Who does not like Halloween!? In case you are not attending (or throwing) a party this year and you have decided to stay at home with your other half at home – this is the perfect menu for you. We had to include Devilled Eggs (not just because they are actually delicious), squid ink black risotto with bright red lobster is the ultimate Halloween coloured dish and our twist on a pumpkin pie is a great finish to this meal.

Devilled Eggs

6 large eggs, boiled for 8 minutes (hard boiled)
200g mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 spring onions, sliced
Pinch of salt
75g cubed cooking chorizo
pinch of hot smoked paprika

Halve the eggs and scoop out the yolks split into two bowls, mash with a fork
In one bowl, mix the yolks with half the mayonnaise, wasabi, vinegar, onion and salt to taste
Fry the chorizo in a dry pan (it will release a lot of oil) until starting to caramelise, leave to cool
In the other bowl, combine the chorizo (including the oil) and paprika with the rest of the mayonnaise and season
Spoon back into the eggs and decorate with pea shoots or any micro herbs you can find

Risotto

40g unsalted butter
1tbl olive oil
1 small onion
200g Arborio rice
100ml dry white wine
875ml stock
1 sachet of squid ink
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Crème fraiche

Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan
Add the chopped onion and sweat until translucent
Add the rice and heat until you can’t touch the grains
Add the wine and let it absorb
Start adding your stock, ladle by ladle, wait until completely absorbed before each addition and keep the pan hot, stir constantly to keep the starch moving to give it the beautiful creaminess
Season little and often
Cook until al dente, add more water if necessary
Stir the squid ink through to cook it out
Season and add parmesan and crème fraiche to taste
Serve with small cooked lobster
To buy your lobster and squid ink online

Pumkin Meringue pies

For the filling:
450 g pumpkin flesh, cut into 2cm cubes
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
70g muscavado sugar
1 cinnamon quill
3 whole cloves
275ml double cream

For the pastry:
250g plain flour
125g butter
35ml cold water
1 egg
5g salt
For the meringue:
4 egg whites (medium, each weighing 30g)
225g caster sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 180C
Place the pumpkin flesh onto a tray, cover with baking foil and bake until soft (approximately 20 minutes), mash
In the meantime, make the pastry:
Place flour and salt in a bowl, rub in the butter
Pour in the water and egg, bring together but do not overwork
When combined, wrap in greaseproof paper and rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes
Roll out the pastry and carefully line a small tartlet cases (3 inch) with it
Cover with greaseproof paper and chill until hard
Preheat oven to 190C and blind bake (line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans) for 15 minutes, or until the sides are set and the pastry feels sandy to the touch
Remove baking beans and paper, return to the oven for 5 minutes to set the bottom

To make the filling:
Pour the double cream into a pan with the sugar and spices
Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved and bring to boil and turn the heat off immediately, remove the spices
Whisk the eggs and yolk in a bowl and pour the cream mixture over, whisk until combined
Add the pumpkin and whisk further
Pour into the cooled pastry cases and bake on 150C for 20 minutes or until the filling is set
Cool completely

For the meringue:
Preheat oven to 110C
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and dry
Add a table spoon of sugar for each egg white and whisk after each addition until stiff
Add half the remaining sugar and whisk in, localised whisking, will turn shiny and glossy
Add the rest of the sugar and some food colouring and gently fold in
Pipe mixture onto the tartlets
Bake for 35 minutes until the meringues are set