Creamed Sweetcorn with Chilli and Lime Squid.

 

Prepare your squid and cut into rings or scored pieces or a combination of both and marinade in lime juice, finely chopped garlic, chilli, coriander leaves a little oil and salt and pepper.

Strip the leaves from your corn cob and stand it upright in a bowl.

Using a sharp knife cut the corn kernels from the husk so they fall into the bowl, reserve.

Then drag the sharp edge of the knife down the husk to release the juices left behind, cut the husk into three pieces and place in a sauce pan with a chopped shallot, a couple of bay leaves, a hand full of pepper corns, a chopped stick of celery and water, bring up to heat and leave it to simmer for 15mins to create a corn stock.

Strain most of the stock into a blender and add 3/4 of the corn to it along with good knob of butter and blitz into a smooth paste - you may need to add more stock.

Pour into a saucepan and season with salt and pepper - add a small amount of finely chopped red chilli, a squeeze of lime juice and the rest of the sweetcorn and warm through to cook the corn.

In a hot pan cook your squid for 2 or 3 mins in oil, being careful not to over cook it.

Serve in bowl on top of the creamed sweetcorn with a scattering of fresh coriander leaves and some chopped red chilli.

Clams with Chard, Fennel and Celery.

 

Finely slice a couple of celery sticks, a small bulb of fennel and a handful of rainbow chard stalks and leaves.

Place them in a large lidded pan with a knob of butter and a dash of water, season with salt & pepper and heat on low/med heat with the lid on.

In a separate smaller saucepan boil a small glass of white wine for 2-3 mins to burn off the alcohol and add your cleaned clams.

Cook for a couple of minutes or so until the shells open, shaking the pan half way through.

Decant into a sieve, over a bowl to retain the cooking juices discarding any clams that have not opened.

When the chard, celery and fennel have softened and are giving off steam, give them a stir and increase the heat slightly .

Add the white wine, and the clams and the reserved cooking liquor from the bowl being careful not to add any sand that has settled on the bottom of the bowl.

Cook on for another minute or so to warm through, then add chopped parsley and serve in bowls.

Cod with Choritzo and Potatoes.

 

Gently fry slices of cooking choritzo in a casserole, and when they have started to colour slightly on both sides add chopped spring onion and cook on for a few minutes until the onion is soft.

Add sliced green pepper, padron peppers would also be very good in this dish, and when softened add a dash of white wine and some water and turn up the heat.

Add sliced potatoes and a teaspoon of paprika and simmer for ten mins or so until the potatoes are starting to soften and the liquid has slightly reduced.

Pop a seasoned cod loin or fillet on the top and place in a preheated oven with the lid on.

When the fish is cooked through remove and plate up with lots of freshly chopped parsley.

Chortizo and Feta Stuffed Squid with Samphire.

 Chop your cooking choritzo into slices and cook in enough white wine to nearly cover them - flip the slices over half way through cooking.

Drain and allow the slice to cool - then remove the skins and chop into small pieces.

Add the copped feta cheese and mix.

Three quarter fill your squid tubes with the mixture, (the squid will shrink when cooking so don't over fill) and secure the ends with a cocktail stick.

Heat a little oil and butter in a oven proof pan and cook the squid on a med high heat on each side for 20 - seconds to colour, add a small splash of white wine and then place the pan in the oven to cook the squid through - this will be 3-5 mins or so depending on the size of the tubes.

As the tubes are cooing in the oven saute the tentacles and the samphire in a little oil and butter adding a good grind of pepper - no salt as this will make the dish to salty - add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice when cooked and then plate and serve.

Mussels with Garlic and Herb Butter.

First make your garlic and herb butter by finely chopping a selection of fresh herbs - go lightly on very strong flavoured herbs like tarragon and mint and use the softer fine tips of herbs like rosemary and thyme.

Crush a few cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle with some rock salt and milled pepper - add a little olive oil to help the process along.

When the garlic is pulped add to a pat of softened butter along with the finely chopped herbs and mix thoroughly - a splash of pastis is also good for the flavour.

De-beard and clean your mussels, discarding any that don't close when tapped.

Add half a glass of white wine to a large heavy lidded saucepan and bring to the boil - drop the mussels in and put the lid on.

After 30 seconds or so give the pan a good shake and cook on for a further 30 seconds or so until the mussels open - don;t over cook them at this stage as they will go rubbery.

Remove from the heat and strain - reserve the juices.

When cool enough to handle remove the empty half of the shells and discard.

Add some of the cooking juices to a oven proof dish - make sure the juices only come half to three quarter up the shells, then add the mussels in the shells to the dish.

Spoon the garlic and herb butter into all the shells and put in a very hot preheated oven.

Once the butter has melted remove and serve with good crusty bread for mopping up all the juices.

Walnut and Radish Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing.

 

Crush half a clove of garlic some salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle.

Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard, a splash of sherry vinegar and some pieces of blue cheese - I used Oxford Blue but any good blue is ok.

Crush all the ingredients into a paste and slowly add extra virgin olive oil as you mix to form an emulsion.

Place your salad leaves in a bowl with chopped radishes, walnuts and pieces of blue cheese and then dress with the blue cheese dressing and serve.

Mackerel with Fennel, Celery and Orange.

Finely slice a bulb of fennel and refresh in ice cold water.

Slice a couple of celery sticks and add to the fennel.

Cut the skin and pith off an orange and cut out the segments - do this over a bowl to reserve the juice.

In a mortar and pestle pound a garlic clove with a little salt and pepper and a small dash of sherry vinegar until it turns to pulp.

Then slowly add extra virgin olive oil and half the reserved orange juice while continuing to pound so the dressing emulsifies.

In a pan heat some oil and a lillte butter and when hot place the mackerel fillet in skin side down - let the fillet cook 3/4 of the way through and for the skin to become crispy, before turning to finish off the other side.

While the fish is cooking drain, spin and dress the salad of celery and fennel and add the orange segments and any fennel fronds.

Plate up and place the mackerel fillet on top - return the pan to the hob and on a high heat pour in the remaining orange juice and quickly reduce to a syrup.

Drizzle over the fish and serve.