A flicker of summer in January

This morning I woke up feeling particularly summery and bohemian, despite it being January. All I could think of were the blue waters of the Mediterranean, the sunlight reflecting off of it, fruit groves boasting their full bounty, a sense of freedom in the air. So anyway daydreams as usual led into this recipe, which has squid cooked two ways, grilled like an accordion and crispy panko fried. To make it a delightful summer lunch fennel pineapple and radish come into the play, complementing the freshness of the seafood perfectly.

Grilled concertina squid with fennel pineapple radish salad and crispy tentacles

Clean squid, keeping tentacles whole. Cut the squid concertina style. Marinate with (lemon zest + olive oil + salt + pepper + chopped garlic) and grill. Coat tentacles in buttermilk and crumb with (cayenne + salt + pepper + panko), then deep fry along with sliced red chillies. Toss shaved (fennel + radish + pineapple) with (basil + mint), and drizzle over (honey + lemon juice + olive oil) dressing. Scatter over fried tentacles and chillies, and serve with grilled squid.

Indulge once in a while

The days of steak and prawns are gone. New interpretations of surf and turf range from pork belly and scallops to fried chicken and crab claws. For me surf and turf means total indulgence, which is exactly the idea I had in mind while concocting this recipe. Plump Angus patty blanketed with creamy pancetta aioli atop which rests succulent lobster meat and a shellfish reduction. 

Surf and turf slider with pancetta aioli and shellfish reduction

Chop pancetta and saute in dry pan, until crispy. Remove and whisk the grease along with (egg yolk + pepper + Dijon mustard + oil) and fold in (garlic + pancetta bits) to make aioli. Sweat (carrot + celery + onion) in oil, then add (salt + bay leaf + white wine + water) and cook crayfish in it. Remove shell, reserve the meat. Add shells back to pan, reduce on high, blitz and strain. Season Angus patty and grill to medium rare. Toast slider bun. Spread pancetta aioli on the bottom, top with (patty + crayfish tails + shellfish reduction + sliced tomato) and put on bun lid.