Chefs' specials - One great salmon leap for Buggy

Ken Buggy, of Buggy's Glencairn Inn, near Lismore in Ireland, devised this dish.

Salmon baked in herbs with buggy's chips.​ Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients:​ A few big bunches of herbs - wild if possible - such as chervil, dill, parsley, fennel or tarragon and nettle tops Salt and pepper 1 medium fennel bulb - finely sliced 225g/8oz unsalted butter 1x3.6kg/8lb wild salmon - gutted Juice of 1 lemon

For the chips 11/2 large potatoes per person - such as Maris Piper or Golden Wonder Vegetable oil - for deep-frying

To serve​ Sea salt Cider or white wine vinegar Fresh parsley - finely chopped

Method:​ Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lay the herbs on a large sheet of tin foil, folded so that it's double thickness. Season. Put the fennel and some big knobs of butter into the salmon and season inside and out. Lay the salmon on the herbs and squeeze over the lemon juice.

Generously cover the upper side of the salmon with slices of butter. Fold the sheet of foil over the salmon and seal tightly. Carefully place on a large baking tray, and bake on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for about one-and-a-half hours. Remove from the oven and open up the foil package. Serve warm with chips. Slice the end off each potato and peel them evenly. Cut them into thin lengths the width of a Bic Biro, putting them immediately into a large sink of fresh cold water to rinse off the starch.

To cook the chips, blanch them (ie half-cook them) in vegetable oil heated to 160°C/325°F for a few minutes, until the chips are tender but not coloured. Fry in batches if necessary, as it's important not to overfill the chip basket. Put the blanched chips onto a tray lined with newspaper or kitchen paper. Line a big bowl with kitchen paper. To finish the chips, cook them in oil heated to 185°C/365°F, then put them in the bowl to drain. Sprinkle the cooked chips with plenty of sea salt, vinegar and parsley. Serve immediately.

Trio of fish goes down swimmingly​

Paul Morgan, chef-patron of the Hampshire Arms, Crondall, supplied this recipe to satisfy seafood lovers.

Trio of fish​ Serves 4

Ingredients: ​ 4 x 100g/31/2oz cod fillet - skin on 4 x 100g/31/2oz haddock fillet - skin off - cooked 400g/14oz peeled prawns 280g/10oz puff pastry 1 small packet baby spinach leaves 4 small eggs 8 tbsp (2 per portion) mushy peas 100ml/31/2fl oz cream (set aside a couple of tablespoons for the prawn cocktail) 50ml/13/4fl oz fish stock (cream and fish stock to be reduced down to half) 15g/1/2oz small bunch chopped parsley 100g/31/2oz breadcrumbs 1/2 cucumber 4 lemons 3 tomatoes - blanched 1 medium red onion 1 bunch chives 50ml/2fl oz lobster sauce Worcester sauce - to taste Tomato ketchup - approximately 1 tsp Salt & pepper - to taste Pinch of nutmeg

Method:​ Haddock Tart Roll out puff pastry to a thickness of 5mm (1/4in). Cut out a circle big enough to line a muffin tin. Press in and blind-bake. Sauté spinach, season and add a pinch of nutmeg and add to the cooked tart. Place the cooked haddock on top. Softly poach the eggs and place one on top of each of the tarts. Make a small quantity of hollandaise sauce, then add the chopped chives and pour this over the tarts.

Method:​ Prawn Cocktail Dice the blanched tomatoes, and finely dice the onion and cucumber. Cut one wedge of lemon and grate it into a bowl, add the diced tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Mix with the prawns and add lemon juice, salt & pepper. Spoon into small glasses. To make the dressing, mix together the lobster sauce, 2 tbsp cream, the Worcester sauce and tomato ketchup (to taste) which will make a Marie Rose sauce which can be gently warmed up and poured over the prawns.

Method:​ Cod, Mushy Peas & Parsley Sauce Take the cod fillet and coat the skin side with the breadcrumbs. Pan fry, then further cook in the oven. Heat the mushy peas in a pan and place at one end of a plate. Put the cream and fish stock into a pan and reduce down to a coating consistency (about half). Add the chopped parsley, a touch of lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Place the cod on top of the mushy peas and mask over with the parsley sauce.

Presentation of the dish The haddock tart should be placed at the opposite end of the plate to the cod and mushy peas with the prawn cocktail and lemon wedge in the middle. Accompany the dish with homemade tartare sauce and new potatoes.

The pear necessities​

This tasty dessert is from chef Jeremy Hollingsworth at the House in Canonbury Road, London

Pear tarte tatin​Serves 2

Ingredients:​ 3-4 large, firm Williams pears - peeled 80g/3oz unsalted butter 100g/31/2oz caster sugar 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry Whipped cream or crème fraîche

Method:​ Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4. Halve the pears lengthways and remove the cores. Place the butter and sugar in a 18cm (7in) pan that can go on the stove-top and in the oven. Lay the pears on top, outer surface down. Put the pan on a medium heat to melt the butter and sugar, then cook until the sugar caramelises - but does not burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Roll out the pastry to 6mm (1/4in) thick. Cut out a 20cm (8in) circle and cover the pears, tucking the pastry under at the sides. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.