Prawns Flamed in Whisky with Red Pepper and Couscous Salad

35-60 prawns (5-10 per person, depending on size); shells and heads on olive oil

150 ml whisky

250 ml stoned black and green olives

6 cloves garlic, crushed

4-6 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely chopped

3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and chopped

Red Pepper and Couscous Salad 3 large, plump red peppers

500 ml water or chicken stock

50 ml olive oil

10 ml salt

500 g couscous

2 bunches spring onions, finely sliced (use green parts too)

1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Cut the prawns open down the back and remove the vein. Leave head and shells on; dry well.

Red Pepper and Couscous Salad: Char the red peppers all over under a hot grill until the skin blisters. Enclose in a plastic bag to cool slightly, then pull off the skins and scrape away and discard the seeds. Cut into strips.

In a medium saucepan mix the water or stock, olive oil and salt and bring to the boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Spread in a tray and mix in the spring onion, pepper and half the parsley. Check the flavour; add a dash of vinegar if you like.

Mix the remaining parsley with the garlic, chilli, 50 ml olive oil and tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok and fry the prawns until they stiffen, salt lightly, turn, pour in the whiskey and flame. Add the parsley and tomato/chilli mixture and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until prawns are done and the sauce forms. If necessary, add a little water to thin the sauce.

To Serve: Spoon couscous salad onto warm plates. Top with prawns, pour over the sauce and garnish with olives. Serves 6

Mussels a la Provençal

2 kg (about 48) black mussels, scrubbed and debearded

200 g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

250 ml white wine

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

15 ml crushed garlic

2 ripe tomatoes, blanched, skinned and chopped

60 ml chopped fresh parsley

Heat 60 g of the butter in a large pot and fry the onion for about 2 minutes until golden.

Add the wine, thyme and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Add mussels, cover and boil until they open wide. Discard any which remain shut. Strain the sauce into a clean pot. Deshell the mussels and gently pull out any beards that remain.

Heat the remaining butter in a clean frying pan and gently fry the mussels. Add the garlic, tomato and parsley, and heat through. Serve hot with new potatoes. Serves 4

Stuffed Calamari a la Marseillaise

1 kg whole calamari (with tentacles),

well cleaned

olive oil, salt, milled black pepper

2 onions, finely chopped

100 g white bread

1 litre milk

2 ripe tomatoes, blanched, skinned

and diced 3 egg yolks 15 ml crushed garlic

60 ml chopped fresh parsley

250 ml white wine

125 ml water

100 g fresh white breadcrumbs

Set the oven at 180° C. Grease a baking dish. Cut off the calamari tentacles and chop finely. Clean the calamari tubes ready for stuffing.

Heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion and calamari tentacles until golden.

Place the bread in a bowl, pour over the milk and soak.

Squeeze out the excess milk, and add the bread to the pan with the tomato, egg yolks and half the garlic and parsley. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill the calamari tubes with the stuffing and sew closed with string, or fasten with skewers.

Place in the baking dish, pour in the white wine and water and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and heat the oven grill. Mix together the breadcrumbs, remaining garlic and parsley, sprinkle on top of the calamari and grill until golden brown. Serves 6

Risotto di Scampi

400 g prawns, shelled and deveined;cut in half if large

45 ml olive oil

70 g unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped 350 g arborio rice

15 ml chopped fresh parsley

2 litres hot Fish Stock

(approximate amount; page 209) salt and milled black pepper

50 ml dry white wine

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the celery and carrot and cook until softened. Mix in the rice and parsley.

Add 250 ml hot fish stock and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue in this way until most of the stock has been used up.

Watchpoint: Never drown risotto by adding too much liquid at a time!

Season with salt and pepper, mix in the prawns and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring and adding a little more stock of necessary. Check if the risotto is tender but still firm to the bite.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the wine and remaining butter. Cover and set aside for 2-5 minutes before serving. Serves 4

Prawn Bruschetta

250 g medium prawns, shelled and deveined 30 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 ml chopped fresh red or green chilli

15 ml chopped fresh parsley salt and milled black pepper 4 slices country bread, about 2 cm thick

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lemon wedges for garnish

Neatly cut each prawn into 3 pieces. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic and chilli over medium low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the prawns and parsley, increase the heat and fry for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Toast the bread on both sides and rub with cut garlic. Arrange on warm plat and spoon prawns and pan juices on top. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Serves 4

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

Soy Recipes - Ageless Egg Salad

Even without the eggs, the dish is still high in protein.

• 1 pound tofu, cubed
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet honey pickles or pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 dash sea salt or seasoning of your choice, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Tofu Ageless Mayonnaise

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss all of the ingredients together lightly.
2. Chill and serve on a bed of greens, stuffed in pocket bread, or on a slice of whole-grain bread.

Variation: In place of pure mayonnaise, use equal parts of plain yogurt and mayonnaise with a little honey or other sweetener added.