Fantastico Recipes

You can find wonderful fish soups and stews along the Amalfi coast. They all tend to be hearty, substantial and big on flavour, but there are many variations on the theme, depending on the cook’s preference and what’s available in the market on the day. Here I’ve used a mixture of haddock, red mullet and prawns, but plenty of other types of fish, as well as mussels, squid and clams, are also...

Anchovies are found in large numbers in the Mediterranean, particularly in southern Italy, where they are a staple food and are eaten fresh or preserved in olive oil or salt. They’re high in antioxidants, and some research suggests they may be linked to longevity. If you prefer, replace the anchovies with black olives.

There are literally dozens of recipes for this classic Sicilian couscous dish, most of which have the addition of seafood and chilli – but here I’ve let the sweet white fish do the talking. The town of Trapani is famous for couscous, and there is an annual couscous festival there in September. Ask your fishmonger for end cuts and bones to flavour the sauce.

Grape cake is a rustic Italian bake, which is traditionally made during the grape harvest when the fruits are in abundance. It can be eaten at any time of day – even as a dessert with a glass of Vin Santo. The combination of butter and oil makes this a really light cake and very, very moreish.