Boil the pasta in salted water for 8 minutes, or follow pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the leeks and some seasoning. Sizzle for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and turning golden here and there. Remove to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil, turn up the heat and wait a few seconds for the pan to get really hot. Add the prawns and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the prawns turn pink all the way through.

Add the chilli flakes, garlic and lemon zest, cook for 1 minute more, then add the leeks back to the pan.

Turn the heat down.

Save a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain. Tip the pasta into the leek mix, add 5 tbsp of the cooking water, the juice from half the lemon and the parsley and toss well. The pasta shouldn’t be dry – add more of the water if needed. Season to taste, then serve in bowls with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges, for squeezing.

A Very Spotty Christmas…

When we heard that The Duke of Richmond’s Leopard Bar and Restaurant had released its Christmas menu, GBG sat down and eagerly pored over the menu.

Available for lunch and dinner throughout December, it’s definitely a winner. The swanky restaurant is the perfect place to take your friends and family for a pre-Christmas meal and great for office parties and functions.

With yummy delights like smoked salmon and risotto to start, and the obligatory turkey dinner complemented by fresh sea bass, pasta primavera and goat’s cheese ravioli as main courses, our mouths were watering even before we got to the dessert section.

Two minutes later we were on the phone and booking our table…

Walking into the Leopard Bar you instantly feel glamorous. We wanted to pose for pictures next to the full-sized suit of armour in reception, but we could smell the rotisserie chicken cooking so we followed our noses to the beautiful bar and restaurant, where the table was elegantly decorated for us.

The service was attentive but warmly executed and as we settled down to a round of Campari and soda, we were entertained by the confident chefs cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The wall of glass separating the dining room from the kitchen is an ingenious touch and definitely makes for a lively setting.

It felt like seconds before our starters arrived, but in those seconds we were offered a slice of beautiful fresh bread that had just been baked.

We got to choose from poppyseed, white and two types of granary, and we made sure we grabbed a bit of everything. It was delicious in the way that only truly fresh bread can be.

The smoked salmon looked beautiful on the plate, and was delicate yet flavoursome, while the wild mushroom risotto was hearty and creamy and chock full of weird and wonderful fungi. Taste sensation? Absolutely.

We asked for more bread while we waited for our mains, although we probably shouldn’t have. Waistlines at Christmas? Forget about them!

The main courses arrived and looked absolutely stunning. The ravioli was decorated with beautiful coloured leaves, and tasted incredible. The butter and sage sauce was simple yet rich and the pasta perfectly cooked.

The roast turkey was a marvel. Moist and succulent, it came accompanied by a lovely red wine gravy, roast potatoes and a big fat sausage wrapped in crispy bacon.

For fish eaters, the sea bass was soft and flaky, with a salty crispy skin and came with buttery carrots that melt in your mouth.

Loosening our belts, we let the staff take our empty plates away and wondered how on earth we would fit in dessert. But when it arrived we managed to make room…

The Christmas pudding with its light custard was spicy and full of wintry fruits, just how it should be. And amazingly it was served with fresh strawberries, which was both novel and a triumph. Their sharp, sweetness cut through the richness of the pudding perfectly.

The cheese and biscuits were a riot of savoury treats for those without a sweet tooth, but for us it was the cheesecake that was the main attraction.

It was amazing. A huge slice, it was deep filled with creamy filling, nestling on a crunchy, buttery, gingery biscuit base. We ended up fighting over it, down to the last morsel.

Sitting back, we all agreed it was a very special Christmas meal and we struggled to leave. The atmosphere was so cosy and inviting and we could have spent all night drinking our after dinner Taylor’s 2004 port.

But leave we did – after one more surprise: beautiful freshly baked mince pies for us to take away with us.

Christmas has definitely arrived…

GBG decided to catch the Condor Clipper for one of their special dining at sea experiences – and we discovered it’s a fantastically special way to eat.

The Clipper is a little different to the usual Fast Ferry – this style of boat travels at a slower speed and includes an elegant Brasserie where passengers can relax and enjoy a meal freshly cooked by their qualified on board chefs.

We settled in to a bottle from their superb wine selection and as we left Guernsey harbour, we began to examine the menu.

The first thing to point out is that the dishes are made with fresh, local island produce from Guernsey and Jersey.

After a bit of a squabble over who would try what to start – everything looked so good – we opted for all of the starters between us.

The duck liver paté was smooth and perfectly accompanied by a sweet red onion relish, while the Jersey golden blue cheese salad with bacon and walnut was a taste sensation.

The mains selection had something for everyone. Being a vegetarian our Alex opted for the brie and redcurrant tart, and after polishing it off, wanted seconds.

“It’s not easy for veggies, as our choices can be limited. But in the middle of the sea Condor have come up with one of the yummiest things I’ve eaten in a long time,” he declared.

The maple salmon was perfectly cooked and drizzled with maple syrup and Dijon mustard and the bailiwick chicken was hearty but delicate, with a Guernsey mushroom and Jersey cream sauce.

We all agreed you could literally taste the freshness.

There’s something about eating looking out over the ocean that makes you feel so decadent. Our island looks so stunning from the sea, and with no travel bags to weigh us down and no destination to prepare for, we all just relaxed and enjoyed the cruise.

By this point we were all feeling pleasantly full – but there’s always reserve space for dessert.

And what a selection of sweet treats there are: mango and coconut brulée cheesecake, sticky toffee pud, Toblerone tart and Jersey black butter ice-cream.

Our advice? Make sure there are four of you and try them all!

It’s July which means one thing…it’s Wimbledon fortnight, so it’s the time for cream teas and strawberries, Pimms and lazing on the lawn and spotting the celebrities!

Historically strawberries are synonymous with top tennis Centre Court clashes, and we at GBG aim to be enjoying a few cream teas of our own. While most of us opt to enjoy the juicy berries with simple sugar and Guernsey cream, there are some delicious recipes which are worth considering.

Our favourite is this delicious strawberry shortcake treat which is perfect for tea on the lawn or served up watching tennis on the TV if you missed out on those precious tickets and are not planning to make it to SW 19!

Make up a batch, pop on the kettle, or chill the champagne or Pimms and enjoy!.

Strawberry shortcake

1½ pounds strawberries, 
stemmed and quartered

5 tablespoons sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

1½ cups heavy cream

Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Cut mix into rounds, place on a baking tray and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove shortcake rounds from pan and place on a rack to cool. Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries and cream over the top and serve.

Whipped Cream

1½ cups heavy cream, chilled

3 tablespoons sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon freshly grated
lemon zest

Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form, about 1½ to 2 minutes.

We all know that Guernsey’s top chef Tony Leck is a wizard in the kitchen. He works with the finest ingredients and freshest local products – plus a few exotic extras to keep his dishes edgy as well as delicious. But how would he cope with a shopping basket of three basic items and be asked to produce something to his usual amazing standard?

The answer is very well!

GBG gave him the shopping basket challenge – with three main items: sweet potatoes, halloumi and sun dried tomatoes. Tony put his chef’s thinking cap on – and produced vegetarian fish and chips.

Check out his recipe which shows why he is simply the best…

Halloumi in Chip Shop Batter with Sweet Potato Chips, Sun-dried Tomato Chutney, Crushed Minted Peas

500g Halloumi cheese

284ml Plain yoghurt

Zest of one lemon

1kilo Sweet potatoes

(peeled and cut for chips)

Oil for deep-frying*

Chip Shop Batter

75g Self Raising Flour

150g Plain Flour

10ml Vinegar

250ml Water

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

½ teaspoon English Mustard

Salt & freshly ground black peppercorns

Crushed Minted Peas

200g Frozen Peas

20g Fresh Guernsey Mint

Tartare Sauce

105ml Jar Baby Capers

75ml Mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Chopped Parsley

1 teaspoon Chopped Chives

1 teaspoon Chopped Shallot

Zest of one Lemon (finely grated)

Sun-dried Tomato Chutney

250g Sun-dried Tomatoes

30ml White Wine Vinegar

30g Soft Brown Sugar

1 Garlic Clove (crushed)

½ teaspoon Red Chilli

(finely chopped)

1 teaspoon Onion (finely chopped)

Pinch of ground Cumin and ground Cardamom

Splash of ‘Nam Pla’ (Thai fish sauce)

Recipe – Serves 6

Remove the halloumi cheese from packaging and rinse under cold water, cut into even slices and place in a container, finely grate the zest of one lemon and sprinkle over the cheese, pour on the natural yoghurt and set aside.

To prepare the tartare sauce drain the jar of baby capers (reserving the vinegar for use within the chip shop batter recipe) and mix together with the mayonnaise, finely chopped onion and fresh herbs. Set aside in fridge for later use.

For the sun-dried tomato chutney, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat gently, allow to simmer for up to 30 minutes over a very gentle heat until the mixture thickens.

To prepare the chip shop batter, whisk all the ingredients together to create a smooth batter the consistency of double cream and set aside.

Prepare the minted crushed peas by placing frozen peas into boiling water for one minute, remove and drain before placing into a deep cup or other dish and, using a hand blender, create a purée adding freshly picked mint leaves.

Follow a few simple rules when deep frying any foods, you must use clean oil and lots of it compared to the ingredients or dish you are frying. The choice of oil is yours*, some prefer vegetable oil, others sunflower oil. Heat the oil to 180°C-190°C / 350°F-375°F, depending on the thickness of the halloumi slices. Thicker slices should be fried at a slightly lower temperature to ensure the oil cooks through without burning the outside of the batter.

Remove the cheese from the yoghurt and dip each slice into a light coating of plain flour and lightly shake to remove any excess. Now dip each piece into the batter and carefully place into the hot oil and fry for approx. 3-5 minutes depending upon size. Turn each piece over mid-way through to ensure equal cooking.

Remove from the fryer and place on a tray of kitchen paper to absorb any excess grease. Place the cut sweet potato pieces into the fryer and cook until tender and crisp, serve immediately with the fried halloumi and sun-dried tomato chutney. Accompany with the crushed minted peas and tartare sauce.