Going it alone

So, I did it. As those of you who have been reading my other posts may know, today was my first fully solo function, and I’m pleased to say that it went well. I’ll be honest - it was pretty stressful, and I didn’t make life easy for myself (more of that later), but I did it and it wasn’t a total disaster. Unfortunately, I was so focussed on making sure that everything was perfect, I didn’t have time to take any pictures. To give you an idea, some of the canapés included:

Honey roasted duck breast with mango chutney on a buckwheat blini

Roasted loin of lamb on mini Yorkshire puddings with minted gravy

White crab meat with lemon on granary crouton

Red pepper tart tatin

Honey, lime and chilli chicken brochette

Warm smoked salmon on potato rosti with dill crème fraiche

Dark chocolate cup filled with white chocolate mousse and peppermint

Today might have been easier if I had stayed in last night as planned and got an early night. Instead, I found myself heading out at 10.45pm to go for a friends’ birthday drinks. I had intended on only staying out for one, but then people started buying Jagerbombs. This meant I didn’t get to bed until 3am, which in turn meant that when my alarm went off at 8am I wasn’t feeling the best. However, I managed to avoid chundering on the client (result) and I was so stressed out by the time I got there I forgot how awful I felt. When I got home though, I desperately needed some food, and decided that it was time to make chocolate brownies. I had intended to make them on Friday, but instead I made a couple of tremendous vodka and tonics and lost my will to bake somewhat (very naive of me – Fridays are clearly not for baking).

As a result of not getting much sleep and focussing so hard at work today (can anyone else hear the smallest violin in the world playing somewhere in the distance?) all I want to do now is eat chocolate brownie and avoid watching the Antiques Roadshow before sloping off to bed (probably very soon). The brownies by the way are fantastic. The recipe is from Nigella Lawson ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’ and I’ve given it below. Don’t forget to undercook them, and you are meant to use walnuts instead of ‘Jordan’s Crunch’ but I don’t like walnuts. The choice is yours.

Ingredients:

375g soft, unsalted butter

375g good quality, dark chocolate (at least 70%)

6 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

500g castor sugar

225g flour

1 tsp salt

300g ‘Jordan’s Crunch’/granola, raisins and other fruit picked out

Heat the butter and chocolate until melted and put to one side to cool. Whisk the vanilla, sugar and eggs in a separate bowl. When cooled, mix the sugar and eggs into the chocolate and butter. Sieve the flour and a good pinch of salt (salt with chocolate is amazing) into the chocolate mix and beat in. Mix in the Jordan’s Crunch and pour into a buttered, lined tray. Put in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes (180/gas 5), and take out when the centre is still not fully cooked. These are best eaten still warm with an ice cold glass of milk. Enjoy.