My Favorite Seafood Dish

Smoked Snoek Pâté Parcel with Chive Beurre Blanc

Ready-made smoked fish pâté is available at many good supermarkets and delicatessens.

Heat the remaining butter in a clean frying pan and fry the mushrooms over high heat until tender. Add the garlic and fry until the excess liquid evaporates. Mix in the onion-herb mixture and cool. Add the pâté.

120 g-150 g smoked snoek pate

100 g butter, extra melted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

100 ml white wine

salt, milled black pepper, mixed herbs

200 ml cream

freshly squeezed lemon juice

300 g brown mushrooms, finely sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed

200 g roll phyllo pastry

Harvey's Beurre Blanc

small bunch fresh chives, chopped

Heat half the butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the wine, season with salt, pepper and mixed herbs and boil uncovered until no liquid remains.

Add the cream and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes until thickened. Flavour with lemon juice.

Braised Linefish with Roasted Hazelnut

Beurre Blanc and Almond and Anchovy Butter

4 x 200 g-300 g portions filleted linefish

Court Bouillon (page k9)

vegetable oil

400 ml Harvey's Beurre Blanc

balsamic vinegar

100 g hazelnuts, deep fried in hot oil or roasted in a dry frying pan

milled black pepper

Set the oven at 180°C. Grease six muffin tins. Unroll the pastry and cut corner-tocorner into two triangles. Keep covered with a damp cloth while making theparcels. Place one piece on a working surface and brush with melted butter. Place another piece on top in the shape of a star. Place 30 ml filling in the centre and enclose by pinching the points together. Place in a muffin tin. Repeat the procedure to make six parcels. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Make the beurre blanc while the parcels are baking. Add the chives just before serving.

To Serve: Place parcels on warm plates and pour a little beurre blanc around. Serves 6

Nut Butter

200 g butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

60 g chopped almonds

2 canned anchovy fillets,

or 5 ml anchovy paste

milled black pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice

Nut Butter: Heat a little of the butter in a medium saucepan and fry the nuts and anchovies until roasted. Cool slightly, then beat in the remaining butter bit by bit until smooth. Season with pepper and lemon juice.

Place the nut butter in a piping bag with a large nozzle and pipe noisettes on a wax paper-lined tray. Chill.

Bring the court bouillon to the boil in a large saucepan, add the fish, cover and poach gently until just cooked. Remove from the pan, cover and set aside until just before serving.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and sear the poached fish until golden and heated through. (The twin cooking procedures ensure your fish is moist and perfectly cooked in as little time as possible.)

Pour beurre blanc into a jug and stir in enough balsamic vinegar for a rich, marbled caramel colour.

Spoon onto four warm plates, place fish fillets on top and sprinkle roasted hazelnuts around. Top with nut butter and dust the rim of the plate with milled black pepper.

Serves 4

Polenta-Seared Tuna on Ratatouille, with

Tomato Beurre Blanc and Green Herb Oil

4 x 200 g-300 g fillets or cutlets of tuna

salt and milled black pepper

150 g polenta or maize meal olive oil

200 ml Harvey's Green Herb Oil

Ratatouille

1 onion, sliced

1 rib celery, finely sliced 10 ml dried mixed herbs 1 bay leaf

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced

1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced

1 green pepper, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

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

10 patty pans, sliced

5 courgettes, sliced

Tomato Beurre Blanc

350 ml Harvey's Beurre Blanc

100 ml Harvey's Tomato Vinaigrette

chopped fresh parsley

Ratatouille: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion and celery until limp. Add the mixed herbs, bay leaf, peppers, garlic and tomato. Simmer uncovered until the ratatouille thickens.

Add the patty pans and courgettes and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Tomato Beurre Blanc: Make the beurre blanc. Mix in the tomato vinaigrette and chopped parsley.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and coat with polenta or maize meal.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and sear the fish on both sides. Reduce the heat and cook through more gently.

To Serve: Spoon hot ratatouille on four warm serving plates. Place fish on top and pour tomato beurre blanc around. Drizzle green herb oil onto the fish and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4

My Favorite Meal

Tagliatelle coi Gamberi e Peperoni

Tagliatelle with Prawns and Peppers

400 g large prawns, shelled and deveined olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely chopped

60 ml chopped fresh sage leaves

1 bottled red pimento, or 1 red pepper, finely sliced

salt and milled black pepper

250 g tagliatelle (preferably home-made)

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic, chilli and sage until they begin to sizzle.

Add the prawns and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the pimento or red pepper and heat through (if using red pepper, cook for 1-2 minutes until soft). Season with salt and pepper.

Mpumalanga

Boil the pasta in salted water until cooked 'al dente'. Drain, tip into the frying pan and toss in the sauce until piping hot. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Pesce ai Ferri alla Moda dell' Adriatico

Italian-Style Grilled Fish

6 x 200 g portions firm, filleted fish, skin on 250 ml olive oil

freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

60 ml chopped fresh parsley

60 ml chopped fresh sage leaves salt and milled black pepper extra olive oil for grilling

Place the fish in a non-metal dish. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and sage, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the fish and set aside to marinate for at least 4 hours.

Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat, and brush with extra olive oil.

Remove fish from marinade and gril the upper side until golden and well marked. Turn the fish and reduce the heat to cook through gently. (The fist may be braaied over the coals if you prefer.)

Serve with a 144 green salad. Serves 6

Cacciucco

Seafood Casserole

18 large prawns, deveined; heads and shells on

3 crayfish tails, deveined and cut into cubes shells on

18 black mussels, steamed open, shelled and debearded

200 g culamari tubes, well cleaned and sliced into rings

600 g firm white fish, filleted, skinned and cubed

olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and chopped

125 ml chopped fresh parsley

500 ml dry white wine

10 ripe tomatoes, blanched, skinned and chopped

125 ml chopped fresh oregano

salt and milled black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic, chili and parsley for 1-2 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Add the tomato and simmer uncovered for about

5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the prawns, crayfish, mussels, calamari and fish, and simmer gently uncovered for about 8 minutes until cooked. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with garlic toast and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

Pesce con Polenta Kingklip and Polenta Bake

1,2 kg filleted kingklip, skinned and cut into large cubes

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

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

250 ml cream

125 ml chopped fresh basil

nutmeg, salt, milled black pepper

Polenta

1,5 litres water

salt

500 ml polenta or maize meal 750 ml grated Pecorino cheese

Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry the kingklip over high heat until sealed on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the garlic and onion to the pan and fry until translucent. Add the tomato and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add the cream and simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the basil and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add the kingklip and heat through. Place in a casserole. Set the oven at 180°C.

Polenta: Bring the water to the boil with a little salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour in the polenta or maize meal, stirring all the time.

Cook, still stirring, for about 15 minutes until the polenta or maize meal is cooked and comes away from the sides of the pot. Add one third of the Pecorino cheese. Turn into a bread tin and cool.

Unmould the polenta, slice and lay on top of the kingklip. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.

Serves 6

Aubergine's Spiced Garlic Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

2 whole eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

5 ml dry English mustard

5 ml salt

2 ml white pepper

30 ml white vinegar

30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

750 ml vegetable oil

In a food processor, blender or electric mixer whisk the whole eggs, yolks, mustard, salt and pepper until pale and thick. With the machine running, add the vinegar and lemon juice little by little, then pour in the oil in a thin, thin stream. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 1 litre

Aubergine's Spiced Garlic Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

15 ml red wine vinegar 50 ml olive oil

150 ml vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt, cayenne pepper, ground coriander

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with a hand whisk until well blended.

Whisk in the vinegar, then the oils, adding drop by drop at first, then in a thin stream until the mayonnaise emulsifies.

Flavour with garlic and a little salt, cayenne pepper and coriander. Makes about 200 ml

Fish Velouté

A classic sauce for all types of fish and shellfish.

50 g butter 45 ml flour 250 ml cold Fish Stock (page 209)

150 ml cream

salt and white pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat and blend in the flour.

Whisk in the stock, pouring slowly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while, until the sauce is silky smooth and

thickens slightly.

Remove from heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 500 ml

Saffron Fish Veloute

250 ml Fish Velouté (previous recipe) 30 ml Pernod or Vermouth

20 saffron threads in 30 ml warm water 50 g soft butter, cut into blocks

Make the fish velouté, remove from the heat and stir in the Pernod or Vermouth and saffron water. Just before serving, reheat and whisk in the butter block by block.

Makes 300 ml

Béchamel Sauce

50 g butter

45 ml cake flour

500 ml full cream milk, or milk and cream salt and milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Slowly stir in the milk (or milk and cream), until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Makes about 500 ml

Hollandaise Sauce

500 g unsalted butter

5 extra large egg yolks

1 extra large egg

salt, milled white pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Skim the foam from the surface. Bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and egg into a food processor and whizz until pale yellow.

Add the boiling butter with the machine on. (Reheat the butter if it cools; the idea is to cook the egg yolks with the hot butter and in the process to form an emulsion.)

Season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper and turmeric. Add a little lemon juice.

Makes about 500 g

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

Simple Seafood Dish

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

Copper Pot's Savoury Prawn Rice

100 g butter

5 cm piece English cucumber, cut into small cubes

1 rib celery, finely chopped

i/2 red pepper, finely chopped

100 ml sliced button mushrooms 100 ml cooked corn kernels

1 tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded and finely cubed

100 g peeled prawns, well drained

on kitchen paper (weigh after shelling) 500 ml cooked rice

30 ml chopped fresh parsley

salt and milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the cucumber, celery, red pepper, mushrooms, corn and tomato and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes (the vegetables should still be crisp).

Add the prawns, cover and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the rice and parsley, season with salt and pepper and heat through.

Serves 4

Jake's Portuguese Rice

olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

30 ml chopped fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, crushed

250 ml rice

15 ml tomato paste

salt and milled black pepper 375 ml water

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

Stir in the parsley, garlic, rice and tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, then add the water.

Cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Serves 6

Bayfront Blu's Kitali Rice

butter

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced 100 g button mushrooms, sliced salt and milled black pepper

750 ml cooked basmati or white rice

Heat butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the red and green pepper and the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Mix in the rice and heat through.

Serves 4