Tag Archives: Dinner

Scallops Crevette Black-pudding Pea purée

26 Thursday Jun 2025

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🐚 Scallops, Pea Purée, Black Pudding & Crevette

A luxurious surf-and-turf starter bursting with flavour and elegant presentation

🧾 Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the scallops & crevettes:

  • 4 large king scallops, cleaned, coral removed
  • 2 cooked crevettes (or raw king prawns, deveined)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Splash of olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: pinch of smoked paprika or lemon zest

For the pea purée:

  • 200g frozen garden peas
  • 1 tbsp crème fraîche or butter
  • Small bunch fresh mint (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • Squeeze of lemon juice

For the black pudding:

  • 2 thick slices of quality black pudding
  • Small knob of butter or oil for frying

🍳 Method

1. Make the pea purée

  • Boil peas for 2–3 mins until just tender.
  • Drain and blitz in a blender with crème fraîche or butter, a little lemon juice, salt, and mint (if using) until smooth.
  • Pass through a sieve for an extra-silky texture (optional). Keep warm.

2. Cook the black pudding

  • Pan-fry slices in butter or oil over medium heat until crispy on the outside (about 2–3 mins each side).
  • Keep warm or cut into neat discs for presentation.

3. Sear the scallops & crevettes

  • Pat scallops dry and season lightly.
  • Heat butter and a little oil in a hot pan.
  • Sear scallops for 1.5–2 minutes each side until golden and just cooked through.
  • In the same pan, quickly flash-fry the crevettes for 1–2 mins (if already cooked, just warm them through with a little butter and lemon zest).

🍽️ To Plate

  • Smear or dollop a generous spoonful of warm pea purée on each plate.
  • Add the crispy black pudding and top with a scallop.
  • Place a crevette elegantly alongside or perched on top.
  • Garnish with micro herbs, pea shoots, or a drizzle of lemon oil.

#Pandemic #Lockdown 2020 Cooking for a #War #Zone

22 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Lockdown.   We were all glued to the TV 5pm 23rd March 2020.  Our Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  The children did not make a sound.  The day we all changed forever

As life progressed through the lockdown we have all come to be like Darwins Finches – evolving in our environments.  So far life is pretty much the same.  The major difference is #Shopping, which I adore.  Don’t take me to Shopping Malls or large department stores – All I want is Food Markets & Food Halls !!!

I miss shopping for food so much I find it’s the one and only upsetting part of Lockdown.  I now have a Vegetable / Fruit Man who drops the most delicious fresh vegetables and fruit at my door.  I have my most amazing HERO in My Butcher Matthew https://www.facebook.com/mitchellsbutchers533/.  Matthew Mitchell’s butchers Lytham Road Blackpool has been my butcher for years – now he delivers to my doorstep.  I adore my sweet sweet Milkman he is also a star and supplies the freshest milk and cream three times a week to my front door.

I bake bread 4 days a week.  I am love being home in the Kitchen.  I have seven to feed in my family home now and we are here for the Lockdown and beyond.

Here is my list of dinners we have had each day during lockdown.   Lucky for us the family meals have not changed too much though.  My favourite time of day is when the family sitting and eat together each evening ……….

 

Pandemic Lockdown

 

March 23rd Monday.                        Ragu

March 24th Tuesday                        Chicken Pie

March 25th Wednesday                  Mexican

March 26th Thursday                      Thai Green Curry

March 27th Friday                           Fish on the BBQ

March 28th Saturday                      BBQ

March 29th Sunday                        Roast Lamb Dinner

March 30th Monday                      Chicken Pie

March 31st Tuesday                      Pizza

April 1st Wednesday                     Steak on the BBQ

April 2nd Thursday                      Indian

April 3rd Friday                            Fish on the BBQ

April 4th Saturday                        BBQ Hamburgers

April 5th Sunday                          Roast Leg of Lamb dinner

April 6th Monday                         Chilli & Rice

April 7th Tuesday                        Leo Birthday 13 years old Homemade Pizza Night

April 8th Wednesday                  Beef Rendang with coconut rice

April 9th Thursday                      Panacklty

April 10th Friday                         Fish on the BBQ

April 11th Saturday                    Chilli

April 12th Sunday Easter          Roast Leg of Lamb

April 13th Monday 3 weeks from Lockdown.  Beef Bourgignon

April 14th Tuesday                      Chicken Parmigiana

April 15th Wednesday                 Nachos

April 16th Thursday                     Ragu

April 17th Friday                           Fish on the BBQ

April 18th Saturday                      Indian Take away

April 19th Sunday                        Chicken Roast

April 20th Monday                      Burgers 5 Guys style

April 21st Tuesday                      Chicken Curry & Dhal

 

Soooo I have decided to start a Pandemic Recipe Book.  If anyone wishes to have any of the recipes just contact me.  I shall be uploading all of them very soon

Watch this space

#Stay #Home #Stay #Safe

We shall #all #meet #again x x x

 

 

 

 

 

English Prawn Cocktail Vs American

22 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Food, Recipes

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Starters – Appetizers

Shrimp –Vs–Prawns

 Now here is a fun quandary:-Is it a Shrimp Or Is it a Prawn

Please do not ask for shrimp in Britain.  You will get the smallest little pink curled up things that you have ever seen.  I mean little tiny pink shrimps that are not even the size of an American salad shrimp.  The best shrimp come from Morecambe Bay (a seaside town in the north west of England) and are know as, guess what, Morecambe Bay Shrimp.   In British cookery these are a delicacy served as potted shrimp, an excellent dish for an appetizer or starter spread on toast or crackers. Another use for shrimp is to add to rice dishes.   Prawns though area completely different matter, big and juicy, similar to American shrimps.

One way to cut the cost of making a British prawn cocktail is to mix shrimps with the prawns before pouring over the sauce.  They truly are very, very expensive; a treat served on special occasions such as birth, deaths, marriages, birthdays and Christmas parties.   I always feel sorry for the deceased person at a funeral, missing out on a beautiful prawn cocktail.

You will still get a choice of size of your prawns in Britain but they will not be count size as in America.  You have to buy them by the half-pound (8oz) or pound (16oz).   A point here: an English pint is 20oz.   I think that is why Americans can not take our Pints of BEER!

Compare the difference in our two recipes. It is quite amazing that they are in principle called the same thing. Britain uses Creamy Cocktails Sauce and America uses Spicy Tomato Sauce – I have the recipes for both.  Try both recipes for a great bonus to add to your culinary repartee. I don’t say one is better than the other,  both are excellent just different.

Please do not leave it too long; you do not want to make your first for a funeral!

Great British Prawn Cocktail

For the Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise made with free-range eggs
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (Heinz)
  • 1 lime, juice and Lime wedges to serve or Lemon if you prefer.  Both work
  • A few drops of Tabasco or chilli sauce
  • 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Salad Cream
  • Pinch Salt and white pepper

For the Salad

  • 500 grams / 16oz Atlantic Prawns fresh or defrosted
  • 4 large Crevettes for decoration (Large Prawns shell on)
  • A shredded Lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 a finely chopped cucumber
  • 4 finely chopped spring onions
  • Sweet Paprika

Mix all the sauce ingredients together leave in the fridge to marry together

Place salad lettuce in cocktail glasses first or I make a very large one on a wooden platter for all my family to share.
Pop the prawns on top leaving aside the crevettes
Pour the sauce over and finish of with a dash of the sweet paprika on each of your cocktails
Dress the glasses with the crevettes, sliced limes and cucumber
This is always served with brown bread and butter.  Cut into triangles please x x
American Shrimp Cocktail
For the sauce
  • 1 cup tomato ketchup (Heinz )
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Lime wedges to serve
  • Pinch salt and white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or chilli sauce
  • Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Shrimp

2lbs Large Shrimp (16 to 18 count)

Mix to combine ketchup, horseradish, lime juice, Tabasco, dash of Wostershire, salt, and pepper Leave in the fridge to marry.

Arrange all the shrimp around the edge of a chilled bowl .

Pour the cocktail sauce in the middle

Serve with lime wedges

Enjoy x x x 🐟

Raita Fat Free

25 Friday Mar 2016

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Raiata1

  • 1/2 cup greek fat free yogurt I used a small pot of Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 chopped small chunks and seeded cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tablespoons chopped very fine Mint
  • 2 chopped spring onions
  • 1 teaspoon Mint Sauce
  • 1/2 a Lime juice only

Chop cucumber and spring onions – add mint sauce and chopped herbs -Mix in the Yogurt sprinkle with Lime juice mix well cover and place in the fridge until serving

 

 

 

Sixtyone London

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Food, Restaurant

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SixtyOne Restaurant.

There are 5570 Restaurants in London so one does have a lot of choice.

I have eaten at quite a few, always when in London choose “exceedingly good” restaurants.

I have tried Jason Atherton, Ramsey’s, Corrigan’s Marco’s to name just a few.

Now………………………………. I can actually say, hand on heart, that I have found A true hidden gem

SixtyOne Restaurant, 61 Upper Berkeley Street, London, W1H 7PP. Very close to Marble Arch

My word…………………..

This restaurant is not just exceedingly good it is sensational! From greeting to leaving it was perfection – not stuffy or cold, everyone was warm and genuinely friendly.

Modern trendy with a 70’s vibe but Warm! From the start I knew it was going to be delicious just by the ambience and looking around at other plates! But it was simply sensational.

When I tasted the food I was so surprised power packed flavours and great presentation.

Service begins with a Bread Box accompanied by homemade butter.

Not a normal “Bread Box”

I do make my own butter and this was beautiful, creamy salty perfection.

My new love is Marmite Bread, oh my! so dangerous – As I was salivating so much they asked if I would like more bread – NOOOOO! Not because I did not like it, simply because I ADORED IT!

I would have eaten them out of Marmite Bread if I could, but I knew that I wanted to “Save myself”.

To start I ordered Heritage beetroot | Cashel Blue | walnut -simply beautiful.

For Main – Pork loin Apple and Pineapple. Devine cooked to perfection with a salty crust.

For Pudding we were given an extra dish, a cheesecake in a shot glass served with the most adorable pistachios shortbread – meltingly delicious.

Followed by – Apple millefeuille| lavender | lime – I have never tasted anything so deviously delicious and I never ever eat puddings. It must be 20 years since I ordered a pudding, I normally go for the cheese. On this occasion I decided to try it . OH MY- The whole experience was simply Perfection.

I shall return. I would really want to eat everything! So the tasting menu shall be perfect – Roll on September when I am back in London.

Sixtyone is my new favourite restaurant – Thank You to all who made our visit so very special.

 

 

 

Cinders Carbonara No Cream

29 Monday Feb 2016

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Cinders Carbonara #NoCream #Healthy #Booths #Tesco

 

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or Extra Virgin Coconut

3 tsp butter

1 Onions finely chopped

5 cloves garlic crushed and chopped

250g/8oz Diced pancetta

250g/8oz Bacon

125g/4oz Chorizo

125g/4oz cooked ham (Booths do a great roast ham hock )

4 eggs

8 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese or a mix of the two

Handful finely chopped Basil

500g spaghetti

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Heat the oil and butter in large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta /Bacon stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy.
  2. Add Chorizo and ham cook a little longer set in a bowl but keep the oil in the pan
  3. Fry the onions and garlic until very soft in the oil
  4. Whisk the eggs and half the cheese in a bowl. Add and plenty of black pepper. Set aside.
  5. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling, salted water -Add a handful salt to the water -cook until al dente. Drain well and tip it back into the same pan. Save a tablespoon or two of the drained water add back into the drained Spaghetti Sprinkle the Spaghetti with lots of Olive Oil and toss to coat –
  6. Tip the contents of the pancetta pan into the pasta, then pour in the egg mixture. Mix everything together for 30 seconds with a wooden spoon. The heat from the pasta will be sufficient to cook the egg to a creamy coating.
  7. Sprinkle in the basil
  8. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top

 

Pot Roast English Style

29 Monday Feb 2016

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Pot Roast English Style

 

  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil or Coconut
  • 4lbBeef chuck steak one chunk mine is large
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 pint beef stock
  • 1 red wine (optional)
  • 3 onions, cut into large wedges
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Pinch Chinese 5 spice
  • Pinch Cumin
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 pounds’ carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • Cornflower to thicken if needed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Casserole heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in pan, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  2. Turn meat fat side up. Add stock, wine, if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste Carrots Bring to a simmer, cover; put in the oven, and roast for 4 hours. (I leave mine all day)
  3. Transfer the roast, carrots, to a platter. With a spoon, skim the fat off the surface of the cooking liquid. Cut the roast into thick slices, or shred with two folks and serve with the vegetables. I serve mine with Mashed Potatoes (I don’t like Potatoes in the pot roast)
  4. Sometimes I thicken the juices with a little cornflower and water

 

 

PotRoast1