Dinner party: Bonfire Banquet

This week we’ll see and hear our fair share of firework displays, eat an obscene number of toffee apples and huddle around bonfires watching a (straw) man set alight. But before you brave the cold to go and write your name with a sparkler, why not treat yourself and your family and friends to a dinner party that will be sure set them up for the celebrations.

Bonfire Banquet 

For starters

Crispy Bacon and Egg Bonfire with Rocket and Fiery Dressing

What came next

Bangers, Butternut Squash and Potato Casserole with Chilli and Goats Cheese Catherine Wheel Dumplings.

Save the best till last

Chocolate Orange Brownie Cake with Caramel Sauce

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Crispy Bacon and Egg Bonfire with Rocket and Fiery Dressing

This starter is so simple to put together but really packs a punch. The bacon should be as crispy as you can get it without burning so that you can assemble a sturdy bonfire.

What you’ll need:

12 rashers streaky bacon
6 eggs
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
90g bag of rocket, washed
Salt
Black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard (English or Dijon, depending on how fiery you like it)
Squeeze of lemon juice

What you’ll need to do:

1. Put the bacon rashers under a pre-heated grill on high and grill until they are a deep pink colour and look brittle. Be sure to keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. Once crispy, remove and place on a plate covered with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.
2. Leave to cool slightly before thinly slicing lengthways to create the twigs for your bonfire. Don’t worry if some of the twigs snap – these bits can be finely chopped and sprinkled over the finished starter.
3. Prepare the dressing by mixing the mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
4. Assemble the bonfire bases by piling a handful of rocket on to each plate, as high as possible. Carefully place the bacon twigs in a teepee shape on top of the rocket.
5. Poach each egg for 1-2 minutes, until the white is cooked and the yolk remains runny.
6. Carefully remove the eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and immediately place on top of your bacon bonfires. The bonfire will collapse a little, but don’t panic!
7. Just before serving, make a small slash in the egg so that the yolk runs out over the bonfire and top with the crushed bacon bits, black pepper and the fiery dressing.

Bangers, Butternut Squash and Potato Casserole with Chilli and Goats Cheese Catherine Wheel Dumplings

This is comfort food at its best – succulent sausages, a rich sauce and plenty of delicious veg. The Catherine wheel dumplings are a fun addition to a staple cold-weather main and really make the dish one you can be proud to serve to family and friends.

What you’ll need:

12 Sausages
2 rashers streaky bacon
2 onions, finely chopped
2 gloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into large chunks
2 baking potatoes, chopped into large chunks
400ml apple juice
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
2-3 sage leaves, finely chopped
Small bunch thyme leaves, stalks removed
300ml water
175g self raising flour
75g shredded suet
50g soft goats cheese
1 tbsp chilli powder
Salt
Black pepper

What you’ll need to do:

1. Brown the sausages in a large saucepan for 5 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon, onions, garlic, butternut squash and potato with a small knob of butter and fry until the onions have softened.
2. Add the sausages back into the pan along with the apple juice, tomatoes, stock cube, sage, thyme and water and simmer for about 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
3. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, suet and 200ml cold water in a large mixing bowl to form a soft dough. Add the water little by little to make sure that your finished dough doesn’t end up too wet or too dry (you may not need to use 200ml – this is a guide).
4. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 0.5cm thick on a floured surface. Top with the goats cheese, chilli powder, salt, pepper and a little thyme. Fold the dough from one of the short ends into a swiss roll shape. Cover in cling film and leave in the fridge until the stew is ready to go into the oven.
5. Transfer the casserole into an oven-proof dish. Remove the dumpling swiss roll from the fridge. Take off the clingfilm and cut into 3cm thick pieces and lay on top of the casserole face-up to reveal the Catherine wheel design. Do this until the entire casserole is covered. Place in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the casserole has thickened and the dumplings are cooked.

Chocolate Orange Brownie Cake with Caramel Sauce

This decadent dessert is every chocaholic’s dream and the bitterness of the dark chocolate ensures that those with a not-so-sweet tooth will enjoy it too. A great idea would be to serve the cake at the table with cake sparklers to give your guests a dessert to remember.

What You’ll Need:

200g butter, cubed
Zest of 2 oranges
150g dark chocolate, chopped
150g dark chocolate with orange, chopped
4 eggs
650g caster sugar
100g plain flour
100ml double cream

What you’ll need to do:

1. Place the butter, chocolate and orange zest in a saucepan and melt together on a low heat, constantly stirring the mixture so that it doesn’t burn. Once melted, turn off the heat and leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place 350g of sugar and the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until the mixture is thick and pale.
3. Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate until combined. Tip into a buttered oven-proof dish and bake at 160˚C for 45 minutes. It should still be a little gooey in the middle if a skewer is inserted into it.
4. For the caramel sauce, place 300g of sugar in a saucepan and melt on a medium heat. Do not be tempted to take your eye off of it as it will turn into caramel very suddenly. Once it has turned a golden brown with a caramel consistency, stir in the cream and transfer the mixture to a heat-proof jug and leave to cool.
5. Serve the brownie cake with the caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream if you fancy!

The verdict from my dinner guests:

“The starter was pretty simple but it looked great on the plate and really got you into the spirit of Bonfire Night” – Jonny

“The dumplings were great for mopping any leftover sauce and the pudding was also delicious. It was quite rich though so I could only manage a small portion!” – Emily

Little Extras

As my dinner party was based on Bonfire Night, it had to involve some kind of sparkler. Cake sparklers are really easy to find and are a cheap way of making a big impact. Be sure to use the special cake ones though, and steer clear of the ones only intended for outdoor use.

Colours such as purple, blue and silver work brilliantly with the theme – in fact anything bright or metallic would do the trick. I bought some high quality wrapping paper sheets to form my table runner and sprinkled the table with metallic star-shaped confetti. I finished off the table with some tea lights placed in clear jam jars. Candles are a great way to create a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, and you can use as few or as many as you like.

Laura McLeish