Why settle for potato salad and sandwiches at your next picnic when you can up the ante with elaborate entrees like pistachio meringues and prawn cakes? In A Moveable Feast, food stylist Katy Holder cooks up unconventional dishes that will make it to your picnic site in one piece and that are perfect for outside feasts.
You can get the whole book of recipes on Amazon now, and check out a few of Holder’s creations with her descriptions below.
CHICKEN AND PORK PICNIC PIE
“This is a rich savory pie, the kind we used to take on picnics in England. It’s made up of layers of poached chicken, sausage meat and a bacon-and-sweet-corn stuffing, all encased in a delicious shortcrust pastry. For added flavor, I use sausage meat from sausages, rather than plain sausage meat.”
ITALIAN DELI-STUFFED LOAF
“Instead of making six separate sandwiches, make one large filled loaf and then slice it to serve — every slice is packed full of flavorsome ingredients. To save time you could buy the chargrilled vegetables from a deli or supermarket, although I usually prefer to make my own. You could also use an oblong loaf if you can’t find a round one.”
PISTACHIO MERINGUES WITH CARAMEL FILLING
“I love meringues; they’re a favorite from Sunday afternoon tea when I was a child. Instead of the traditional cream filling, I’ve filled these ones with caramel. Look for caramel in a tin in the baking section of supermarkets, or you can easily make your own caramel using condensed milk.”
PRAWN CAKES WITH CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE
“These prawn cakes are delicious eaten hot or cold. If going on a picnic, chill them before leaving and keep them chilled until it’s time to eat. For a barbecue, take them raw and cook them on-site, serving them hot. You could also try wrapping them in lettuce leaves to serve.”
SMOKY CORN AND AVOCADO MEXICAN BITES
“Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. This one came to me when I had to quickly pull something together for a group of friends who came round at late notice. Round tortilla chips make a better platform for the topping, but this recipe will work with triangular ones as well, although you’d probably use less filling on each.”
Excerpted with permission from A Moveable Feast by Katy Holder, published by Hardie Grant Books April 2017, RRP $24.99 hardcover.
April 25, 2017 – 1:00am