Halloween Medusa's Head recipe

I bought some squid ink spaghetti for Halloween with one intention only. Medusa's head. Squid ink black pasta turns slightly grey once cooked although there were the odd strands of black. I used a hard skull mask from last year's Halloween flayed skin face which was actually supposed to be a pirate. I thought that I would blend up some smoked ham with some cream cheese so that we could pick at bits of her face. Does that sound absolutely charming darlings? The Braun cordless stick blender did struggle with this mix. I don't think there was enough "liquid" in it so I had to wait two hours in between blending while it charged which was a little frustrating. I think this would best be done in a food processor. I also bought some bocconcini and olives to make as her eyeballs and I also cut up the bocconcini as teeth. I made a little bowl of extra eyeballs and voila, may I present to you the beauty queen of the evening, Medusa!

Medusa's Head

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 15minutes

• 250g/8.8oz dried black squid ink spaghetti

• a few tablespoons of garlic or chilli oil

• 500g/1 pound smoked ham

• 125g/4ozs cream cheese

• 3 balls of bocconcini

• 1 green stuffed olive sliced in half

• a skull mold or hard mask

Step 1 - Blend the ham and cream cheese in a food processor. Oil the inside of the skull mold and line with a large sheet of cling wrap (the oil is just to help the cling wrap adhere to the inside of the mask). Stuff the skull with the ham mixture and press down firmly. Ideally you want to do this step this a day or two ahead of time so that it firms up in the fridge and sets. Place in the fridge and weigh it down with a heavy plate. Leave to firm up overnight.

Step 2 - On the day you want to serve it, boil spaghetti according to directions in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain and toss in garlic or chilli oil.

Bocconcini eyeballs and teeth. My what big teeth you have Medusa!

Step 3 - Unmold the ham face and invert onto a serving platter face up. Take two of your bocconcini balls and with a paring knife, cut out small holes to place the olive halves in. Dig out the ham eye sockets to fit the bocconcini balls in and place. Cut up teeth from remaining bocconcini ball. Drape spaghetti hair around her face.