Prawn and Samphire Risotto

Samphire is only available from May to August and is naturally very salty as it grows by the sea. Combined with prawns or other sea food, it brings a soft sea flavour to your table. Crack open a bottle of fine white wine and enjoy this simple, easy, special risotto.

600gm large cooked prawns
80gm washed and trimmed Samphire 
50gm butter 
3 shallots finely chopped 
l litre fish stock 
50ml white wine 
2 garlic cloves crushed 
250gm of Arborio rice 
30gm freshly grated parmesan cheese  
50ml single cream or plain yoghurt

Add a bit of the butter to a pan and heat gently then add the shallots, garlic and cook very gently for about ten minutes. 
Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated then add half the stock and close the lid. Stir gently and cook for about 15 minutes, then pour in the wine and stir again until it has all been absorbed. Add a rest of the stock and prawns and continue stirring until all the liquids have been absorbed, usually another 10-15 minutes. Add the samphire in the end and cook it in the mix for about 2 minutes. At the very end and when the heat is very low or even completely switched off add the cream/ yoghurt. Serve immediately with parmesan on top.

Garlic Potatoes With Juniper Berries

Strong flavoured roasted potatoes, great to serve with wild rice, chicken, asparagus or just with yoghurt on the side. 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried juniper berries, lightly crushed
8 large garlic cloves
600g tiny new potatoes

You will also need the juice of one medium lemon, coarse-grain sea salt and black pepper, finely chopped fresh oregano to serve. 

Heat the oven to 180 c (gas mark 4).

Pour the olive oil into a heavy shallow baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle the juniper berries over the oil and place the dish in an oven for a few minutes to warm.

Trim off the stem ends of the garlic cloves and rub off any feathery outer skin.
Place the potatoes and garlic in the warm dish and roll them in the olive oil to lightly coat.
Bake 10 minutes and roll the potatoes and garlic in the olive oil once more.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150c (gas mark 2) and bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
Roll the potatoes in the olive oil to coat once more and transfer to a warm platter.
Sprinkle with the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and oregano.
Serve hot or warm, with toast, meat or rice if desired.

Salmon Teriyaki With Honey, Lime and Corriander

My best friend cooked this the other day and it was so good I cooked it twice in the same week. Now we will try to quit salmon for a while. I even dreamt of the fish the other night.
It sounds like a complicated recipe but it is not. Takes only 20 minutes to cook and serves 4.

4 pieces of salmon fillet (one per person)
2 limes
fresh coriander
500g pasta (I used gluten free fusilli but noodles or plain rice are perfect too)
200g green beans or 150g asparagus

for the sauce
4 tablespoons soya sauce
1 tablespoon runny honey

In a wide frying pan heat a little bit of olive oil and put the salmon fillets in. Close the lid and let it cook in it's own juices for 5 minutes. If the olive oil starts going mad, lower the heat. Cook the pasta or noodles in a different pot at the same time according to package instructions.
Make the sause while the pot and the pan do their job. Keep stirring the sauce till you finally pour it over the salmon, which should be starting to turn white by now. At the same time put the green beans /asparagus on the sides to cook by the salmon. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the fish looks ready.
Put equal amount of pasta on every plate, one piece of salmon on top of each and pour the sauce on with some of the greens on the side. The juice of half a lime per person is ideal. Let everyone mix their own plate and enjoy with some fresh coriander on top.

Spaghetti Without Parmesan Is Possible

After a two-week holiday abroad, eating cheese every single day, both my boyfriend and I decide not to buy or use any cheese for a week. Ok, we lasted only four days but during that short period of time we discovered this light, wonderful, spaghetti recipe. It can be eaten without the use of parmesan, pecorino or manchego, something that up to now seemed impossible to do. Serves 4.

Ingredients
    •    400g dried spaghetti (we used Dove Farm gluten free)
    •    6 tbsp olive oil
    •    3 garlic cloves, crushed
    •    2 medium-hot red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped (if you don't fancy spicy food you can skip this part)
    •    150g vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or tomato paste)
    •    Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
    •    300-400g cooked and peeled tiger prawns, thawed if frozen
    •    150g rocket leaves


1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to pack instructions.
2. Shortly before the spaghetti is ready, put the oil and garlic into a large deep frying pan or shallow saucepan over a medium-high heat. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the chillies and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and fry for a further minute. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, prawns and some seasoning and cook for 1.5-2 minutes, until the prawns are heated through.
3. Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan of prawns with the rocket and toss together well. Divide between 4 warmed pasta bowls and serve.

Fava

Fava is the yellow split pea with which you can make puree. It is creamy and when served warm can be the most comforting food in the world.
Fava from Santorini island is the best, hence a bit more expensive. Any type will do of course. Greeks have it as an appetiser (or dip) but it can also be served as a main dish.

Ingredients:
500g fava (yellow split peas)
1 big red onion well chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 big lemon
capers (optional)

Wash fava well and then boil with the garlic for about an hour and a half. During that process try to get rid of the dark bits on the top of the water, not the fava, just the grey froth. Here you can either boil the fava for another 30 minutes adding half a cup of olive oil and salt & pepper or if you want you can use a food processor. I usually let it boil more. If you do use the food processor, after you are done, put the fava in the pot again and heat it up adding olive oil and seasoning.
Serve warm or cold with raw chopped onion on top and lemon juice. Capers on top are usually great too.

In The (Duck) Soup

With a menu that changes EVERY day, Duck Soup on Dean Street, in Soho is the best new(ish) place in town. The artichoke was meaty and delicious. The surprise was the combination of blood orange, pink radicchio and ricotta. The raw seabass was an interesting dish, even for non-fans of raw fish like my friend and I, but we really enjoyed it, especially combined with bits of blood orange.
Highly recommended. Booking essential.

Porn Star Martini

Birthday is coming up and the only drink to put me in the mood to celebrate could be this one:

25ml vanilla vodka
25ml Wyborowa Vodka (or plain vodka if you do not want to be that particular)
25ml passion fruit liquer
1 tbsp passion fruit puree
10ml lime juice
fresh passion fruit to decorate
50ml Champagne (in a shot glass)


Shake well all ingredients apart from champange. Pour in martini glass. Serve with a shot of champagne. 
Keep some Alka Seltzer next to you for the morning after.