WATCHING THE GAME

with Mr Lyan, White Lyan (RIP), Dandelyan and all them other things

I’m lucky to work with some of the best folk in the world, so it made sense to ask them for some drinks that really suit big groups. I’m in charge of the food for this one, and I’ve kept it light and easy to eat with your fingers.

◁ GENIE IN A BOTTLE BY ROBIN HONHOLD

Rye genever, mint & tarragon syrup, lime cordial, oaked Chardonnay and bubbles!

Gather

Makes 1 bottle

20g (3/4oz) mint

20g (3/4oz) tarragon

200g (7oz) sugar

300ml (12oz) rye genever

8 shots (200ml/8oz) mineral water

2 shots (50ml/2oz) lime cordial

3 shots (75ml/3oz) oaked Chardonnay

Champagne, to top

Extra mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

Mint & tarragon syrup:
Blanch the mint and tarragon (including stems) by submerging in boiling water for 15 seconds then plunging into iced water to refresh. Add drained herbs to a blender with the sugar and 8 shots (200ml/8oz) cold water and blitz until very cold and very green, then strain through a cheesecloth. (This makes more syrup than you need here but it’s also awesome drunk with soda!)

Bottle up all the ingredients (apart from the extra mint and champagne) with 5 shots (125ml/41/2oz) mint & tarragon syrup. Mix and keep chilled.

To serve:
Add 3 shots (75ml/3oz) to a chilled flute, then top with an equal amount of champagne. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

◁ PEACH & FINO COBBLER BY AIDAN BOWIE

Fino, peach jam, lemon and grapefruit soda

Gather

2 shots (50ml/2oz) fino sherry

Just under 1 shot (20ml/0.8oz) lemon juice

2 tsp peach jam

1 pinch salt

Grapefruit soda, to top

Garden herbs, to garnish

Method

Add to a shaker the fino, lemon, jam and salt. Short shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, then top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with green herbs.

◁ CUTLET CROQUETAS

This is my mash-up of Mama Chet’s Sri Lankan fish cutlets and the super-moreish Spanish croquetas. These are fabulous to feed to guests when they first arrive. They’re best freshly cooked, but can be kept warm in the oven as people turn up, so they’re ready for snacking on with the welcome drinks. Ryan Chetiyawardana

Gather

For the fish mix

3g (11/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

1g (1/2 tsp) cumin seeds

1g (1/2 tsp) mild curry powder

1g (1/2 tsp) coriander seeds

1 clove

Seeds from 1 cardamom pod

20ml (11/2 tbsp) olive oil

7g (2 tsp) finely chopped garlic cloves (about 2 cloves)

5g (1 tsp) finely chopped ginger

75g (21/2oz/1/3 cup) finely chopped red onion

2 curry leaves

2 x 120g (4oz) tins of tuna, drained

30g (1oz/2 tbsp) tinned anchovies in oil, drained

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

For the croquetas

60g (21/4oz/1/4 cup) unsalted butter

60g (21/4oz/1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

500ml (18fl oz/2 cups) hot, not boiled, full-fat milk

2 organic eggs

200g (7oz/21/4 cups) panko

breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil or similar neutral oil, for deep-frying

Nutmeg, to serve

Method

First, dry-roast all the spices for the fish mix individually in a dry frying pan over a low heat until fragrant. Leave to cool, combine and grind into a fine powder.

Heat the oil in large saucepan over a medium heat, and gently sauté the spice mix, garlic, ginger, onion and curry leaves for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the tuna and the anchovies, sauté for a further 5–10 minutes, then add the lime juice and stir. Set aside to cool.

Next, make a golden roux with the butter and flour in a pan. Gradually add the hot milk, stirring constantly. Mix in the fish mixture. Keep on a medium-low heat, stirring constantly until you get a stiff mixture (kind of like mashed potatoes). Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When you are ready to make the croquetas, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and spread the breadcrumbs in a separate shallow dish.

Flour your hands and take out scoops of the mixture and shape into small oval croquetas, about 4cm x 2cm (11/2 x 3/4 inch). Set on a floured surface until the mixture is all portioned out. Roll in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the croquetas are coated.

Heat a pan of oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry in small batches until golden. Remove and lay on kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil and grate nutmeg over the top. Serve as they’re cooked for the troops to pick at.

◁ ATOMIC BELLE BY MAJA JAWORSKA

Tequila, lemon, smoked salt, basil, grapefruit & plum shrub

Gather

3 strips of grapefruit

5 large sweet basil leaves

2 large red plums, sliced (200g/7oz)

2 tsp smoked sea salt

130g (41/2oz) white sugar

65ml (21/4oz) cider vinegar

445ml (151/2oz) water

A shot-and-a-half (35ml/1.4oz) tequila

Just under 1 shot (20ml/0.8oz) lemon juice

Extra basil and plum, to serve

Method

For the shrub, add all to a microwave-safe container (except the lemon and tequila) and blast for 5 minutes (or cook on medium heat in a pan for 10 minutes). Allow to cool, then strain.

Fill a hi-ball with ice and add the tequila, lemon juice and 3 shots (75ml/3oz) shrub and two torn basil leaves. Garnish with a slice of plum.

◁ HALF ’N’ HALF TODDY BY ALLY KELSEY

Honey, lemon, whisk(e)y and weiss beer

Gather

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 shot (25ml/1oz) of your favourite whisk(e)y

6 shots (150ml/6oz) white beer

Blood orange, to garnish

Method

Add lemon, honey and whisk(e)y to a hi-ball and stir to dissolve. Fill with ice. Top with beer and stir. Garnish with a wedge of blood (or regular) orange.

◁ SEAWITCH SPRITZ BY KELSEY RAMAGE

Riesling, cranberry, thyme, crème de mure and soda

Gather

1 bottle dry Riesling

20 cranberries

5 grapefruit peels

3 sprigs thyme (plus 1 to garnish)

2 tsp agave

2 tsp crème de mure

Soda, to top

Method

Infuse the wine with the smashed cranberries, grapefruit peel and thyme overnight, then strain.

Mix the agave and liqueur with 4 shots (100ml/4oz) infused wine over ice in a wine glass or tumbler, stir then top with soda. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

◁ POT-ROAST CAULIFLOWER WITH CULTURED BUTTER AND MALDIVE FISH

This is very easy to prepare for a group. It works well with a whole red cabbage too, but I love the creaminess of cauliflower with the chicken (see p135). The acidity of the cultured butter cuts through the richness, but regular unsalted butter and cider vinegar is just fine too. Dried Maldive fish can be bought from Asian supermarkets, and add depth, but it can be omitted if you want to keep it veggie friendly. RC

Gather

75g (21/2oz/1/3 cup) raw or cultured butter

1 medium cauliflower, leaves left on

30ml (2 tbsp) raw cider vinegar

15g (1/2oz) dried Maldive fish

3g (11/2 tsp) yellow mustard seeds

Salt and pepper

Parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Heat a large ovenproof pan (with a lid) on the hob over a medium heat. Add the butter, then the cauliflower, florets down, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over, add the cider vinegar, Maldive fish, mustard seeds and seasoning, and cover. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, lift on to a serving dish, drizzle the pan liquor over the top, then scatter with chopped parsley and serve with a big-ass knife.

◁ SMOKED NACIONAL PUNCH BY IAIN GRIFFITHS

Golden rum, apricot brandy, lemon sherbet, lapsang souchong tea and Worcestershire sauce

Gather

Makes 1 punch bowl

6 lemons

480g (17oz) sugar

350ml (14oz) golden rum

7 shots (175ml /7oz) apricot liqueur

6 shots (150ml/6oz) lemon juice

500ml (20oz) strong, cold lapsang souchong tea

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Method

Lemon sherbet:
Infuse the zest of 6 lemons with the sugar overnight or in a vac-pack bag. Hydrate with the juice from the six lemons and mix well.

To serve:
Add to a punch bowl the sherbet, rum, liqueur, lemon juice, tea and Worcestershire sauce. Stir over a block of ice, then serve in rocks glasses filled with ice.

◁ FRIED CHICKEN WITH RADISHES AND BLOODY MARY BUTTER

This is a simple but crowd-pleasing recipe, to satisfy the craving for fried chicken! It’s pretty rich, so it’s amazing with the roasted cauliflower, but I also like serving some green cabbage sautéed with tarragon and hazelnut to balance it. Some simple warm bread, or ideally some pao de queijo, is a fine accompaniment too. The whipped butter is perfect with both the chicken and the mustard bite of the breakfast radishes. Add more spice if you’re not a wuss like me. RC

Gather

11/2kg (3lb 5oz) organic chicken legs (6 pieces)

Vegetable oil or other neutral oil, for frying

1 bunch breakfast or rainbow radishes, to serve

For the buttermilk brine

500ml (18fl oz/2 cups) buttermilk

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 fresh parsley sprig (just the stalks work well too, so save them if you’ve used the leaves elsewhere)

1 thyme sprig (stalk only, use the leaves in the coating)

Salt and pepper

For the coating flour

200g (7oz/11/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

3g (11/3 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves

3g (1/2 tsp) celery salt

2g (1/2 tsp) cracked pepper

10g (11/3 tbsp) onion powder

For the Bloody Mary butter

300ml (1/2 pint/11/4 cups) whipping or double (heavy) cream

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Tabasco

1 tsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the buttermilk brine together and coat the chicken well. Marinate for 12 hours sealed up or covered in the fridge.

Mix the coating flour ingredients together (and add any leftover panko breadcrumbs from the croquetas) and put in a shallow bowl.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and coat in the flour. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4), unless it’s already on for the cauliflower.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan over a medium heat and, in batches of two, seal the chicken pieces until golden on both sides. Transfer to a roasting pan and finish in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through, and the juices run clear.

To make the Bloody Mary butter, add all the ingredients to an electric mixer, and beat until light and fluffy.

Serve the fried chicken with radishes and a side of the whipped butter.