Mary Berry’s Summer Risotto dinner party menu

Jumbo Prawns with Aioli

Aioli is a garlic mayonnaise from Provence and is a delicious dip for a variety of dishes. If you did not want to make your own mayonnaise you could buy some and add garlic, salt and pepper, little lemon juice and a little crème fraiche.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked jumbo prawns in their shells
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Lemon wedges and flat-leaf parsley to garnish

For the Aioli
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon mustard powder
150ml (1/4 pint) olive oil
About 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method
Make the aioli in a small bowl. Beat the garlic, salt and pepper, egg yolk and mustard powder together and beat well. Whisk in the oil, drop by drop, whisking continuously until the mixture is thick and smooth and all the oil has been incorporated. Beat in the lemon juice to taste and add pepper and salt.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on the boiling plate, add the prawns and toss over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until the shells are bright pink. Remove the prawns from the frying pan and drain on a paper towel.

Arrange the warm prawns on a plate with the aioli, and garnish with wedges of lemon and chopped parsley. Serve with warm bread.

Summer Risotto (v)

This is a vegetarian risotto – if you want a meaty one add 150g (5oz) of bacon lardons that have been fried until crisp, add at the end.

Ingredients
(Serves 6)
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red peppers, cut into 2 cm (1”) cubes
150ml (1/4 pint) white wine
350g (12oz) risotto rice
About 900ml (11/2 pints) hot vegetable stock
350g (12oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 x 5g (2oz) bag rocket, roughly chopped
50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a deep non-stick frying pan on the boiling plate. Add the onion, garlic and peppers and fry for a few minutes.

Add the wine and boil on the boiling plate until it has evaporated by half. Add the rice and stirring continuously, gradually add the boiling stock. Cover with a lid and transfer to the simmering oven for about 15 minutes or until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy, stir occasionally. 

Just before the rice is cooked add the tomatoes, honey, vinegar and rocket and season well.

Serve with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Chocolate and Orange Pavlova

A luxury pavlova of light, crisp meringue filled with a rich chocolate and orange mixture.

Ingredients
(Serves 6-8)
For the Pavlova
3 egg whites
6oz (175g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour

For the filling
4oz (100g) Bournville chocolate
2oz (50g) caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
3 egg yolks
Grated rind of 1 small orange
1 tablespoon orange juice
300ml (½ pint) double cream, lightly whipped

A few maltesers and icing sugar to decorate

You will need a 23cm (9”) circle drawn out on a piece of non-stick baking parchment.

Method
Measure the egg whites into a large clean bowl, using an electric beater whisk until stiff, gradually add the sugar a teaspoon at a time, whisk on maximum speed until the sugar is incorporated and the meringue is stiff and shiny. This can also be made in a freestanding mixer (but not a magimix). Slake the vinegar and cornflour together in a small bowl and mix until smooth, stir into the meringue.

Spoon onto the baking parchment, the size of the circle, making the shape slightly hollow in the centre but higher at the sides.

Transfer it to the simmering oven for about 1½ hours or until cooked and the pavlova comes away easily from the paper.

To make the filling break the chocolate into cubes and drop into a processor bowl, whiz for a minute until nearly a powder. Dissolve the sugar in the water on the simmering plate, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Transfer it to boiling plate and boil for a few minutes. Start the processor again, and carefully pour the hot syrup onto the chocolate until smooth (if a little unmelted chocolate remains, add a little boiling water). Add the eggs, orange rind and juice and whiz again for a few seconds.

If you’re not using a processor, grate the chocolate and beat in the remaining ingredients. Fold in the lightly whipped cream. Pile into the cooled pavlova and set aside in the fridge.

Serve with maltesers and dusting of icing sugar