The return of the AO is a prime excuse to break out some ace party food ideas, that are more than just stale chips and sausages rolls (that said, these fancy and simple recipes will take your sausage-roll game to new heights). I’m talking the kind of fare that will wow your guests and have them praising your culinary prowess, each paired with the ideal drink. Feel free to happily ignore the later advice in favour of an Esky of frothies and hard seltzers.

SPICED NUTS

Let’s start sedately. Forget activating your almonds or making boring old tamari… yawn, snore. These spiced mixed nuts are so much better. Heat the oven to 120C and mix 1.5kg mixed nuts with 200g brown sugar, 2 tbs curry powder, 1 tbs ground cumin, 2.5 tbs garlic salt, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp ground cardamom and 1 tsp cinnamon. Whisk two egg whites and gently fold through the nuts. Spread them out on baking trays and cook for 45 minutes (but check after 30 minutes). 

Drink: A swanky cocktail of manzanilla (fino sherry), sherry cask-matured whisky and chamomile tea. Some of you may feel that I should omit the “s” when describing this cocktail…You may be right.

ANCHOVY FINGERS

There’s a bar in Barcelona that makes the best martini and serves it with thin crisps of toast topped with some date puree and a perfect pink Cantabrian anchovy fillet. Only make this with a fancy brand of anchovies such as Cuca, Don Bocarte or Ortiz.

Drink : A perfectly dry martini – ideally with a green olive, but let’s not be fussy.

CRISPY CHEWY KOREAN PUMPKIN CAKES

Roast a 1.2kg butternut pumpkin and then mash it. Stir in about 750g of glutinous rice flour to make a firm dough (the exact amount depends on how much moisture is in your pumpkin flesh). Roll it into logs and wrap it in greaseproof paper before freezing it. Slice into rounds, push one side into sesame seeds to coat, and shallow fry until golden. Top with my smoky tamarind chipotle ketchup: blend together 110g tamarind puree, 60g rinsed and deseeded tinned chipotle chillies, and 60g brown sugar. Season with salt and apple cider vinegar to balance. Add a dollop of this to each cake and top with crème fraîche and coriander. 

Note: Using less flour will give you a thick, spoonable batter than can be dropped into oil and deep-fried, but the cakes will be more footy shaped.

Drink: Ice-cold beer; a lager style, or maybe a hoppy IPA. And possibly shots of soju (Korean distilled spirit) on the side.

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SWEET POTATO OVEN FRY NACHOS

Sometimes I think that those plates of Peking duck wraps, mini quiches and little rounds of cucumber topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers are all a little pretentious. What’s wrong with crumbed and deep-fried squares of mac and cheese served with ketchup? Or a cob loaf filled with chipolatas? How about serving tarama with salt and vinegar chips? From the reaction when they all roll out of the kitchen, Harry Styles and Lizzo might as well have just walked into the room.

My latest adventure into naff but tasty food involves transforming oven chips into adult party fare using the king of chips: the sweet potato fry. Cook them in the oven or the air fryer in a single layer until crunchy. These, well seasoned, could just be handed around with a bowl of sour cream marbled with sweet chilli sauce, but we can do better…

Instead, sprinkle over a mix of tasty and finely grated parmesan for the last five minutes of cooking. Dice a red chilli, chop coriander and fry up some maple-candied pepitas or diced bacon, then throw it all over the chips and serve portions in little bowls with a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce. If it’s a loose and messy party – and you’re not eating over the carpet – handing them round on a large warmed platter is acceptable.

Drink: Any party serving sweet potato fry nachos deserves a big bowl of retro tropical rum punch.

HOMEMADE TATER TOTS 

Worried those loaded chips will be seen as cheating? Bamboozle your guests by making your own tater tots. You’ll find this recipe in my vego cookbook More, but the idea is simple. Undercook 900g even-sized, peeled sebago potatoes for about 12 minutes (you want them to still be firm as you need to grate them). Mix the grated potato with 40g flour, 40g grated smoked cheddar and the pan-fried whites of 2 leeks. Shape firmly into thumb-like “tots” and chill for 30 minutes to set. Deep-fry until golden and serve with more grated smoked cheddar on top, some crispy, fried rings of jalapeno and a smoky dunking sauce.

Drink: Bourbon (or Australian rum) and cola, or little glasses of fancy fino sherry.

THE OOZIEST CHEESE TOASTIE

Add mozzarella for stretch and blue cheese for bite. If you hate blue cheese, a mix of parmesan and bitey cheddar will do. If you can be bothered, add some onions or sliced leeks  slow-cooked in a little butter until they are almost melting. Season the toastie with salt and a little nutmeg. 

Drink: Boilermakers all round – that’s a glass of beer with a shot of whisky on the side.

THE 6 CS

The six Cs – crunchy, chilli, cinnamon, chocolate and coconut chickpeas – are the perfect end-of-evening surprise. The secret is slow-roasting canned chickpeas until they’re really dry. First, drain two cans of chickpeas, catching all the liquid from the cans. Now rinse the chickpeas and rub off their papery skins. Dry well with kitchen paper or a tea towel. Bake well spread out on a baking tray in a pre-heated 180C oven for 50 minutes. Stir after 20 and 40 minutes to ensure they dry evenly. If they’re still not crispy after 50 minutes, give them another 10 minutes. When they shatter between your fingers, take them out and leave them to cool. Next, melt 1 tbs coconut oil with 300g dark chocolate. Stir in some chilli flakes and cinnamon to taste (start slow). Toss in the chickpeas and stir to coat. Spoon them out into small clusters on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle over a little flaked salt, and leave to set in a cool place. 

Drink: Extra-frothy espresso martinis. Before shaking, add a couple of spoons of the reserved liquid from the chickpea cans to each martini. This will froth up beautifully and create a head on your drink that will last until you’ve savoured the last sip. 

Related story: Matt Preston’s 7 favourite cocktails for summer sipping