When I'm entertaining I'll just put lots of dishes in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves to what they like. Here are a couple of my favourite dishes. Add some vegies, a salad, or another dish or two and you have a feast! 

Sumac-spiced pork and veal meatballs with fontina mash

80g (¾ cup) grated parmesan 

12 large basil leaves 

Meatballs 

200g minced veal

180g minced pork 

25g smoked bacon, very finely chopped 

50g pork back fat, very finely chopped 

½ onion, very finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed 

2 tsp ground coriander 

2 tsp sumac 

2 tsp sea salt 

⅓ tsp ground black pepper 

⅓  tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp sweet paprika 

⅓  tsp ground allspice 

3 tbsp milk

100g toasted fresh breadcrumbs, cooked in 3 tbsp clarified butter

Tomato sauce 

80ml extra virgin olive oil

150g French shallots, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 tbsp smoked paprika 

30g anchovies 

2½ tbsp dry vermouth 

800g tin tomatoes, chopped

For the meatballs

1. Combine the veal, pork, bacon and pork fat in a large mixing bowl. Transfer one-quarter of the meat mixture to a food processor. Add the remaining meatball ingredients and process until well combined. 

2. Transfer this mixture back into the remaining meat mixture and mix until combined.  Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.

For the tomato sauce  

1. Add the olive oil, shallot and garlic to a frying pan over medium heat and cook  for 4-5 minutes, until softened but not coloured.  Add the paprika and the anchovies and cook  for one minute.

2. Deglaze the pan with the vermouth, stirring well, and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the tomatoes and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, until thick. Remove from the heat and keep warm, or gently reheat for serving.

To serve

Divide the meatball mixture evenly into 20 pieces and roll into balls. 

Add the meatballs to the warm tomato sauce and cook slowly over low heat for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through. 

Divide the fontina mash (see recipe below) among shallow serving bowls, then top with the meatballs and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan, garnish with  the basil and serve hot. 

Serves 4

Fontina mash

315g rock salt

4 large desiree or other mashing potatoes 

80ml milk

100ml single cream

50g unsalted butter

100g fontina, grated 

70g parmesan, grated 

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 

2. Place a thin layer of rock salt on a baking tray, then place the potatoes on top. Bake for 1½ hours, until a knife goes straight through them. While still hot, scoop out the flesh and pass it through a mouli, or mash well.

3. Place the potatoes, milk, cream and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mash combine. Add the cheeses and heat for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop the mash into a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm. 

Salted chocolate honeycomb 

cooking oil or spray, for greasing

125g liquid glucose

360g castor sugar

3 tbsp honey 

15g bicarbonate of soda 

250g dark chocolate

sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Line a heatproof tray with baking paper and lightly oil it. 

2. Place the glucose, sugar, honey and 75ml water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then cook until the mixture turns a quite dark caramel colour. 

3. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for  two minutes, before whisking in the bicarbonate of soda. Whisk just enough so that it is incorporated into the caramel, ensuring not to overmix or the honeycomb will collapse. 

4. Pour onto the prepared tray and leave at room temperature for about one hour to cool. Once the honeycomb has set, break it into bite-sized pieces. Set a wire rack over a tray.

5. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat, dip the honeycomb bits into the melted chocolate, and place on the wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow the chocolate  to set. Store in the freezer until required.

Makes about 25 pieces 

Recipes and images from Sharing Plates by Luke Mangan (Murdoch Books); photos: Nikki To