Shellfish is low in saturated fat and provides high quality protein, and as well as containing significant amounts of hearthealthy omega-3s, is an excellent source of iron, copper, vitamin B12 and zinc, giving it its apparent mood-enhancing qualities.

The best place to eat shellfish is within shouting distance of the sea as it must be very fresh. It should ideally be purchased alive but if not alive they must still smell fresh and not have a strong 'fishy' flavour.

Shells of live mussels and clams may open naturally while still raw but will close tightly when tapped . . . discard any that do not.

The best time to eat shellfish is when there is an 'r' in the month, ie September to April, and this is particularly the case for oysters more than any other shellfish, as they get cloudy during the spawning season and should not be eaten. Also, this is the time when the red tide poisoning can occur due to the higher water temperature.

One of the best shellfish feasts I have ever eaten was in Da Fiore, which is owned by the wonderful Martin family in Venice.

They are famous for their fried soft-shell crab which has to be eaten to be believed . . . the only warning. . . book way ahead to get in.

SPAGHETTI CON VONGOLE VERACI (Spaghetti with clams)
Serves 4
This recipe is from The Da Fiore Cookbook, by Damiano Martin published by William Morrow (an Imprint of HarperCollins publishers)
450g spaghetti
450g small clams in their shells, well rinsed
100ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
100ml white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta. Place the clams in a medium saucepan and add about 50ml water. Place over medium-high heat. When the water boils, cover the pan and cook until the clams open, four to five minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. When the clams are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the shells. Discard the shells and reserve the cooking liquid in the pan. Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Meanwhile in a large wide pan or skillet, heat the olive oil, garlic, and dried chilli flakes over a medium heat. When the garlic is barely brown, add the tomato. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato softens, about five minutes. Add the clams and their juice, be sure to pour only the juice into the pan, leaving behind any sand. Cook for a minute, then add the white wine and cook for another minute. Drain the pasta once it is 'al dente' and add it to the sauce with the parsley, toss to combine, serve immediately.

MUSSELS WITH CORIANDER CREAM
Serves 4
This is a great easy mussel dish that is great served on its own or with some crusty bread to soak up all the delicious saucy juices.

2kg mussels, cleaned and any beards removed
15g butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
75ml white wine
125ml cream a large handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Throw away any broken mussels or open ones that don't close after a tap on the sink. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for a minute or two until transparent and soft. Turn up the heat, tip in the mussels with the white wine then cover and cook for three minutes or until all the shells have opened . . . throw away any that don't. Pour in the cream and coriander and stir well, season and serve in large bowls.

VIETNAMESE PRAWN SALAD WITH CORIANDER AND RICE NOODLES
Serves 6
I absolutely adore these sweet, sour, flavours in the dressing. The sugar and the saltiness of the fish sauce are perfectly offset by the heat of the chilli. I often replace the prawns with other shellfish, such as cooked crab meat or shrimps.

700g tiger prawns, peeled, scored down the back, deveined, rinsed and patted dry!
2 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp fish sauce
115g thin rice stick noodles, softened in boiling water for five minutes, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp sunflower oil
115g mange tout, cut in half (or bean sprouts, rinsed and drained)
115g spring onions, sliced
75g peanuts, toasted under the grill until golden (rub off skins, then blow them away outside! ), and chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander Vietnamese dressing
50g sugar, or more to taste
100ml fish sauce
100ml Japanese rice vinegar
2 small chillies, seeded and sliced finely
4 cloves of crushed garlic

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and add more sugar or soy sauce if it needs it. In a bowl, toss together the prawns with the ginger and fish sauce. Arrange the noodles on serving plates, or one large plate. Heat a wok, add one tbsp of the oil, and cook the prawns until they are just cooked, about two-three minutes, add the mange tout and spring onions, and cook for one more minute. Transfer to the plate on top of the noodles. Sprinkle over the toasted peanuts, coriander and dressing. Serve either warm or cold.

MEDITERRANEAN SHELLFISH STEW SERVED WITH GARLIC CROSTINI
Serves 4
This is a gorgeous light stew; perfect for a dinner party. I love it with little garlic crostini, but of course you could serve it with some rice or orzo, too.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped
150ml white wine
700g ripe tomatoes, chopped, or
1 tin tomatoes and 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped 12 each of mussels and clams, cleaned and de-bearded
12 raw prawns, peeled
12 scallops, cut in two sea salt and pepper
2 tbsp chives and parsley

Cook the onion, garlic and chilli in olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, until soft but not coloured. Add the wine and the tomatoes, turn the heat down to low and cook for 25 mins. Add the mussels, clams (in their shells), prawns and scallops, and place a lid on the pan and cook for about four minutes, or until the mussels and clams are wide open and the prawns and scallops are opaque. Discard any shells that have not opened. Spoon the stew into bowls, sprinkle with the chopped herbs and serve with the garlic crostini.

Garlic crostini
100ml olive oil
5 cloves of crushed or grated garlic
1 baguette

Preheat the oven to 2200C.Mix the olive oil with the garlic and salt and pepper. Cut the baguette into long slices at an angle, and brush with the garlic oil. Place in a single layer on a baking tray, and cook in the oven for about five minutes, until pale golden.

SPICY CRAB CAKES WITH THAI DIPPING SAUCE
Makes about 40 mini crab cakes for little bites to serve with drinks, or about 12 bigger ones If it is possible for you to get the brown crab meat as well as the white meat, do; but these are still so good with just white meat.

110g butter
4 tbsp white wine
4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely grated
450g crab meat
200g white breadcrumbs
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped coriander (you can chop the small stalks too)
6 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp Tabasco sauce (or 1 deseeded and chopped chilli )
1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Melt the butter in a pan with the wine and garlic, add the crab meat and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl, then add the crab meat and all the juices from the pan, mix to combine. Shape into patties, or little balls for mini ones, and either deep fry, or pan fry in some olive oil, until nice and golden; I would normally cook them in a pan. Serve with Thai dipping sauce.

Thai dipping sauce This is a fantastic dipping sauce to use with grilled or deep fried fish, meat, or spring rolls.
100ml Thai fish sauce, nam pla
100ml freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
75g caster sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated
3-6 fresh hot red or green chillies, sliced into fine rounds. Take out the seeds if you like, for this I would leave them in Combine the fish sauce, lime or lemon juice, sugar, garlic, and sliced chillies in a jar or bowl and stir to dissolve. If you find this too strong, add 50ml of water.

Handy hint: To deseed a whole chilli, cut off the stalk at the top, and cut side facing down onto your work surface, hold the chilli vertically between your hands and roll the chilli between your hands, the seeds should fall out the cut end.

One of my favourite places to enjoy shellfish is Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, Co Cork. The lovely bright airy dining room is the perfect backdrop for the all wonderful seafood on the menu. I never tire of the mussels with basil and cream, the crab and avocado salad and the plate of shellfish with homemade mayonnaise, and it's child-friendly too.

You can't book but all those in the know arrive earlier rather than later to avoid the queues. Open seven days 12noon-4.30pm (only open evenings in the summer) 021 4700415.

Another favourite of mine in east Cork is Aherne's in Youghal, where chef David Fitzgibbon makes seafood dishes to die for.