3 Easy Dishes to Serve at Your Next Cocktail Hour
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Time to read 3 min
Cocktail hour doesn’t need a printed menu. A few good things, put on the table at the right time, is more than enough to keep bellies full and guests happy. These are some of our personal recipes, shared to give you simple and generous finger food, designed to sit alongside a good drink, not compete with it. Set everything out before your guests arrive, pour a dirty martini, and enjoy your evening.
Peach, Prosciutto & Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Hot Honey
This is exactly the kind of thing you want on the table when people arrive. Sweet peaches, salty prosciutto and soft whipped ricotta layered over crisp toast. It feels considered, but takes very little effort, which is kind of the point.
Ingredients
(serves ~6 as a snack)
1 baguette, sliced on an angle
1 cup ricotta
2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced
6–8 slices prosciutto
Olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
Honey (or hot honey)
Fresh basil leaves
Flaky sea salt
Directions
Start by toasting your bread. Brush the slices lightly with olive oil and toast until golden. You want them crisp on the outside but still soft enough to bite into.
While that’s happening, whizz the ricotta with a handheld beater or hand whisk. Stir in the lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
To assemble, spread a generous layer of ricotta onto each piece of toast. Drape over a slice of prosciutto, then layer the peach on top.
Finish with a drizzle of hot chilli honey, a few torn basil leaves and a little flaky salt.
Serve immediately, ideally with a Limoncello Spritz already in hand.
Familiar Notes
Use peaches that are ripe but still hold their shape.
You can swap ricotta for mascarpone if you want it richer.
Works just as well without prosciutto for a vegetarian version.
Avocado Goddess Dip
This is the kind of thing you put on the table and don’t really think about again. Something green, bright and generous that people can keep coming back to between drinks. It’s soft, herby and just sharp enough from the lemon to keep things feeling fresh.
A proper cocktail hour dip: simple, but doing its job well.
Ingredients
(serves ~8 as a snack)
3 ripe avocados
A generous handful of coriander and basil
A few tips of thyme, oregano or rosemary, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp good olive oil
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Salt and freshly cracked pepper
To serve:
Crumbled feta
Extra herbs
Toasted sourdough or flatbread
Lemon wedges
Directions
Add the avocado to a bowl and mash it gently with a fork, you’re looking for something soft and textured, not completely smooth.
Fold through the herbs, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and taste as you go. It should feel bright and slightly sharp.
Spoon into a shallow bowl and finish with crumbled feta, a few extra herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with toasted bread and let people help themselves.
Familiar Notes
This is best made just before serving so the colour stays fresh and the herbs keep their brightness.
Mortadella, Pickled Chilli & Olive Skewers
These sit somewhere between a classic gilda and something a little softer. Salty mortadella, sharp pickled chilli, a good olive, all stacked together and served slightly warm so the edges just start to caramelise. They’re quick, a little nostalgic, and exactly the kind of thing that disappears first.
Skewered bar snacks have always been about contrast: fat, acid and salt in one bite. Mortadella versions are a modern take, often grilled briefly so the edges crisp while the centre stays soft. This version leans closer to the Spanish gilda — more punchy, less sweet.
Ingredients
(serves ~6 as a snack)
- 150–200g mortadella, sliced (not too thin)
- Pickled green chillies or guindilla peppers (buy these from your local deli in jars)
- Good quality green olives (Sicilian or similar)
- Cornichons (optional, but very, very good)
- Olive oil
- Optional (for a more classic gilda feel): Anchovy pieces
Directions
Fold the mortadella into loose ribbons or soft parcels (nothing too neat) and thread onto skewers in a loose rhythm: chilli, mortadella, olive, then repeat. Add a cornichon or anchovy if you like.
Brush lightly with olive oil and cook quickly in a hot pan or on a grill for a few minutes, just until the edges of the mortadella start to crisp and curl.
Serve straight away with a dirty martini while still warm.
