Baked Geelbek in Lemon Sauce

4 x 150 g portions filleted geelbek(Cape salmon)

4 large lettuce leaves

75 g soft butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

15 ml chopped fresh dill

salt and milled black pepper

175 g whole peeled shrimps, well drained on kitchen paper (weigh after shelling)

60 ml dry white wine

dill fronds for garnish

Set the oven at 200°C. Cut four squares of foil, large enough to enclose the fish.

Place a lettuce leaf on each; this will prevent the fish from sticking, and will make serving easier. Put a piece of geelbek on each leaf.

In a small bowl cream together the butter, garlic, lemon rind and juice and dill, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on the fish and top with a scattering ofshrimps.

Pull up, the edges of the foil and add 15 ml wine to each parcel.

Turn the edges over to seal the parcels. Cook for about 15 minutes until the fish is firm to the touch.

To Serve: Remove fish and lettuce from the parcels, or simply place the parcels on warm plates and garnish with dill. Serves 4

Leonie's Snoek Tart

Delicious warm or cool, as a savoury snack with a glass of good wine. Serve with moskonfyk and seeded, finely chopped green chilli.

1 kg smoked snoek, deboned, skinned and flaked

vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

125 ml grated mature Cheddar cheese

Pastry

375 ml cake flour

90 g unsalted butter, cut into blocks 45 ml iced water

White Sauce

500 ml milk

15 ml butter

15 ml flour

salt, milled white pepper, grated nutmeg

Pastry: Sift the flour into a large, chill. bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is flaky. Don't let it become oily.

Pour the iced water over the mixture and toss lightly. Gather the dough into a ball. If it crumbles, add a little more iced water a few drops at a time, until the pastry forms a ball. Dust with a little flour, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.

Set the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry, line a greased quiche tin and bake blind for about 15 minutes. Cool.

White Sauce: Warm the milk in a small saucepan. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When the foam subsides, sift in the flour and stir with a wooded spoon to form a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and blend in the warm milk. Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until translucent.

Spread a little white sauce onto the pastry, then add the flaked snoek and onion. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a layer of white sauce. Cover with grated cheese and bake for about

20 minutes until the cheese is golden.

Serves 8

Tempura Batter

The lightest batter for coating fish and shellfish.

125 ml cake flour

salt and milled back pepper

3 eggs whites

100 ml milk or water

Sift the flour, season with salt and pepper, and blend in the egg whitesand milk or water to form a thin batter. Makes about 250 ml

Legends' Chive Crepes

120 g (250 ml) cake flour

2 ml salt

300 ml milk

45 ml vegetable oil

2 eggs

125 ml finely chopped fresh chives

butter

Sift together the flour and salt. Blend the milk, oil and eggs to make a tooth batter. Mix in the chives. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a little butter in a small frying pan, add a thin film of batter and cook until lightly browned. Flip the crêpe and lightly cook the other side. As the crepes are cooked, layer them interleaved with waxed paper.

Makes 8-10 thin crêpes

Court Bouillon

2 litres cold water

500 ml dry white wine 2 onions, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 fresh or dried bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)

5 ml black peppercorns

Combine the ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain and chill or freeze until required.

Makes about 2 litres

Fish Fumet

Prepare Court Bouillon (previous recipe), using only 1 litre water, and adding 1-2 well cleaned fish heads (make sure you remove the gills, which would give a bitter flavour). Strain into a clean pot and simmer uncovered until reduced by one-third.

Fish Stock

Use white fish varieties, and discard bitter gills and entrails, which would cause the stock to become bitter.

2 litres cold water

1,5 kg clean fish heads, trimmings and bones

1 large onion, quartered

2 carrots, thickly sliced

2 ribs celery with leaves, roughly chopped 1 fresh or dried bouquet garni(parsley, fennel, bay leaf)

1 strip lemon rind

12 black peppercorns

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to the boil. Move the lid partially aside and reduce the heat until the liquid is barely moving.

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the stock into a bowl through a colander lined with several layers of 'kitchen wipes'. Press on the solids to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Chill or freeze until required.

Makes about 1,5 litres

Fish Velouté

A classic sauce for all types of fish and shellfish.

50 g butter 45 ml flour 250 ml cold Fish Stock (page 209)

150 ml cream

salt and white pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat and blend in the flour.

Whisk in the stock, pouring slowly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while, until the sauce is silky smooth and

thickens slightly.

Remove from heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 500 ml

Saffron Fish Veloute

250 ml Fish Velouté (previous recipe) 30 ml Pernod or Vermouth

20 saffron threads in 30 ml warm water 50 g soft butter, cut into blocks

Make the fish velouté, remove from the heat and stir in the Pernod or Vermouth and saffron water. Just before serving, reheat and whisk in the butter block by block.

Makes 300 ml

Béchamel Sauce

50 g butter

45 ml cake flour

500 ml full cream milk, or milk and cream salt and milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Slowly stir in the milk (or milk and cream), until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Makes about 500 ml

Hollandaise Sauce

500 g unsalted butter

5 extra large egg yolks

1 extra large egg

salt, milled white pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Skim the foam from the surface. Bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and egg into a food processor and whizz until pale yellow.

Add the boiling butter with the machine on. (Reheat the butter if it cools; the idea is to cook the egg yolks with the hot butter and in the process to form an emulsion.)

Season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper and turmeric. Add a little lemon juice.

Makes about 500 g