Late lunch for one?

What time do you eat lunch? The late Duchess of Argyll, mostly remembered for her 1963 divorce case and the explicit “headless man” photos, had firm views on this. A fantastic snob right up until her last breath, Marg of Arg refused to eat lunch at midday with everyone else in her Pimlico nursing home. Instead, she would hang on until 1pm to eat then, even though her lunch had gone cold. One has to admire such commitment to standards, although even 1pm sounds a fraction déclassé to me. If one is asked out to lunch on a Sunday, say, you arrive for 1pm and sit down at 2pm. But I consulted an expert (my mother) who said 1pm is all right if you’re eating on your own “because you lose the cocktail hour”. That’s us told.

olive oil in an extra-large lidded saucepan set over a low heat. Add the shallots, chilli, garlic and thyme, and sweat for about two to three minutes, until soft. Add the Pernod and cook for a further three minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the fennel and cook for about five minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes and saffron and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the wine and fish stock. (If you want to add any steaks of fish, such as ray, bass, bream or gurnard, you could add them at this point.)

Cook for four minutes, then add all the shellfish and cover with a lid to allow it to steam.

Once the mussels and clams have popped open, about four to five minutes, drizzle with the parsley oil and chopped basil and bring the pot to the table to serve. Some crusty bread is a must.