Make now, enjoy later recipes

Smoked mackerel and horseradish pâté with caramelised butter

Pre-dinner nibbles are a must for any house party. This delicious mackerel pâté can be made in advance and is easy to serve. Serves 8 as a canapé.

Smoked mackerel and horseradish pâté with caramelised butter

• 300g–350g smoked mackerel fillets
• 200g cream cheese, full fat
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp hot horseradish cream
• Zest of half a lemon
• 100g butter

1. Discard the skin and any bones from the fish. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork.
2. Mix in the cream cheese, lemon and horseradish. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a pan on a low heat melt the butter.
4. Stirring and scraping the bottom often, cook until the butter goes foamy and has formed little brown specks, then remove from the heat.
5. Spoon the foam into the mackerel and gently pour the melted butter (minus 2 tablespoons) into a ramekin.
6. Mix the brown specks and the 2 tablespoons of butter into the mackerel and check the seasoning.
7. Spoon into a serving dish and flatten the top. Pour over the remaining melted butter and leave to chill in the fridge until the butter sets.
8. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving alongside a pile of oatcakes or savoury crackers.

Pheasant, armagnac and prune terrine

Pheasant, armagnac and prune terrine

Terrines are brilliant as an impressive starter that can be made ahead. Serves 8

• 100g soft prunes, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp armagnac
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil plus extra for greasing
• 100g shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 150g cooked chestnuts, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 pheasant breasts, skin off, cut into 1cm-thick strips
• 300g sausage meat
• 1 level tsp dried oregano
• 1 nutmeg, grated
• 12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
• You will need a 2lb loaf tin

1. Pre-heat oven to 140°C fan/Gas Mark 3.
2. Grease the tin with oil then line with cling film, allowing a 10cm overhang all around.
3. In a bowl soak the prunes in the armagnac and leave to one side.
4. Place a saucepan on a low to medium heat, add the butter, oil and shallots then season. Stirring often, gently cook until softened then add the chestnuts and cook for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
5. In a bowl add the pheasant, sausage meat, oregano, nutmeg, soaked prunes along with any excess liquid and the shallot mix. Season and mix well.
6. Line the cling-filmed tin with bacon, allowing the excess to drape over the sides.
7. Press in the terrine mix then fold over the ends of the bacon and wrap in the excess cling film. Cover well with thick foil.
8. Fill a deep roasting dish with just-boiled water and lower in the terrine (the water should come up 2/3 of the way).
9. Bake in the oven for 11/2 hours then remove the terrine from the water and let it cool.
10. Place another tin on top and use weights to press it down overnight in the fridge.
11. Remove the terrine from the dish 30 minutes before serving.

Venison, ricotta and mushroom lasagne

Venison, mushroom and ricotta lasagne

Is there a more comforting welcome than a huge dish of bubbling hot, cheesy lasagne? I think not. Serves 8. (Find more venison recipes here.)

• 1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 200g Portobello or chestnut mushrooms, medium to finely diced
• 6 tbsp rapeseed/ olive oil
• 1kg venison mince
• 50ml sloe gin
• 1 nutmeg, grated
• 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 250ml red wine

To assemble

• 1 tbsp rapeseed/ olive oil
• 15 dry lasagne sheets
• 500g ricotta
• 250g grated mozzarella
• 150g cheddar, grated
• 70g Parmesan, grated

1. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan on a medium heat. Season and, stirring often, cook for about 15 minutes so the vegetables soften.
2. In a frying pan on a medium heat add another 4 tablespoons of oil and the mince. Breaking up with a wooden spoon, season and then fry until any moisture has evaporated and the meat has begun to brown.
3. Once browned, scoop the mince into the cooked vegetable pot, deglaze the pan with sloe gin and pour over the vegetables.
4. Add the nutmeg, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, red wine and 600ml of water.
5. Bring to a simmer, partially cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check the seasoning and take off the heat.

To assemble

1. Fill a large, deep dish with just-boiled water and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil. Slip in the lasagne sheets and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes so they start to soften.
2. Spoon 1/5 of the meat sauce into the bottom of a large lasagne dish. Cover in a layer of lasagne sheets, spoon over the next layer of venison then dot over 125g of ricotta and a sprinkling of mozzarella.
3. Add another layer of lasagne sheets, venison then ricotta and mozzarella. Repeat until you have 4 layers of pasta.
4. Top with a final layer of venison, ricotta and mozzarella then sprinkle over the cheddar and Parmesan.

To cook straight away

Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Cook for 1 hour or until golden on top and piping hot in the middle.

To cook the next day

Leave to cool then cover well and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge and uncover 11/2 hours before cooking. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Loosely cover with foil and cook for 50 minutes then remove the foil and return to the oven for another 20 minutes so the top goes golden and the centre is cooked through.