Rachel believes that starters should be stylish enough to kick off your dinner party in style without detracting from the main event or being too filling. Here Rachel has put together a few of her favourite starters each of which can rustled up beforehand – after all, dinner parties should be about spending time with your guests rather than slaving over a hot stove!
She’s been careful to use seasonal ingredients and tailor each starter according to the time of year. For example Sausage Eggs Benedict makes a great starter for a winter dinner party whereas Piccolo Parsnip Fritters with Blue Cheese Dip is just the thing for al-fresco summer dining.
Chic starters to kick off your dinner party in style.
Sausage Eggs Benedict Serves 4 Ingredients 8 good quality pork sausages 8 eggs 1 tsp white wine vinegar 4 English muffins Softened butter Hollandaise Sauce 4 egg yolks 2 tbsp
Piccolo Parsnip Fritters with Colston Bassett Blue Cheese Cream Dip Ingredients 500g Piccolo parsnips, washed, trimmed and cut into chunks 50g butter 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 medium
Pea & Roasted Garlic Soup Serves 4 Ingredients 4 heads of garlic 2 tbsp olive oil 50g butter 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 kg frozen peas 1 litre vegetable
