Got a special occasion coming up? Throw on an apron and surprise the seafood-loving mister or missus with one of these recipes! If you need a back-up plan, we’ve got some dine-out suggestions for you too.

1. Seafood and Umami Jelly Salad

By Takagi Kazuo, IHG Culinary Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine

Serves 2 people Ingredients 4 pieces scallop 200g lobster in shell (per serving) Dashi jelly 440ml dashi stock 40ml light soy sauce 20g gelatin leaf/sheet 40ml mirin (sweet cooking sake) Vegetables and garnish 4 whole cherry tomatoes 20g green beans, blanched, roughly chopped 2 tsp corn kernels Micro greens, to garnish Edible flowers, to garnish Directions 1. Season scallops with salt and pepper and leave to rest for 30 minutes. 2. Grill scallops under high heat for 2 minutes per side. 3. Cook lobster in boiling water for 3-5 minutes before placing in ice water. Separate the meat from the shell. 4. Mix the mirin, dashi and light soya sauce in a pot and heat gently over low heat. Once heated through, add the gelatin leaf and stir to combine. 5. Remove the pot from heat and let it cool. 6. When the stock turns into jelly, strain it through a coarse strainer. 7. Pile the dashi jelly, scallop, lobster and vegetables on your serving plate. 8. Decorate your seafood salad with micro greens (such as rocket, mustard or mizuna leaves). 9. Garnish with edible flowers of your choice.

2. Phla Pla Tuna

By Ian Kittichai, IHG Culinary Ambassador for Thai Cuisine

Serves 2 people Ingredients 200g fresh yellowfin tuna loin, sashimi grade 1 red bell pepper 3 medium red finger chilies, deseeded 1 piece pickled garlic, Twin Tusk Leng Heng brand 4 pieces cilantro root 4 tbsp lime juice 3 tbsp fish sauce 1 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced, white part only 1 bunch mint, torn 1 pinch sea salt Directions 1. Roast the bell pepper over an open flame for 2 minutes. Allow it to sweat for 15 minutes in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. 2. Peel the charred skin from the bell pepper. Remove the seeds and chop roughly. 3. In a blender, puree the pickled garlic, cilantro roots, roasted bell pepper, chili, lime juice and fish sauce until smooth. 4. Pour the puree into a serving plate and place a handful of finely sliced lemongrass and torn mint leaves in the middle. 5. Using a blow torch, lightly sear the tuna on all sides until the skin turns golden brown. 6. Slice the tuna into 1-cm pieces and arrange it over the lemongrass and mint mound. 7. Sprinkle with salt and serve at room temperature.

3. Fish Stew

By Theo Randall, IHG Culinary Ambassador for Italian Cuisine

Serves 4 people Ingredients 2 cloves garlic 2 whole black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 5g parsley (one small bunch) 8g fennel seeds 10g dried porcini mushrooms 4 tbsp olive oil 250g very ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, de-seeded and chopped 100ml white wine 1 tsp saffron 500g lobster meat 500g red mullet fillet 300g clams (palourdes or carpet shell are ideal) 200g white fish (e.g. monkfish), sliced 100g potatoes (preferably roseval) 1 whole carrot, roughly chopped 30g celery, cut into sticks 30g onions, finely chopped 40g large fennel bulb, roughly chopped 300ml fish stock Directions 1. Peel and dice the potatoes into 2-cm cubes. 2. Place the potato cubes in a pot with boiling water and add the saffron. Boil for 5 to 8 minutes until just tender. 3. Soak the dried porcini mushroom in 1/2 cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and chop them up roughly. 4. In a pan, heat the olive oil. Add in the chopped onions, carrots, fennel seeds, and 3/4 of the minced garlic. Saute until golden. 5. Add the chopped porcini and blanched tomatoes into the pan. 6. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down. Add in the fish stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. 7. Blend the mixture into a fine puree with a stick blender or food processor. 8. In a separate pan with a tight fitting lid, heat a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the clams and 100ml of white wine and cover the lid firmly for 1 minute. 9. Shake the pan lightly to allow the clams to open up. If any clams are not opened after a minute, throw them away. 10. Add in the fish and cook for 1 minute, before adding in the puree. 11. Bring to a boil. 12. Add in the lobster meat and simmer for a few more minutes. 13. Sprinkle chopped parsley and finely minced garlic over the top of the stew and serve.

Your Back-up Plan

If cooking isn’t your forte, we’ll point you to the ongoing IHG Culinary Journey Programme, where seven award-winning chefs (including the above-mentioned) have created special menus for a period of 13 weeks. Make those dinner reservations at Man Fu Yuan, Azur, Window on the Park Restaurant and Atrium Restaurant to enjoy stunning seafood dishes like Crispy Cornflakes Crusted Fish Dumpling, Murray Cod (pictured right), Creamy Coconut Sea Bass Moilee, Wasabi Prawns and Tartar Yellow Tail Tuna Sashimi. For more information on available upcoming menus, please contact each hotel as follows: Man Fu Yuan - InterContinental Singapore Call +65 6825 1008 or email intercontinental.dining@ihg.com Azur - Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Call +65 6823 5354 or email crowneplazadining.cpca@ihg.com Window on the Park Restaurant - Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre Call +65 6733 8333 or email info.hisinorchard@ihg.com Atrium Restaurant - Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium Call +65 6731 7172 or email atriumrestaurant.sinhi@ihg.com

Recipes provided by InterContinental Hotels Group Written by Peh Yi Wen