Menu of the Month May 2026

Posted on 1 May 2026 by Noreen Collins

Menu of the Month

May 2026

This month’s menu serves eight and is the perfect for a gathering of family and friends, perhaps for one of the five weekends or the two bank holidays we can look forward to during this month.

The Feuilletés recipe serves six as a main course but can be made into eight smaller portions for a starter. These asparagus parcels can be prepared the day before, covered with clingfilm and kept chilled on the baking sheet before glazing with beaten egg and baking for 20 minutes before serving with some sprigs of watercress to garnish.

The salmon is served ambient and is best prepared the day before too and left in its foil parcel in the fridge overnight. Pop it in the oven (at 130°C or 110°C if you’re using a fan oven) about five hours ahead on the day to allow time to cook, cool and finish it all before your guests arrive.

To go with the salmon, seasonal Jersey Royal potatoes are very special so make the most of them during this month. Serve them hot topped with melting butter and sprinkled with snipped fresh chives. And then all you will need is a chunky mixed salad dressed with either a homemade sherry and balsamic vinaigrette or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

The Green Herb Mayonnaise to serve alongside the salmon can be made the day before and kept refrigerated with a piece of clingfilm pressed across the surface of the sauce to preserve the fresh green colour. A short while before serving, remove the film, give the mayonnaise a good stir and spoon it into a serving dish.

The cheesecake is not intensely ‘in-your-face’ chocolatey, but more subtle and if you can’t be bothered with making chocolate curls, decorated it with thin shards of dark chocolate which take much less time to prepare. Make the cheesecake the day (or a couple of days) before, cover and keep it chilled in the fridge.

After the salmon goes in the oven the cheesecake can be removed from its tin, placed on a serving dish, sliced into portions and then decorated with the chocolate curls or shards. Cover it loosely with clingfilm, or an upturned bowl and pop it back into the fridge until later. Then dust with cocoa powder and serve it with plenty of chilled pouring cream, which can also be ready in your favourite serving jug, covered in the fridge.