During this last trip to Germany I was lucky enough to be taken out for dinner to the Wullenwever restaurant in Lübeck, where I had one of the very best meals I have ever had.

We sat outside in the lovely courtyard surrounded by ancient walls and began our meal with this avocado starter which I have attempted to recreate here. I was surprised by the inclusion of pesto – quite a strong taste against the salmon – but it works well – a touch of genius from the chefs at the Wullenwever.

In the restaurant’s external courtyard, triangles of cream canvas gave cover, which, by the end of the meal were well and truly tested for water resistance as the heavens opened and rain bucketed down. We huddled together in a very friendly way under the scraps of fabric as we finished our meal savouring cheeses from an impressive cheeseboard. We couldn’t go inside as the interior of the restaurant was already full to bursting – it’s a deservedly popular place to eat.

Recipe for avocado mousse with pesto and smoked salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large, ripe avocados
• one lime
• 120ml/125g/½ cup ricotta
• 1 tbsp pesto – you could make your own
• 50g/2 oz smoked salmon

Method

1. take off the zest of the lime, set aside
2. mix the lime juice, the avocados and the ricotta together to make a mousse
3. distribute among four pretty glass bowls
4. cover the top of the mousse with the pesto
5. top with the lime zest and strips of smoked salmon

^{This post is dedicated to Rüdiger and Geli Bettin.}