ROUTINE FOR PUTTING ON WEIGHT

Plenty of rest and exercise, a good diet of fattening foods and no worries—those are the essentials

PUTTING on weight is very much more difficult than taking it off. Even thosefew extra pounds which can make all the difference to the appearance, comfort and, no doubt, general health, can be quite a problem.

Before embarking on a diet, it is always advisable to seek the advice of your own doctor. This is particularly important if there has been a sudden or prolonged loss of weight for no good reason and without affecting normal appetite. Where loss of weight is the result of an illness or operation, it is usually quite quickly and easily regained after recovery. The routine to be described will help in such cases, subject to the approval of your own doctor.

We are concerned here chiefly with that large army of men and women who are anxious to put on weight but who are the thin type by nature. Such people are born worriers, with excitable and energetic natures and over-active bowels, whose food does not remain in the intestines long enough to be properly absorbed.

Essential in the fattening process are:

• Keep calm and stop worrying. That is obviously a counsel of perfection to those who easily get worked up, but it can be achieved by cultivating outside interests that take your mind away from the source of anxiety (it may be professional, domestic, financial, or all three).

• Take plenty of rest. A minimum of between 8 and 9 hours in bed at night, plus between 10 and 30 minutes after every meal.

• Avoid rushing about, but take regular exercise. On no account jump up immediately after a meal; take life at a leisurely pace. Strenuous games are good if you really enjoy them, because they create appetite; so does any form of outdoor exercise, however mild.

• Eat well and regularly, and concentrate on the fattening foods (list follows). But be careful not to stuff between meals or you will defeat the whole object and be unable to eat your main meals, which are far more important. You must also avoid over-eating, with the inevitable danger of indigestion and biliousness. Aim at three good meals a day, plus any extras (such as sweets, etc.) which you really fancy and a hot, preferably milk, drink last thing at night. The housewife should take as many meals out as she conveniently can because she will not have the worry of preparing them.

• Cut down your smoking. It diminishes the appetitite, so, if you must smoke at all, only after meals, please.

Sugar, sweets, jam, marmalade, fruits in syrup, treacle, honey, Golden Syrup.

Cakes, scones, pastry, cereals, bread, biscuits, puddings.

Thickened soups and gravies, sauces made from flour, butter and/or milk.

Fried foods, cream, salad dressings, butter, dripping.

Pork, duck, goose. All fat meat and bacon. Tinned fish in oil.

Sweet wines, beer, stout, spirits, sweet aerated waters.

Dried fruits. Bananas, grapes, plums. Potatoes, peas, dried beans, parsnips, beetroot.

Cod-liver oil, Virol, olive oil.

Salt with food.

Foods with very little fattening value

Meat extracts. Marmite. Clear soups. Gelatine. Egg-white.

Green vegetables and salads. Vinegar. Tea. Coffee.

SPECIMEN DIET FOR PUTTING ON WEIGHT

Minimum: 1 pint of milk per day

On waking: Cup of tea, preferably with milk and sugar.

Breakfast: Cereal or porridge with milk and sugar or honey or syrup.

Bacon, egg, fish, etc.

Toast, butter and marmalade.

Coffee or tea.

11 a.m.: Coffee, cocoa or milk and a biscuit, or try this cocktail: One teaspoonful Spanish olive oil sandwiched between layers of orange juice in a wineglass. You can increase the quantity of olive oil gradually.

Lunch: Thick soup, if liked (if this makes it impossible to eat main course, substitute tomato or orange juice as an appetiser instead).

Meat, fish, game, poultry, etc.—both fat and lean. Serve with gravy, roast or fried potatoes and a green vegetable or salad with plenty of oily or cream dressing.

Pudding and / or cheese, butter and biscuits.. Coffee.

Tea: Tea with cake or bread and butter or banana sandwich.

Dinner: Thick soup (see Lunch).

Fish, meat or poultry, with gravy, at least one vegetable from list of Fattening Foods; one green vegetable or salad with cream or oil dressing.

Steamed or boiled pudding or milk pudding or ice cream.

Cheese with bread or biscuits and butter.

Coffee.

NOTE: Cocktails, wines. etc., may be taken as desired and obtainable. Stout or beer is good.

Bedtime: A hot drink, preferably containing milk.

Food Repair Guide: Baking Part 2

Swiss roll

If you are making a Swiss roll, then line the tin with greaseproof paper, but do ensure that you grease the paper well before pouring in the mixture. Try also to ensure that the oven shelf is level or all the mixture will run to one side. If it does, all is not lost, although it will be rather difficult to roll. When you turn the Swiss roll out, do so onto a tea cloth or piece of greaseproof paper that has been coated well with icing sugar. If not well sugared, the Swiss roll will stick to the cloth or paper and you will have a terrible time rolling it. If you have not greased the paper properly, you will also have a terrible time peeling it off, but patience will usually win the day. Do not worry if the roll is not entirely perfect. As long as you can keep about one third of it intact, that will do for theoutside and no one will see the inside. Dredge it thoroughly with sugar or icing sugar. Or, if it has really fallen apart, pre-slice it before serving so that no one can see.

Failed sponge cake

If, despite your best endeavours, your sponge cake, be it light or rich, is dry, crumbly, flat, lumpy or generally unappealing, do not throw it out. If you are desperate for a complete cake or dessert, cut the sponge into very thin layers, sprinkle each with a little liqueur if for a dessert, and layer very generously with filling so that the cake gets smothered. Then top or ice equally generously and no one will ever know. If you do not need the cake too urgently, keep it to make trifles, tipsy cakes or anything that needs a sponge base. Buried deep enough and soaked comprehensively enough, even the most revolting cake will become quite palatable. Alternatively, crumble it and use it as a topping. When toasted, the crumbs can be used as decoration for almost anything in need of disguise.

This does not apply only to plain sponges. Orange or lemon sponges would be a delicious base for any cream dessert, chocolate, coffee or even gingerbread can be used as a base for 'a trifle with a difference'. Indeed, coffee and chocolate cake could be sliced into fingers, thoroughly dried out in the oven and sandwiched together with some butter icing as biscuits. Any of the above could be used as the base for a baked pudding, but remember that the cake will be sweeter than bread or rice so reduce the amount of sugar.

Failed fruit cakes

Failed fruit cakes are just as adaptable.

Rich fruit cakes often get old and dry out. Do not abandon them to the birds. Cut deep slits in the top of the cake and feed with a mixture of brandy and sherry, or, if you do not want to be too alcoholic, a fruit wine or good fruit cordial. The amount you give the cake will depend on how dry it is, but you can always cut it in half and test the middle.

The same principle can be applied to lighter fruit cakes although one needs to be more temperate. A large quantity of fruit will soak up the liquid and make the whole mixture moist but sponge will merely become soggy, so the greater the proportion of sponge to fruit the less liquid it should be given. It is usually better to ice the cake after it has been — to conceal the tell tale signs.

If a rich fruit cake really is dry beyond redemption, break it up in a bowl, add some suet and a goodly measure of liquor, leave it to soak for 24 hours, then squash it well into a bowl and steam it as a Christmas pudding. It will be a little crumbly and somewhat lighter than the standard, but many people prefer it that way!

Icings

The disaster-prone cook should steer clear of all but glace, butter and royalicing — fondants and their kind are for those with time and expertise to spare.

Glace icing

Glace icing is quick and simple but messy. It is not easy to get the proportion of icing sugar to liquid right to achieve `spreadability' without `runability'.

Always put whatever you are going to ice on a rack so that the extra can run off without getting stuck in a thick frill round the bottom of the cake. Arm yourself with a pot of boiling water and several metal spatulas or flat knives to smooth out the lumps. Inevitably, the wretched stuff will never quite cover the top of the cake in the first run, and when you add the next bit, the first will have dried and the whole thing will go lumpy. Only practice is going to perfect your technique, but smoothing with a spatula dipped in boiling water does help.

Always be ready to decorate or disguise the top with something other than icing — even if only gold and silver balls. Grated chocolate is a good alternative.

Marbling

Marbling the top, if it is reasonable, will distract the eye from any minor blemishes and is easy and impressive in itself. Run a little melted chocolate, or different coloured icing, in parallel lines across the top of the cake. Then, before it is dried, take a knife point and pull it across the cake top in straight lines at right angles to the first lines, thus pulling the lines into a feathered shape. Try it a couple of times on greaseproof paper before you launch into the cake.

If all fails and you make a complete mess of the icing, wait till it is dry, then scrape the whole lot off and start again.

Butter icing

Butter icing is the world's easiest, but it is very rich. Many people prefer to use shortening as the fat base, which keeps it much lighter. The only hazard with butter icing is to get enough flavour into it. Like brandy butter (which is, of course, only a butter icing) nothing is nastier than a butter icing that tastes like sweetened butter. Therefore, taste after you have followed the recipe. If you have used a particularly strongly flavoured butter, you will need more chocolate, lemon or whatever you are using. Never try to spread it straight out of the fridge.

Royal icing

Royal icing is also simple, using egg white rather than water or syrup to moisten the icing sugar. Add a little lemon juice to counteract the sweetness and do not forget a drop or two of glycerine to prevent it hardening totally. If you do have a cake with unglycerined icing, you would be better advised to saw your way through it with a bread knife rather than to try and cut it, when it will shatter and ricochet all over the drawing room and Great Aunt Ethel. Royal icing can always be broken off and replaced with a new batch. Use a small amount of icing to experiment with the colour.

Mix-and-Match Sandwiches

The following are some more options to help you to create delicious, low-GL sandwiches to keep you within your 10GL goal per meal. Choose the type of bread you want from the 'Choose 1 Bread' box, then decide which topping and salad to put with it from the 'Choose 1 Filling' and 'Unlimited' boxes.

You can also choose anything from the 'Optional' box.

So, for example, you could go for wholemeal bread and smoked salmon with rocket and pesto or an open rye-bread sandwich of cottage or cream cheese with spinach and sliced or mashed avocado. Alternatively, try a wholemeal pitta stuffed with pastrami, bresaola or lean, unprocessed ham with sliced gherkins and tomatoes, lettuce and coarse-grain mustard.

You'll notice that we haven't included butter - try to cut down on saturated fat by choosing a moist filling so that you don't notice the absence of a fatty spread. If you do want to use it, have just a thin smear, or use a little hummus or mustard instead. The serving sizes here are for one person.

CHOOSE 1

Bread (carbohydrate)

1 medium slice wholemeal bread maintenance phase: 1 thick slice

³/4wholemeal pitta bread (or to make life easier, have a whole pitta bread for 10D but don't have it with a carbohydrate-containing filling - so no sun-dried tomatoes or hummus, for example)

maintenance phase: 1 pitta

11/2 slices pumpernickel-style rye bread

maintenance phase: 2 slices

3 rough oatcakes maintenance phase: 5

1 small wrap

maintenance phase: 11/2 small wraps (or 1 large)

CHOOSE 1

Filling/topping (protein)

200g (7oz) hummus (small tub)

120g (4¹/4oz) cottage cheese, (about ¹/2 tub)

85g (3oz) smoked fish (a medium fillet), such as salmon, trout or mackerel

50g (1³/4oz) cooked meat (couple of slices), such as chicken, turkey, ham off the bone, pastrami or bresaola

70g (21/2oz) tuna 1/2 x 185g (61/2oz) can), drained

1 tbsp taramasalata

85g (3oz) (6 large) cooked prawns

2 hard-boiled eggs (or mix 1 egg with 1 tbsp cottage cheese for a low-fat alternative to egg mayo)

1 tbsp nut butter (try hazelnut, almond or pumpkin-seed as well as peanut butter

100g (3¹/2oz) thinly sliced smoked tofu

UNLIMITED

Salad (either in the salad or on the side)

Lettuce, rocket, spinach, watercress, tomatoes (cherry tomatoes have the lowest GL), cucumber, gherkins, spring onion or thinly sliced red onion, finely shredded cabbage.

Vegetable antipasti, such as roasted peppers or marinated artichoke hearts, drained of oil, or roasted vegetables.

Cress or other sprouted seeds (alfalfa sprouts taste similar to cress and are packed with phyto - or plant - nutrients)

OPTIONAL

Condiments for added flavour

Slick of mustard

Up to 1 tbsp tomato salsa

Up to 2 tsp pesto

Up to 2 tsp nut butter

Up to 2 tsp guacamole or sliced or mashed avocado Up to 2 tsp tapenade

Scraping of butter

Up to 2 tsp reduced-fat cream cheese

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

Roasted Garlic

It's worth doing quite a lot at a time, as roasted garlic keeps well and may be used to flavour things like crostini and grilled mushrooms. Cover with oil and store in the fridge. The oil may later be used in salad dressing.

6 whole heads garlic

500 ml milk

olive oil

Set the oven at 180°C. Slice off the tops of the garlic heads, quarter-way down; leave skins on.

Place in a small saucepan with the milk, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Retain the milk; it's delicious in béchamel sauce!)

Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle over a little olive oil, close, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until soft.

Clarified Butter

The best fat for frying seafood, as it doesn't burn over high heat.

500 g butter

Place the butter in a deep saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. The butter will bubble as the water evaporates, and a layer of scum will rise to the surface.

Remove from the heat, scoop off and discard the scum and pour off the clear clarified butter, leaving the layer of salt and the bottom. Cool and store in the fridge.

Makes about 350 g

Mirepoix

Chop by hand or in a food processor.

1 carrot, very finely diced

1 rib celery, very finely sliced

1 small onion, very finely chopped

50 g rindless bacon or ham,very finely chopped

5 ml chopped fresh thyme

5 ml chopped fresh parsley

Mix together all ingredients.

Harvey's Green Herb Oil

A wonderfully versatile sauce or dressing for fish, meat or vegetables.

100 g chopped fresh herbs (mix basil, oregano, chives and mint, or use individual herbs)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

250 ml olive oil

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 ml coarse salt milled black pepper

Whizz all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until well blended. Store in the fridge.

Makes about 300 ml

Fillet of Kabeljou with Stewed Onion and Chive Butter

4 x 200 g portions filleted kabeljou geelbek (Cape salmon)

500 g onions

250 g butter

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

200 ml white wine

200 ml water

salt and milled black pepper

125 ml cream

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Set the oven at 250'C. Grease a large baking dish. Finely slice 400 g of the onions; finely chop the rest.

Heat half the butter in a frying pan and cook the sliced onion for about 20 minutes until deep golden and richly caramelized. Stir often - constantly at the end - to prevent burning. Drain briefly on kitchen paper and keep warm.

Place the chopped onion in the baking dish, add the thyme, bay leaves, white wine and water, and season with salt and pepper. Place fish on top, cover with foil and bake for about 8 minutes until choked. Lift fish from the baking dish, place on warm plates and keep warm.

Strain all the juices into a small saucepanand boil uncovered for about 5 minutes until reduced by half. Add the cream and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes more until the sauce thickens to a coating consistency. Whisk in the remaining butter bit by bit. Add the chives.

To Serve: Spoon onion on top of the fish, pour a little sauce around and serve the rest separately. Serve with new potatoes. Serves 4

Panfried Linefish and Roasted Vegetables with Caper and Butter Sauce

4 x 200 g portions filleted linefish

500 g new potatoes

1 brinjal (about 300 g), cut in half and sliced about 5 mm thick

olive oil, salt, milled black pepper, butter
2 courgettes, sliced about 5 mm thick

2 ripe tomatoes, cut in half and sliced

15 ml finely chopped garlic

50 g drained capers

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Cook the potatoes in their jackets in salted boiling water. Cool and peel.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the brinjals, courgettes, and tomatoe until limp and golden. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat 50 g butter in a non-stick frying pan and gently fry the potatoes until golden. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add a little more butter to the pan an fry the fish until browned on both sides and cooked through. Place on warm serving plates with the vegetables.

Add another 80 g butter to the pan. When it foams, add the capers and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the fish and serve immediately. Serves 4

Grilled Kabeljou with Roasted Pepper Sauce and Black Olives

4 x 200 g portions filleted kabeljou

(or another linefish), skinned melted butter and olive oil 125 ml stoned black olives fresh basil for garnish

Red Pepper Sauce

2 large, plump red peppers, grilled butter

60 ml finely chopped onion

5 ml grated green ginger

30 ml finely chopped spring onion 'l2 head Roasted Garlic (page 208)

250 ml chicken or Fish Stock (page 209) 5 ml finely grated orange rind

60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice 10 ml rice vinegar

sugar, salt, milled black pepper 2 ml paprika

30 ml cream (optional)

Red Pepper Sauce: Char the peppers all over under a hot grill until the skin blisters. Enclose in a plastic bag to cool slightly, then pull off the skin, and gentlyscrape away core and seeds. Purée smoothly. (If you wish, char and peel extra peppers and store in the fridge covered in oil. Use in salads or as part of an antipasto table.)

Heat butter in a medium saucepan and gently fry the onion until translucent. Add the ginger and spring onion. Gently squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins into the pan, and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the stock, orange rind, orange juice and vinegar, and season with sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir in the cream and red pepper purée and reheat.

Place fish on an oiled baking tray and brush liberally with melted butter and olive oil (use a good tablespoon per portion). Place under a hot grill for a few minutes to brown. Turn the fish and grill until done.

To Serve: Spoon red pepper sauce on each warm plate, place fish alongside and garnish with olives and fresh basil. Serves 4

The Montagu's Tomato Essence

50 ml olive oil

1 medium leek, sliced

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped

410 g can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped (don't drain)

50 ml tomato puree

300 ml Vegetable Stock (page 211)

5 ml chopped fresh thyme 5 ml chopped fresh basil

2 ml salt

8 whole black peppercorns 20 g (20 ml) soft butter 30 g (30 ml) cake flour

50 g soft butter, cut into small blocks

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the leek, celery and carrot and cook very gently until softened.

Add the fresh and canned tomato, cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato purée and vegetable stock.

Bring to the boil, add the thyme, basil, salt and peppercorns, Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil.

Blend together the butter and flour and whisk in until the tomato essence thickens. Just before serving, whisk in the butter.

Serves 8

Harvey's Beurre Blanc

If beurre blanc needs to be made ahead, keep warm in the double boiler over hot water. Never reheat, as it may curdle.

If this happens, pour into a jug. Place two more egg yolks into the double boiler and whisk over simmering water until pale and thickened. Slowly pour in the curdled beurre blanc, whisking constantly. Left-over beurre blanc may be frozen and reconstituted as above.

1 shallot or pickling onion, very finely chopped

100 ml white wine

50 ml tarragon vinegar

100 ml cream

2 egg yolks

500 g unsalted butter, cut into blocks white pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place the shallot or onion in a double boiler with the wine and tarragon vinegar. Place on the stovetop and boil uncovered until only 15 ml liquid remains.

Add the cream and simmer uncovered until it thickens.

Place the pot in its base half filled with boiling water and place on the heat.

Whisk in the egg yolks one by one until the sauce thickens.

Add the butter a few blocks at a time, whisking constantly. The butter should soften and thicken the sauce without melting. Season with white pepper and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Makes 700 ml; Serves 7-10

Season's Dill Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc (previous recipe) 60 ml chopped fresh dill

Prepare the beurre blanc. Stir in the chopped dill.

Makes 700 ml; Serves 7-10

Legends' Mushroom Cream Sauce

50 g butter 45 ml flour 5 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

125 ml chicken or Fish Stock (page 209) 125 ml cream

salt and milled black pepper

200 g button mushrooms, sliced

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour, lemon juice, stock and cream, and season with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thickened.

Add the mushrooms, cover and simmer for a minute or two until mushrooms are tender.

Serves 6

Harvey's Tomato Vinaigrette

3 ripe plum tomatoes 5 ml balsamic vinegar 5 ml brown sugar salt and milled black pepper 1 clove garlic, crushed

150 ml olive oil

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Makes about 200 ml

Mr Bray's Favorite Salmon

4 x 140 g portions filleted Norwegian salmon, skinned

olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, milled black pepper

100 ml Fish Stock (page 209)

45 ml Vermouth

30 ml dry white wine

50 g finely chopped onion

250 ml cream

30 ml medium cream sherry

50 g finely chopped leek (white part only) 30 g butter

chopped fresh chives

Cut the salmon into thin escalopes and fan on four heat-proof serving plates. Brush with a little olive oil, and flavour with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Place the fish stock, Vermouth, wine and chopped onion in a medium saucepan and boil uncovered until the liquid has reduced to 30 ml. Strain into clean saucepan, pressing out all the moisture. Discard the onion.

Add the cream, sherry and leek to the reduction, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered until reduced and thickened to a coating consistency.

Whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile set the oven at 250 'C.

To Serve: Pour sauce over the salmon and bake for about 2¹/2 minutes. Check for doneness, and cook for 1 minute more if necessary. Garnish with chives. Serves 4 as a starter

Fish 'n Pesto

4 x 200 g portions filleted fish; skin on 100 g butter, cut into 4 blockssteamed baby vegetables to serve Season's Dill Beurre Blanc (page 213)

Basil Pesto

500 ml tightly packed basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

50 g toasted pine nuts, almonds or peanuts

150 ml olive oil

(or half olive, half vegetable oil)

100 ml grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese salt and milled black pepper

Basil Pesto: Blend the basil, garlic and pine nuts together in a food processor. Add the oil then mix in the cheese; don't overmix or the mixture may 'curdle' and spoil the rough texture. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Set the oven at 250°C. Lightly oil four large pieces of foil. Place fish portions in the centre of each. Coat with a little pesto, top with a block of butter, and wrap to make a parcel; don't make it too tight around the fish as it needs to steam inside.

Bake for about 8 minutes (for linefish like rock cod; a little less if you choose to use a fish like salmon, kob or Cape salmon).

To Serve: Place baby vegetables on warm plates with fish on top. Serve with dill beurre blanc.

Serves 4