I’m passionate about tuna and when I find a piece that is fantastically fresh I’m loath to cook it for more than a few seconds. Unfortunately the kind of tuna you  find in most supermarkets is rarely fresh enough and just wouldn’t do for this kind of recipe. Instead, seek out a good fishmonger and ask for ‘sashimi grade tuna’. Let them know that you plan to serve it raw. The sesame and seaweed seasoning in this recipe is often sold wherever you can buy sushi-making kits and adds a lovely savoury flavour to the tuna. If you can’t track any down, simply use sesame seeds instead for an equally delicious variation. 

Not your usual kind of fruit salad! This is actually something I have served in between the savoury items on a menu where it acts as a sort of boozy sorbet – either way they always go down well with an ’adult’ crowd. 

Bresaola is thinly sliced cured fillet of beef and is a speciality of Northern Italy. Its delicious peppery flavour complements the crisp wild rocket and rich milky buffalo mozzarella brilliantly. It’s widely available these days in the deli section of most good supermarkets, as is the mozzarella. 

To give it its proper title, ‘bruschetta con fagioli e pommodorini’. A delicious antipasto that’s often found on the bar in osterias all over Italy, to be enjoyed for free with your drinks – it is, at the end of the day, posh beans on toast! Try to find a sour dough baguette as it does make a difference to the finished crostini.