There are many fine cooks in Hong Kong very able to display a grand traditional spread for Lunar New Year celebrations. For something a little different, let's make a small buffet for family and a few friends. Instead of offering more traditional dishes keep the theme of easy-to-put together western style array of dishes that look good, taste good and if you choose which to make by yourself - don't tire you out putting it all together.

Put the white wine to chill, uncork the red wine and set out the items for simple cocktails; 1 part Hendrick's Gin, 1 part Apple juice, ice and a few crushed red berries. As guests arrive mix the basics and stir with ice, add a touch of soda and strain into cocktail glasses.

You can buy most of the food items ready made, but for a sense of satisfaction make some of them at home.

Serve red currant jelly to go with both the ham and the buttered scones. This is expensive since the berries are time consuming to harvest; to make jelly from redcurrants cook the berries in just enough water to cover the bottom of a heavy pot - about 1 inch. Stir and cook until the berries are soft and wilted and become lighter in colour. Pass through a Mouli (food mill) to extract the pulp from the seeds, which are quite hard, weigh and mix the pulp with sugar to the ratio of 1 part sugar to 1 parts pulp. Boil together over medium heat for five minutes - stirring all the while or it will burn. (You can skim off the pink scum and mix it with your morning yoghurt for a real treat!) Serve the jelly in a bowl and if you have made enough store the rest in a screw top jar.

Buy good quality liver pate or make your own. Soak 400 gms liver - pork or chicken in milk for 20 minutes. Drain, cut livers in half and saut with 100 gms butter in a medium hot pan, this should take no more than 1 or 2 minutes, remove the liver and flamb 2 ozs brandy for 1 minute. Pour the liver plus the frying butter and brandy into a food processor along with 90 ml of thick cream and a grating of nutmeg and blend until smooth. Pass through a Mouli or wide sieve, and put into a bowl in the 'fridge (covered) until ready to serve.

Open a tin of artichoke hearts in brine, drain well by pressing with the back of a soupspoon and in a jar with a screw top lid make a dressing from 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar, purple onion finely chopped, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar and tspn dry mustard shake to blend well and pour over the artichokes in a bowl. Allow to sit as you prepare the rest.

Instead of bread, present wafer thin crackers and home-made scones. To make butter scones; sift 8 ozs (225 gms) self raising flour and a pinch of salt. Cut 3 ozs (75 gms) of salt-free butter into small pieces and using the tips of your fingers rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 1 ozs (approx 25 gms) of sugar, mix and gradually stir in 2 Tbsp full-fat milk and blend well together gradually. As the dough comes together knead it by hand until it leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a lump. Shape into small balls, flatten them with your hand into scones of 1 inches thick, or roll out and use a round cutter. Put on a floured oven tray and bake in a hot pre-heated oven at 220C (425F) for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. You can add a dish of whipped butter or whipped cream. To make whipped butter beat together 2 parts butter to 1 part full-fat milk until fluffy.

On a platter, assemble generous slices of honey-roast ham, fine Iberico jamon, the artichoke hearts dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, baby corn-on-the-cob sauted in 2ozs butter with 5 crushed black peppercorns, and a bunch of fresh green sprouts sauted in 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 anchovies. For best results, saut the anchovies in the oil to dissolve them before adding the sprouts

Cover quails eggs in cold water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the hot water and immediately plunge them into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes, remove from the water and present them in a pretty bowl.

Enjoy the company and make the most of your party!

(HK Edition 01/19/2013 page4)