Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook: Over 200 allergy-free recipes, from the ‘Sensitive Gourmet’

Warm Scallops and Fennel with Tomato Dill Dressing

Dynamic yet simple is how I prefer my scallops. Briefly cooked so that they still impart the flavour of the ocean – never stewed or frazzled.

Serves 4

4 bulbs of fennel, trimmed and quartered

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing and serving

½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of (DF) margarine

4 tablespoons of white wine

455g/16oz/4 cups of fresh or frozen, defrosted scallops (without coral)

4 tablespoons of tomato passata

15g/½ oz/½ cup of fresh dill, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 scallop shells, cleaned

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6

Brush the fennel with oil and bake in the oven until browned and the edges have softened, about 45 minutes.

Cook the onion in the oil and margarine until soft.

Add the wine, cook for another minute and then add the scallops. Cook for a further minute, turning once.

Add the tomato passata, dill, salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 1 more minute.

Spoon the mixture into the shells and serve in the centre of large warm plates surrounded by the fennel quarters.

Drizzle with any remaining sauce and a little extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with black pepper.

Crab Mousse with Pear Vinaigrette

The craze for pink peppercorns is no longer with us. Now, of course, they are easily purchased in any reputable supermarket and we no longer have to scour the shelves of smart delicatessens.

Serves 6

11.7g/½ oz sachet (US 1 tablespoon) of powdered gelatine

2 dressed crabs, fresh or frozen and defrosted

2 tablespoons of (DF/GF) mayonnaise

(GF) chilli sauce/oil to taste

(GF) Worcestershire sauce to taste

The juice of ½ a lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of soya cream

1 egg white, stiffly beaten

410g/14½oz/2 cups of pear quarters in natural juices

2 tablespoons of olive oil

The juice of 2 limes

2 teaspoons of pink peppercorns, drained

6 ramekins or moulds, lined on the base with a circle of baking parchment (wax paper)

Dissolve the gelatine in 3 tablespoons of boiling water and stir until it is clear and lump-free.

In a bowl, mix the crab meat, mayonnaise, sauces, lemon juice and seasoning with the cream.

Stir in the gelatine, fold in the egg white and spoon the mousse into each mould. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 3–4 hours.

When ready to serve, drain the pears and slice them.

Dip the ramekins or moulds into a little boiling water to loosen, then turn them out onto plates.

Remove the baking parchment (wax paper). Arrange the pear slices around each mousse.

Mix the oil, lime juice and peppercorns with salt and pepper, and drizzle over the pears.

Smoked Salmon Turbans

Smoked salmon and the Christmas festivities seem unequivocally bound together. Unmistakably luxurious, salmon is a special treat meriting little or no alteration from its natural state. However, this recipe does help a little go a long way.

Serves 8

11.7g/½oz sachet (US 1 tablespoon) of powdered gelatine

550g/19oz of salmon fillet, all bones and skin removed