Halloween Canapés

For most of us Halloween conjures up visions of ghoulish green drinks, wine gum worms and peeled grapes masquerading as eye balls. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of childish fun, but many of us prefer the occasion to be a little more sophisticated – here is a selection of grown up recipes.

Caviar baskets

You will need:
20 pastry baskets
4 egg whites
100g black lumpfish caviar

Scramble the egg whites, leave to cool and spoon into the baskets
Top with a neat spoonful of black caviar and serve

Steak with seaweed 

You will need:
1 fillet steak, cooked rare and rested
Seaweed spaghetti (or squid ink spaghetti)
8-10 blackberries

Cook the pasta according to the packet, cool and dress with oil
Serve topped with a thin slice of steak and a blackberry

Aioli with prawns 

You will need:

20 prawns
100ml aioli
50g black olives

Simply arrange the prawns around the edge of the bowl of aioli, topped with chopped black olives (which can be crisped up in the oven at 100C for an hour, adding a nice crunch)

Mock Borscht in a glass

Makes 4 small glasses
You will need:

200ml beetroot juice
4 tablespoons of soured cream
Sprinkling of fresh pepper
4 spoonfuls of caviar to decorate

Simply spoon the soured cream into the bottom of 4 glasses
Pour the juice around it to avoid disturbing the cream too much
Decorate with black pepper and caviar

Bloody Mary

Makes 1-2
You will need:

50ml of vodka
150ml tomato juice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Tabasco sauce (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Large pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated horseradish
Pinch of ground black cardamom

Thoroughly combine the ingredients and serve over ice

Oyster shooters

Makes 4
You will need:

4 raw or cooked oysters
1 small cooked beetroot
80ml chilli vodka
Gold leaf to decorate

Cube the beetroot and place in the bottom of 4 shot glasses
Place the oyster on top, then top up the glass with vodka
Decorate with the gold leaf

Black Russian

You will need:

40ml vodka
40ml Cold brew coffee liquor

Mix and serve over ice