Dream dinner for two

Whether you are planning a romantic dinner for two or just want to celebrate a special occasion, the GWG has come up with the ideal menu. If you are after love, do you really need three courses? We think that tempting the palate is better than overloading it but for the hungry ones out there, we have given you a main course to feast on. Of course, you will need a bottle of chilled Champagne and then the rest should be history.

An American friend of mine cooked this for me years ago and it has been a favourite ever since. It is a recipe from the Silver Palate duo but I have simplified it. Enjoy eating the prawns in your fingers and dipping them in the lemon dressing. It gets a bit messy but that is all part of the fun. Ciabatta is good for mopping up the dressing.

Prawns wrapped in Parma ham

10 very large raw freshwater prawns with shells
85g packet of Parma ham
Basil leaves
Olive oil
Salad leaves

1. Remove heads and shells but leave tails in tact. Remove the intestinal tract by running a knife along the back of the prawn and pulling the vein out.
2. Rinse under running water and then pat dry.
3. Wrap some basil leaves round the prawns and then roll up the prawn in Parma ham so that you have a neat parcel. The tail should be left sticking out.
4. Line the prawns up on a baking tray and dribble over olive oil and season with black pepper.
5. Cook for 10 minutes at GM6, 400°F, 170° elec circo, 200°C until the Parma ham is crisp and the prawns pink.
6. Serve with a salad dressed with lemon dressing (olive oil and lemon juice) and make sure you scrape up the jammy residue left on the tin, it's delicious.


Fillet Steak with roast butternut squash

The squash will take about 30 minutes to cook so make sure you get ahead of yourself and get the preparation well under way. Cut up the squash, remove the skin and seeds. Cut up into chunks. Put in a dish and dribble over olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Put in a hot oven GM6, 400°F, 170° elec circo, 200°C, for 30 minutes until crisp and caramelised.

You could, of course, serve potatoes, which you have cut into wedges and roasted in their skins alongside the squash. They will take slightly longer to cook though. Be watchful.

Fry the steak for three minutes each side in a very hot pan that is if you like it very pink. Cooking time depends on how you like your steak and how thick the meat has been sliced.

Serve immediately with more salad, a mixture of watercress, rocket and spinach, with mustard dressing. (Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar and some crunchy mustard).


Blueberry tarts

Filo pastry
Unsalted butter, melted
125g blueberries
Maple syrup

1. You will need two individual shallow tart tins for this. Make sure you butter them well. You could use ramekins.
2. Have everything to hand when working with filo pastry. Brush the filo pastry leaves with butter and line the tins with at least three layers. Allow the pastry to overlap the tin.
3. Put the blueberries on the pastry, dribble over a tablespoon of maple syrup.
4. Scrimp up the edges of the pastry and make sure they are well buttered. Dust the tarts with icing sugar.
5. Cook in a preheated oven at GM5, 375°F, 160°elec circo, 190°C for about 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is golden. Serve immediately with cream or crème fraîche, flavoured with some extract of vanilla.