RECIPES: Food, Glorious Food

ENTERTAINMENT

Words: Neil Ross, Executive Chef ǀ Photos: Shutterstock

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD If you are cooking to impress, then this amazing, yet easy to prepare three-course menu is sure to do the trick.

STARTER

Retro Prawn Cocktail Ingredients: • 2 small gem lettuces • 300 g cooked, peeled prawns • Lemon juice • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise • 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup • Worcestershire sauce • Tabasco sauce

Preparation: 1.

Roughly shred the lettuce and put into the bottom of four glasses. Divide the prawns between them and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

2.

Mix the mayo and tomato ketchup with two good splashes of Worcestershire sauce and a couple of splashes of Tabasco.

Add more lemon juice and a good grind of black pepper, then spoon over the prawns.

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MAIN

Pan fried Hake with Lemon Herb Butter Ingredients: • 4 x 175 g hake fillets, skin on and boned • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Salt and freshly ground pepper • 50 g butter • ½ lemon, pips removed • 1 tablespoon chopped mixed herbs (parsley, chives, and tarragon)

Preparation: 1.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the seasoned hake fillets, skin side down.

2.

Cook for a couple of minutes until the skin is just beginning to crisp, then add little knobs of butter to the pan around each hake fillet and cook for another couple of minutes until the skin is crisp.

3.

Turn the hake fillets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Transfer to warmed plates while you make the sauce.

4.

Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan and allow it to melt gently over a moderate heat.

5.

When it has melted, add a squeeze of lemon juice and the herbs, swirling to combine. Season to taste.

6.

Spoon this sauce over the hake fillets and serve with steamed broccoli and some sautéed new potatoes.

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DESSERT

Pear Rhubarb and Hazelnut Crumble Ingredients: • 25 g butter • 3 pears, cored and halved • 500 g rhubarb, cut into chunks • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon ground cloves • Vanilla ice cream or double cream, to serve For the crumble topping: • 50 g roasted hazelnuts • 50 g cold butter, diced • 85 g self raising flour • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 50g Demerara sugar

Preparation: 1.

Melt the butter in a pan, then add the pears, rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes or until just tender. Divide the rhubarb between four ovenproof dishes (or use one large dish) and set aside.

2.

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

3.

To make the crumble topping, tip all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse pulse until crumbly.

Sprinkle the topping over the fruit filling and then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

4.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or double cream.

Bon appétite. •

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