Szechwan Chilli Prawns

• 750 gr raw prawns, in shells
• 3 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 medium onion
• 45 gr canned bamboo shoots, drained
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• Deep-frying oil

Sauce

• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ to 2 teaspoon chilli oil or chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• Pinch of each salt and white pepper

Preparation

1. Remove heads and shells from prawns, leaving tails on ; slit down the center back, cutting almost through and remove dark veins.
2. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper ; coat with cornflour and set aside.
3. Finely chop onion, bamboo shoots, ginger and garlic.
4. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Cooking

1. Heat deep oil to very hot and reduce heat slightly ; drop in prawns and deep-fry for 1 minute, remove and drain.
2. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons oil and stir-fry onions, bamboo shoots, ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
3. Pour the sauce and bring to a boil ; return prawns and simmer until sauce thickens and becomes clear, about 2½ minutes.
4. Sprinkle with sesame oil and finely chopped shallot.

BON APPÉTIT

Avocado with shrimps (Party starters)

Serves 4

• 350 gr frozen Canadian Atlantic shrimps (Matane shrimps)
• 2 avocados
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons single cream
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• Salt and white pepper
• Bunch fresh mised herbs (dill, taragon, parsley) 
• Few sprigs dill for garnish

1. Place the shrimps in a bowl, cover and leave to thaw at room temperature, then drain.
2. Wash, dry and halve the avocados lengthways ; remove the stones and scoop the flesh out of each half to within 1 cm/½ inch of the shell.
3. Brush the avocado halves with a little lemon juice and leave in a cool place.
4. Finely dice the avocado flesh, place in a bowl with thw shrimps and sprinkle with more lemon juice.
5. Beat the mayonnaise with the cream, brandy, the remaining lemon juice and the salt and pepper.
6. Wash, drain and finely chop the herbs and stir into the mayonnaise sauce ; mix yhe mayonnaise sauce into the avocado and shrimps, spoon the mixture into the avocado halves and garnish each portion with a sprig of dill.

BON APPÉTIT

Pickled eggs (Egg specialities)

• 450-600 ml vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 small hard-boiled eggs

1. Pour the vinegar into a pan with the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves, and bring to a boil ; cover and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Shell the eggs and place in a tall screwtop jar.
3. Take the pan off the heat, allow to stand for a few moments, then pour the juice over the eggs and leave to cool ; cover the jar with a piece of cling-film, held in place with an elastic band, and seal.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinate for 2-3 days ; by this time the eggs will have absorbed the taste of the marinade and will be delicious sliced in sandwiches, or served with a sauce, like a russian sauce.

BON APPÉTIT

Beef Mayonnaise (Open sandwih)

     Roast beef sandwiches are just as delicious made with lightly toasted bread. In this case mix the mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce and omit the pickled cucumber.

For each sandwich

• 1 large thin slice brown bread
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 slices cold roast beef
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• ¼ pickled cucumber as garnish

1. Thickly spread the bread with the mayonnaise ; fold the slices of roast beef in half lengthways and arrange in a fan-shape on the bread.
2. Shell and slice the egg lengthways, and place on the beef ; garnish with the cucumber slices.

BON APPÉTIT

Smoked fish canapés (Canapés)

Makes 8

• Bunch chives, washed and finely sliced
• 100 gr(4oz) soft butter
• 1 tablespoon bottled creamed horseradish
• Pinch of salt and garlic salt
• 4 slices wholemeal bread
• 400 gr(14oz) smoked halibut or haddock
• 2 firm tomatoes

Garnish

• Dill or parsley sprigs, washed and drained
• 2 lettuce leaves, washed and drained
• Coarsely black pepper

1. Cream the butter with the horseradish, salt, garlic salt and chives ; spread on the bread.
2. Cut each slice diagonally to form two triangles.
3. Skin the fish, remove any bones and cut into pieces to fit the bread triangles ; place one piece of fish on each triangle.
4. Place a slice of tomato on half the pieces of fish and tuck half the lettuce leaf under the rest.
5. Garnish with a dill or parsley sprig ; sprinkle with pepper before serving.

BON APPÉTIT

Steak tartare Rounds (Canapés)

Makes 8

• Bunch fresh mixed herbs, washed and drained (parsley, chives, a little rosemary and thyme)
• ½ red pepper, finely chopped
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small pickled cucumber, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons capers, finely chopped
• 350 gr/12 oz minced fillet steak
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika pepper
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 8 slices white bread
• 25 gr/1 oz butter

Garnish

• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 4 black olives
• Parsley sprig

1. Chop finely the fresh herbs.
2. In a large bowl, mix red pepper, onion, pickled cucumber, and capers into the meat followed by the herbs ; add the egg yolks, salt, garlic salt, paprika, black pepper and brandy and mix together thoroughly.
3. Cover the meat and leave to stand for a short time in the refrigerator.
4. Cut the bread into eight 7.5 cm/3-inch rounds with a pastry cutter and toast on both sides ; spread with the butter.
5. Arrange the meat on the toast rounds and garnish each with a wedge of egg, half an olive and a little parsley.

BON APPÉTIT

Smoked salmon vols-au-vent (Canapés)

Makes 8

• 1 (150gr/5oz) can prawns
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 100gr/4oz smoked salmon
• 250ml/8 fl oz double cream
• Pinch of salt and white pepper
• Generous pinch of gelatine
• 8 (5cm/2-inch) puff pastry vol-au-vent case (bought ready made)

Garnish

• 8 thin slices truffle (optional)

1. Drain the prawns, rinse in cold water and allow to dry thoroughly ; chop them coarsely and sprikle with lemon juice.
2. Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces and blend with the chopped prawns in the liquidiser ; whip the cream until stiff and season with salt and pepper.
3. Gradually fold the prawns and salmon purée by sponnfuls into the whipped cream.
4. Bring 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a small pan, allow to cool slightly and sprinkle with the gelatine ; stir until the gelatine has dissolved, leave to cool then stir into the smoked salmon cream.
5. Cover and stand in a cool place for 30 minutes.
6. Transfer in a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe into the vols-au-vent ; garnish each vol-au-vent with a slice of truffle, if used.

BON APPÉTIT