serves 4

10 raw King prawn tails

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon cognac or brandy

2 tablespoons cream

small handfull chopped parsley

Tomato sauce

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup dry white wine

small pinch of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon  baby capers

1 punnet ready-made Campagna gnocchi

- Place a pot of salted water on to boil for your gnocchi

- Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions until they are soft and glassy

- Add the garlic, cook gently for a minute or so and add the white wine

- Allow the wine to reduce completely and add the chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika, capers and seasoning

- Simmer the tomato sauce for 15-20 minutes

- Add the cream and stir through, remove from the heat and cover with a lid or large dinner plate

- In another frying pan, heat your remaining oil and butter and flash fry your prawn tails on a high heat,  until they turn a coral pink

- Add the cognac and allow to reduce, remove from the heat and set aside

- By now your pot of water is boiling, add the gnocchi. You will know once they are done, when they float up to the surface of the water.

- Scoop up the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and add to the tomato sauce, along with the prawns and parsley

- Gently combine and serve immediately in pasta bowls, garnished with some fried sage leaves

for garnish (*optional)

serves 6

1,5 litres chicken stock

500g radicchio, leaves separated, washed and cut into thin strips

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

60g butter

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g cold butter, cut into blocks

100g freshly grated Parmesan

- Place the chicken stock in a small pot and bring to just boiling point, turn off the heat

- In a heavy based saucepan, heat the olive oil and 60g of butter, add the onion and cook until soft

- Add the arborio rice, stir thoroughly to coat the grains with the oil and butter

- Add the radicchio and wine, turn the heat up a little and allow the wine to reduce to three quarters in volume

- Add a ladleful of hot stock to the rice and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed

- Repeat this process, a ladleful at a time until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice

- The rice should be cooked, but not soft, there must still be a little texture to it and the consistency must be slightly      runny and not stodgy

- Remove from the heat, add the cold butter and parmesan, mix through thoroughly and season with salt and pepper

- Serve immediately in bowls with a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and parmesan shavings

serves 6

600g beef sirloin, trimmed of fat

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 onion finely sliced

500g portabello mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon of English Mustard powder

190ml fresh cream

500g tagliatelle pasta

salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

handful  chopped fresh parsley

- Place a large pot of salted water on to boil

- Cut steak into long, thin strips

- Heat a large, heavy based pan on high, add a little olive oil and batch-fry the steak strips until brown

- Set steak strips aside, cover until needed

- Add a little of the butter and olive oil to the steak pan, along with the garlic and onions, cook until onions are soft

- Add the mushrooms and thyme, cook for a couple of minutes

- Add the tomato paste, wine and mustard powder. Turn the heat up and allow the wine to reduce to half its volume

- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions

- Return the steak strips to the pan, turn the heat down and add the cream

- Allow the cream to just cook through, check for seasoning

- By now the pasta has cooked, drain and add a little of the butter to the pasta

- Serve the pasta in warm bowls, topped with the stroganoff, fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil