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

Smoked Salmon Gnocchi with Parsley Butter

If you wish to make gnocchi ahead of time, cover with oil and store in the fridge for up to four days. Drain well and dip in hot water to reheat.

3 potatoes (about 350 g), peeled and cubed 200 g smoked salmon

80 g (150 ml) cake flour

1 egg

5 ml dried dill

milled black pepper

Parsley Butter

100 g butter

5 ml chopped fresh parsley freshly squeezed lemon juice

Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and mash.

Purée the smoked salmon in a food processor or blender. Mix in the potato, flour, egg, dill and a little pepper, and knead well. Roll into about 40 small, irregular pieces - they should not be perfect rounds.

Bring water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the gnocchi in batches;

when they rise to the surface they are cooked. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, place on a warm plate and keep warm.

Parsley butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the parsley, and season with pepper and lemon juice. Pour over the gnocchi and serve hot.

Serves 4-5 as a main course;

6-8 as a starter

Baby Octopus in Peanut and Soy Sauce

750 g baby octopus, well cleaned freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil watercress sprigs for garnish

Peanut and Soy Sauce

125 ml soy sauce

15 ml crushed green ginger

50 g roasted peanuts, crushed 100 ml cream

Place the baby octopus in a bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water. Drain, tip back into the bowl, and squeeze over plenty of lemon juice.

Peanut and Soy Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small saucepan, adding the cream last. Bring to the boil.

To Serve: Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, add the octopus and fry for a few minutes until sizzling hot. Toss in the peanut and soy sauce and garnish with sprigs of watercress.

Serves 6

Fish Chermoula

8 x 200 g portions filleted kingklip, hake or linefish, skinned

Chermoula

125 ml finely chopped onion

2 ml ground cumin

2 ml chilli powder

125 ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

125 ml olive oil

30 ml boiling water

10 ml finely grated lemon rind

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 ml paprika

2 ml ground saffron

125 ml chopped fresh parsley

125 ml couscous

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice salt and milled black pepper

Set the oven at 200°C. Butter a baking tray. Combine the chermoula ingredients in a bowl. Dip in the fish fillets to coat completely, place on the tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the fish is done and the topping is lightly coloured. Serve with a fresh garden salad or steamed, buttered vegetables.

Serves 8

Crayfish Indienne

1 litre Court Bouillon

3 crayfish

3 medium, ripe, stringless mangoes small lemon leaves for garnish

Sauce Indienne

250 ml Mayonnaise

7 ml mild Madras curry powder

5 ml castor sugar

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bring court bouillon to the boil in a large saucepan, add the crayfish and cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on size. Remove from the pot and place on a board. Strain the liquid into a shallow container.

Cut crayfish in half down the back and clean well. Place into the cool stock, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Sauce Indienne: Mix together the ingredients until well blended.

To Serve: Cut off two 'cheeks' from each mango (don't peel), score the flesh and gently invert the skin to force the flesh up, displaying neat cubes.

Nap plates with sauce Indienne, place mango in the centre, and crayfish alongside. Garnish the mango with lemon leaves.

Serves 6

Provençal Baked Grunter

If grunter is not available, substitute another linefish.

1 whole grunter, gutted and cleaned; about 4 kg

salt and milled black pepper

125 ml stoned black olives

1 English cucumber, cut into julienne strips

fresh herbs for garnish

Provencal Sauce

80 ml olive oil

4 onions, sliced Chinese-style

1 red pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

1 green pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut

into julienne strips

3 cloves garlic, crushed

5 ml chopped fresh oregano

15 ml chopped fresh dill

500 ml Italian Passata (available in tetrapacks at good supermarkets and delicatessens)

Provençal Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and red, green and yellow pepper for about 3 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the garlic, oregano, dill and passata. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Set the oven at 180°C. Oil a large sheet of heavy foil. Score the fish with three diagonal slashes on each side, cutting about 1 cm deep.

Place on the foil, season with salt and pepper, cover with Provençal sauce, sprinkle with olives and seal well to prevent moisture loss.

Place on a baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes. Test for doneness; the fish is cooked when you can remove any of the dorsal fins with the inner bone attached.

To Serve: Unwrap the fish, place on a warm serving platter and garnish with cucumber and fresh herbs.

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

Movenpick's Tomato Concasse

45 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

100 g chopped celery ribs and leaves

2 x 410 g cans whole peeled tomatoes, puréed (don't drain)

salt and milled black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.

Add the celery and tomato, and season with salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Uncover during the last few minutes to thicken slightly.

Makes about 500 ml