Last-minute Entertaining Is Easy As A Picnic

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday December 23, 2008

Conrad Walters

No-fuss fare is a great solution for those unexpected holiday guests, writes Conrad Walters.

JUST when you've finished shopping for gifts and thought you might enjoy a silent night, the telephone brings unexpected news: all your relatives have decided to have a last-minute get together and you, lucky you, are expected to play host.

What do you do? Good Living sought emergency help for suggestions, depending on what you're doing and where you're going. But, given that it's summer, we'll head first to the beach for a picnic with ethnic flavours.

"When you go on a picnic, you sort of have a bit of everything, really," says Angelo Zanetti, the owner of Zanetti 5 Star Delicatessen in Haberfield.

He says an Italian meal on the beach starts with crusty bread and condiments such as artichokes, olives, semi-dried tomatoes and cheeses.

Among his newer products is a goat's cheese infused with red wine but he also recommends madurado, which is a combination of cow, goat and sheep milks. For meats, he'd select prosciutto, a sopressa salami and sliced turkey breast for a seasonal touch.

As for a beachside beverage, try chinotto, the Italian-style cola, or aranciata rossa, a carbonated blood orange drink.

For more of a Spanish style, Robert Wilson of Delicado Foods, McMahons Point, starts with cava - Spanish bubbles, which ranges from $18 to $95. Other choices include pre-mixed sangria, one of the Spanish beers on stock or, for dessert, a Moscatel.

Paella, with meat or seafood, is ideal for a main. "I'm more of a seafood person, especially if we're down by the water," Wilson says.

He'd also include jamon and cheeses, such as valdeon or manchego, and pickled white anchovies. Lastly, for dessert, take some churros and chocolate sauce for dipping.

"The good thing about most Spanish foods is it's small stuff."

If you'd rather opt for a Greek theme, Christina Calligas at Lamia Super Deli, in Marrickville, nominates olives, dolmades, double-smoked ham and a variety of cheeses, such as manouri and feta.

Other ingredients to consider include salami, sardines, beans, bread and tomatoes.

But if you think the beach might be too crowded, a backyard barbecue can still have plenty of scope beyond the usual snags and steaks.

Colin Holt, the owner of Hudson Meats, recommends boned and marinated shoulders, or legs. He also sells a variety of meats such as lamb mini-roasts and chicken breasts. They typically come with ingredients such as cous cous, or mushrooms, or celery stuffing, wrapped in panchetta.

"So they're all ready to go and you can either bake them or roast them," Holt says of the shops in Surry Hills and Cammeray

For a seafood barbecue, John Susman, owner of the Blue Harvest seafood marketing company, says it's important to pick items that can withstand the "typical, summer lackadaisical nature of holiday mode".

He suggests Hiramasa kingfish, farmed in South Australia.

"The cutlets have a lot of tolerance, particularly for a barbie," he says.

"It allows you to turn your head away and have that extra half glass of chardonnay."

Wild king prawns are another great choice, he says. Split them down the middle, marinate them in olive oil and cook them shell-side down so they steam in their own shell. He also suggests cooking mussels on a grill plate, which will allow them to steam open in their own juices.

Lastly, he offers baby octopus, marinated in olive oil and red wine, maybe with dried Greek oregano. "That can take a nice high heat but not for too long."

Vegetables, too, provide lots of opportunities for barbecues, says Scott Cooley, of Ripe Grocer in Mona Vale.

He suggested kebabs supplemented with capsicums, shallots, swiss brown or portabello mushrooms. And prawns, or octopus, in between can offer a change from the usual.

A side salad can fill out the meal. "One that pops into mind at this time of year is rocket and mango salad," he said. Use bunches of rocket, not wild rocket, and slice the mango into chunks, then add ginger and lime with balsamic vinegar.

And if that sounds like more work than you've got the energy for, Sonia Cousins, manager of GPO Cheese & Wine, says one classic option during the festive season is a bottle of sparkling wine with a brie, such as Brillat Savarin.

"It's a very rich decadent French triple-cream cheese," she says.

For a salad, she suggests matching a marinated feta, roasted beetroot and walnuts with a rose or sauvignon blanc. Another Christmassy option would be a blue cheese, such as a stilton, with muscat or port.

For a cocktail party, little tarts with balsamic onions and melted gruyere cheese goes beautifully with a pinot noir.

Katina Bogue, at Con's Deli in Beecroft, says people often arrive seeking advice on a platter. An antipasto plate typically includes salami and prosciutto, surrounded with a mix of roasted vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, olives and the business' own marinated artichokes and mushrooms.

"Serve it with some nice crusty bread and a glass of wine - perfect," she says.

At De'Lish in Lindfield, Vicky Jorgensen offers a range of dips including tzatziki, smoky baba ghanoush and a roasted carrot.

Other options include marinated olives with yoghurt cheese, smoked trout and sweet potato chips.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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