Pack delicate scallops in little parcels with vegetables and a fragrant dressing for great eating made easy. Serve with straight-to-wok noodles stir-fried in hot olive oil and chives. Delicious!
For scallops, cook strips of skinless plaice or lemon sole fillet. Allow 4 fillets, and cut them crossways into 1-2cm wide strips. Marinate as for the basic recipe, then criss-cross them fairly loosely on top of the vegetables at the end of step 3 and finish cooking as for the scallops.
*If you don't have a steamer, stand a heatproof bowl or soufflé dish in a large lidded pan. Pour in boiling water into the pan until it comes to about 2cm below the rim of the dish. Bring the water to a simmer. Stand a heatproof plate on top of the bowl or dish and place the parcels on this to steam, covering the pan with a close-fitting lid. *Alternatively, the parcels can be steamed in a bamboo steamer over a wok. Pour in enough boiling water to come about 1cm below the steamer or rack in the wok.
Marinated salmon with asparagus and sesame seeds: Take 4 portions of skinless salmon fillet, about 120g each, and double the quantity of asparagus from the basic recipe; omit the mange-touts. Marinate the salmon as for the scallops. Steam the asparagus in the foil as step 3, then add the salmon and its marinade. Steam for 5-8 minutes or until just firm and pink. Dry-roast 2 tbsp sesame seeds in a small frying pan, shaking the pan often, until they are lightly browned. Sprinkle these over the salmon when serving.