Facts

Ingredients to serve two

6 mussels cleaned

6 oysters split

10 peeled prawns

10 Tassie scallops

1 squid tube scored and cut into 12 pieces

300g snapper fillet cut into strips

2 cloves garlic chopped

200g oricchiette pasta cooked

Olive oil

100mls white wine

400mls good tomato and herb sauce ( preferably homemade )

Shaved parmesan

One of the best things about sharing a meal is being with friends or family and having a good old chinwag. Anglers are renowned for exaggerating occasionally, “it was this big trust me”, we’ve all heard that one!

Next time it’s your turn to cook, see who can tell the biggest lies while cooking this classic meal.

There are many variations to this dish. Some like to add cream also, if you like cream, then by all means do, just cut back the amount of tomato to compensate.

Firstly you need to prepare all the seafood and have ready to fry off. You don’t have to use snapper; you can use which ever fish you like.

When preparing the squid, cut down one side of the tube, open it up like a book, then proceed to cut, but not all the way through, at a 45° angle, then repeat in the opposite direction: this is called scoring.

Then cut into 12 or so pieces. With the mussels, I lightly steam them open, remove the beard and wash any sand out. OK, seafood is now ready.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, place oricchiette (means little ears) pasta in and cook until al dente or a little further if you prefer. While the pasta is on, heat frypan on medium heat, splash with olive oil and add garlic, then add scallops, prawns, squid and snapper, give a quick stir.

Now place the oysters and mussels in, splash with white wine and cook seafood through. Add the tomato sauce and bring to the simmer, check seasoning. Drain pasta off and add to seafood, mix together but try not to break up seafood.

Place onto a serving plate or bowl, sprinkle generous amounts of parmesan on top, serve with some good crusty bread and your favourite wine.

Now, who’s told the biggest lies?