Grilled prawns in yoghurt and lime

For 2 450g large prawns in their shells uncooked if possible 2.5cm knob of fresh root ginger, grated coarsely 2 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste 1 tsp garam masala º tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp ground coriander finely grated zest of a lime 1 tbsp lime juice 100ml thick yoghurt

Thread the prawns onto long stainless steel or wooden skewers. Mix together all the other ingredients with a teaspoon or so of salt and lay the skewered prawns in it. Leave them there for 15 minutes.

Get the grill hot. Remove the prawns from the marinade and cook them on each side for 4 minutes. The prawns are ready when they have caught a little on the grill and are juicy inside their shells.

Pan-fried scallops with buttered breadcrumbs

For 2 6 large scallops 50g butter 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil 50g fresh white breadcrumbs 1 plump clove of garlic, squashed flat 2 tbsps chopped flat-leaf parsley lemon, to serve

Nothing complements a scallop like golden buttery breadcrumbs, fresh ones rather than those ghastly Day-Glo orange things you find in packets.

Remove the orange beak of coral from each scallop. It takes less time to cook so is best added later. Slice each scallop in half. Warm half the butter and oil in a frying- or saut¿ pan. When it sizzles add the breadcrumbs, cook for 4-5 minutes over a moderate heat till they are golden, stirring so that they do not burn.

In a second pan, warm the remaining butter and add the garlic. Cook over a moderate heat for a minute, and then scoop out the garlic and add the scallop slices. Fry quickly for 30 seconds, no longer, on each side. Any longer and they will toughen. Almost as soon as you have turned them, add the corals and tip the golden breadcrumbs from their pan into the scallops. Add the parsley and serve.

Mussels with tarragon and cream

For my money, the tastiest way with mussels is to cook them in a sealed casserole in their own steam, and then to suck the wobbly orange flesh from the salty shells. Allow a kilo between two people if that is all there is, and plenty of very crisp baguette. You can add finely chopped shallots (2), chopped tarragon and parsley (1 tbsp each) and a glass of wine if you like. The juices may need sieving to remove the grit. You can even stir in a spoonful of cream. Just make sure the mussels are fresh - they should sink when dumped in a sink of ice-cold water (if they float chuck them overboard) - and that you cook them only until their shells open, 3 minutes or so.

Oyster po' boys

Ask the fishmonger to shuck and clean the oysters for you. Persuade him to save the juices, which he will probably expect you to carry home in a plastic bag. The garlic mayonnaise is far more suitable than the usual tartare.

For 1 6 oysters, shucked and cleaned, and their juice, the larger and fatter the better 1 small baguette, or 2 crusty rolls 1 egg, beaten fine cornmeal or fresh breadcrumbs 50g butter 1 tablespoon olive oil good-quality garlic mayonnaise from a jar a handful of salad leaves ½ lemon

Strain the oyster liquid through a sieve to remove any grit and shell. Split the bread in two lengthways, scrape out enough dough to make a hollow. Put the egg in a shallow bowl and the cornmeal or breadcrumbs on a deep plate. Melt the butter with the oil in a shallow pan then drop the oysters into the egg, and next the breadcrumbs. When the butter is sizzling, slide in the oysters. They need one minute per side, no more.

Slather mayonnaise into the bottom of the hollow bread. Cover with a layer of salad. Fish the oysters from the hot butter with a draining spoon and slide them on top of the leaves. Pour half of the butter out of the pan, tip in the oyster juice and bring quickly to the boil. Squeeze lemon juice over the oysters, then pour the bubbling buttery juices over the bread. Put on the top half of the bread, press gently and eat immediately with a bottle of very cold beer.

Scallops and potato salad

For 2 as a main-course salad 6 large scallops, cleaned 6 tbsps light oil, such as groundnut 2 tbsps olive or nut oil (hazelnut for preference) 2 tbsps each orange and lemon juice, or 4 lemon salt freshly ground black pepper 350g waxy potatoes a small fistful of shelled hazelnuts 2 handfuls of assorted salad leaves chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Slice the scallops into large discs. Lay them in a shallow dish. Pour over them half the oils and citrus juice, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Leave them in the fridge for at least 25 minutes.

Boil the potatoes, scrubbed but unskinned, till tender to the point of a knife, about 15 minutes. Toast the nuts under a preheated hot grill. Rub them with a cloth while still hot to remove some of their skins. Chop them coarsely.Drain the potatoes and slice into rounds 1cm thick. Toss them in the remaining citrus juice and oils. Taste and season. Remove the scallops from the marinade and place them on 2 large plates. Spoon a pile of dressed potatoes in the centre and spoon their dressing over the lot. Scatter with parsley.

The Wine List

With the pan-fried scallops:

2000 Las Mulas, Verdejo, Rueda (£4.99, Marks & Spencer) Verdejo is a comparatively rare Spanish grape that makes wonderful wines when handled with sensitivity. This particular blanco has character to spare: spicy and rich, with lovely fruit flavours.

Mussels with tarragon and cream:

2001 Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (£7.99, Tesco) Sealed with a screwcap (as opposed to a loving kiss), this is one of New Zealand's leading Sauvignon Blancs. Grilled prawns with yoghurt and lime

2001 Safeway Australian Oaked Chardonnay (£4.99, Safeway) The oak is pretty subtle here, but it gives the wine a slight smokiness that complements the dish. A restrained (by Aussie standards) citrus and tropical fruit style.

Oyster po'boys:

2000 Muscadet Sur Lie, Chper thousandteau La Touche (£4.49, Majestic) Muscadet is dramatically unfashionable these days, but it's still a great seafood wine. This one has a slight prickle of carbon dioxide, crisp acidity and plenty of mealy concentration.

Scallop and potato salad:

2000 L'Avenir Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch (£6.99, Unwins) Transpose a Loire grape (Chenin Blanc) to South Africa and you end up with something that is rather special.

Tim Atkin