CLUTCHING AT STRAWBERRIES

Strawberry season is well and truly here. While we generally reserve these succulent berries for dessert, they work perfectly well in savoury dishes. They are a perfect match with cheese and also go quite well with fish and white meats. From toasties to salads and warm dishes, a touch of strawberry will give your dish that little extra pazzaz. RACHEL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR shares some.

All ingredients available from Park Towers Supermarkets or visit myparktowers.com

Oven-roasted strawberry and brie toastie

Serves 2

YOU NEED

8 large strawberries; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; salt and pepper; 4 slices Maltese bread; 150g brie; 25g butter; a few fresh basil leaves.

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Wash and hull the strawberries and arrange on a baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 mins until the strawberries are soft and fragrant. Lightly toast the Maltese bread and butter each slice on both sides. Cut the brie into slices and layer onto one half of each sandwich. Add the strawberries and fresh basil leaves and season with more salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining slice of bread. In a hot griddle pan, toast the sandwiches for approx. 2 mins on each side. Slice the toasties in half and serve immediately.

Goat cheese, strawberry and bean salad, with crushed hazelnuts and borage

YOU NEED

100g goat cheeseHandful mixed salad leaves; 100g broad beans, shelled twice; 1 carrot; 75g faro, cooked; 3 large strawberries, hulled and chopped; handful hazelnuts, roasted and crushed; handful borage flowers.

For the Salsa Verde - Handful parsley; handful basil; 1 clove garlic; 1 tbsp capers; 1 pickled cucumber; 1 anchovy; ½ lemon, juice only; Olive oil; Salt and pepper; Water, to loosen.

METHOD

Start by making the salsa verde by blitzing all the ingredients together in a food processor. Add the water at the end, adding just enough to loosen the sauce. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, toss the salad leaves and cooked faro. Using a vegetable peeler, peel shavings of the carrot and add to the salad. Add the broad beans and the strawberries and mix well. Place the salad onto a large plate and place the cheese in the centre. Top with borage flowers and crushed hazelnuts. Serve with a side dish of salsa verde.

Sea bass, broad bean and strawberry risotto

Serves 2

YOU NEED

1 wild sea bass, filleted (reserve head and bones to make a fish stock); 1.5 litres fish stock (made with leftover heads and bones); 1 lemon, zest and juice; salt and pepper; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 200g broad beans, shelled.

1 glass white wine; 250g arborio rice; 100g butter; 200g strawberries, hulled and chopped; 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped; 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped.

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Season the skin side of the fish fillets with salt and pepper and lemon zest and set aside. Heat the fish stock in a saucepan. In a separate pan, saute the onions in a little bit of butter and some olive oil until soft and translucent. Finely chop the stalks of the parsley and add to the onion with the garlic and broad beans and season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice and fry until the rice is almost transparent. Add the glass of wine and cook, gently stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of stock and stir until the liquid has been absorbed, repeating until the rice is cooked al dente. In the meantime fry the fish, skin-side down in hot oil, for about a minute until crispy. Finish in the oven for 4-5 mins until the fish is cooked through.

When the rice is ready, add the strawberries, fresh, herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice and remaining butter, mix well, cover and allow to rest for a couple of mins.

Place some risotto in serving plates and top with a fillet of sea bass and sprinkle some more herbs and a slice of lemon on the top and serve immediately.