On the night – the appetiser

I mentioned right at the start that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my guests. The sure fire way that I can is to choose dishes that I know work and that my guests will enjoy.

I also said that the only dish to be cooked from scratch on the night is the appetiser, which is why I chose the following recipe. I've served this dish three times now and it has never let me down, in fact it has very been well received - so - stick with what you know!

Scallops and king prawns in black bean sauce

for 5 as a starter

3 scallops per person (defrost from frozen)

5 cooked king prawns per person (defrost from frozen)

drop of rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

Romano peppers – one orange, one

yellow, de-seeded and finely chopped to a similar

size

1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

200g black bean sauce – make your own

or buy a good quality ready-made

This is a dish that you pull from your freezer – the scallops and the king prawns and from your pantry/store cupboard - the black bean sauce.

You need to remember to take the scallops and king prawns out of the freezer the night before and fridge them. Make sure you drain any liquid and pat dry with kitchen roll before cooking.

I always use the clock face method when cooking scallops – heating the rapeseed oil until hot and beginning at 12 o'clock and forming an outer circle in your pan, sealing and seasoning with salt and black pepper. When you return to where you began turn each scallop again to seal on the other side. Set them aside on a baking sheet and cover with foil.

Stir fry the peppers and onions for 2/3 minutes, then add the king prawns, season and toss together for 2 minutes to warm the prawns through, add the scallops and the black bean sauce tossing to cover thoroughly. Serve immediately in small bowls with small flat breads to mop up the sauce.

My final tip – prep the peppers and onions ahead then bag and fridge!

Last up – pudding ...