Chicory Boats and Chic Pigs in Blankets: Yotam Ottolenghi's Party Cooking Recipes

It's the holiday season, which, paradoxically, is when everyone shares their "rules"! Contradiction or otherwise, here are mine: 1. When it comes to party food, go for the classics. 2. Serve food that can be eaten by hand or put in a container that can be eaten itself – the dishes, done! 3. When in doubt, spruce up your food: This is the season pomegranate seeds were made for. 4. Take shortcuts where you can (extraction of those pomegranate seeds isn't for everyone, after all). 5. Dial in the salty-salty ingredients - your mulled wine-drinking guests will thank you. 6. Last but not least, never never underestimate the lasting power of a bacon-wrapped sausage.

Chicory punnets with feta, walnuts and pomegranate (top photo)

Filling can be done two or three hours before assembly, if you want to get ahead. Another option is to serve the filling on its own, as a dip, or spooned into pre-cooked pastry cases (whisper: vol-au-vents).

Preparation 20 minCooking 15 minAssembly 10 minServes 15

165g walnuts1 tbsp maple syrup ½ tbsp olive oilSea salt flakes and black pepper15g coriander leaves15g leaves dill 15g mint leaves 6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (125g )100g crumbled feta cheese165g cream cheese100g cucumber, grated and pressed 130g pomegranate seeds (i.e. 1 pomegranate) 4 heads of red and white chicory, leaves separated oven at 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Mix 65g walnuts in a small bowl with the maple syrup, oil olive oil and a teaspoon of flaked sea salt, then arrange them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 hours. minutes, stirring every five minutes, until deeply browned and sticky. Remove, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then coarsely chop.

Put the remaining 100g walnuts in a food processor along with all the herbs and spring onions and blend until until they are coarsely chopped. Pour into a large bowl, add the feta, cream cheese, cucumber, three-quarters teaspoon flaked sea salt and a good ground pepper, and mix well. Stir in 120g pomegranate seeds.

To assemble, divide the filling between the chicory leaves - you will need a teaspoon or two of the mixture on each leaf - then arrange cleverly on a platter. Scatter the chopped walnuts and remaining pomegranate seeds on top, and serve.

Pomegranate and pistachio sticky pigs in blankets

For a quick shortcut, use ready-made chipolatas in bacon.

< p class="dcr-18sg7f2">Prep 10 minCooking 45 ...