Open a bottle of wine and pour a glass before serving the first course. This lovely touch helps get your guests into the mood and whets their appetite for what\u2019s to come, although don\u2019t forget to serve a little appetiser as well. But don\u2019t overdo it, or your guests won’t have any room for the meal itself.<\/p>\n
When it comes to choosing appetisers, it\u2019s best to go for light and healthy ideas in keeping with the meal ahead but which won’t spoil your appetite. If you\u2019re hosting an informal supper, you could start with an appetiser that guests can eat standing up, along with some olives in extra-virgin olive oil and oregano, and some toasted, spiced almonds<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n If you want to shift up a gear, try some fancy vegetables: crispy artichoke hearts<\/span><\/a> or an original pistachio hummus<\/a><\/span> will go down a treat. For a lighter result you can serve the hummus with vegetable crudit\u00e9s (carrot, celery, etc.) instead of pitta bread.<\/p>\n For a more surprising, elaborate appetiser you can serve on the table, try this salt-cod brandade<\/span><\/a>, which you can serve in little pots, vol-au-vents or tartlets, depending on how much of a feast you\u2019re throwing. Or king-prawn brochettes with your own mayonnaise with a twist<\/span><\/a>: pear and hazelnut, mustard and dill, ginger\u2026<\/p>\n