Effortless Entertaining: Focaccia, Fancy Butter & Crispy Potatoes (Without the Stress)

Effortless Entertaining: Focaccia, Fancy Butter & Crispy Potatoes (Without the Stress)

On 13th November, we gathered around Brigitte’s tables up at The Brae for one of my favourite kinds of evenings – good food, good people, and recipes that make entertaining feel… well, almost effortless.

I wanted to share the heart of what I demoed on the night so you can bring the same “oh-my-goodness-what-is-THIS?” moments to your own table, without chaining yourself to the kitchen.

On the menu:

• An overnight focaccia I make all summer long

• My always-on-hand confit garlic

• A radish & herb butter terrine (butter’s answer to a cheese board)

• A “loaded” olive oil dip you can throw together from the pantry

• Crispy smashed potatoes with herby cream cheese and all the good toppings

Effortless Entertaining Starts with Bread

If you only take one thing from this, let it be this: learn to make one really good bread and put it on repeat.

For me, that’s focaccia.

I’ve made this loaf hundreds of times – for clients, events, and at home. It’s the recipe I reach for when:

• I want something impressive but unfussy

• I need to prep ahead

• I want the whole house to smell like fresh bread with very little effort

Why this focaccia works

• It’s a “mix and forget” dough. Flour, yeast, herbs, salt, water, olive oil and (if you’re me) a few nuggets of confit garlic. No kneading on the bench, no drama.

• The fridge does the hard work. I usually mix it in the afternoon, pop it into an oiled container, and tuck it into the fridge for 12–18 hours. That slow, cold rise gives you better flavour and beautiful bubbles.

• It’s forgiving. If your day runs away on you, it can happily go a little longer. If you’re short on time, you can fast-track it at room temp – it’ll still be delicious.

When you’re ready to bake, you let the dough come back to room temperature so it looks alive and bubbly, then gently fold it into a lined tin, let it relax again, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt and herbs, and dimple it with your fingertips before baking hot and fast.

Minimal effort. Maximum payoff. Toasted the next day, it’s still gorgeous.

Confit Garlic: The Secret Jar in My Fridge

If there’s one thing I always have tucked away, it’s a jar of confit garlic.

I don’t love the harshness of raw garlic in dressings or dips, but confit garlic? That I put in everything.

How I make it

• Tip peeled garlic cloves into a shallow baking dish

• Cover completely with good olive oil

• Add whatever you like: chilli, bay, thyme, rosemary

• Bake low and slow (around 100°C) until the cloves are soft, jammy and just starting to caramelise

• Cool, pour everything (cloves + oil + aromatics) into a jar and store in the fridge

The oil will solidify in the fridge – that’s normal, and a good sign you’re using real olive oil. I use both the cloves and the oil to:

• Fold into focaccia dough

• Whisk into dressings

• Brush over croutons

• Marinate chicken

• Drizzle over roast lamb with fresh herbs and lemon zest

It’s one small habit that makes everything taste more “chef-y” with almost no extra work.

Radish & Herb Butter Terrine – Butter’s Big Moment

Butter is expensive now, so I’m a big believer in showcasing it rather than mindlessly using blocks and blocks.

This season’s little showstopper is a radish & herb butter terrine – essentially a butter “tureen” layered with paper-thin radishes and fresh herbs. It looks like something you’d see in a restaurant, but once everything’s prepped it’s very simple.

The idea

• Soft, salted butter

• A splash of olive oil (so it’s sliceable straight from the fridge)

• Lemon zest, black pepper, maybe a tiny bit more salt

• Chopped fresh herbs – think dill, parsley, chives, maybe basil or mint

• Very thinly sliced radishes, dried well on paper towels

You layer soft butter, herbs and radishes into a lined loaf tin or silicone mould (silicone makes unmoulding a breeze), finishing with a neat butter layer and herbs on what will become the “top”. Chill for a couple of hours until firm, then turn out and slice.

Serve it simply with:

• Fresh or toasted focaccia

• Seed crackers

• Nothing else – let the butter be the hero

It keeps for up to 10 days in the fridge, tightly wrapped, and turns a humble bread basket into something genuinely special.

The “Loaded” Olive Oil Dip

Remember the 90s/early 2000s phase of balsamic, olive oil and dukkah on every plate? This is my levelled-up version.

I call it loaded oil – somewhere between a dip, a salsa and a dressing. It’s the easiest thing to put out when people arrive hungry and you need something on the table quickly.

What goes in

Into a wide, shallow bowl:

• Roughly chopped olives (kalamata or green – your call)

• Fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic chives – whatever is in the garden)

• Finely grated fresh garlic or confit garlic

• A pinch of chilli flakes (or more if you like heat)

• A splash or two of balsamic vinegar (not the glaze – you don’t want extra sweetness)

• Grated parmesan or another punchy cheese

• Plenty of good olive oil to bring it all together

Stir, let it sit for 10–15 minutes so the flavours mingle, then drag big wedges of focaccia through it, scooping up all the herby, cheesy, olive-y goodness.

You can absolutely riff on this with:

• Sundried tomatoes

• Artichokes

• Other antipasti bits hiding in the fridge

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Herby Cream Cheese

Last but definitely not least: crispy smashed potatoes with herby cream cheese, prosciutto (or bacon, or smoked salmon, or avocado… you get the idea).

These are always a hit with canapé clients and they’re perfect for using up leftover boiled potatoes from Christmas or a Sunday roast.

Step 1: The potatoes

• Use a good all-rounder like agria – they roast and crisp beautifully

• Boil until tender

• Drain, then leave them in the hot pot with the lid off for 10 minutes to steam off excess moisture (this is key for crispiness)

• Lay them on a tray and gently smash each one with a glass or spoon – lots of rough edges, but still in one piece

• Drizzle with oil (or that lovely confit garlic oil), season generously with salt and pepper

• Roast hot (around 200°C) until golden and crisp

Dry potato + hot oven + enough oil + good salt = crisp, not soggy.

Step 2: The topping

While they roast, mix together:

• Cream cheese (a full tub – bring it to room temp so it’s soft)

• Finely chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic chives)

• A grated clove of garlic

• Grated parmesan

• Salt and pepper to taste

Once the potatoes are crisp, let them cool slightly, then top each one with a spoonful of herby cream cheese and finish with whatever you fancy:

• Local prosciutto or crispy bacon

• Smoked salmon with capers and a little shallot

• Sliced avocado and chutney for a vegetarian version

Serve at room temperature. They’re best eaten the day you make them – if you want to get ahead, you can roast and chill the potatoes, then re-crisp them in a hot oven before topping.

Little Kitchen Notes I Swear By

A few extra bits I touched on during the night that make a big difference:

• Olive oil: If you live in Central Otago, you have no excuse not to have a good local olive oil in the cupboard. Use the good stuff where you can really taste it (dips, dressings, finishing).

• Salt:

  • Use table/iodised salt for cooking water (veggies, pasta) and seasoning before roasting.

  • Use flaky sea salt for finishing – on bread, salads, roasted veg, potatoes. It has lower sodium by volume and a better texture.

• “Low-carb” potatoes: A potato is a complex carbohydrate – there’s no magic low-carb version. Check the serving sizes and you’ll see the trick. If you want something different, kumara is beautiful… just don’t expect very crispy kumara wedges all year round.

• Patience with dough: If your focaccia isn’t rising, don’t panic. It might just be cold. Give it more time, or use a gently warmed (then turned-off) oven as a makeshift proving cupboard.

  
  

Bringing It All Together

On the night, we finished with:

• Fresh focaccia to tear and share

• The radish & herb butter terrine

• Loaded olive oil with herbs, olives and cheese

• Crispy smashed potatoes with herby cream cheese and local smallgoods

• A mezze-style platter of seasonal veg, hummus, grilled eggplant, olives and seed crackers

Nothing overly fussy. Just good ingredients treated with care, a few clever make-ahead elements, and recipes you can repeat all summer.

If you try any of these at home, I hope they give you the same thing they give me: more time with your guests, less time stressing in the kitchen, and that quiet little thrill when someone takes a bite and says, “Wait… what is this?”

That’s effortless entertaining.