Cork Food: Tips and advice for effortless entertaining from the experts

Love the idea of a festive gathering with tasty bites, drinks and great company... but hate the idea of yet more cooking?

Four cookery school tutors share their top tips for effortless festive entertaining!

Finola Crowley, Finola’s Cookery School

www.instagram.com/finolascookeryschool

Finola hosts cookery classes for children and young adults, instilling confidence to cook by teaching simple, enjoyable home-cooked meals and treats. Here’s her advice...

A favourite Christmas memory is visiting our neighbours on Christmas Eve.

It was always simple food: a cold plate, slices of Christmas or Porter Cake, and a glass of Tanora!

Keep It Simple

A cheese or charcuterie board looks impressive but is very easy to assemble, making the most of Cork produce.

Pizza pinwheels are a firm party favourite, keeping a packet of ready-to-use puff pastry in the freezer means you’re always ready to go!

Kitchen Gadgets

Use slow cookers to batch-cook curries or stews. Air fryers are great for defrosting and reheating party foods. Prep ahead, make double, and store in the freezer!

Get Kids Baking!

Kids love making Mini-Chocolate Biscuit Cake Puddings. Another winner is Cookie Dough Slice and Bake Logs, which can be made ahead and frozen until needed. Slice into rounds and bake in the oven for fresh cookies.

Get Organised

Decide your menu and stick to it! It doesn’t have to be elaborate because spending time with your guests is more important than the food.

Deirdre Doyle, The Cool Food School

Deirdre’s superpowers include getting children cooking for fun and finding hacks to get them eating more vegetables, even at Christmas! Here she shares some advice...

It’s unlikely little ones will be in the kitchen making the gravy or stir-frying the sprouts at Christmas, but they can help prep some easy starters. Here are some simple starter ideas to try with your kids.

Veggies & Hummus

My kids have made the Christmas crudité platter for years and have hours of fun peeling and chopping veggies. Pinterest has tonnes of inspiration for theming your festive veggie platter. Serve with hummus.

Fruit Salad & Greek Yoghurt

Kids can peel oranges, chop melon and grapes to create a colourful fruit salad. Serve with Greek yoghurt made fancy with vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup. The kids can take charge of mixing this, putting everything in bowls and bringing to the table as a light starter or simple dessert.

Guacamole & Homemade Tortilla Chips

Kids might need some help cutting avocados open but let them scoop out the flesh, mash it and add a squeeze of lime, some salt and pepper and a dash of smoked paprika.

Use wholemeal wraps to make tortilla chips by cutting into triangles with a pizza cutter, toss in a little oil and flavourings (smoked paprika, garlic powder) into an air fryer for a few minutes and serve!

Corinne Austin, Corinne’s Cookery School, Tower

www.corrinneskitchen.ie

Corinne is a private chef based in Tower, Co. Cork. Her South African heritage influences her flavourful menus, using quality ingredients with a focus on artisan, Irish produce. 

Here are her top tips...

The answer to achieving effortless entertaining around Christmas is being well prepared. The best way to do that is by making the most of your freezer.

Fill up your freezer with…

• Homemade mince pies, ready to bake.
• Ready-baked savoury tartlet bases you can pull out, fill (e.g. apple, cranberry, onion, brie), and pop into the oven for 10 minutes.
• Ready-baked sweet tartlet pastry cases you can pull out, pop in a filling (e.g. lemon curd, fresh berries, piped Chantilly cream).

Stock up on a few snack essentials such as roasted nuts, dried fruit, chocolates, crisps, crackers and artisan cheeses.

Have drinks and plenty of ice ready for any unexpected visitors.

Try this festive looking super simple Raspberry Mojito…

Ingredients

• Ice 10 fresh raspberries
• 1 lime chopped into large chunks
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• White rum
• Sparkling water to serve.

Method

• Divide raspberries, lime and sugar between two hi-ball glasses. 
• Gently crush the fruit. 
• Bruise the mint leaves and drop into glasses. 
• Add plenty of ice and rum, stir and top up with sparkling water.

Darina Allen, Ballymaloe Cookery School

www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie

Darina shares ideas for cocktail party nibbles that celebrate timeless flavours, inspired from her A Simply Delicious Christmas cookery book.

Basics

Stock the larder with tinned sardines, anchovy, cured meats, cheeses, crackers.

Have a mix of cold and hot bites made ahead, needing only a little reheating.

Lighten the load with a Potluck party. Guests bring something to share, and you have more time to be a great host!

Don’t forget to include something sweet.

Canapes 

Mackerel Pate; Cucumber with Anchovy; Gravadlax; Mussels; Prawns on Brown Bread with Mayonnaise; Oysters.

Cheese Croquettes made ahead, cook in an air fryer, serve with Ballymaloe Relish.

Mini Yorkshire Puddings with slices of Spiced Beef and Horseradish.

Sweet Pea Guacamole (made using frozen peas) with tortilla chips.

Sausages rolled in honey, chilli and wholegrain mustard.

Baked rounds of Gubbeen or Milleens Cheese with Joe’s Farm Crisps for dipping.

Ahead of time, make seasonal vegetable soups served warm in shot glasses with a garnish.

Rice Paper Spring Rolls filled with crunchy veggies, cooked prawns or chicken, served with dipping sauce.

Drinks Punchbowls are easy and people can help themselves!

Mulled wine, craft beer and cider are good to have on standby.

Non-alcoholic options like locally made water kefir and kombucha.

Sweets - fresh and sorbet-like, Frosted Tangerines or Clementines can be made ahead.

Peel and slice Ruby Grapefruit, arrange on platters with pomegranate seeds and drizzled with Campari.

Make Ahead Sticky Toffee Pudding: Just before serving, slightly warm the pudding and make a toffee sauce to pour over. Serve with whipped cream.

Poached pears with saffron is a great standby dessert as they keep for two weeks in the fridge.

The answer to achieving effortless entertaining around Christmas is being well prepared. 

The best way to do that is by making the most of your freezer.