Video LoadingVideo UnavailableClick to playTap to playThe video will auto-play soon8CancelPlay nowAs the resident chef on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, chef Theo Michaels has proved popular with daytime TV viewers who’ll be pleased to hear about his new book. Featuring an array of delicious recipes and sharing menus designed to feed 6–8 people the appropriately titled SHARE: Delicious Platters & Boards for Social Dining provides inspiration for relaxed, sociable eating. Theo, a Masterchef semi-finalist, has always loved food and says, “my cooking began at a very young age; being Greek Cypriot our life revolves around the kitchen.” The book opens with a section featuring simple ideas that include shop-sourced, deli-style ingredients to get you started. His expert instructions and pointers will have you whisking up visually stunning sharing boards for family and friends in no time. Here are some of our favourites. Snow Day Fondue
Enough melted cheese and wine to sink a battleship – delicious!
Ingredients / Serves 6–8 500g baby new potatoes 12 asparagus spears 2 tbsp butter 2 pears 1 sourdough loaf, cut into 4cm cubes 285g jar cornichons and baby pickled onions, drained 2 figs, halved 2 large sticks of celery, cut into 4cm pieces Fondue 1 small garlic clove, crushed A pinch of grated nutmeg 400 ml white wine 300g grated Gouda or Emmental 300g grated Gruyère or Comté 100g Cambozola, Taleggio or Dolcelatte, cut into chunks 2 tbsp brandy 1 tbsp cornflour, plus extra if needed Method Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes or until they are fork tender but not mushy, drain, season with sea salt and leave to steam dry. Fry the asparagus spears in the butter for a few minutes, then let cool. Quarter the pears, leaving the skin on. Cover with a damp tea towel. Leave the cubed sourdough open to the air to help it dry out a little. Pour all the fondue ingredients – except the brandy and cornflour into a large saucepan and gently bring to a simmer, stirring all the time. Season with salt and pepper. Once the cheese has melted and the wine has started bubbling, turn the heat down. Make a slurry with the brandy and cornflour and stir into the fondue. Keep it on the heat until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth, then remove from the heat. (If it splits or looks grainy, add another tablespoon of cornflour with a little water and stir continuously over the heat to bring it back together.) How to assemble / presentation A round wooden board means everyone can reach the fondue pot easily with skewers or long fondue forks. Pour the mixture into a warmed fondue, cast-iron or copper pot and place in the middle of the board. Add a little freshly grated nutmeg to the top of the fondue for a nice touch. Add the cornichons and onions to the board in little ramekins, then fill the board with clusters of potatoes, asparagus, pear slices, sourdough cubes, figs and celery. Serve immediately! Build Your Own Bagel Board
This board is super-easy to assemble using mostly shop bought ingredients
Ingredients / Serves 4-6 230g tub of cream cheese 1 tbsp snipped chives 1 tbsp creamed horseradish A squeeze of lemon juice 6 fresh bagels (any type) 150g smoked salmon 200g pastrami or salt beef, sliced 100g salami or chorizo 100g Cheddar, sliced A knob of butter A few tbsp Dijon mustard 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced 1 pre-cooked candy or regular beetroot, sliced 1 buffalo (steak) tomato, sliced 1⁄2 cucumber, sliced 2 Cos lettuces, leaves separated About 20 large caperberries 2–3 fresh figs, halved A few sprigs of dill or flat-leaf parsley, to garnish Method To make the whipped cheese, put the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Transfer half to a small serving dish, cover and chill. Add the snipped chives and horseradish with a squeeze of lemon juice to the remaining whipped cheese in the bowl and beat to combine. Transfer to a separate small serving dish, cover and chill. How to assemble / presentation A wooden board is ideal here, such as a large chopping board or bread board. Start by arranging the bagels in lines down the centre of the board, overlapping. (You can leave them whole or split them, as preferred.) Arrange the smoked salmon, cold meat slices and Cheddar slices on the board in groups, separating out the slices and overlapping them. Position the condiments and accompaniments close to what they complement (i.e. mustard next to the cold meats, caperberries with the salmon), either directly on the board or in small dishes. Add the dishes of cream cheese, placing the one with the horseradish closest to the salmon. Finally, add the butter and fresh salad ingredients to fill the spaces, with an eye on the colours being spread around the board and keeping any wet ingredients away from the bagels so as not to make them soggy. Sprinkle over some herbs to garnish, and serve. Build Your Own Taco Tuesday
These tacos are super easy to assemble and the Cajun spices give a quick hit of flavour
16 taco shells 200g sour cream 200g guacamole (store-bought) 200g tomato salsa (store-bought) 200g refried beans (store-bought) 200g grated cheese (mild Cheddar, feta or any hard cheese) 2 limes, quartered 50g jarred jalapeños 1 red onion, finely sliced 1 Little Gem lettuce A handful of coriander For the Tacos 1 kg minced beef 2 onions, diced 2 garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 3 tomatoes, diced 3 tbsp Cajun spice mix 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp smoked paprika A pinch of chipotle chilli flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method Fry the minced beef, onions and garlic in a splash of oil in a pan over a high heat for 5 minutes until the meat is cooked, then pour away any excess fat. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes and all the spices, along with 125 ml water and continue cooking for 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper, cover and remove from the heat. Add a splash of water if it is too dry, but don’t let it get sloppy. Heat the taco shells according to the package instructions, then keep warm on a plate, covered with a clean tea towel. How to assemble / presentation Heat a cast-iron skillet in the oven or on the stovetop, then reheat the beef mixture and pour into the hot skillet. Place this onto your board just before you are ready to assemble. Lay the taco shells on the board. Decant the guacamole, salsa, refried beans, sour cream and grated cheese into ramekins or small bowls and place around the board. Separate the leaves of the lettuce and cluster them in groups, spoon the drained jalapeños onto the board and skillet.Scatter the sliced red onion in different spots to give it some colour. Finally, fill the gaps with the limes and coriander and serve. Banoffee Board
This sweet treat is downright indulgent and lots of fun to eat together
Ingredients / Serves 4-6 300 ml double cream, plus 80 ml (or use a can of fresh squirty cream, if preferred) 1 tbsp icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 50 g butter 2–3 bananas, depending on size, peeled and halved lengthways 2 1⁄2 tbsp brown sugar 125ml peanut butter 125ml hazelnut chocolate spread A generous pinch of toasted flaked almonds 3 fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced A generous pinch of sea salt flakes Method Whisk the 300 ml cream with the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste until it forms soft peaks, then store in the fridge until ready to use. Add half the butter to a frying pan or skillet and fry the bananas, cut-side down, for a few minutes until golden, then turn over and fry on the other side for another minute. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. In the same pan, add the remaining butter, the brown sugar and the 80 ml double cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved. If the caramel is too thick to drizzle, loosen it with a teaspoon of hot water, then pour into a bowl. Set aside. How to assemble / presentation A marble or ceramic slab works well here as it will keep the cream cool for longer. Spoon the peanut butter directly onto the board in big sweeping motions, then do the same with the hazelnut chocolate spread and finally do the same with the whipped cream, spreading it in big swirls. Place the cooled banana slices on top of the cream, spacing them out evenly, scatter over the flaked almonds, add the strawberry slices and finish with a drizzle of the caramel over the top and a pinch of sea salt. Serve the remaining caramel on the side. Grazing & Feasting Boards by Theo Michaels, (Ryland Peters & Small £20) is available to buy on Amazon. Photography by Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small READ NEXT: To read the very best of today’s OK! content from breaking news to Royals and TV – CLICK HERE 21 jaw-dropping revelations from Harry’s explosive memoir Spare 30-minute veggie meals on a budget that you’ll want to Instagram instantly Kelly Brook shares how to make your favourite takeaways for under 600 calories For all your daily celebrity news and gossip, sign up to OK!’s newsletter – CLICK HEREStory SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnFood
