Gazpacho with Langoustines and Courgette Quenelles

12 small langoustines, shelled and deveined 2 sprigs fresh tarragon

Gazpacho

80 g crustless bread

8 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped '12 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 English cucumber, seeded and chopped 'l2 clove garlic

70 g finely chopped onion

1 egg

10 ml olive oil

red wine vinegar

Courgette Quenelles

300 g courgettes

1 leaf gelatine soaked in a little water 50 ml cream

salt and milled black pepper

Gazpacho: Place the bread in a bowl. Extract juice from the tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, garlic and onion with a juice extractor, pour over the bread and set aside for 10 minutes to soak. Purée until smooth.

Whip together the egg and olive oil and add to the soup. Season with a dash of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Push through a sieve into a bowl and refrigerate.

Courgette Quenelles: Peel the courgettes with a potato peeler to a thickness of 0,5 cm. Cook in boiling salted water for 8 minutes, then drain and plunge into cold water to retain the colour.

Drain thoroughly and pass through a sieve into a saucepan. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring constantly, until the purée is dry.

Remove the gelatine from the water and dry on a towel. Mix thoroughly into the quenelle mixture and chill. Whip the cream stiffly and fold in. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the langoustines into a steamer with the tarragon and steam over simmering water for 30-60 seconds; don't overcook.

To Serve: Pour chilled gazpacho into cold soup bowls. Using two teaspoons, scoop the courgette mixture into quenelles and arrange three mounds in the shape of

a star in each bowl. Place the langoustine_sbetween the quenelles.

Serves 4

Asparagus in Puff Pastry with Warm Oysters

400 g puff pastry

8 oysters

150 ml cream

100 g butter

8 spears green asparagus

2-3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced

Pastry: Set the oven at 200°C. Lightly oil a baking tray.

Unroll the pastry and cut into four squares. Place on the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until well puffed and golden. Whilst still warm, slit each square through the middle so that you have an upper and a lower half.

Carefully open the oysters over a bowl to retain all the juices. Discard bits of shell and grit.

Place oysters and juice into a small

saucepan. Cover, bring to the boil, and remove from the heat. Add the cream and boil uncovered for 1 minute.

Reduce the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside.

Cook the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water until tender but still crisp. Drain. Cut the base of the spears into

small pieces, leaving sufficient length to lay on the pastry.

To Serve: Reheat oysters. Place pastry bases on warm plates. Spoon on the warm oysters, and arrange asparagus spears on top.

Pour over the sauce and top with pastry

lids. Garnish plates with diced tomato. Serves 4

Oyster Soup

48 oysters

olive oil, salt, milled black pepper

100 g chopped onion 100 ml white wine

15 ml chopped fresh fennel

1 litre Fish Stock (page 209)

1 litre Mussel Stock

70 g butter

70 g (150 ml) cake flour 125 ml cream

chopped chives for garnish

Carefully open the oysters over a bowl to retain the liquor. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the wine, fennel and oysters, with their liquid. Bring to the boil, then strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Discard onion and fennel. Add the fish stock.

Gently rinse the oysters to any grit.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until a sandy texture is obtained. Cool.

Bring the stock to the boil. Slowly whisk it into the flour and butter mixture over moderate heat until smooth and thicked. Season with salt and pepper. Bring o the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. dd the oysters and heat through.

To Serve: Ladle soup into warm bowls opped with lightly whipped cream and chives.

Serves 8

Linefish Bakedin a Reunion Parcel

6 x 180 g portions filleted linefish, skinned salt, milled black pepper, olive oil

200 g green ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

200 g onion, peeled and roughly chopped

100 g garlic cloves, peeled

1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into julienne strips

12 sheets phyllo pastry

(large enough to enclose fish and filling) melted butter

1 egg yolk

Reunion Sauce

butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, blanched and finely chopped 5 ml turmeric

500 ml cream

250 g butter, cut into blocks

'/2 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

Place the fish on a greased baking tray and grill under a hot grill until lightly coloured. (Don't cook it through, as it will be finished in the oven.) Season. lightly with salt and pepper. Cool.

Grind together the ginger, onion and garlic in a food processor. Panfry in a little olive oil with the yellow, green and red pepper until soft. Cool.

Reunion Sauce: Heat a little butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onion, tomato and turmeric until the vegetables are soft. Add the cream and simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Whisk in the butter block by block. Add the chopped coriander.

Set the oven at 180° C. Place 6 sheets of phyllo pastry on a worktop, brush with melted butter and place another sheet on top in the shape of a star.

Spoon on the ginger/pepper mix, then a portion of linefish. Enclose in pastry and brush with egg yolk. Place in a greased baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes until cooked.

To Serve: Place fish parcels on warm plates and pour a little Reunion sauce around.

Serves 6

Oysters Grilled with Basil Butter

For those who wouldn't dream of eating anything raw, try this interesting, simple recipe; the wonderful flavour of fresh oysters enhanced by a flavourful topping.

24 large, plump oysters 150 g soft butter

100 ml chopped fresh basil leaves

75 ml grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, crushed

freshly squeezed juice of '12 lemon

Heat the oven grill. Open the oysters, discard the top shell and place on a baking tray.

Blend together the butter, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon juice.

Top the oysters with the mixture and grill until bubbling. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the heavenly juices. Serves 4

Prawn and Calamari Salad

The delicious flavours in the dressing compliments the delicate flavours of prawns and calamari in this colourful, ever-popular summer salad.

300 g large prawns, shelled and deveined 300 g calamari tubes, well cleaned

and cut into rings

500 ml water

60 ml dry white wine

5 ml salt

5 ml olive oil

assorted salad leaves

6 carrots, cut into thin strip

6 ribs celery, sliced

1 red pepper, seeded and finely sliced

1 green pepper, seeded and finely sliced 6 spring onions, chopped

'/2 English cucumber, cut into strips

¹12 spanspek, skinned, pipped and sliced finely shredded fresh basil leaves for garnish

Dressing

125 ml Mayonnaise (page 211)

125 ml plain yoghurt

freshly squeezed juice and finely grated rind of 1 small lemon

45 ml chopped fresh fennel 2 ml crushed green ginger 2 ml Tabasco sauce

2 ml crushed cumin seeds 2 ml wholegrain mustard 2 ml coarse salt

milled black pepper

Dressing: Mix together the mayonna and yoghurt. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well. (This will keep for up to a week in the fridge.)

Bring the water, wine, salt and olive to a rapid boil in a medium saucepan.

Add the prawns and calamari rings simmer for 1 minute. Drain and chill w

To Serve: Line a salad bowl with le leaves. Toss the carrot, celery, red a green pepper, spring onion and cu

in 45 ml of the dressing. Pile onto t salad with spanspek on top.

Toss the seafood with enough dress' to coat well, heap into the centre an garnish with Basil.

Serves 6-8 as a starter