For me, the key thing about starters at Christmas and the New Year is that they are tasty, easy to make, and not too filling. They are appetisers before the main event. In the good old days, they were great to have around for when friends, neighbours and relatives would call in, but we will have to do without that pleasure this year and hope those lovely seasonal traditions will be back in 2021.

Prawns and mango are a great combination. Get some Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines), if you can. They are delicious, and good value.

Sticky cocktail sausages are completely irresistible and can be served hot or cold. Make sure to get Bord Bia Quality approved produce and support our Irish farmers, who supply us with great food all year round. I usually make the sticky dressing about a week ahead, using Mileeven honey, and keep it in the fridge.

Smoked trout rolls (or you could use salmon) make great canapés for a party and are also a useful starter, as they can be made in advance. We are lucky to have great smokehouses around the country. Three family-run businesses which come to mind are Goatsbridge Trout in Kilkenny (I visited with the family last year), Woodcock Smokery in west Cork, and the Burren Smokehouse near the Cliffs of Moher in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.

My year got a big lift last week when my book Neven Maguire’s Midweek Meals won Bookselling Ireland’s Cookbook of the Year 2020 at the An Post Irish Book Awards. I was thrilled; thank you to everyone who bought it and to the fantastic team at Gill Books, who are a joy to work with.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Baby gem cups with prawns & mango

Makes 20 cups

2 heads of baby gem lettuce

300g (11oz) cooked and peeled prawns

1 large firm, ripe mango, peeled and cut into small dice

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh micro herbs, to garnish

1 Divide the baby gems into individual leaves, trimming down the large outside leaves so they are all roughly the same size – you’ll need 20 in total. Place in a large bowl and cover with cling film. Chill until ready to use (use the very small centre leaves in a sandwich).

2 Chop the prawns (if large) and place in a bowl with the mango and lime juice. Dress with the olive oil, mixing well to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with cling film and chill until ready to use – you can prepare this up to 4 hours in advance.

3 To serve, arrange the baby gem leaves on a serving platter. Spoon in a little of the prawn and mango mixture and finish with a few micro herbs.

Sticky cocktail sausages with sesame seeds

Serves four to six

20 cocktail sausages (about 350g or 12oz)

2 tbsp hoisin or plum sauce

2 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp runny honey

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).

2 Place the sausages on a non-stick roasting tray in a single layer. Mix the hoisin or plum sauce, soy sauce, honey, mustard and 2 tsp of water in a bowl, then pour over the sausages, turning to coat.

3 Bake the sausages in the oven for 15 minutes, then drain off any excess fat and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.

4 Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until golden and sticky.

5 To serve, arrange on a warmed plate skewered with cocktail sticks.

Smoked trout rolls with cream cheese & red onion

Serves four

1 small red onion, finely diced

75g (3oz) soft cream cheese

2 tbsp crème fraîche

1 tbsp snipped fresh chives

350g (12oz) sliced smoked trout

8 large slices of wheaten bread

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon slices, to garnish

1 Put the red onion in a small bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover, then drain off immediately. This softens the raw flavour of the onion.

2 Return the red onion to the bowl and add the cream cheese, crème fraîche and chives. Season to taste and mix well to combine.

3 Put three overlapping slices of smoked trout on a sheet of cling film. Spread the cream cheese mixture a few millimetres thick over the top of the trout, right out to the edges. Roll up into a neat sausage shape. 4 Repeat this process with the remaining slices of trout and cream cheese filling. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.

5 Using a straight-sided scone cutter that is about 5cm (2in) in diameter, cut out two rounds from each slice of wheaten bread (you could use the leftovers in brown bread ice cream).

6 Slice each chilled smoked trout roll into four small rounds and lay each roll sideways on a bread round. Arrange on a platter and garnish with the lemon slices to serve. CL