THAI prawn and pink grapefruit salad

This recipe is based on my mate Simon Jukes' Thai salad. Since he has moved down the coast, I've had to put together my own version. 

In Thailand and Laos this dish is called Miang kham: which means 'eating many things in one bite'. The perfect name for this deliciously refreshing dish.

serves 2

2 pink grapefruit; suprêmes removed (segmented)

12 cooked prawns; shelled and de-veined

1 avocado; diced

½ medium red onion; finely diced

small handful coriander leaves; chopped

small handful basil leaves; chopped

1 tbsp dry roasted peanuts or cashew nuts; chopped - optional

to serve

a few young spinach leaves

for the dressing

2 limes; juice (kaffir if pos.)

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl - except the spinach leaves.

2. Take a spoonful; with a bit of everything, and place it on top of one of the spinach leaves.

3. Pick up a spinach leaf with its little pile of salad, roll it up and pop it in!

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Ratatouille / Pisto

serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small aubergine; 2cm diced

1 large onion; roughly chopped

1 small courgette; halved lengthways and sliced, 1cm

3 ripe plum tomatoes; cut in wedges x6

1 medium red pepper; 3cm pieces

2 good pinches of Maldon sea salt

5 twists of freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves of garlic; finely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 springs of thyme

1 tsp dried Provençal herbs

a few fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large, wide bottomed saucepan (that has lid).

2. Add all the ingredients (except the basil) and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes with the lid on.

3. Stir the ratatouille and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes or until all the veg is tender.

4. Tear the leaves and stir them in to the ratatouille.

5. Plate up and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Full English Salad / Ensalada de Desayuno Inglés

serves 2

2 Free-range eggs

2 drops of vinegar

4 rashers of Oscar Mayer Bacon

6 slices of Morcilla de Burgos

5 cherry tomatoes

2 handfuls of mixed leaves

50ml olive oil

6 slices of bread

Freshly ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

for the dressing

1 ripe tomato; finely grated, skins discarded

3 drops of Worcester Sauce

1 tbsp Jerez vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil. Once hot, place the bread slices in: they will absorb some of the oil and crisp up. Turn the fried bread over; adding more oil if necessary. Set aside and keep warm.

2.  In the same pan, fry the bacon and morcilla until nicely browned.  Set aside and keep warm.

now the dressing...

3. Put all the ingredients into a clean jar; put the lid on a shake. Adjust seasoning to taste. Chill in the fridge.

now...

4. Arrange the leaves on the plates and add the tomato halves; season to taste... this way you will have less plating up to do when the eggs are ready.

5. Bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil. 

6. Take the eggs out of the fridge and break one into a cup or small jug; add a drop of vinegar.

N.B. The vinegar will help the egg white stay together in the water.

7. Using a whisk, carefully stir the water to create a vortex; then gently tip in the egg: as near the centre as possible. Leave to cook for 3 minutes. Get the second egg ready.

8. Once the 3 minutes are up, remove the egg with a slotted spoon and set aside while you poach the other egg.

9. Finish the plating up and after shaking up the dressing; drizzle around the outside of the dish.

Succotash

So, suffering succotash!...

Succotash is a dish; a great dish, whether it be a side to meats or fish or a stand alone meal. The name comes from the Narragansett people who used to live on Rhode Island. Their word sohquttahhash means broken corn kernels.

Coconut oil was a revelation to me: it lends the dish a rich silkiness. If you can't get hold of it, use a good olive oil.

serves 2

1½ tbsp coconut oil

100g fresh habas (lima beans)

1 shallot; finely diced

1 medium cebolla tierna / spring onion; diced

1 small courgette

5 cherry tomatoes; halved

1 corn on the cob

1 tsp chopped fresh chives

2 tsp chopped basil leaves

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the habas for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet. dd the shallot and cebolla; and gently cook for 5 minutes until they soften and take on a little colour.

N.B. Coconut oil has a lower smoke point than other vegetable oils.

3. Add the courgette and continue to cook on a low heat; for another 5 minutes until the courgette is soft.

4. To remove the kernels from the cob: stand the cob upright, cut side down, on a chopping board. Push down on the top with one hand; while you run a knife down with the other hand. Keep as close to the core of the cob as possible... collect the kernels.

5. Stir in the beans, corn kernels and tomato halves. Cock for a further 5 minutes, warm everything through and release some of the juices from the tomatoes.

6. Remove from the heat; stir in the other half a tablespoon of coconut oil along with the herbs and lemon juice

7. Serve.

Revuelto de Ajos Tiernos / Scrambled Eggs with Spring Garlic

serves 2

4 free-range eggs

Bunch of ajos tiernos

~35g butter

Maldon sea salt

2 tsp Créme Fraîche

1. Skin and chop the tender part of the ajos tiernos.

2. Heat the butter in a thick-bottomed pan and add the ajos tiernos.

N.B. Be careful not to burn the butter... if you like you can add a little oil, which will stop it from burning.

3. Cook until they start to soften up. Turn down the heat.

4. Add the eggs and stir, with a wooden spoon, to break up the yolks and mix them.

5. Now the trick is not to stir too often; you want soft folds and not purée.

6. When the scramble is almost set, remove from the heat.

7. Stir in the créme fraîche and serve... with toast and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

Gazpacho andaluz / Andalusian Gazpacho

serves 2

500g ripe tomatoes: plum tomatoes make a redder gazpacho

1/2 cucumber

1/2 red pepper

1/2 green pepper

50g white bread
1 garlic clove

75ml olive oil

20ml Jerez sherry vinegar

Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Break the bread into small pieces and place in a bowl covered with cold water. Leave to soak in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, peppers and cucumber and add them to your blender or food processor. Squeeze out the water from the bread and add that along with the oil and the crushed garlic. Blend until smooth.

3. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve: which will remove the seeds and skin.

4. Add the vinegar and season to taste.

5. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

6. Gazpacho can be served with finely chopped peppers,cucumber and onion* and mint leaves or with croutons: gently fry a bruised clove of garlic in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then fry the bread. For Parmesan croutons simply press the bread into Parmesan before frying.

onion* if the onion is too strong for you, you can make it milder by soaking the chopped onion in salty water for 10 minutes. Drain and serve. 

Or, put the chopped onion in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle over salt before covering with boiling water: leave to cool. The onion will be much milder.

Shakshouka

serves 2

1kg fresh, mixed tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

5 garlic cloves

3 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp Maldon sea salt

1 tsp brown sugar

2 level tsp Pimenton de la Vera-sweet

2 organic free-range eggs

a handful of coriander leaves

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes: finely chop or crush the garlic.

2. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and simmer all the ingredients (except the eggs and coriander) for 15 minutes.

3. Break the eggs into the mixture and cover and continue to simmer until the eggs are just set.

4. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over the coriander.

5. Serve with crisp, fresh bread (e.g. fougasse).

Hot & Sour soup / Tom Yum

serves 2

12 shell-on fresh prawns

olive oil

750ml water

1 tsp Tom Yum paste

4 Kaffir lime leaves

2 sticks of lemon grass,5cmm pieces; lightly crushed

2 slices of galangal, (optional)

the juice of 1 lime

5 mushrooms
2 small red chillies, sliced

1 small tomatoes, de-seeded and quartered

1 spring onions

2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tsp brown sugar

A small handful of coriander leaves, torn to serve

1. Peel the prawns and fry off the shells in a little olive oil.

2. Pour over the water and bring to a simmer; drain into a clean saucepan, and discard the shells.

3. Add the Tom Yum paste, lemon grass, galangal and lime leaves; bring to a simmer and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.

4. Add the mushrooms and chillies: and leave for another 2 minutes.

5. Drop the tomatoes, prawns and ring onions into the broth and remove from the heat.

6. Now is the time to add the sugar and fish sauce; check the sweet/ sour balance.

7. Pour into bowls and finish with coriander leaves.

The Higher Taste

Salmorejo Cordobés

serves 2

5 ripe plum tomatoes

~75ml good olive oil

1/2 clove of garlic

1 egg

5 thin slices of jamón serrano

Malden sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Blanche the tomatoes and refresh in iced water. This will make the skin removal easier.

2. De-seed the tomatoes and roughly chop the remaining flesh.

3. In a small bowl, Blend the tomatoes; then add the garlic, season and continue to blend.

4. Drizzle in the oil and blend as if you where making mayonaise.

5. Once you have created your emulsion, place the bowl in fridge to chill for a couple of hours.

6. Boil the egg for 7 minutes and refresh in cold water.

7. Transfer the emulsion to a serving bowl and decorate with the sliced egg and jamón; drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.

the Best Baked Beans on toast

serves 1

1 tin Hienz Baked Beans
2 slices of brown bread
good butter
Marmite
Gouda cheese


Toast the bread and liberally spread with butter and Marmite. Pour over the baked beans and cover with grated Gouda cheese. Finish under the grill.

Salmonetes with oregano, lemon and black olive mash

serves 2

5 salmonetes, cleaned
1/2 clove of garlic
Maldon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh oregano
2 tablespoons of olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon

for the mash
7 new pots, skin on
a handful of black olives
olive oil

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Boil the new potatoes until tender.

Finely chop or press the garlic and add it to the olive oil and lemon juice. Then finely chop the oregano and stir this into the mixture.Put a few scores diagonally across the skin of the fish. Season the mix and liberally spread over and inside the fish.

Place the fish onto a lined baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes on the top shelf of a hot oven.

Whiz up a good handful of black olives (less their stones) and add to the potatoes as you mash them. Drizzle in good olive oil until your mash reaches the desired consistency. There should be no need to add salt as the olives are salty enough.

Serve with a simple salad.