Side Dish

When you wish to roll the pastry tart, lightly butter the form. Remove the pastry from the fridge, shape into a four-centimetre roll and slice into one-centimetre thick disks. Place the disks in a fish-scale pattern in the base of the tart form. Using your fingers, push the pastry down to create a smooth surface and up the sides to fill the tart shell. Alternatively, you could roll the pastry out to a three-millimetre-thick sheet and line the tart form with this.

The warmer weather is not the only indicator of spring. For me, the sign that spring is here is the appearance of certain vegetables. Broad beans represent the season perfectly, and always find a place on the menu when they’re available.

What brought me to cook this for the page was stumbling across these perfect little cauliflowers in the local vegetable shop. These, roasted with a knob of butter and a good pinch of salt, were quite possibly the nicest thing I’ve eaten this winter.

Here we have one of my very favourite pairings: caramelised onion and Gruyere, bound together with mashed potato, lovingly rolled into the classic cylinder shape, gently egged and breadcrumbed, and then fried until they are just right.

One of the most practical things to do with a pumpkin, I believe, is to simply roast it. This is the best way to bring out its flavour. Roast pumpkin is simple but can be easily spoilt, and some varieties work better than others.

I’ve been making these dumplings for a while now. The recipe has been tested, developed and workshopped – more than most of the recipes I cook – and it is a recipe of which I am really proud. I was quite particular about how I wanted it to taste and how I wanted the texture.

A timeless classic – just don't open the sun-dried tomatoes.

Give peas a chance with the rich flesh and clean flavour of raw tuna.

The snack that ticks all the boxes when it comes to flavour, texture and balance.

Homemade pickles add an acid tang to many dishes.