Category Archives: Starters

Fusion Starter Salad

Holidays, Salads, Starters

  • For two people
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2-4 tasty tomatoes depending on size
  • half a small red onion finely sliced
  • 4 slices of parma or serrano ham
  • 1 lime
  • parmesan shaved from a piece
  • salt pepper
  • olive oil to drizzle
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Peel the avocado and remove the stone.
Cut the avocado and the tomato into chunks and arrange on two plates. Scatter over the red onion and ham torn into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a little olive oil and juice from the lime.Scatter with the parmesan shavings and chopped coriander.

A strange combination I know but it really works!!

Hot and Sour Pickled Prawns

Hot & Spicy, Starters

 

  • Serves 4 as a starter
  • 16 large cooked Mediterranean prawns
  • 1 level tablespoon drained capers
  • 1/2 medium yellow pepper, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium red pepper, very thinly sliced
  • 2 oz (50 g) red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 5 fl oz (150 ml) light olive oil
  • 1 level teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 fl oz (55 ml) cider vinegar
  • juice 2 limes
  • 1 dessertspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dessertspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 level teaspoon salt
  • 1 level teaspoon white sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • To garnish:
  • sprigs of coriander
  • 1/2 lime, thinly sliced

To prepare the prawns, remove the shells and heads (if there are any) but leave the tails on as they look very attractive. Then use the tip of a small sharp knife to cut a slit all along the back of each prawn and remove the black thread that sometimes runs from head to tail. Then place the prawns and capers in the dish together with the sliced peppers, onion and lemon.

Now in a bowl or jar whisk the oil, mustard, vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together, adding the salt, a little coarsely ground black pepper and the sugar, then pour this mixture all over the prawns. Cover the container and place it in the fridge for at least 48 hours, giving the contents a shake or stirring them around from time to time.

Serve the prawns garnished with sprigs of coriander and slices of lime with plenty of the marinade poured over and lots of bread to mop up the juices.

Twice baked cheese souffles

Starters

  • 4oz grated parmesan
  • 8 fl oz milk
  • 1 1/2 oz flour
  • 1oz butter
  • salt/pepper/grated nutmeg
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 egg whites stiffly beaten
  • 12 fl oz double cream

Make a white sauce by putting the milk and flour in a saucepan over the heat and whisking constantly until thick. Add the seasoning, butter and a little over half the grated cheeseand stir to combine. Add the egg yolks and stir to mix. Fold the egg whites in gently but thoroughly.
Butter six individual ramekin dishes and fill 2/3 with nthe mixture. Place in a bain marie of hot not boiling water and place in the oven at 160(fan oven) for 15-20 mins until firm. Butter six individual gratin dishes and scatter with a little grated cheese. Unmould the souffles carefully and place upside down on the cheese. They can now be left like this for a few hours. When ready to serve pour cream to come half way up the souffle, sprinkle with the last of the cheese and place in the oven at 180 for 15-20 mins untilthe cream is nearly all absorbed and a golden gratin has formed

Fish and Prawn cakes

Fish, Main Courses, Starters

  • Enter the ingredients here
  • 250gm white fish
  • 200gm raw peeled prawns
  • 1 Garlic clove roughly chopped
  • 1 red chilli deseeded and roughly chopped
  • chopped fresh coriander
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger grated

Heat oven to 200 degrees
Put ginger, garlic and chilli in food processor and whizz untin finely chopped.
Add fish cut in chunks, prawns and salt and pepper. whizz once more.
Add the coriander and whizz to mix but be careful-you don’t want a green mush!
Shape the mix with wet hands into cakes-you can make up to 12 small or 6 medium.
Put on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper and spray or brush with oil. Put in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Serve with the following salad
Shredded chinese leaves
Fine strips of carrot-with a peeler.
1 red onion finely sliced
A handful of sugarsnap peas finely sliced. Mix and dress with a dressing made with
1 Tablespoon light soy
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Grated rind and juice of 1 lime