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A Gorgeous Galentine's Special
Two recipes for you and your gals
Wanting to impress your friends this Galentine's? Look no further. Below are two exclusive excerpts from Table for Two and Flower Porn for you and the gals to get stuck into...
Spaghetti and Meatballs
350g (12oz) lean minced (ground) pork
a splash of olive oil, plus extra for greasing
½ large white onion, finely chopped
½ tsp dried chilli flakes (crushed red pepper flakes)
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 slice of white bread, about 50g (1¾oz)
100ml (6½ tbsp) whole milk
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1½ tsp sea salt
1 recipe quantity Tomato Sauce (see p.146)
250g dried spaghetti
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
basil leaves, to serve
Method:
Start by making the meatballs. Put the pork in a large mixing
bowl and set aside.
Pour a splash of olive oil into a large sauté pan on a medium
heat, add the onion, chilli, fennel seeds and nutmeg and cook
for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir
in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, then
take the pan off the heat and let the onion mix cool.
Toast the bread until deep golden, then place in a shallow bowl
and pour the milk over. Let the toast soak until softened, then
roughly tear into small pieces and add to the bowl containing
the pork. Mix in the egg, cooled onion mix, parsley and salt.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out even-sized balls of the pork mix
and roll each one in your hands to make 25–30 tiny meatballs,
then place on an oiled or lined tray and chill for at least 1 hour.
When you’re ready to cook, heat the oven to 180°C fan
(400°F/Gas 6). Place the meatballs, spaced out on a lined
baking tray, and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, start the tomato sauce, following the instructions
on page 147. Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them
to the sauce and simmer with the lid off for a further
20 minutes, until they take on the flavour of the sauce.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti in a big pot
of boiling salted water following the packet instructions, then
drain and add to the sauce. Toss until combined and serve
piled into 2 bowls, topped with the Parmesan and basil leaves.
Coconut Ice - Spiralled Bouquet
2 stems anthurium 'Aspire'
3 stems hydrangea, white
4 stems gypsophila, white
7 stems rose 'White O'Hara'
3 stems rose 'Secret Garden'
5 stems anthurium 'Tropic Night'
5 stems genista, white
5 stems chrysanthemum 'Anthonov'
3 stems asparagus fern, dyed burgundy/brown
How To Do It:
Start by holding your two structural anthuriums, then add each of your hydrangaes at a 45-degree angle, rotating the boquet 180-degrees with each new bloom. Add your small gypsophilia stems in a cluster to the right, then group the roses together to sit above the gypsophilia . Finish by adding the asparaus fern, weaving it between the other flowers. Twist the asparagus fern flower heads around other stems to manipulate where it sits.
