THE White Hart at Fyfield is just a few miles south of Oxford off the A420.

The award-winning Oxfordshire restaurant, recently voted one of the top 50 gastropubs in the UK, offers fresh home-grown local produce.

Call 01865 390585 or www.whitehart-fyfield.com

1kg mussels
1kg mixed shellfish (clams, cockles, raw tiger prawns)
6 banana shallots (sliced) or 1 large white onion
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
1 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, fenugreek
2 tsp turmeric
1 bunch of coriander, chopped (including stalks)
Spring onions, fresh red chilli, toasted coconut to garnish

METHOD
De-beard and scrape clean the mussel shells. Wash the other shellfish. Any shellfish that opens immediately when being put in water or if tapped must be discarded. Drain and cover with a damp teatowel until needed.

Heat a little sunflower oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Gently sweat the shallot, garlic, ginger, celery and tomato until softened but not browned.

Add the spices and continue to cook for a minute or two. Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Once reduced, add the chopped coriander and blitz in a food processor until you have a smooth and thick paste. Place in a container and refrigerate once cool (for up to 5 days).  

Place a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid over a high heat. Once hot, add the mussels and shellfish (but not the prawns) and cover. Shake the pan from time to time. When the shellfish start to open (after a couple of minutes) add one tsp of the masala paste per person and the prawns.

Replace the lid and continue to cook over a high heat until all the shells are open and the sauce is boiling. Any shells that do not open must be discarded.

Serve immediately in warmed bowls with sauce spooned over. Garnish with sliced spring onion, thinly sliced fresh chilli and toasted coconut.