There is always something visually appealing about food cleverly wrapped and rolled. As a child, a chocolate log seemed so exotic and pinwheel sandwiches and scones oh-so-fancy.
Ask around, there are some interesting memories and some not so good, such as tough beef olives! Today, there's no shortages of options to wrap and roll. A tortilla wrap is a change in school lunches from the traditional sandwich.
There's no shortage of inspiration when it comes to rolled food, thanks to our broadening awareness of the range of cultures and their recipes and ideas. The French have been making beautiful pastries for centuries; Japanese sushi is part of our daily diet; and Mexican tortillas and wraps make a great lunch option.
Canapes always looks impressive when rolled. Regular favourites of mine are aubergine and pepper rolls with mozzarella and pesto, or a crepe with an avocado and rocket filling. Today's prawn and vermicelli lettuce rolls are also a favourite; scrumptious when served with an Asian dipping sauce.
Add these to your picnic basket or place all the ingredients on a platter and guests can roll them as they're ready to eat. Instead of prawns try with rare beef slivers or keep them vegetarian and add mushrooms and carrots. The options are endless. These are always a hit when I am catering, especially during the warmer months of summer.
For this boned and rolled chicken with pistachio and apricot stuffing, ask your butcher to debone the meat for you. This will save a lot of time if you haven't done this before. I have been making this rolled chicken for years. It's a moreish combination of pistachio and apricot which always impresses. Though it is fabulous hot, it's equally delicious cold and sliced for a picnic or lunch party.
Today's dessert is also a blast from the past - my mother has been serving rolled pavlovas at lunch and dinner parties for decades. It's an elegant twist on the traditional pavlova. Mum would serve it with chocolate and berries, or with cream and fresh passionfruit folded through.
This was the first kind of pavlova I learned to make when I was young. The licking of the bowl was definitely the highlight. With plenty of lemon curd in the cupboard at this time of year, this dish will definitely be trotted out in our household right through until Christmas time when you can add a few fresh strawberries and serve it with your flaming brandy pudding.
Recipes:
• Prawn and vermicelli lettuce rolls
