The last Halloween recipes

The last of our Halloween recipes, again from Feast were enjoyed as our evening meal after the happy but exhausted trick or treaters arrived home. Trick or treating is becoming more and more popular, and I haven't seen as many children knock on our door - we nearly ran out of treats! Must have seen more than 40 children (well, witches, goblins, ghosts and vampires anyway). As it is still not huge here though, any homes who wish to take part in this event pop a balloon outside to denote trick or treaters are welcome. This way no-one is harassed and the children can happily visit sign-posted homes for wrapped sweets. I do notice that, unlike myself, all green-skinned and witch hatted, most parents remain in civvies for the duration.

My children arrive home smiling, their dad bringing up the rear. He, at least is 'starving'. It may be geared towards children but Blood and Guts Potatoes and Crumbed Monster Brains (Ritzy Chicken Nuggets dyed shades of turquoise, blue and green) will fill him up.

Blood and Guts Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes
300g mozzarella, cut into small dice
2 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup) plus more to serve
salt and pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 220. If potatoes are dirty, wash them well, and dry them. Pop them on the rack of the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Usually they'll be ready after a single hour, but they are best with the extra half hour.

Remove from the oven, and holding on to them with a tea towel, cut them in half length ways (if they are long rather than round at least). Holding the potato with a tea towel (unless you have asbestos fingers or they are cooler), scoop out the potato into a bowl, keeping the skin in tact. Do this with all the potatoes, placing the shells of the spuds onto a baking tray.

Stir together the mozzarella, potato and tomato sauce, breaking up any particularly large pieces of potato as you go. Now the recipe doesn't call for it, but I felt, upon tasting that I would have preferred my spudlies seasoned, and this is the point I will add salt and pepper next time.

Return this mixture to the potatoes, squashing and piling it all in.

Squirt a little more sauce on the top, and put the potatoes back into the oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.

Serve with extra tomato sauce, serves 8

The two youngest (19m and 4 years) left the skin, but the rest of us eat the whole lot.

The last thing we made, the children got involved in. Gaudily coloured, and slippery and slimy, they found this lots of fun to eat, and, after reassurance, that the monsters grow back their brains just like lizards can grow a new tail, the children tucked into these with big grins. Once it was explained that the monsters need to 'trim' their brains just like people trim their hair, the children were no longer worried about the fate of the monsters.

Crumbed Monster Brains (originally known as Ritzy Chicken Nuggets)

500g chicken breast fillets (skinless)
600ml buttermilk
300g Ritz biscuits (crackers)
flavourless oil for frying (I use light olive oil)
food colouring (optional, and only done at Halloween of course)

Ideally, the day before prepare the chicken, though you can do this a few hours ahead. Flatten the chicken with a mallet or similar, and cut it into pieces. Plonk the chicken into a snap-lock bag with the buttermilk, smoosh about and put it in the fridge (for up to 2 days) until you are ready to use it. If this is Halloween, a drop of two different food colourings can be added now - I don't mix them very much, let the brains end up different colours.

Smash up the biscuits when you are ready to cook. And here, I let the children go for it, and, I should have checked up better. The crumbs were left a bit too coarse, which affected the coating. I have to say, they still tasted delicious, but I think we used a lot more biscuit than we would have with a finer texture. Still, the colour showed through more.....

Heat the oil in the pan, you want enough to cover the pan a few centimeters deep. Alternately you can cook them in a preheated oven (200C) for about 15 minutes, but for special occasions, I think they taste best fried.

Removing excess buttermilk as you go, dip the 'brains' (goujons) into the crumbs before placing into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan or they will become oily. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, remove to a paper towel lined plate before serving. They hold their heat and their crunch very well.

Serves 6 Delicious monster brains anyone? Snaffled up quickly, but enough leftovers for a tasty snack for me later!

Halloween is over. But the children, high on sugar, had a wonderful time. We could do without another 32C humid day for the little ones trick or treating - mmm melted chocolate and wilted children in waxy makeup and plastic dress ups! Still, I think there are some wonderful memories.