Neven Maguire's foolproof Christmas starters

With less than three weeks to Christmas Day, Neven Maguire shares his top tips for a successful meal.

"The main thing," he says, "is to prepare as much as you can in advance. I do the stuffing and ham glaze a few days ahead and I cook the ham two days ahead and keep in the fridge."

And his advice for Christmas starters?

"Keep it simple. There is a big meal ahead. I like something quick, easy and tasty like sizzling prawns and chorizo. Or the traditional crab or prawn cocktail."

Christmas Day for Neven will be the traditional turkey and ham with all the trimmings, and then 'Auntie Maureen’s plum pudding with lashings of cream'. 

"We start at around 3 in the afternoon," he says. "It is usually a big family day with lots of people at the table, but this year it will be just the four of us. We will thoroughly enjoy it, but I look forward to Christmas 2021 when hopefully we can get back to the big crowd."

As it has been for so many others 2020 has been a tough year - but Neven is still looking ahead to a brighter 2021.

"We just tried to cope with each situation as it arose," he says. "Our priorities were our staff and customers. Our staff put in a lot of effort and extra training to make sure our customers felt safe and the feedback was good during the period we were allowed to open. It was difficult for everybody, but our hearts go out to people who lost loved ones during the year and are facing into a lonely Christmas.

"We learned how to be creative in 2020 because we had to. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be doing demonstrations on ZOOM but it has worked well and we will do more of that. I enjoyed spending more time than usual with the family and doing less travel and I am going to continue that. I look forward to putting 2020 behind us like a very bad dream."

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Stacks.

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Stacks 

This is a great starter to have on Christmas Day as it can be made well in advance and will sit happily in the fridge for up to 8 hours. 

Everyone loves the combination of smoked salmon and brown bread, and this is something just a wee bit different.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 x 200g (7oz) tub of cream cheese 
• 2 tbsp finely diced cucumber (peeled and seeded) 
• 1 tbsp finely diced radish 
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives 
• 2 tsp horseradish sauce 
• 1 tsp prepared English mustard 
• 12–18 slices of brown soda bread (each about 3–5mm (1/8–¼in) thick) 
• 1 x 200g (7oz) packet of smoked salmon slices 
• sea salt and freshly ground white pepper 
• lightly dressed mixed salad leaves, to garnish 

For the pickled red onion:

• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar 
• 2 tbsp caster sugar 
• 1 red onion, cut into fine wedges 

METHOD:

Put the cream cheese in a bowl and mix in the cucumber, radish, chives, horseradish sauce and mustard. Season to taste.

Stamp or cut out rounds from the soda bread that are each about 6cm (2¼in) in diameter – you’ll need three for each stack. Repeat with the smoked salmon.

To make the pickled red onion, put the vinegar in a bowl and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Add the onion wedges and toss to coat. Cover with cling film and set aside for at least 10 minutes, or up to 8 hours is fine.

To serve, place a round of soda bread on each plate. Top each one with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture, followed by a round of smoked salmon. Repeat until you have three layers in each stack. Add a spoonful of the pickled red onion and garnish with the salad to serve.

Crispy Goats’ Cheese with Roasted Beetroot, Cranberries, Watercress & Caramelised Walnuts 

Neven's starters are perfect for Christmas.

This is a great vegetarian starter. It’s worth seeking out a good-quality Irish goats’ cheese such as Corleggy or Ryefield.

SERVES 4 

INGREDIENTS:

• 50g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs 
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley 
• 2 tsp toasted pine nuts, finely chopped 
• 2 tsp sesame seeds 
• 2 eggs 
• 50g (2oz) plain flour 
• 4 x 4cm (1½in) thick slices of goats’ cheese (from a log with a 7.5cm (3in) diameter) 
• groundnut oil, for deep-frying 
• 100g (4oz) fresh watercress 
• 50g (2oz) dried cranberries juice of ½ lemon 

For the roasted beetroot:

• 675g (1½lb) small beetroot, scrubbed and tops trimmed (each about 75g (3oz)) 
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for the dressing 

For the caramelised walnuts:

• 2 tbsp butter 100g (4oz) walnut halves 
• 2 tbsp maple syrup sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and mix with the parsley, nuts, sesame seeds and seasoning.

Beat the eggs in a separate dish and season lightly. Put the flour on a plate and season. Lightly coat the goats’ cheese in the seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten egg, shaking off any excess.

Finally, coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Chill on a tray lined with parchment paper for at least 30 minutes (or overnight is fine) to firm up.

To roast the beetroot, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/gas mark 7). Put the beetroot in a roasting tin with the thyme and drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and oil. Season, then cover with tin foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour, until the beets can be pierced easily with a knife. Leave to cool, then cut into quarters and toss back into the cooking juices.

To caramelise the walnuts, melt the butter in a frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and toss to coat, then drizzle over the maple syrup and stir for a minute or two, until caramelised. Spread on a piece of parchment paper to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Heat the groundnut oil in a deep-sided pan or deep-fat fryer to 180°C (350°F) and cook the coated goats’ cheese for 3 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Drain well, then put on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper and bake in the oven for another 3–4 minutes to completely heat through.

Meanwhile, arrange the watercress on plates with the cranberries and lightly dress with rapeseed oil and some lemon juice. Scatter the roasted beetroot on top with the caramelised walnuts and finish each one with a piece of crispy goats’ cheese.