Steph’s Packed Lunch chef Theo dishes up the ultimate grazing boards

As 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

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

How to assemble / presentation

Build Your Own Bagel Board

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

How to assemble / presentation

Build Your Own Taco Tuesday

  • 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

How to assemble / presentation

Banoffee Board

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

How to assemble / presentation

Grazing & Feasting Boards by Theo Michaels, (Ryland Peters & Small £20) is available to buy on Amazon. Photography by Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small

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