Out & About February 2017

F irstly, set the mood with preparation, so remember to give yourself plenty of time. Start with sourcing a nice bottle of wine. I am fortunate to be part of Cobbs Farmshop and they have a great selection of wines, including their own home-grown award-winning sparkling white. Make sure it is suitably chilled or aired. Then, why not start proceedings with a few oysters? Try some different accompaniments like finely chopped ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, or tabasco and a squeeze of lemon or lime, chilli and fresh coriander or experiment with different combinations. The flavours will explode in your mouth and will give you something exciting to talk about. As a starter, try something simple like pan-fried scallops with fried chicken livers. The scallops should be nicely seared on both sides. Serve with a little rocket salad and use the juice from the livers with reduced port and butter as a dressing. Shredded apple livens up this dish as the sweetness of the apples contrasts with the chicken livers and scallops. As for the main course, be adventurous with tuna served with new potatoes and a fresh salad. HOOK LINE & SINKER some low lights, easy music and some scented candles. The secret of a great meal is in the

They say the way to a man’s, or indeed a woman’s, heart is through the stomach. If you want to catch your Valentine and reel them in, then what better way than to prepare a special meal – Simon Rhodes offers some mouth-watering suggestions for a perfect romantic evening

To get the perfect tuna heat a little rapeseed oil in a pan until it’s very hot. Season the tuna steaks with rock salt and cracked black pepper and fry rapidly for about a minute on each side, remember good tuna tastes sublime when it’s pink in the middle. Why not try something different in the salad like mango or pineapple, maybe some fresh coriander, roasted pine nuts or sesame seeds? Make the salad with an assortment of different leaves beforehand and add a simple dressing at the last minute so as not to spoil the leaves. Dessert should be simple and prepared beforehand. Crushed meringues, with frozen summer fruits (defrosted, naturally), Greek yoghurt and chocolate pieces make for a simple and delicious dessert. Finally serve up some special cheeses with flavoured biscuits or crackers. Remember keep the conversation positively light, don’t talk about politics, knitting patterns or what your opinion of the greatest ever England football team is. Keep music and food the main topic of conversation and you won’t go far wrong. Maybe next month I should be starting my new column as an agony aunt...

I am fortunate to be part of Cobbs Farmshop and they have a great selection of wines including their own home-grown award-winning sparkling white

Simon Rhodes owns: The Lobster Pot Fishmongers. Cobbs Farmshop, Bath Road, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0SP Telephone: (01488) 686770 About the author

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