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

Baked Linefish with Minted Mango Yoghurt

4 x 200 g portions filleted linefish; skin on 60 ml olive oil

salt, milled black pepper, cayenne pepper

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice Tabasco sauce

Minted Mango Yoghurt

250 ml plain, thick yoghurt

1 medium, ripe stringless mango, peeled, pipped and chopped

leaves plucked from 2-3 sprigs fresh mint

Set the oven at 220 °C. Pour the olive oil into a baking dish to fit the fish snugly, add the fillets and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice and a few drops of Tabasco.

Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until cooked.

Minted Mango Yoghurt: While the fish is cooking mix together the yoghurt, mango and mint in a food processor. Purée smoothly and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the minted mango yoghurt sauce over the fish and place under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper.

To Serve: Place fish on warm plates and serve with sautéed potatoes and lightly cooked vegetables.

Serves 4

Black Mushrooms

Rolled in Sesame Seeds, with Prawns,

Julienned Vegetables and Indonesian Peanut Sauce

4-8 large black mushrooms (1-2 per serving)

200 ml sesame seeds

cake flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Peanut Sauce

30 ml olive oil

100 ml Ketjap Manis

60 ml peanut butter

Prawns and Julienne Vegetables 16 large prawns, shelled and deveined

300 g julienned vegetables (carrots, leeks, celery, red, green, yellow peppers)

olive oil

5 ml crushed garlic,

5 ml finely chopped fresh red or green chilli (discard seeds, or add for a hotter dish)

5 ml crushed green ginger

5 ml finely sliced fresh lemon grass stalks small bunch fresh coriander, chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Set the oven at 180 °C. Grease a baking tray. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.

Roll the mushrooms in flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with sesame seeds. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Peanut Sauce: Mix the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, to form a smooth sauce. If it's too thick, add a little water or chicken stock.

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

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

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

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

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

Sautéed Scampi with Peppers and Tarragon

24 large prawns, shelled and deveined olive oil

60 ml chopped fresh tarragon, or 5 ml dried tarragon

salt and milled black pepper

1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into tiny cubes

4 courgettes, sliced

60 ml brandy

salad leaves, cucumber, cocktail tomatoes lemon wedges for squeezing

Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Lightly fry the prawns until they are sealed and change colour, tossing constantly. Add half the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped peppers and courgettes and stir-fry over high heat until tender; don't allow the vegetables to overcook and change colour. Sprinkle over the remaining tarragon, pour in the brandy and flame.

To Serve: Arrange salad leaves, sliced cucumber and tomatoes on plates. Spoonscampi and vegetables alongside, and garnish with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Cape Malay-Style Seafood Curry

6 langoustines, shelled and deveined

18 large prawns, shelled and deveined

400 g firm, filleted linefish

(like yellowtail), skinned

and cut into 2 cm cubes

200 g calamari tubes, well cleaned and sliced into rings

18-24 black mussels, on the half shell small bunch fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Curry

vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped 15 ml seafood masala

5 ml turmeric 5 ml paprika 5 ml ground coriander

2 ml ground cardamom

2 bay leaves

500 ml Fish Stock

salt and milled black pepper

Curry: Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the tomato, cover and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the masala, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cardamom, bay leaves and stock and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan and lightly fry the langoustines, prawns, linefish and calamari. Add the partly cooked seafood to the sauce and simme gently for 3-5 minutes until cooked. Ad the mussels and heat through.

To Serve: Tip the curry into a warm serving dish and garnish with coriand leaves. Serve with rice.Serves 6

Smoked Salmon Creams with Fresh Crab

brown and white meat from 1 crab

1 ml cayenne pepper ml grated nutmeg 15 ml chopped fresh chives

eggs, lightly beaten 50 ml cream

30 g smoked salmon

'watercress and lemon slices for garnish

Set the oven at 190°C. Place the crab meat, ayenne pepper, nutmeg and chives ina food processor and purée smoothly. Add the eggs.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, add the crab purée and fold together gently until well mixed.

Line eight well greased ramekins (about 7,5 cm in diameter and 4 cm deep) with smoked salmon, fill to three-quarters with crab mixture and place in a bain- marie half filled with boiling water. Bake for about 30 minutes until firm.

To Serve: Turn out the ramekins on warm plates and garnish with lots of watercress and sliced lemon.

Serves 2 as a main course;

4 as a starter

Trout Fillets Layered with Spinach and Feta

4 trout fillets, skinned

6 sheets phyllo pastry

melted butter

500 ml baby spinach leaves, well washed and trimmed

200 g feta cheese, crumbled

Lemon Butter Cream Sauce 100 g butter

60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 60 ml cream, whipped

salt and milled black pepper

30 ml chopped fresh dill

Set the oven at 180° C. Grease a baking tray. Butter a sheet of phyllo pastry and place a trout fillet on it. Spread spinach on the trout, and crumbled feta on top. Place another trout fillet on top and wrap in a neat parcel with 2 more buttered phyllo sheets. Make another parcel in the same way.

Place the parcels on the baking tray and brush with melted butter. Bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and the fish is cooked.

Lemon Butter Cream Sauce: Whisk the butter and lemon juice together in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the whipped cream and allow to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dill just before serving.

To Serve: Place trout parcels on warm plates and pour lemon butter sauce over. Serves 2