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.