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Chicken tagine with peas and fennel

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

This is a nice seasonal sharing dish that you could serve at a dinner party. It's not always practical to cook the stew in the actual tagine itself, which is why tagines are usually used just for serving in.

Stuffed sardines

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

This is a typical north African fried fish dish. Ask your butcher to butterfly you about 12 sardines. Or you can do this yourself by cutting off the heads, slitting the stomach to remove the guts and running your thumb down the back bone and just pulling the bone away, leaving the fillets attached to each other along the back. Once you have done a few of them you will get the hang of it.

Moroccan market salad

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

You probably won't find a Moroccan salad like this in Morocco – unless it's in someone's home and the cook is a bit experimental. I cooked a similar dish for friends last year in Tangier which was inspired by a stroll around the medina, and is the way I like to cook when I'm abroad. You could use prawns or any other firm fish, or create a meaty version using chicken, rabbit or lamb.

Carrot and cumin salad

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

I love serving this salad either as a stand-alone salad for a mezze-type buffet or with meat or fish like red mullet.

Smoked salmon fishcakes

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1kg new potatoes
150g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
4 spring onions, roughly sliced
2 fresh red chillies, chopped into rings, seeds and all
100g pitted black or green olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
Half a beaten egg
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander
Juice and zest of half a lime
2 tablespoons plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Buckwheat galette with ham and cheese

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:35 GMT

This filling came about because I had a bit of leftover brie in the fridge. I threw it in and decided I loved it.

Pikelets with rhubarb jam

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:16 GMT

These pillowy pancakes are what you would call drop scones in the UK. They are also delicious made with wholemeal flour if you want a more substantial afternoon treat.

Buttermilk pancakes with caramelised peaches

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:09 GMT

If you decide to make these but have no buttermilk, just put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into 300ml/ pint of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Rhubarb jam

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:05 GMT

Raspberry coupe

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:39 GMT

A coupe is a great summery dish to serve at a lunch party in the garden. You can create your own bespoke version by adding nuts, varying the ice-cream, serving mascarpone instead of cream, etc. I've given a recipe here for tuile biscuits, but you could also use a suitable off-the-shelf ice-cream biscuit.

Tuile biscuits

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:27 GMT

These are perfect to serve with ice-cream and sorbets. Start by making a circular template from an old plastic container(an ice-cream box lid, for instance). It needs to be roughly the size of a cereal bowl – it's handy if you leave a thumb-sized piece at the end to hold on to.Cut out a hole in the centre to about 1cm from the edge, and you have a template over which to spread the mix. Keep it in a safe place with your pastry cutters for next time.

Strawberries with hazelnut meringue

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:17 GMT

This is a bit of a version of a feuillette, but using thin meringue instead of puff pastry. I've used hazelnuts but you could use any nuts, or even a mixture; the same goes for the fruits.

Custard spring rolls with gooseberries and elderflower

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:12 GMT

The custard mix will make more than four spring rolls, so I suggest you freeze the extras for another time. If you can get hold of the red dessert gooseberries, it will give a good splash of colour.

Roast rack of lamb with redcurrants

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:10 GMT

You can use either fresh or frozen fruit to create this fresh version of redcurrant sauce to go with your Sunday roast.

Black bean salad with prawns and pickled onion

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

180ml distilled white vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 bay leaf

10 whole black peppercorns

3 juniper berries

One eighth of a teaspoon fine sea salt

One eighth of a teaspoon chilli flakes

One eighth of a teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large red onion, thinly sliced crossways and separated into rings

2 x 425g tins black beans, rinsed and drained

2 spring onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons finely chopped coriander, plus more for garnish (optional)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Fine sea salt

16 large prawns, peeled and deveined

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

100g feta cheese

Spicy squid and white-bean salad

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

When making any salad using white beans go for those that come in big glass jars, usually from Spain or France. They might cost a little more than the tinned variety, but they're so tender and creamy that it's well worth the extra pennies.

Lamb, feta and couscous salad

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

This is one of those great, 20-minute dinners that couldn't be simpler. To take it from a family weekday meal to a weekend dish for a bigger crowd, double all the ingredients and use barbecued lamb shoulder instead of the fillet.

Parmesan artichokes with fennel, asparagus and broad-bean salad

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

I will confess that I don't prepare artichokes all that often, but when I do go through the effort of doing them, they have to be the star, as is the case with this salad. For a crunchier, nuttier result, try coating the artichokes in polenta instead of the breadcrumbs.

Steak and Yorkshire pudding salad

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

This will be available as a light takeaway offer along with a 'Mighty Marbled' steak sandwich or a chicken salad or quarter or half roast chicken. At home this would make a great alternative to a Sunday roast.

Chicken croquettes

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

These will feature on our new bar snacks menu, along with the Yorkshire puddings. You can use leftover roast chicken or cook chicken thighs or breasts from scratch.

Cock shot

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

This is based on a bullshot which is a popular tipple taken to shoots and great for fishing on a chilly autumn day.

Cauliflower salad with Good Queen Maude and hazelnuts

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Good Queen Maude is one of Alex James's cheeses and is made from sheeps milk on his farm in Oxfordshire; it was gold medal winner in last year's world cheese awards.

Lemon-poached chicken with lots of roasted garlic

Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

2 tablespoons olive oil
Chicken thighs, drumsticks and chicken breasts, skin on (enough for four people)
20 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 glass dry white wine
Zest of 2 lemons, juice of 1 lemon
Sprig of thyme
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 French baguette
20 flat parsley leaves

Chocolate-toffee biscuits

Sat, 05 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Biscuit recipes are pretty simple; it's what you add to them that gives them a twist. If you can't get hold of the Daim bars here, replace them with a handful of bashed-up hard toffees and 75g/3oz milk chocolate.

Peanut-butter cookie ice-cream sandwiches

Sat, 05 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

As with anything with peanut butter in it, this is as American as apple pie. I like to take the cookies to the table fresh from the oven with the ice-cream, so everyone can assemble their own sandwiches.