Fried scallops with anchovies and dried chilli

Each recipe: serves 2, costs between €1.25 and €6 a portion, takes less than 30 minutes to prepare


Fried scallops with anchovies and dried chilli Cost: €8.50


(adapted from a River Café recipe)


6 scallops
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
2 handfuls of rocket or mixed leaves


Brush a thick bottomed frying pan with a little olive oil, then place over a high heat. When smoking, add the scallops, season and cook for two minutes on one side. Do not move them during this time. Then turn the scallops over and immediately add the anchovies and chilli, plus a little extra olive oil. Cook for a further two minutes. Finally add the parsley and the juice of half the lemon. Season and serve on a bed of rocket or mixed leaves with the pan juices spooned over and a lemon quarter on the side.


Buttered truffle spaghetti Cost: €12


(from Jo Pratt's In The Mood for Food)


150g spaghetti
50g butter
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Truffle oil (as these vary in strength you will have to judge the amount as you go along, but a small bottle will be more than ample)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the reserved water in the pan and add the butter and half the parmesan. Stir over a low heat for a moment. Add the truffle oil, a teaspoon at a time until you are happy with the intensity of the flavour. Season with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Serve with the rest of the Parmesan.


The cost includes 100 ml of truffle oil which will last for ages!


Exotic chocolate cups Cost: €2.50


(From In The Mood for Food)


75ml single cream
Zest of one small orange
1 tablespoon caster sugar
A small pinch of allspice
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
1 large egg yolk, preferably free-range or organic
1 tablespoon dark rum (Kahlua, Malibu, brandy or Cointreau would be good substitutes – see what's lurking in the back of the cupboard)
10g unsalted butter


Heat the cream, orange zest, sugar and allspice in a small pan until the cream is just bubbling, but not quite boiling. Remove from the heat and drop in the chocolate, stirring until it is melted. Beat in the egg yolk, rum and butter until smooth. Pour into two expresso cups or small glasses and leave to set in the fridge for a few hours. They can be eaten straight from the fridge or, for a softer consistency, left at room temperature for about an hour.


Next week: three winter salads