Oysters with soy and chilli sauce
Prep time: 15 mins
Serves 2
12 oysters, shucked (ask your fishmonger to prepare them)
Bunch of curry leaves
Bunch of chives, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 lemon, sliced
For the sauce, mix together
1 garlic clove, minced
1cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame oil
1. Place oysters on a platter of curry leaves and drizzle sauce over.
2. Garnish with chives, chilli and lemon and serve immediately.
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Spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4
400g spaghetti
Olive oil, for shallow frying
Parmesan cheese, grated Basil sprigs, to garnish
FOR THE SAUCE
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
800g canned tomatoes
Bunch of parsley, chopped
Bunch of basil, chopped
FOR THE MEATBALLS, MIX TOGETHER
400g minced beef
4 tbsp finely chopped basil
1 egg
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1. To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 mins. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add canned tomatoes and stir together, breaking the tomatoes during the process. Add herbs, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, season meatball mixture with salt and pepper and shape into lime-size balls. Warm olive oil in a pan over high heat, add meatballs and brown on all
sides. About 2-3 mins.
3. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add meatballs to the sauce and stir gently. Cover and cook over a low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. To serve, place a thin layer of
sauce on a plate, place a portion of spaghetti over and spoon meatballs with sauce on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil and serve.
Steak Florentine
Marinating time: 2-8 hours
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp chopped basil
1 tsp chopped za’atar
2 x 300g rib-eye steaks
1 tsp lemon juice
Sautéed spinach, eggs sunny side up and mashed potatoes, to serve
1. Mix together olive oil, paprika, basil and za’atar in a bowl. Rub mixture over steaks and marinate for 2 to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat a heavy griddle pan. Cook steaks on the griddle for about 3-4 mins on each side.
3. Remove from griddle and continue cooking in the oven for 15-20 mins. Remove
from oven and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 mins.
4. Drizzle lemon juice over and serve with spinach, eggs and mashed potatoes.
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Prep time: 20 mins
Refrigeration time: 1 hour
Serves 2
400g fresh large strawberries
200g white chocolate
200g milk chocolate
100g hazelnuts, finely chopped
100g tiny chocolate chips
1. Wash and dry strawberries. Melt white and milk chocolates in separate bowls
over pans of simmering water, ensuring that the bowls do not touch the water.
2. Dip half the strawberries in milk chocolate and the other half in white chocolate. Coat some of the coated strawberries with chopped nuts and chocolate chips and drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the other strawberries.
3. Arrange strawberries on a plate for chocolate to set and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold.
Chocolate fondant
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Makes 4
50g melted butter, for brushing
cocoa powder, for dusting
200g good-quality dark chocolate,
chopped into small pieces
200g butter, chopped into small pieces
200g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
200g plain flour
Single cream, to serve
Berries to serve
1. Brush melted butter all over the inside of four ramekins. Dusk each with a little cocoa on all the sides and bottom. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar.
2. Place a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, eggs and egg yolks together until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail. You don’t want it to be stiff, it should still be fluid. Sift the flour over the eggs, then beat together.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well each time, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the ramekins and chill for at least 20 mins or up to overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of the ramekins. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for
a minute before turning out. (If you let them sit longer, the centre will dry up and it will be like a cake.)
7. Gently unmould the fondants and drizzle cream over. Garnish with berries and serve immediately.
