Pan Fried Soft Shell crab with garlic, lemon, chili and olive oil

Ingredients:

6 soft shell crabs, cut in half
1 jalapeno chili, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil plus 50ml/3 tablespoons for sautéing
3 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper 
5 ounces mixed lettuce leaves
1/4 cup all purpose flour for dusting crabs

Method:

Place crabs, jalapeno, garlic, lemon zest and parsley in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil and toss lightly. Marinate for 2 hours.  In another large bowl pour the lemon juice and slowly add the extra virgin olive oil whisking constantly.

Season with salt and pepper. Toss vinaigrette with lettuce leaves and divide between 4 plates. Place a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Dust the crabs with a little flour and place in the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once crabs are crispy on the outside and cooked through, remove from the pan and serve over prepared salad.

Oven roasted Monkfish with creamed cabbage and balsamic vinegar

Ingredients:

6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2- inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons white wine
1/2 green cabbage, thinly sliced
1cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
8 ounce fillets of monkfish
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200c/425 degrees.  Place a small non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until brown. Set aside.

Place a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add 30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to sweat for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cabbage and the white wine and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the cream and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Lightly season the monkfish with salt. 

Place a non- stick, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat. Add remaining olive oil. Brown the monkfish on all sides. Place in the oven for 8-12 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and place over medium heat.

Add the butter and cook until butter begins to brown.  Remove the pan from the heat and baste the monkfish with the brown butter.  Remove the fish and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing.  Place the cabbage on 4 serving plates and divide the slices of fish accordingly.  Drizzle with the aged balsamic vinegar.

Puff pastry and mascarpone sandwich with citrus fruit

Ingredients:
All purpose flour for dusting
2 sheets of puff pastry, about 1 pound
24 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
3 large grapefruit, segmented and juice reserved
5 oranges, segmented and juice reserved
1 vanilla bean
4 teaspoons sugar plus 1 ¼ cups for syrup

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly dust a work surface with flour.  Cut 8 disks of puff pastry approximately 4 inches in diameter.  Place the pastry discs on a silicone mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. 

Grease the bottom of a second smaller baking sheet. Place the smaller baking sheet on top of the first weighing down the pastry discs.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. 

Remove the top baking sheet and sprinkle each pastry disc with ½ teaspoon of sugar. Place under the broiler and dissolve sugar, taking care not to burn pastry. Allow pastry discs to cool.  

Place the mascarpone in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved citrus juice and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.  Split the vanilla bean lengthways and remove seeds. Reserve empty pods.  Place vanilla seeds, reserved vanilla pods, remaining citrus juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced and thick, about 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool.  

Remove vanilla pods.  Place 4 pastry discs on 4 dessert plates.  Spoon ¼ of the mascarpone mixture onto each disc.  Place remaining pastry discs on top of the mascarpone to form 4 sandwiches.  Spoon the segments of fruit on top of sandwiches and drizzle with syrup.