Some more recipes

Water Melon and Peach Gazpacho!!!!!

( serves four as a substantial lunch or

six as first course or soup course for a tasting

menu or dinner party)!

500 grams Water Melon

6 Peaches, skinned and stone removed

300 grams Tomatoes

2 Clove Garlic

200grams Stale Bread ( a good Ciabatta

or sour dough is ideal for this recipe)

150 grams Finely Diced white onion

500mls Extra Virgin olive oil

Salt and Cracked Black pepper (to

taste)!

To Garnish!!!

Assortment of Italian meats i.e. Salami, Bressaola,

Parma Ham, mortadella (around 300 grams in total)!

Assortment of Mixed berries (Strawberries, blueberries,

raspberries, blackcurrants. This is dependant on what is

in season)!

Selection of Micro Greens ( i.e. zesty mustard green frills,

Broccoli sprout, Dark Opal Basil. Celery Leaves. Again, this is

dependant on what is available)

Place all the ingredients for the Gazpacho into a bowl (except for the salt and

cracked black pepper), cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 24

hours. After 24 hours, remove from the fridge and liquidize (preferably using a liquidizer

for a smoother texture but a food processor can be used for this stage). Pass through a

fine sieve into a clean bowl and season to taste with the salt and cracked black pepper.

Store in the refrigerator until required.

To Serve!!!

Divide the Gazpacho between four soup plates and decoratively

and artfully garnish with the meats, berries and micro greens.

Spaghetti Sakura!!!

(Serves Four)!

400grams cooked Spaghetti ( allow 100

grams per person)

500 grams Shitake Mushrooms (stalks

removed)

200mls Sake

2 Cans unsweetened Coconut milk

Soy sauce (to taste)

1 red Chilli, very finely chopped

30mls Peanut oil

1 Bunch coriander, finely chopped

Place the Sake in a sauce pan and along with the stalks from the

mushrooms and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave

to infuse for two or three hours. The reason for this is that the stalks of the Shitake

mushrooms are very tough and inedible. However, they do contain a huge amount

of flavour and this stage of the recipe helps to extract that flavour. After completing this

stage, strain the sake through a sieve and discard the mushroom stalks.

In a wok, heat the peanut oil until it is almost smoking and than add the thinly

caps of the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and then add the

Sake and reduce by ¾ . Then add the chilli and Coconut milk and reduce by half and then

toss the cooked spaghetti through the sauce, ensuring that it is heated thoroughly. Add half the

coriander to the sauce and then divide between four warmed pasta bowls. Sprinkle over the remaining

coriander and serve.

Note!!!.........For an additional flavour boost, I like to use some dried Shitake mushrooms

(available from all good Asian and Oriental food stores) that I have ground to a fine powder.

This is sprinkled over the dish at the last minute, and, as I said, gives the whole thing that extra and

additional boost of flavour. An electric coffee grinder is the ideal solution to this but, failing that. You

can use a food processor but you will have to sieve the resulting powder.

Squid Ink Spaghetti, Seared Tuna Loin, Pink Grapefruit, Spring onions!!!

400 grams cooked Squid ink Spaghetti (allowing 100 grams per person)

4 x 150 gram Tuna Loin Steaks

30 Mls Vegetable or sunflower oil

1 tsp Dried red Chilli Flakes

Salt and Cracked Black pepper to season

For the Sauce!!!

200mls Pink Grapefruit juice

50 mls Dry Sherry

100 mls Double Cream

Finely shredded green of 1/2 bunch spring onions

50 grams Salted butter

200 mls Fish Stock

1 Clove crushed Garlic

1 tsp Fine julienne of ginger

To Garnish!!!

Pink Grapefruit Segments

Finely shredded white and the remaining green part

of the bunch of spring onions

To make the sauce....put the Pink grapefruit juice, dry sherry, garlic, and

ginger into a sauce pan and reduce by ¾. Then add the fish stock and reduce by half

before finally adding the cream and again reducing by half. Whisk in the butter, a little

at a time until it is all incorporated and then add the green part from the spring onions.

Dip the Tuna steaks in the oil and season with the salt, cracked black pepper and chilli flakes

and cook on a pre – heated griddle pan for two or three minutes per side (this is dependant on whether

you like your Tuna medium rare or medium).

To serve.......reheat the spaghetti in the microwave for two minutes (ensuring that it

is hot)! Divide between four pasta bowls and top each mound of spaghetti with a Tuna steak.

Garnish with the pink grapefruit segments and the spring onions.

Notes......When whisking the butter into the sauce, it must be done over a low

heat so that the sauce does not boil, otherwise, it will split.