Olive oil

4 chicken breasts

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 tbls cornflour

150ml dry white wine

150ml chicken stock

200ml double cream

1tbssp wholegrain mustard

2tbls chopped fresh chives

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken well on both sides. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.

1. Gently sauté the shallots in the olive oil until soft.
2. Dissolve the cornflour in the white wine and add to the pan. Bubble up for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the mustard, chicken stock and cream.
4. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Adjust seasoning and garnish with chives.

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2 large free-range eggs

2tsp sugar

275ml double cream

1tbsl Amarula liqueur

Crunchy Caramel Topping

165g sugar

115ml water

Method:

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Gently heat the milk and Amarula in a saucepan until the milk begins to shiver, but do not boil.
3. Pour in the egg yolk mixture very slowly into the milk beating all the time.
4. Return to the heat and cook over a medium heat until the custard is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Spoon into ramekins and chill overnight.,
6. To make the caramel, place the water and sugar in a small pot and stir gently until the sugar melts. Bring to the boil and cook until the sugar syrup goes a dark brown chestnut colour. Carefully spoon over the caramel syrup over the custard and leave to cool.
7. Serve with seasonal fresh fruit if desired.

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Add a chilled glass of white wine, a group of girls, some scintillating conversation and you’re set!!

Fig and Blue Cheese Crostini

(serves four)

1 small loaf half-baked ciabatta bread

Olive oil

8 fresh figs

200g Bellingham Blue cheese

12 slices Parma ham

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Thinly slice the ciabatta bread and drizzle with olive oil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Trim the tops off the figs and score the top of the fig. Mash the blue cheese with a few fresh thyme leaves and stuff into the top of the fig. Bake the figs at the same time as the bread for ten minutes.
4. On each slice of bread, arrange half a slice of Parma ham and the bake fig on top.
5. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

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