All at sea: Neil Perry's pan-fried salmon

Pan-fried salmon with clam sauce

4 x 180g salmon fillets

sea salt

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, roasted

1/2 tsp smoky sweet paprika

1/2 tsp mild chilli flakes

extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely sliced

2 rashers smoky bacon or pancetta, diced

1 cup white wine

1 cup freshly shelled peas

1 cup chicken stock

3 cups of clams, rinsed

60g unsalted butter

freshly ground pepper

1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Serves 4

Season the fish with sea salt. Put the garlic, ginger, 1/2 tsp sea salt and fennel seeds in a mortar and pound with a pestle to form a rough paste. Add paprika and chilli flakes and pound a little more.

Heat a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a deep frying pan and when hot, add the fish fillets skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes, turn the fish over gently and cook for 4 minutes longer. Remove fish and rest on a warm plate.

Add the onion and bacon and a little more salt to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the spice paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the peas, stock and clams and bring to the boil. Return the fish, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the clams have opened. Discard any that don't open. Mix butter in until just melted.

Give a good grind of salt and pepper and stir through the parsley. Divide the fish among four bowls, spoon over the juices and clam, and serve immediately.

Raspberry and mascarpone cake

2 punnets raspberries, washed and dried

icing sugar, for dusting

fresh raspberries, to serve

coconut meringues

35g ground almonds

150g dessicated coconut

7 egg whites

80g caster sugar

175g icing sugar, sifted

For mascarpone filling

500g good-quality mascarpone

70g caster sugar

2 eggs, separated

Serves 12

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Mark two 25cm circles on baking paper and place on two baking trays (or one tray if big enough).

To make the meringues, combine the ground almonds with the coconut in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, about 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until firm peaks form. Using a metal spoon, gently fold the icing sugar into the egg white mixture until just combined, then fold in the coconut mixture, again in batches, until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the circles on the trays, spreading it out to a thickness of 1 cm. Bake the meringues for about 30 minutes, or until golden, and allow to cool on the trays.

To make the filling, whisk the mascarpone, two-thirds of the sugar and egg yolks until thick. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then gradually add remaining sugar and whisk until firm peaks form. Fold half the egg white mixture into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it then gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture.

Place a meringue disc in the base of a 25cm spring-form cake tin, top with half the mascarpone filling, then cover with the raspberries. Top with the remaining mascarpone and finish with the final meringue disc, placed crispy side up. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the tin and remove cake. Dust with icing sugar and add extra raspberries.

HOT TIPS

* Instead of clams, pippies would also work beautifully, and the salmon can be swapped for ocean trout or snapper.

* Crusty bread would be a welcome addition to the fish recipe, to mop up all those delicious juices.

* Serve the salmon with a simple salad, such as finely shaved cabbage with raw fennel, lemon juice and a grassy olive oil.

* You can make this cake with strawberries, or use a colourful mix of available berries.

* This cake will keep refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to three days.

SOMETHING TO DRINK

Chardonnay
Classic and unmistakable, the 2009 Tyrrell's Vat 47 ($55) from NSW's Hunter Valley brings a luscious and generous palate of soft stone fruit and lively acidity to the salmon.

Photography: William Meppem. Stying: Hannah Meppem. Food preparation: Kirsten Jenkins