Curried prawns in coconut milk

Ingredients:

• 600ml/1pt coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 450g/1lb king prawns, peeled and
• deveined, but with tails left intact
• 225g/8oz cherry tomatoes
• 1 fresh red chilli, seeded
• and chopped
• juice of 1⁄2 lime

• Pour half of the coconut milk into a pan or wok, and bring to the boil. Add the curry paste, stir until it disperses, then simmer for about 10 minutes.

• Add the fish sauce, salt, sugar and remaining coconut milk. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

• Add the prawns, cherry tomatoes and chilli. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes until the prawns are pink and tender. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the lime juice.

Fish with coconut & basil

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 450g/1lb skinless cod fillet
• 25g/1oz plain flour, seasoned
• with salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 300ml/10fl oz coconut milk
• 175g/6oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 20 fresh basil leaves

• Heat the oil in a large preheated wok. Using a sharp knife, cut the fish into large cubes, removing any bones.

• Put the flour in a bowl, add the fish and mix until well coated. Add to the wok, and stir-fry over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until the fish begins to brown.

• Mix together the garlic, curry paste, fish sauce and coconut milk. Pour the mixture over the fish, and bring to the boil.

• Add the tomatoes to the mixture in the wok, and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

• Roughly chop or tear the basil leaves. Add the basil to the wok and stir.

• Transfer to serving plates, and serve hot with fragrant rice.

Trout with almonds

Ingredients:

• 4 small rainbow trout, cleaned
• 50g/2oz low-fat spread
• 25g/1oz flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
• flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 450g/1lb potatoes, boiled, 

• Rinse the trout and pat dry with kitchen paper. Remove the headsif preferred.

• Melt 25g/1oz of the low-fat spread in a large frying pan, and fry the fish for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to serving plates and keep warm.

• Melt the remaining low-fat spread in the juices in the pan. Add the almonds and fry until golden brown. Throw in the parsley, a little saltand pepper and the lemon juice. Spoon the sauce over the trout, and serve immediately with the potatoes.

Salmon burgers

Ingredients:

• 350g/12oz canned boneless,
• skinless pink salmon
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 100g/4oz seasoned
• fresh breadcrumbs
• 100g/4oz onions, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 4 iceberg lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 small pitta breads, halved
• crossways

 • Drain the canned salmon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid.

• In a mixing bowl, combine the reserved liquid, egg white, breadcrumbs, onion, thyme, pepper and salt. Add the drained salmon and mix well. Shape the mixture into 4 patties about 1cm/1⁄2in thick.

• In a frying pan, cook the patties in the oil over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until brown on the underside. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes.

• Serve each patty warm, with lettuce and tomato, in half a pitta bread.

Smoked snapper

Ingredients:

• 450ml/3⁄4pt malt vinegar
• 3 onions, sliced
• 11⁄2 teaspoons pimento berries
• 1.4kg/3lb red snapper
• juice of 2 limes
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground
• black pepper
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 140ml/5fl oz vegetable oil

• In a large stainless-steel or other non-reactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, onions and pimento berries. Simmer until the onions are tender, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

• Sprinkle the snapper with the lime juice, and season with the saltand pepper.

• Heat the oil to smoking point in a heavy frying pan, and fry the fish on both sides until crisp. Put the fish in a deep dish, and pour over the onion and vinegar mixture.

• Chill overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Fish pasties

Ingredients:

• 450g/1lb self-raising flour, plus
• extra for dusting
• pinch of salt
• 225g/8oz butter, plus extra
• for greasing
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• For the filling
• 50g/2oz butter
• 75g/3oz leek, diced
• 75g/3oz onion, finely chopped
• 75g/3oz carrot, diced
• 225g/8oz potato, peeled
• and diced
• 350g/12oz cod fillets, cut into
• 2.5cm/1in pieces
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 25g/1oz Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• salt and freshly ground
• black pepper  

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

• To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Add the butter, and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add just enough of the cold water to form a dough. Knead briefly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

• To make the filling, melt half the butter in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the leek, onion and carrot, and cook gently for 7–8 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

• Put the vegetable mixture into a bowl, and add the potato, cod, vinegar,remaining butter, cheese and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, and roll out thinly. Using a pastry cutter, press out four 19cm/71⁄2in discs. Divide the filling betweenthe discs.

• Moisten the edges of the pastry, and fold over to form a half-moon.Pinch and crimp the edges to seal. Put the pasties on a lightly greased baking tray. Brush generously with the beaten egg.

• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and brush again with the egg glaze. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutesuntil the pastry is golden. Serve warm.

Red prawn curry

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
• 2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 12 large raw prawns, peeled
• and deveined
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and
• finely sliced
• 10 leaves fresh Thai basil, plus
• extra to garnish
• For the curry paste
• 3 dried long red chillies
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground
• black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 lemon grass stalks, chopped
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• To make the curry paste, put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and purée to a smooth paste, adding a little water if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.

• Heat a wok or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Add the curry paste and cook for a further minute. Add half of the coconut milk, the fish sauce andthe sugar. Stir well. The mixture should thicken slightly.

• Add the prawns and simmer for 3–4 minutes until they turn pink. Add the remaining coconut milk, the lime leaves and the chilli. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the prawns are just tender.

• Add the basil leaves, stir until wilted and transfer the contents of the wok or pan to a large serving dish. Garnish with the extra basil, andserve immediately.

Salt & pepper squid

Ingredients:

• 900g/2lb squid hoods, halved
• lengthways
• 250ml/9fl oz freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• 250g/9oz cornflour
• 11⁄2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
• vegetable oil for deep-frying
• lemon wedges 

• Open out the squid hoods, wash and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay on a chopping board with the insides facing upwards. Score a fine diamond pattern in the squid, being careful not to cut all the way through. Cut into pieces about 5 x 3cm/2 x 11⁄4in. Put in a flat glass or ceramic dish, and pour the lemon juice over. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

• Combine the cornflour, salt, white pepper and sugar in a bowl. Dip the squid in the egg white, and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

• Fill a deep heavy pan one-third full with oil, and heat until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds. Deep-fry the squid, in batches, for 1–2 minutes until the squid turns white and curls. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Fish Wellington

Ingredients: 

• 50g/2oz butter
• 3 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 skinless monkfish fillets, about
• 300g/11oz each
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• 2 red peppers
• 1 large aubergine, cut into
• 1cm/1⁄2in slices
• vegetable oil for brushing
• 375g/13oz block frozen puff pastry,
• thawed
• 25g/1oz dried breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and stir to coat. Cover and sweat gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, for another 15 minutes. Cool, then season
with salt and pepper.

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/Gas mark 7.

• Rub one side of each monkfish fillet with the paprika, and put one fillet on top of the other.

• Cut the peppers into quarters, remove the seeds and cook, skin side up, under a hot grill until the skin blackens. Let them cool, then peel off and discard the skin and dice the flesh.

• Put the aubergine on a baking tray. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, then turn and brown the other side.

• Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface until large enough to enclose the fish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs lengthways along the centre of the pastry, and put the fish on top of the breadcrumbs. Top with the
onion, then the red pepper, then the aubergine.

• Brush the pastry edges with the egg. Fold the pastry over, pressing firmly together to seal. Brush with egg, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Slice and serve hot.