All you do is cut the vegetables into large, chunky pieces (no smaller than 1½ inches/4 cm) – leaving the celeriac until last, as it may discolour if left for too long – place in a large bowl, then add the herbs, garlic, olive oil and lots of seasoning and just use your hands to mix them.

The prepared vegetables can now be kept in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge for 2-3 days.

When you're ready to cook the vegetables, spread them out on the baking tray and cook in the pre-heated oven on a high shelf for 30-40 minutes, until they're tender and turning brown at the edges.

First of all crush the saffron to a powder with a pestle and mortar. Then place the potatoes in a saucepan with sufficient boiling water to almost cover them, add a level dessertspoon of salt and half the saffron powder, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 6 minutes.

Use a timer, as it's important not to overcook them at this stage.

When the time is up, lift a potato out using the skewer to see if the outer edge is fluffy. You can test this by running the point of a skewer along the surface – if it stays smooth, give them 2 or 3 more minutes. Then drain off the water, place the lid back on the pan and, holding the lid firmly and protecting your hand with a cloth, shake the saucepan vigorously. This is to create a fluffy surface so the finished potatoes will be really crunchy.

Now mix the oil with the rest of the saffron powder, then remove the tray from the oven and place it over a direct medium heat.

Next, using a long-handled spoon, carefully but quickly lift the potatoes into the hot fat, tilt the tray and baste them well, then, using a small brush, quickly paint the potatoes with the saffron oil, making sure they are well coated.

Now return the tray to the highest shelf of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crunchy.

Sprinkle with a little salt before serving with meat or fish or with my Marinated Chicken with Honey and Ginger recipe.

First of all beat the pieces of meat out to make them a little thinner. I use a clenched fist to do this, but don't go mad and break the meat – it just needs to be flattened and stretched a bit.

Season the meat with salt and pepper and now lay the slices of Parma ham on top of it (because they won't be precisely the same size, fold the ham and double over the pieces if necessary to make them fit).

Now place a sage leaf in the centre of each piece and secure it with half a cocktail stick, using it as you would a dress-making pin.

Next, measure the Marsala into a small saucepan and place it on a gentle heat to warm through.

Now heat the oil in the frying pan until fairly hot, then fry the slices of pork (sage leaf side down first) for 2 minutes, then flip the pieces over and fry them for another 2 minutes.

After that, pour in the hot Marsala and let it bubble and reduce for a minute or so until it becomes a syrupy sauce.

Now transfer the pork to warm serving plates, remove the cocktail sticks and spoon the sauce over.

Serve with sautéed potatoes sprinkled with a few herbs before cooking, and a mixed salad.

First place the roasting tray with the fat in it on the highest shelf of the oven while it pre-heats. Thinly peel the potatoes using a potato peeler, then leave the small ones whole and cut the larger ones in half.

Put them in a steamer fitted over a large pan of boiling water, sprinkle the salt all over them, put a lid on, turn the heat down to low and steam the potatoes for about 10 minutes. After that lift one out with a skewer and see if the outer edge is fluffy.

You can test this by running the point of the skewer along the surface – if it stays smooth, give it a few more minutes.

Then drain off the water (reserving some for the gravy if you like).

Place the lid back on the saucepan, and, holding the lid on firmly with your hand protected by a cloth or oven glove, shake the saucepan vigorously from side to side then turn the pan upside down and give it another shake.

This shaking roughens up the cooked edges of the potato and makes them floury and fluffy – this is the secret of the crunchy edges.

Now, still using the oven glove to protect your hands, remove the hot roasting tray containing its sizzling fat and transfer to the direct heat (medium) on the hob. Then use a long-handled spoon and quickly lower the potatoes into the hot fat.

When they are all in, turn each one over a couple of times so it's completely coated with fat.

Now place them back on the highest shelf of the oven and leave them unattended for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are golden brown.

There's no need to turn them over at half-time – they will brown evenly by themselves.

Sprinkle them with a little crushed salt before serving straight away; they lose their crunch if you keep them waiting. If they're ready before you are, turn the oven off and leave them inside.
 

First, melt the butter with the oil in the casserole and, keeping the heat fairly high, fry the guinea fowl joints, skin down, until they are a good golden brown. Then turn them over and brown the other side, which should take about 8-10 minutes altogether.

You will have to do this in two batches, so, as they brown, remove the joints with a draining spoon and keep to one side.

Now brown the pancetta for 5 minutes, followed by the shallots. Then return the guinea fowl to the casserole, tuck in the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf, then add the crushed garlic.

Now season with freshly milled black pepper and just a little salt, then pour in the wine. Put a lid on and simmer over a very gentle heat for 45 minutes.

After that, add the mushrooms (whole if they are not too large, otherwise chopped) and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Then remove the guinea fowl, pancetta, shallots and mushrooms to a warm serving dish and keep warm.

Now discard the herbs, bring the liquid in the casserole up to a fast boil and reduce by about one third. Next, mix the arrowroot to a paste with a little water, then add a little of the hot sauce.

Now add all the arrowroot mixture to the rest of the liquid and bring to the boil, whisking all the time until the sauce has thickened.

Pour the sauce over the guinea fowl and serve – it's lovely with creamy mashed potatoes.

First of all, take the turkey escalopes and place them one at a time between 2 pieces of clingfilm.

Take a rolling pin and gently roll each escalope so it measures about 9 inches (23cm) long by 4 inches (10cm) wide and 1/4 inch (5mm) thick. It does not matter if these measurements are not perfect!

Next, mix the stuffing ingredients together.

Then, take one of the flattened escalopes and a quarter of the stuffing and roll it into a sausage the same length as the escalope (dampen your hands with water if the stuffing is sticky) and place the sausage-shaped stuffing 1 inch (2.5cm) from one side of the length and carefully roll the turkey around the stuffing.

Repeat with the other escalopes. Then, taking one rasher of bacon, wrap it round one of the roulades, starting at one end, overlapping it slightly until the roulade is completely wrapped.

Then do the same with the other 3 rashers - you need 4 for each roulade. Repeat with the other 3 roulades.

Cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.

When you are ready to cook the turkey, preheat the oven to gas mark 6, 200C.

Place the 4 roulades, well apart, in the greased roasting tin and roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until crispy and firm to the touch. Remove the roulades from the tin and then cover them with a sheet of foil to keep warm.

To make the gravy, place the roasting tin over direct heat turned to fairly low, and when the juices begin to sizzle, sprinkle in the plain flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon til you get a smooth paste.

Then mix the wine with the stock and add it, little by little, exchanging the wooden spoon for a whisk. Whisk thoroughly until the stock and wine are incorporated and bring it to simmering point, then let it bubble and reduce for about 5 minutes.

Then taste and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper and pour into a warmed serving jug.

To serve, slice each roulade diagonally into 3 or 4 pieces and place on a warm serving dish.

You need to begin this recipe half an hour before you want to start the cooking, because the aubergines need to be salted and drained as they sometimes contain bitter juices. All you do is cut the aubergines lengthways into four and then into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks and place them in a colander, sprinkling them with salt as you pack them in, then place a plate on top of the aubergines and weight it down with something heavy (scale weights or tins of food).

Now take a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over a high heat, then as soon as it's smoking hot, brown the lamb slices two at a time for about 1 minute on each side. As they brown, transfer them to the roasting tin. Then chop the garlic and oregano quite small. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and scatter the garlic and oregano all over them, pressing it well into the crevices of the meat. Then pop the roasting tin on to the middle shelf of the oven and give them 45 minutes' initial cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them from the kettle, leave them for 1 minute exactly, then drain off the water and slip the skins off. Then slice the tomatoes into ½ inch (1 cm) chunks. Now peel, halve and thinly slice the onions, then heat another tablespoon of oil in the frying pan over a medium heat and, when it's hot, lightly brown the onions, moving them around the pan and giving them about 5 minutes or so.

After that, add the tomatoes and the tomato purée, stir well, giving them about 1 minute before turning the heat off. Now dry the aubergines, either in a clean tea cloth, or in batches using kitchen paper. After that, remove the meat from the oven and transfer to a plate. Tilt the roasting tin, spoon off any excess fat, then put in half the aubergines, onion and tomatoes, mix them well with the juices in the tin and season.

Then replace the meat and scatter the rest of the aubergines and tomato mixture on top. Add a little more seasoning of salt and pepper and return the roasting tin to the oven, without covering, for about 1½ hours or until the lamb is completely tender. Have a peep halfway through the cooking time and if the vegetables on top look a little dry, baste them with some of the juices.

To make the rice pilau, in a shallow saucepan or frying pan with a lid, sweat the onion in the oil over a medium heat, then add the pine nuts, currants and white basmati rice and stir everything well. Add the cinnamon stick, then pour in 1 pint (570 ml) boiling water and add the salt, stir once, put a lid on, then let it cook for 15 minutes.Sprinkle with a little chopped flat-leaf parsley before serving.

First of all, place the lamb chops in a shallow roasting tin with the onion tucked around them. Season with salt and pepper then place them on the highest shelf of the oven to bake. How long you cook them for is up to you – I personally don't mind the centres being cooked since I like the skins crisp, but if you like your lamb pink give them 30 minutes, if not, 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and sweat the onions over a very gentle heat for 5 minutes. While that's happening, bruise the rosemary leaves with a pestle and mortar to release their oil, then chop them very, very finely and add them to the onion. Then continue to cook gently, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes without letting the onions colour too much.

Next, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour till smooth, then gradually add the milk followed by the stock, bit by bit, stirring vigorously and finishing off with a balloon whisk. 

Season with salt and pepper and let the sauce barely simmer for 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat, liquidise half of it and then combine that with the rest, along with the cream. Taste to check the seasoning, then pour it into a warmed serving bowl or jug and cover the surface with clingfilm until the chops are ready. 

Serve the chops with a garnish of watercress and the sauce poured over.

First of all sort through the potatoes and cut any larger ones in half so they are all as evenly sized as possible. Then place them in a large bowl along with the garlic and chopped herbs and a good seasoning of freshly milled black pepper. Next add the oil and vinegar and toss everything around to get all the potatoes evenly coated. Now cover the bowl with a cloth and leave on one side until the potatoes have soaked up all the flavours – about 11/2-2 hours. To roast the potatoes, pre-heat the oven to its highest setting, spread the potatoes out on a large, solid roasting tray, season well with crushed Maldon salt and roast on the highest shelf for 20-25 minutes. Test them with a skewer – they should be crisp on the outside and soft and tender within. Serve straight away.

Begin by measuring the oil into the roasting tin, then pop it into the oven to heat through.

Wash the potatoes but don't scrape the skins off, then cut them into cubes of roughly ½ inch (1 cm).

Place them in a clean tea cloth and dry them as thoroughly as you can, then transfer them to a large plate. Remove the tin from the oven, place it over direct heat – the oil needs to be very hot – then carefully slide the potatoes straight into the hot oil.

Turn them around to get a good coating of oil, sprinkling in the garlic and rosemary as you go.

Return the tin to the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp.

Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Begin by combining the flour, Parmesan and a seasoning of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Now pop the swede into a saucepan, cover with boiling water, add some salt, bring back to boiling point then cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile have a kitchen tray ready, then drain the swede and while it is still steaming drop the wedges, using kitchen tongs, a few at a time, into the bowl to coat them with the flour and cheese. Do this quickly as the coating will only stick if they're still steamy.

Then lay them out on the tray to cool, and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. For this you need to place the baking tray in the oven while it's pre-heating, putting enough oil on the tray to cover the base and adding a knob of butter for flavour.

Then when the oven is up to heat remove the baking tray, place it over direct heat turned to low and arrange the prepared swede wedges on it side by side.

Baste the tops with the hot fat then transfer them to the oven, using an oven glove, to bake for 20 minutes. After that, turn them over, remove any excess fat from the tin and continue to bake them for a further 15-20 minutes or until they're crisp and golden.

First of all wipe the venison joint with kitchen paper and season the surface with salt and freshly milled pepper. Now heat up the oil and butter together in the casserole and when it is foaming hot add the meat to brown on all sides with the carrot and onion alongside it to brown as well.

When everything is browned, add the thyme and bay leaf, wine, nutmeg and seasoning. Bring this up to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid (if the lid is not really tight, place a sheet of foil under it and press down firmly to seal it).

Give the meat an initial cooking time of 30 minutes. Then turn it over in the liquid, so that it will cook to an even colour, and give it a further 30 minutes.

After that remove the meat to a warm plate, cover it with foil and keep warm.

Now to make the sauce. Place a sieve over a bowl and strain the liquid through it, pressing the vegetables to extract their juices, then discard them. Next pour the liquid back into the casserole, boil it up and let it reduce slightly. Then add the redcurrant jelly and Worcestershire sauce and whisk it very thoroughly to dissolve the jelly.

Now mix the softened butter, flour and mustard powder together to a paste then whisk this, in small pieces, into the sauce so that it thickens slightly and takes on a glossy appearance.

Now add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, adding more if needed, taste and check the seasoning.

Simmer the sauce gently for 3-4 minutes, then carve the venison and serve with the sauce spooned over.

Firstly tilt the pan so the juices flow into one corner, then spoon off most of the fat from the juices.

Keep the spoon level and be careful not to scoop up any of the meat juices with the fat.

Place the tin over a high heat, then with a spoon, scrape the sides and base of the roasting tin to release all the lovely caramelised bits.

Pour in the wine, cider or stock (or both) and keeping the heat high allow the whole thing to bubble. Turn the heat down to medium and let the gravy reduce until its half its original volume which will take about 10-12 minutes.

Finally, taste and season.
 

As soon as you buy the gammon, remove all the wrapping and dry the skin really well with kitchen paper. After that, using a very sharp, pointed knife, score the skin in a criss-cross pattern making little ½ inch (1 cm) diamonds. This is quite easy to do if you insert the tip of the knife only, then holding the skin taut with one hand, drag the tip of the knife down in long movements.

When you've done this, place the gammon on a plate and store uncovered on the bottom of the fridge, if possible for 2 or 3 days before you need it. This means the skin will go on drying, which makes better crackling. You can make the sauce well in advance, too. All you do is remove the outer zest from the orange using a potato peeler so that you don't get any of the pith. Then pile the little strips on top of one another and, using a very sharp knife, cut them into really thin needle-sized strips. If you've got the orange peel piled up, and your knife is sharp, this is a lot easier than it sounds. Next remove the zest from the lime, this time using a fine grater, and squeeze the juice from the lime and orange.

Place all the sauce ingredients, except the arrowroot, into a saucepan. Whisk the arrowroot into the mixture and place the pan on to a gentle heat, whisking all the time until it starts to simmer. As soon as this happens the sauce will change from opaque to clear, so then remove it from the heat and as soon as it is cool enough, pour it into a serving dish, cover with clingfilm and chill until needed.

To cook the gammon, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 9, 475°F (240°C). If the treacle is very cold, warm it slightly, then using a pastry brush, or a wodge of kitchen paper, lightly coat all the little diamonds of skin. After that sprinkle the skin with salt crystals, pressing them well in. Now place the gammon in a roasting tin, skin-side upright (if it won't stand up straight, use a couple of wedges of foil to keep it in position). Now place the roasting tin in the oven, and after 25 minutes turn the heat down to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C). Then continue to let the gammon cook for 1¾-2 hours – it should feel tender all the way through when tested with a skewer.

After it comes out of the oven, give it at least 30 minutes' resting time, covered with foil, in a warm place. Remove the sauce from the fridge and serve the gammon carved in slices, giving each person some crackling, with some sauce spooned over.

Begin by peeling the potatoes and chopping them into ¾ inch (2cm cubes). Place them in a saucepan with some salt, then cover them with boiling water and simmer for about 8 minutes or until they're just tender. 

Meanwhile melt the butter in a large frying-pan and cook the onions and apples gently for about 10 minutes, then add the sage and parsley and finally the drained potatoes. Stir to mix everything thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, then pack the stuffing into the body cavity of the goose.

Roast the bird in exactly the same way as described in the recipe for Roast Stuffed Goose with Prunes in Armagnac. 

Serve with a gravy made from goose giblet stock and the roasting-tin juices remaining after the fat has been drained off. 

Give each person some of the stuffing and have a bowl of Spiced pickled pears, reheated for 5 minutes in their own juices, on the table for everyone to help themselves.  (I have one very enthusiastic friend who managed no less than four pickled pears in one sitting!)

Place the beef, just as it is, upright in a roasting tin, tucking in the half onion alongside it. Combine the mustard powder and flour, then dust this all over the surface of the fat, and finally season with a few twists of freshly milled pepper. This floury surface will help to make the fat very crusty (for those like me who want to eat what I call the 'crispies'), while the onion will caramelise to give the gravy a rich colour and flavour.

Place the joint in the oven – it will have plenty of fat so don't add extra. After 20 minutes turn the heat down to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C), and continue to cook for 15 minutes per lb (450 g) for rare, plus 15 minutes extra for medium-rare or 30 minutes extra for well-done.

While cooking, baste the meat with the juices at least three times. To see if the beef is cooked to your liking insert a thin skewer and press out some juices: the red, pink or clear colour will indicate to what stage the beef has cooked.

Remove the cooked beef to a board for carving and leave it to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving (while it's resting you can increase the heat in the oven to finish the roast potatoes if you're serving them).

This resting period allows most of the juices which have bubbled up to the surface of the meat to seep back into it, and the meat itself firms up to make it easier to carve. Some of the juices will escape, though, and these should be poured into the gravy. Serve with Yorkshire Pudding and gravy.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 150°C.

All you do is trim any excess fat from the lamb and cut it into 2.5cm thick rounds. Now tear off a sheet of foil large enough to wrap them in and place in a roasting tin. Arrange the pieces of meat in the centre of the foil.

Next, slice 3 of the garlic cloves into slivers and, using the tip of a sharp knife, make incisions in the lamb and insert the pieces of garlic, distributing them as evenly as possible.

Now grate the zest from the lemons (reserving it for later), squeeze the lemon juice and pour it over the lamb, adding some seasoning. Fold up the foil to make a parcel, place it in the centre of the oven and cook for 3 hours. Just before serving, chop the remaining clove of garlic and the parsley in a mini-chopper and mix it with the lemon zest.

Serve the lamb with the wonderful cooking juices spooned over and sprinkled with the parsley mixture.

Note: this is great served with a Greek salad (cucumber chunks, quartered tomatoes, black olives, red onion slices and crumbled feta tossed with olive oil, lemon and garlic), and Oven-sautéed Potatoes with Red Onion, Garlic and Rosemary.

Place the duck in a roasting tin, and prick the fleshy parts with a skewer.

Season all over with salt and pepper, then roast it on the highest shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.

After that reduce the heat to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C), and continue to roast for a further 2½ hours. From time to time during the cooking remove the tin from the oven and drain off the fat into a bowl (it's wonderful for roasting potatoes).

Ten minutes before the end of the cooking, mix the marmalade and port to make the glaze and brush all over the skin of the duck and return it to the oven for its final cooking. Remove the duck to a carving board to rest while you make the sauce.

Strain off all the excess fat from the roasting tin, then place the tin on a gentle heat and add the coriander seeds and garlic. Let these cook together for a minute or two as you stir and scrape off all the residue from the sides of the tin. Now pour in the stock, lemon juice and orange juice and zest, bring to simmering point, taste and season and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

During the last 5 minutes carve the duck by using a sharp knife to cut it into quarters. Arrange these on a warmed serving plate. Finally, stir the marmalade and the port into the sauce and pour it on to the duck.

Garnish with watercress and serve immediately.

First, make the stuffing.

Melt ½ oz (10 g) of the butter in a small saucepan and cook the finely chopped onion for about 5 minutes or until softened, then add the remaining butter and allow it to melt. Now transfer the onion and the buttery juices to a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, then stir in the crushed garlic, chopped parsley, tarragon and grapes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Next, loosen the breast skin of the chicken a little to make a pocket for the stuffing. Place the stuffing in the pocket but don’t overfill – if you do, the skin will burst when cooking. Secure the skin flap underneath with a small skewer.

Season the chicken all over with lots of salt and pepper, then rub it all over with the 2 oz (50 g) butter, and cover the breast with buttered foil.

Place the chicken in a roasting tin and cook for approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes, basting the meat with the buttery juices every 20 minutes or so. Remove the foil half an hour before the end of the cooking time to brown the breast.

To test if the chicken is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a thin skewer: if cooked, the juices will run golden and clear.

Drain the chicken thoroughly and keep warm while you make the gravy. Carefully tilt the roasting tin and pour off some of the excess fat – you need to leave about 1-1½ tablespoons of fat behind. Then put the tin over direct low heat turned fairly low when the juices begin to sizzle, and blend in the flour. Keep stirring and allow the flour to brown before gradually adding the wine and the stock to make a thin gravy.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Carve the chicken and serve, passing the gravy round separately.

Begin by taking the chicken from the fridge about an hour before you intend to cook it (if it’s a hot day, give it about 30 minutes only), and remove the string that holds the legs of the bird together so that the joints are loose – this will take the chill off the bird and help it to cook in the shorter time.

Now put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the roasting tin and toss the onion, lemon and garlic in it. Then push everything to the sides of the tin and place the chicken in the middle. Rub the rest of the olive oil all over the skin of the bird. Then arrange the onion wedges, lemon and garlic cloves around the chicken.

Season well with salt and black pepper and then scatter the thyme leaves and the small sprigs of thyme over everything in the tin.

Now roast the chicken for an hour and then transfer it to a carving board, along with the red onions, lemon and garlic. Cover the bird with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a tablespoon, skim off the excess fat from the juices in the roasting tin, then place the tin over direct heat, add the wine and let the whole lot bubble and reduce to about half its original volume.

Stir the crème fraîche and a small squeeze of lemon juice into the sauce and when it has warmed through, taste and check the seasoning. Then carve the chicken and place on to warm plates, making sure everyone has a piece of onion and lemon and some garlic.

Add any juices to the sauce and finally, spoon some sauce over the chicken and serve the leftover sauce in a jug.

You can squeeze the garlic out of the cloves as you eat it; it will have turned to a deliciously creamy pulp.