Little nibbles for any occasion

When entertaining, sometimes Pringles and a bowl of pick 'n' mix just won't do. I'm sure the queen wouldn't mind cheese and pineapple on sticks. I'm sure Kate and Wills have their fill of pickled onions and party sausages all the time. But some people just need a bit more, y'know?

So Apres London, a quirky little bar just outside London's Selfridges on Oxford Street, has shared a few of their moresome nibble recipes with you, the reader. Oh, and about the mushrooms, I'm no fan of them. I think they have the texture of snails and their flavour's ok but nothing to write home about. However THESE mushrooms are something else. Trust me.

Each can be served in its own unique way. Why not mix it up with charity-shop china plates, thick wooden chopping boards or bamboo mats?

Mini Portobello mushroom and risotto nibbles

Make your mushroom risotto. Dice one onion and a handful of Portobello mushrooms. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and cook the onion for 5 mins. Add mushrooms and a handful chopped pine nuts and cook for a further 5 mins. Stir in the rice and cook until all the juices have been absorbed. Add 1 litre white wine a ladleful at a time. Stir and wait for most of the wine to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful. It'll take about 20 mins for all the stock to be added.

Meanwhile, crush two cloves of garlic and mix with olive oil. Cover 10-15 Portobello mushrooms with the oil mix and roast for 20 minutes. Spoon the risotto onto the mushrooms and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the risotto forms a slight crust.

Add a shaved Parmesan slice and serve on a plate garnished with micro herbs.

Chip shop chips

These chip shop chips are essentially triple-cooked chips but the final cooking period is reduced so the finished product is a mix of soft and crispy. Just like the chip shop. Use Maris Piper potatoes, thick cut to about 15mm, skins off. Rinse thoroughly to remove any excess starch then simmer in salted water until the potatoes begin to flake. Drain, cool and dry out in the freezer for at least an hour.

Once cooled, fry at at 130C for 8 minutes, or until the colour of the potato changes to a delicate blonde.
Dry on paper towels and then place in the freezer again for at least an hour.

For the final cooking process, fry for 2 minutes at 185C, drain and spray with malt vinegar from an atomiser.

Serve in a shallow bowl lined with grease proof paper, a ramekin of ketchup, and the essential chip fork.

Duck pancakes

Make a stock of plum sauce, Hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, chopped ginger, pineapple juice and lychee juice. Remove the skin of four duck legs and braise in the sauce until cooked. When the duck is done,
pull it apart and shred, then cool.

Steam the packcakes using a bamboo steamer. Fill each pancake with a spoonful of the shredded duck, julienne mango, spring onion & cucumber; coriander and red amaranth micro herbs and a touch of hoisin sauce.

Laura is the editor of six out of ten. She has a background in journalism and PR, and loves nothing more than writing. Well. Maybe she loves Eddie Vedder a bit more (a lot more). She lives with her boy and her boycat in a house in Essex. Her favourite things are red lip stains (lipsticks never last), sweet cocktails and fresh, new notebooks.