Category: Dinners

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp , shell and tail on
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided
• 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 onion , peeled and sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper , seeded and sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper , seeded and sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4-6 tablespoons high quality fish sauce , start with 4 tablespoons and add more to taste
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice , about 1/2 large lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves , chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro , chopped

Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, kosher salt and red chili flakes. Toss to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the peppers and onion to a bowl. 

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook half of the shrimp for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining shrimp then add to the other shrimp.

In another bowl or 4-cup measuring cup mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, peanut butter, red curry paste, lime juice, brown sugar and ground ginger and stir well. 

Transfer the cooked onion and peppers to the skillet and pour the coconut milk mixture of the peppers. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. 

Add the shrimp to the skillet with the basil and cilantro and toss to coat. Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with more cilantro and basil, chopped green onion and sliced red jalapeño of desired.

• 75ml olive oil
• 150g smoked cooking smoked salmon, roughly cut into 1½cm pieces
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• leek, finely chopped into 1cm cubes (120g net weight)
• 1 red pepper, chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 4 tsp Cajun spice mix
• 1 tin plum tomatoes, roughly crushed (400g)
• 1½ tsp caster sugar
• Salt and black pepper
• 60ml double cream
• 10g chives, chopped into 1½cm lengths, plus extra chopped to serve
• parmesan cheese
• 350g extra-large king prawns (peeled and de-veined)

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the smoked salmon and paprika, and cook for about three minutes, or until browned and beginning to crisp up. Drain the oil through a sieve into a small bowl, set the salmon (and its oil) aside and return the pan to the heat with another two tablespoons of oil.

Add the onion and leek, and cook until softened and lightly coloured – about five minutes. Add the pepper, garlic and three teaspoons of Cajun spice and cook for a minute, until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, salmon, 250ml water, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and rich. Stir through the cream and chives and keep warm until needed.

Pat the prawns dry, toss in a medium bowl with the remaining teaspoon of Cajun spice, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and set aside

Add one and a half teaspoons of oil to a large saute pan on a high heat. Once smoking, add half of the prawns and cook for about three minutes, turning halfway, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to the tomato sauce, add the remaining one and a half teaspoons of oil and repeat with the remaining prawns.

 Sprinkle with the extra chives and parmesan. Drizzle with the reserved salmon oil and serve at once.

• ½ small fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• ½ small onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon red-chile flakes
• 1 ⅓ pounds/600 grams peeled, raw king prawns or extra-jumbo shrimp (or use the largest shrimp you can find)
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon/90 milliliters olive oil
• 1 lemon, finely shaved to get 5 strips of peel and squeezed to get 1 tablespoon juice
• 3 tarragon sprigs (about 5 grams), plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves for serving. Note: I omitted this entirely and decorated the top of the dish with finely chopped chives.
• 3 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ pound/120 grams cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon/90 milliliters Pernod (or a similar anise liqueur)
• 2 cups/500 milliliters vegetable stock
• 12 ounces/320 grams dried tagliatelle pasta

Add the fennel, onion, garlic and chile flakes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 10 times, until more finely chopped. Add the shrimp and pulse another 10 times, until finely chopped. (Don’t process too much. You don’t want the shrimp to turn to a paste. Smaller shrimp will require less pulsing, though.)

Add 1/3 cup/70 milliliters oil to a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat with the lemon peel and tarragon sprigs. Gently fry for 2 minutes, then add the shrimp and fennel mixture. Fry, stirring every now and then for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp have released and then reabsorbed their liquid.

Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a very generous amount of black pepper and fry for 4 minutes, stirring every now and then until the tomato paste becomes thick and sticky and begins to brown. Carefully pour in the Pernod and let it bubble away for 1 minute (it may flame).

Add the stock and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, turn the heat down to medium and simmer gently for 15 minutes, lowering the heat if it is bubbling too much. Discard the tarragon sprigs and lemon peel.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta per package instructions until al dente, then drain well and add to a large bowl. Pour over the sauce and toss together well. Transfer to a platter and drizzle over the remaining tablespoon/20 milliliters oil. Finish with plenty of pepper and the chopped tarragon or chives and serve.