What a stirring sight this dish makes.  A parrot cooked to a crisp, trussd with piano wire, mounted upon a plinth and decorated with diced turnip, the whole towering above a calm European wine lake on which boats of mange-tout sail back and forth like a tiny green Armada.  A French piece-de-resistance for that special dinner party.

INGREDIENTS (A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR 2)

1 large parrot, 2 large turnips, a handful of mange-tout, 4 litres European semi-Rose wine, 500gms butter

METHOD

Pluck, dress and truss parrot.  Dot with butter and roast in a pre-heated oven at 400F(200C).  Dice turnipes and boil with mange-tout until very,very soft.  Remove parrot when crisp and place on plinth, feet to the ceiling.  Fill base with Euro wine, decorate parrot with diced turnip and float mange-tout on wine lake.  COOK'S TIP –  Go for the parrot that's spent its life showering insults on one and all as a feeling of great satisfaction at getting even can be experienced at the trussing stage.

CU Frank and Kathy