Feast of football to make mouths water

YOU'VE got the beer, the TV guide and the England shirt - now all you need is the perfect food to score the winner with your football-mad friends and family.

But you don't have to resort to the pizza, takeaway curries, crisps and chocolate washed down with warm cans of lager which are often the favourite fodder of armchair football fans.

Kick-off Euro 2000 with football food to tickle the tastebuds and which won't leave you needing your own pre-season training to get back in shape.

If the weather is nice come England's games, why not combine football fever with a barbecue?

And that doesn't mean serving up a few burned burgers, over-sizzled sausages and almost raw chicken drumsticks.

Follow Kevin Keegan's lead and put a bit of effort into your Euro 2000 preparations and you will be able to enjoy the food and the footie.

Most supermarkets do ranges of ready-prepared barbecue food and delicious bites such as Chinese-style chicken thighs, spicy ribs and lamb kebabs.

But if you want to impress your guests even more and do all the preparation yourself it is easy to make your own kebabs using ingredients such as chicken, peppers, mushrooms, onions and pineapple and marinate them in a sauce of your choice.

Serve up with spicy potato wedges and dips - anything that you can eat with your fingers and keep your mind on the match while munching away. And don't worry if the weather is as dodgy as an England penalty shoot-out - there are plenty of other food options to soothe stressed-out soccer supporters.

Go continental and serve up dishes from the countries playing in the championships.

For England v Germany you could serve up German lager and frankfurters in rolls.

When England take on Portugal try some Mediterranean recipes? Tuna is the Portuguese seafood chef's answer to steak, while spicy chicken and grilled sardines are both favourites.

If you are really going to town with the Portuguese theme why not finish off the meal or celebrate England's win with a glass or two of traditional port?

If a meal themed for England's opposition is just too much for patriotic football fans to bear then go for ease and taste - without dialling up the local takeaway.

Here is our guide to preparing, cooking and timing the perfect Euro 2000 feast - and how to cope with the morning after the night before.

If you are opting for the traditional chilli, curry or hotpot meal then prepare and cook your dishes earlier in the day or the day before the big game. On the day stick them in the oven just before kick-off and they will be piping hot by half-time. Put your rice and garlic bread on at half-time and your meal will be ready to serve before the second half starts. If you are having a barbecue you could make a day of it and invite your guests round a couple of hours before the game is due to start so everyone is fed before kick-off.

Or do all your preparations well before the game is due to kick-off, and make sure all your accompaniments are ready. Make sure your barbecue is lit and hot well before half-time and then once the referee's whistle blows for the break get cooking - most of your dishes should be ready in time for second half kick-off.

For health conscious football fans pasta is delicious, nutritious and can be prepared earlier and re-heated at half-time.

Big football matches usually mean large consumption of beer, wine and any other alcohol you can think off. Always make sure there is enough booze to last the game and the celebrations or commiserations afterwards. But buy in plenty of mixers and soft drinks for those who are driving and the younger fans.

To make sure you don't get a Euro 2000 hangover drink plenty of water before you go to bed.

HERE are some mouthwatering Euro 2000 recipes you can cook up without missing that vital match:

Penne al Salame

350g penne rigate

15ml olive oil

25g butter

1 medium onion, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

400g can chopped tomatoes

425g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 15ml pesto sauce

100g salami, cut into strips

225g mozzarella cheese, cubed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh grated parmesan and basil leaves to serve

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Add the beans and pesto to the tomatoes and simmer for a further five minutes. Drain the pasta well, then return to the pan and toss in the hot sauce.

Mix in the salami, mozzarella and seasoning. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and garnished with basil.

Twisted lamb kebabs

Serves six

Ingredients

450g lamb leg meat, thinly sliced into 2.5cm strips

90ml red wine

45ml oil

1 clove garlic

5ml Worcestershire sauce

5ml paprika pepper

1 large courgette

12 small cup mushrooms; 1 red pepper, cut into 12 pieces

Before kick off blend together the red wine, oil, garlic Worcestershire sauce and paprika pepper. Add the lamb. Cut the courgette into 12 thick slices and add the pieces to the marinade with the whole mushrooms and pepper pieces. Cover and leave the ingredients for one hour to marinade.

Drain the ingredients reserving the marinade for basting. Roll the strips of meat up then thread them on to skewers with the other ingredients, starting and ending with lamb.

As the teams disappear down the tunnel for their break, stick the lamb onto a grill or barbecue for 10-15 minutes turning and basting them frequently with the reserved marinade. Serve the kebabs on halved pieces of French bread covered with mixed green salad leaves.

Lancashire Hotpot

Six middle neck lamb chops

4 lambs' kidneys

225g sliced onion

900g potatoes

225g carrots

75g butter 300ml stock

1tsp Herbes de Provence and add salt and pepper to taste

Make yourself some time before the game is due to kick off and brown the chops in butter after first removing excess fat.

Sprinkle the herbs at the bottom of the casserole and stand the chops on end among layers of sliced kidneys, carrots and onions.

Season and pour the stock over.

Top with layers of sliced potatoes brushed with butter. Cover and cook in a moderate oven for two hours.

As soon as the referee blows the whistle for half-time, uncover and brown the potatoes for a further 15 minutes.

Your hotpot should be piping hot and ready to serve just as the teams are starting to come out for the second half.