sbagliato
Vicinity
Pink Negroni Sbagliato. Photo by Donal Skehan
Preparation time: 10 minutes + chilling. Servings: 8
ingredients
Ice
8 x 25ml Shots Campari
8 x 25ml shots of red vermouth
1 x 750 ml bottle of chilled sparkling wine Rosé/Rosa Prosecco
4 orange slices, halved
method
1. Fill 8 tumblers or short-stemmed glasses with some ice cubes.
2. Pour a dash of Campari and a dash of vermouth into each glass. Top up with the sparkling rosé/pink Prosecco.
3. Stir gently, add a crescent of orange and serve.
https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/recipes/donal-skehans-new-year-cocktail-party-menu-filo-prawn-cups-cheats-fondue-festive-chicken-tagine-and-a-pink-negroni-sbagliato-42248740.html Donal Skehan’s New Year’s Cocktail Party Menu – Filo Shrimp Cup, Cheat Fondue, Celebratory Chicken Tagine and a Pink Negroni Sbagliato