Strawberry mascarpone custard crumble recipe | Dan Lepard

Dan's strawberry and mascarpone custard crumble. Photography by Jill Mead for the Guardian

Here's a strawberry dessert to end a light meal, rich enough to leave you satisfied that you've had something substantial.

A trompe l'oeil of a seductive "baked" crumble that's perfect for summer: one?that will keep you cool. Lovely with Champagne.

Serves 4-6
For the strawberries
1-2 punnets strawberries, about 600g, unhulled
4 tbsp Marsala wine
2 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of ? lemon

For the custard
300ml milk
5 egg yolks
25g cornflour
100g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, scraped, or ? tsp vanilla seed powder
200g mascarpone
100g double cream

For the crumble
150g plain flour
? tsp baking powder
50g caster sugar
75g unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Wash, then cut or pull the stalks off the strawberries. Cut each in half, then place them in the base of a deep oval bowl. Spoon over the Marsala, sugar and lemon juice, then stir well.

2 Make the custard by putting the milk, yolks, cornflour and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk well and bring to the boil then beat in the vanilla. Spoon into a bowl, cover and leave to cool.

3 Make the crumble by putting the flour, baking powder and caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in the butter, then?add the vanilla and rub more until?the mixture looks crumbly. Spread this over a baking tray lined with nonstick paper and bake at 160C/140C fan/325F/gas mark 3 for 20?minutes, then leave to cool.

4 To assemble, beat the cold custard until it's smooth, then beat in the mascarpone and double cream until it's thick. Spoon this over the strawberries.

5 Cover generously with the crumble, then it's ready to serve or keep chilled in the fridge for a few hours.

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Wheat corn tortillas and spiced beef recipe | Dan Lepard

Have a friend standing by to help you create these tasty tortillas. Photograph: Jill Mead for The Guardian

There are times when having extra hands in the kitchen is a great help: with rolling and baking flatbreads the time whizzes by if you can get someone to share the work with you. I've made these tortillas very small by UK standards, much more like the size you get in good Mexican restaurants, which for me is the best and arguably the easiest to handle. Make the dough ahead, then one of you can roll the dough while the other does the baking.

Makes about 30 small tortillas
400g plain flour
50g wholemeal or spelt flour
2 tsp salt
100g cornmeal or polenta
75g lard or butter
250-300ml lager or pale beer
Extra flour for rolling

1 Put the flours, salt and cornmeal in a bowl, and rub in the lard or butter.

2 Pour in the lager and mix to a soft dough. The more beer you add (up to 300ml) the softer and stickier the dough will be, helping the tortillas puff better when baked. Cover and leave for 2-4 hours at room temperature.

3 Divide the dough into 30 pieces and shape into balls. Place a flat griddle or nonstick, heavy-based frying pan on a high heat.

4 Ideally have another person help you: one of you should pat the dough out flat, using lots of flour to stop it sticking, then roll the dough out?to about 15cm in diameter.

5 Then the other person should place the dough in the pan and flip it once it starts to puff and blister. This should take no more than 10-15 seconds, ideally, so crank the heat up on the first few until the bubbles start appearing quickly. Then flip the dough over and cook the other side. If it burns very slightly underneath in patches, that's good.

6 Keep the cooked tortillas stacked on top of each other on a plate and covered with a cloth. Either eat in the next few hours with the spiced beef (below) or place in a ziplock bag and freeze for another day.

Incredibly easy to make – just get it in the pot with a lid and bake it – and hugely flavoursome. Great served with tortillas, tomato salsa and guacamole. It works best with cheaper cuts of meat where – sorry to get into the gory details – the meat is held together in sections by connective tissue or cartilage, as these break down in long cooking and help the sauce become extra delicious. So look for cuts such as shin of beef or ox cheek, which look a bit gristly, rather than casserole steak.

Serves 4-6
3 medium onions, roughly sliced
1.5kg beef shin, thickly sliced

For the spice mix
4 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1-2 tsp chilli powder
? tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa

To finish
1 tsp each plain flour and salt
2 tsp brown sugar

1 Place the onions in the bottom of a lidded ovenproof pot. Place the beef on top of the onions, then stir together the spice mix and sprinkle half over the meat. Put the lid on the pot and bake at 170C/150C fan/335F/gas mark 3 for about 2 hours or until the meat begins to feel tender when prodded with a fork.

2 Stir the remaining spice with the flour, salt and sugar. Remove the pot from the oven, take the lid off and sprinkle the remaining dry mix over the ingredients, then toss everything carefully together.

3 Replace the lid and return the meat to the oven for another 30 minutes until thickened and utterly tender before serving. You can thin the sauce slightly at the end with boiling water if necessary, but keep it thick and close to the meat.

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Yotam Ottolenghi's arancini recipe, plus a cracking cauliflower soup

Yotam Ottolenghi's lamb arancini: 'it’s no surprise that these crisp balls hold a place in Italians’ hearts.' Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

A quick shallow fry is a?great way to transform leftovers, and no more so than in the case of risotto. Arancini, meaning "little oranges", are so-called after the shape and colour of the Sicilian rice balls made using saffron risotto.

It's no surprise that these crisp balls hold a place in Italians' hearts similar to that of scotch eggs in ours. Each region, town and even village has its own recipe, no doubt handed down from some legendary nonna. So, while arancini in Sicily are large balls, in Venice they are more cone-shaped, while in Rome they're known as suppli al telefono ("telephone cords"), after the mozzarella inside that stretches like an old-fashioned telephone cord when you take a bite.

The filling, too, varies from area to?area. In Catania, say, on the east coast of Sicily, they use ragu with peas and a little cheese, whereas inland in Enna they are more likely to be filled with chicken livers in a?white wine and tomato sauce; and in Ragusa they prefer arancini rosa, which have tomato sauce mixed into the rice, as well as cheese and peas. And you don't even have to stuff them: today's arancini are moist and rich enough, thanks to the lamb.

Most recipes recommend using leftover rice that has been chilled and set overnight but, even if I say so myself, my take on arancini fully justifies cooking it from scratch (you can, of course, use leftovers if you prefer): they stick together fine with just cooked and still warm rice.

These are lovely with tomato chutney, full-fat yoghurt or just a?wedge of lemon. Makes 16, to serve four generously.

25g unsalted butter
200g arborio rice
500ml chicken stock
1? tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
250g minced lamb
Salt and black pepper
1? tsp ground allspice
15g chopped dill
10g chopped mint
1? tsp dried mint
About 50g plain flour, for rolling
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150g fresh breadcrumbs
About 300ml sunflower oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges, to serve

Melt the butter in a medium saute?pan. Add the rice and turn up?the heat to high. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly, add 100ml of stock and boil for two minutes. Turn down the heat, then gradually add the rest of the stock, stirring frequently, until all the stock?has been absorbed and the rice?is cooked al dente (if it needs more cooking after using up the stock, add some boiling water). This stage?should take 40-45 minutes. Transfer?the cooked rice to a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on?a medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic, and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the lamb, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for five minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is cooked through.

Drain most of the oil from the pan (alternatively, transfer the mixture to a?colander and leave it to?drain for?a?few minutes), then add the meat to the warm rice with the allspice, dill, fresh and dried mint,?and some more black pepper. Stir, then use your hands to shape the mixture into balls?weighing about 50g each.

Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Roll the rice-and-meatballs first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, so they're well coated.

Pour enough sunflower oil into a large saute pan so that it rises 0.5cm up the sides. Put the pan on a medium-high heat and, once it's up to temperature (test by dropping in a cube of bread: it should sizzle and turn golden and crisp in about 40 seconds), fry the balls in batches for four to five minutes, turning so they colour and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and keep somewhere warm while you cook the remaining arancini. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon on the side.

Yotam Ottolenghi's cauliflower soup with mustard croutons: 'these croutons are brilliant sprinkled over gratins and salads.' Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

These mustard croutons, adapted from those in Suzanne Goin's inspiring book Sunday Suppers At Lucques (Alfred Knopf, 2005), are a?brilliant thing to have to hand and to sprinkle over gratins and salads. If you'd rather not make them, you'll need something else to perk up the soup: a teaspoon of rose harissa or some other savoury chilli sauce, swirled into each bowl before serving, would do the job perfectly well. Serves six.

2 tbsp olive oil
10g unsalted butter
5g thyme sprigs
20g parsley
Shaved skin of 1 lemon, plus grated zest of ? lemon
1 large onion, peeled and thinly?sliced
2 large celery sticks, cut into 3cm?pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tsp caraway seeds
Salt and white pepper
1 large cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1.4 litres vegetable stock (or chicken stock for non-vegetarians)
2 tbsp chopped chives

For the mustard croutons
90g unsalted butter
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp picked thyme leaves
3 tsp finely chopped parsley
150g crustless ciabatta, torn into 1cm pieces

First make the croutons. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the butter in a medium saucepan on a medium heat. When it starts to foam, whisk in the mustard, herbs and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, take off the heat, leave for a couple of minutes to cool slightly, then stir in the ciabatta. Spread out on a?parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. (Any you don't use for this dish, store in an airtight container.)

For the soup, put the oil and butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Tie together the thyme, parsley and lemon skin (or put them in a tied-up muslin), and add to the pan with the onion, celery, bay leaves, caraway seeds, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of white pepper. Cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft but has not taken on any colour. Add the cauliflower, potato and stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for eight minutes, until the vegetables are cooked but still have some bite.

Use a slotted spoon to lift a third of the cauliflower out of the pan?– avoid removing any potato – and set aside. Let everything simmer away for another five minutes, then?remove the herb bundle and the bay leaves. Using a?hand-held blender, or in a food processor, blitz the soup until smooth, return to the pan and add the reserved cauliflower pieces. Stir in the grated lemon zest and chives, and serve, sprinkling the croutons on top at the?last minute..

‧ Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi and Nopi in London.

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Individual strawberry shortcakes recipe | Dan Lepard

Dan's strawberry shortcake. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

Strawberry shortcakes are a breeze to make, and if anything, these are even better the quicker you make them. Shortcakes are essentially scones, so the same rules apply. Try to keep everything cool, try not to rub the butter in completely and only barely mix everything together – don't give it a thumping knead. They do spread a bit on the baking tray so if you crowd them they'll bake joined-up and "kiss". Just pull them apart when cold.

Makes 6-8 stacked shortcakes
450g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
? tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g ground almonds
175g unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
175g double cream
100g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberries, lemon, and extra caster sugar and cream to finish

1 Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and almonds in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Stop before all the butter is rubbed in so that you're left with pea-sized lumps of butter throughout.

2 In a jug, whisk the yolks lightly then stir in the cream, sugar and vanilla. Leave for 10 minutes for the sugar to dissolve in the cream, then stir this through the flour mixture to create a?soft?dough.

3 Lightly flour the worktop, pat the dough out to about 2cm thick, then cut two sorts of discs: one 8cm in diameter and the other 5cm. Place these on either one or two trays lined with nonstick paper, dredge with caster sugar and bake at 200C/180C fan/400F/gas mark 6 for about 13?15?minutes, until golden and delicately firm when pressed. Leave to cool, then serve with hulled and halved strawberries mixed with sugar and lemon to taste. Ever-so-slightly whipped cold cream poured over the?top is good too.

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Sizzling chilli and peach chicken recipe

3 tbsp fish sauce

Juice of 2 limes

4 tbsp Bonne Maman Peach Conserve (available via Ocado, Amazon, some Tesco stores and good independent food stores)

8 boned chicken thighs, skin on

2 tbsp light oil, such as rapeseed

3 fat garlic cloves, sliced

To finish

Shredded spring onion

Fresh mint

Chopped salted peanuts

1 lime, quartered

Put the sugar, turmeric and 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and heat slowly, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the chilli, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice and conserve. Increase the heat and bubble for 1-2 minutes until a deep, golden caramel brown. Remove from heat.

Cut the chicken into large, bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan and fry the chicken with the garlic for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Pour in half the chilli peach caramel and let it bubble up and sizzle for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle with spring onions, mint and peanuts, squeeze over a little lime and serve immediately. Offer the remaining chilli peach caramel separately.

Tips

The chicken is also delicious served cold with salad

Cut the hot chicken into fine shreds and serve in wrap breads with soured cream and soft salad leaves

Try the recipe with 450g (1lb) raw king prawns, too

'Bonne Maman: The Seasonal Cookbook' (Simon & Schuster, RRP ￡16.99) is available to order through the Telegraph Bookshop (0844 871 1514) for ￡14.99 + ￡1.35 p&p.

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Chocolate and apricot tart recipe

180g/6oz fresh apricots, halved and stoned

100g/3? oz dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa), broken into pieces

125g/4? oz butter

2 eggs

Creme fraiche, to serve

Pastry

140g/5oz plain flour

40g/1? oz icing sugar

90g/3? oz butter, chilled

1 egg yolk

First make the pastry. You can do this by hand or in a food processor. Sift the flour and icing sugar together and add a pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and mix until the mixture just comes together. If the pastry seems dry, add a splash of water. Form into a round, cover with cling film and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

Place the apricots in a large bowl, squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle in half the sugar. Toss together and leave to steep.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grate the pastry on the coarse side of the grater and press it evenly around the edges and base of a 25cm tart tin, to a thickness of about ?cm. Prick the base with a fork and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Place in the oven and bake until golden and just cooked, about 10 minutes. Leave to cool and keep the oven on.

Once the tart shell is cool, drain the apricots and place evenly around the pastry.

Suspend a bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom) and melt the chocolate and butter, stirring a couple of times, until the chocolate is just melted. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and remaining 50g of sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.

Stir a big spoonful of whisked eggs into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold the two mixtures together. Pour this over the apricots and smooth out the surface with a spatula. Place in the oven for 25 minutes until firm to the touch but still slightly soft in the middle. Leave to cool, then serve with creme fraiche.

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Corn and crab bisque with Tabasco recipe

2 litres seafood or crab stock

450g white crab meat

160g whipping cream

A pinch cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground thyme

Several dashes Tabasco Habanero Sauce

First make a roux. Melt the butter over a medium heat. Slowly add the flour to the butter, stirring constantly.

The flour and butter must cook over a moderate heat for 3-4 minutes otherwise there will be an uncooked flour taste in the sauce or soup.

Pour the stock into the hot roux, stirring all the while until fully incorporated. Add the corn and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until the corn is tender. Add the crab meat and the cream, season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, add the thyme and the Tabasco.

Bring back up to a simmer, and cook for no longer than five minutes, being careful not to break up the crab meat.

As an option, add a splash of dry sherry.

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Apricot jam recipe

This is jam French-style so isn’t too set. The kernels add a lovely, slightly bitter, almond taste.

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

Juice of 1 lemon

Halve and stone the fruit, keeping back about 5 stones. Crack them open with a hammer or nutcracker and remove the kernels.

Place the fruit and sugar into a preserving pan or your largest, deepest pan. Add the vanilla seeds and pod and squeeze over the lemon. ?Give everything a stir, then leave it to sit and steep for 2 hours.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the kernels. Peel them, then break into 2 and add to the fruit.

Place the pan of fruit over a low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to high and boil for 20 minutes, until the fruit has thickened. Stir frequently to prevent the jam from burning on the bottom.

Allow the jam to cool for a moment, then spoon into sterilised jars, making sure each jar gets at least one kernel. Cover and seal while still hot, then leave to cool and refrigerate until use. Once open, store in the fridge.

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Beef carpaccio with black beluga lentils and roast beetroot recipe

14 medium beetroot (or 8 smaller ones)
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
? red onion, finely chopped
? stick celery, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
250g (9oz) black lentils
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
good squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped dill
450g (1lb) well-aged fillet steak
4cm (1?in) fresh horseradish, peeled and grated

For the dressing:
125ml (4fl oz) buttermilk
? clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Trim the leaves from the beetroot; if they're nice and fresh, reserve them for decoration. Wash the beets and set them on a large doubled-up sheet of foil in a roasting-dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season.

Pull the foil up into a tent around the vegetables and cook for about 30 minutes, then check for tenderness with the tip of a knife. They should be tender right through. If not, continue to cook until done.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and celery. Saute until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes, then add the lentils and enough water to cover by about 5cm (2in). Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (they may need longer, depending on their age). Drain and immediately add the 4 tbsp extra-virgin oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice to taste, dill and seasoning.

Wash any reserved beetroot leaves, then blanch them in boiling salted water for three minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon on to a tea towel and pat dry carefully.

Wipe the meat with kitchen paper and remove any fat or sinew from the surface. Using a sharp, fine-bladed knife cut the beef into very thin slices across the grain. Put these slices between two sheets of wet greaseproof paper and beat them with a mallet or rolling-pin (do several pieces at a time).

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season.

Halve or quarter the roast beetroot and arrange on plates with the beef, lentils and blanched leaves. Drizzle the beets and leaves with extra-virgin olive oil, season, then sprinkle on some of the horseradish. Offer the rest in a small bowl along with the buttermilk dressing.

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Shaved vegetables with lemon and olive oil recipe

For the dressing:
pinch of caster sugar
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (fruity rather than grassy)

For the salad:
6 medium carrots, peeled (leave the green tuft at the top if it is very fresh)
100g (3?oz) French breakfast radishes, washed and trimmed
2 small bulbs fennel
juice of 1 lemon
1 just-ripe avocado
1 small raw beetroot, peeled

Put the sugar, vinegar and garlic with some seasoning into a cup and, using a fork, whisk in the oil in a steady stream.

Halve the carrots lengthways and cut into fine slices, either using a very sharp knife or a mandolin if you have one. Choose your best slices to present – the first and last slices aren’t always usable. Trim the top and little tail off each radish then slice the radishes very finely lengthways.

Halve the fennel bulbs and trim the tops (reserve any fronds for the salad). Cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices. Squeeze on some lemon juice to keep it from discolouring.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Cut the flesh into thin slices then carefully peel off the skin. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Slice the beetroot very thinly and arrange the vegetables on four plates, taking care with the beetroot, and adding any reserved fennel fronds. Drizzle a little dressing over each plate and serve immediately.

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Crawfish étouffée with Tabasco recipe

1 medium to small green pepper, chopped

110g unsalted butter

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

4kg crawfish tails

Several dashes Tabasco Habanero Sauce

Saute the onion, celery and peppers in the butter over a medium-high heat until tender. Add the ketchup and incorporate. Add the crawfish tails and season with salt, pepper and habanero sauce. Continue to cook over a medium-high heat until the crawfish tails are done, no more than 4-5 minutes. Serve over puff pastry or with rice.

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Apricots in wine with baked custard and almonds recipe

6 egg yolks

50g/1? oz sugar

Poached apricots

500ml/17fl oz Moscato d’Asti

2 tbsp good, floral honey

8 ripe apricots, halved and stoned

Almonds

50g/1? oz butter

60g/2 oz almonds, sliced lengthways in half

1 tsp sugar

? tsp salt

Preheat the oven 160C/325F/gas 3. To make the custard, pour the milk and cream into a pan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod. ?Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Very slowly pour the warmed milk and cream into the eggs, whisking constantly. Return the mix to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, until thickened.

Remove the vanilla pod. Pour into a 1-litre ovenproof dish that is at least 5cm deep (if it’s too shallow, the custard will cook too quickly). Fold an old tea towel in half and place one on the bottom of a large roasting tin that will easily fit your ovenproof dish. Sit the custard dish on top of the tea towel (to prevent direct heat from the bottom of the oven) and pour the water from a boiling kettle around the sides of the dish to make a bain-marie – you want the water to come halfway up the sides. Very carefully take to the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until set in the middle. To test, insert a skewer into the middle – you want a little custard to cling to it. Remove the dish from the bain-marie and leave to cool.

Combine the wine and honey in a saucepan and place over a low heat until the honey dissolves. Add the apricots and make sure they are fully submerged. Simmer for about 4 minutes until they are just tender.

Transfer the apricots to a dish, then return the liquid to a medium heat and boil until reduced by half.

To prepare the almonds, melt the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. When it just begins to bubble, add the almonds and stir, moving them constantly for 5 minutes until they begin to turn golden. Take off the heat and toss with the sugar and salt. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Serve the apricots with a spoonful of custard and a sprinkling of almonds.

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Ceviche of sea bass with avocado and grapefruit recipe

Serves four as a starter or light main course

400g (14oz) spanking-fresh sea bass fillet
? small red onion, peeled and sliced wafer-thin
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and very thinly sliced
juice of 2 limes
2 pink or white grapefruit
2 just-ripe avocados
10g (?oz) coriander leaves, chopped

For the dressing:
2? tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp verjuice
? tsp caster sugar

Using a sharp, fine-bladed knife, slice the fillet thinly across its width, as you would smoked salmon. Put the fish, onion, chilli and garlic into a shallow dish. Add the lime juice mixed with ? tsp salt, and gently turn the fish over in this. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour, turning the fish halfway through.

Slice off the top and bottom of each grapefruit so they can sit flat. Using a very sharp knife cut the peel and pith off each grapefruit from top to bottom, working around the fruit. Slice between the membrane and the side of each segment and ease the segments out.

Halve the avocados and remove the stones. Cut each half into slices then carefully peel the skin off each slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Remove the fish from the fridge. It should have turned white in places, as if it had been cooked with a little heat, rather than looking glassy. Strain off the liquid.

Whisk the olive oil, verjuice, sugar and a little salt together. Arrange the marinated fish, with the onions, chilli and garlic, on plates with the avocado and grapefruit. Spoon the dressing over the top and sprinkle on the coriander.

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Apricot, pine nut and orange flower blossom ice cream recipe

This is also a great way of using my apricot jam, just swap it for the cooked apricots.

400g/14oz apricots, halved and stoned

Juice of ? lemon

Ice cream

500ml/17fl oz whole milk

500ml /17fl oz double cream

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

10 egg yolks

250g/9oz sugar

2 tbsp orange flower blossom water

3 heaped tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Place the apricots and sugar together in a pan and set over a low heat. When the sugar has dissolved, place a lid on top and turn the heat up to high. Boil for 15-20 minutes until the fruit has broken down. Squeeze in the lemon. Leave to cool, then pass through a sieve and discard the skins.

To make the ice cream, place a large saucepan over a medium heat and warm the milk, cream, vanilla seeds and the whole pod together until just about to boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl and slowly pour over the hot-milk mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the egg and milk mixture through a sieve into the saucepan and cook slowly, stirring until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the orange flower blossom.

Leave to cool, then transfer to an ice-cream machine and churn until frozen. Stir the apricot puree and toasted pine nuts through the ice cream just before you serve it.

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Roasted tomato soup with basil and Tabasco sauce recipe

500g roasted (or stewed) tomatoes

125g tasso (smoked ham), chopped (optional)

3 tbsp dry basil

500ml Tabasco Bloody Mary mix

80g whipping cream

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Fresh basil, to garnish

First make a roux (see corn and crab bisque recipe). Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes. While stirring, slowly add all the stock to the roux mixture and bring to a simmer, allowing the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tasso (if using), dried basil and Bloody Mary mix to the base and allow to cook for two minutes. Now add the cream and return to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, then season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Garnish with fresh basil.

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Giorgio Locatelli's chargrilled mackerel recipe

Giorgio Locatelli's chargrilled mackerel with herb crust. Photograph: Jean Cazals for the Observer

Mackerel is a fantastic but underrated fish, which is brilliant cooked inside a crispy herb crust that protects the fish, keeping it moist and trapping in all the delicate flavours. You can do this with mackerel fillets, too, in the same way, but leave out the stuffing and cook the fillets, skin side first, for 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness, then turn over for a further 2-3 minutes.

SERVES 4
tomatoes 4, diced
olive oil 100ml
white onions 4, cut into about 2cm dice
white wine vinegar 3 tbsp
salted capers (preferably baby ones) 4 tbsp, rinsed
medium-sized mackerel 4, gutted
rosemary 4 sprigs
garlic 4 cloves
mixed salad leaves 4 handfuls
Giorgio's vinaigrette 4 tbsp (see below)

For the herb crust
parsley a small bunch, picked
rosemary a small bunch, picked
basil a bunch, picked
breadcrumbs 100g
olive oil 3 tbsp

For Giorgio's vinaigrette (makes 375ml)
sea salt ? tsp
red wine vinegar 3 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil 300ml
water 2 tbsp

Blanch the tomatoes, skin, quarter and deseed, then cut into 2cm dice.

Get a griddle pan or barbecue smoking hot.

To make the herb crust, put the herbs into a food processor with the breadcrumbs and a little of the olive oil, and whiz. Then slowly add the rest of the oil until you have quite an oily paste. Transfer to a large tray or plate.

Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a pan, add the onions, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until they become translucent, but not coloured. Add the vinegar and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the capers and set aside.

Season the mackerel lightly inside and stuff each one with rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves (crush them lightly first). Season the outside of the fish. Brush another 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil over the fish, then roll it in the herb and breadcrumb mixture, making sure it clings well.

You should be able to cook 4 fish at the same time. Place them on the hot griddle pan or barbecue and cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side (depending on the size), but make sure they don't burn (turn down the heat if necessary). Turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, put the salad leaves in a bowl, season and toss with the vinaigrette (see below).

Put the pan with the onions back on the heat to warm through. Check and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the diced tomato.

Divide this mixture between 4 plates and arrange the salad at one side of it. Lay the fish on top of the onions and drizzle over the remaining olive oil.

To make the vinaigrette, put the salt into a bowl, then add the vinegar and leave for a minute so the salt dissolves. Whisk in the olive oil and the water until the vinaigrette emulsifies and thickens.

Pour into a bottle, seal and store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 6 months. It will separate out, so before you use it just shake the bottle.

Made in Italy by Giorgio Locatelli (4th Estate, RRP ￡26). To order a copy for ￡17 with free UK p&p, click here

★ Wine match (chosen by David Williams)
Poggio Argentiera Vermentino, IGT Toscana, Italy 2012 (￡9.99, or ￡7.99 if you buy two bottles, Majestic)
From Maremma on the coast of southern Tuscany, this textbook vermentino has the lemony zip to cut through the oily fish, as well as a subtle dose of herbs to go with the crust.

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Sweetcorn fritters recipe for kids

Sweetcorn fritters. Photograph: Claire Osborne

I've yet to meet a child who can crack an egg well. "Thwock!" goes the egg, shell and all, into the bowl. Far better to crack and separate the eggs and arm your helper with ingredients to whisk, mix and, with guidance, blob into a frying pan. If you handle the corn and boiling water, and supervise the beating and frying, making these fritters is a doddle. For my three-year old helpers, squabbling over who holds the beater is popular. The fritters? "Like pancakes with bits in. Mmmm."

Makes 20

2 corn on the cobs, cooked in boiling water for 8 minutes, corn sliced off (or used tinned or frozen)
375ml buttermilk (you could use plain yogurt thinned with milk to a similar consistency, but I like buttermilk for flavour)
1tbsp melted butter
3 eggs, separated
100g medium grade cornmeal
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
?tsp salt
?tsp ground black pepper
Sunflower oil for frying

Beat the buttermilk together with the egg yolks.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk mix.

Whisk until combined, then add the sweetcorn and butter.

Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form soft peaks. By hand is fine, but using an electric beater is fast and more fun for children.

Scoop and fold the egg whites into the wet batter.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with a spot of oil and blob spoonfuls (about the size of an orange) into the pan. Fry over a medium heat until golden brown. Flip with a spatula.

Find more of Claire Thomson's recipes for kids at 5oclockapron.com

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Lemonade recipe for kids

Lemonade: children can enjoy drinking it almost as much as making it. Photograph: Claire Thomson

Making lemonade is great for letting small children be autonomous with ingredients (squashing, squeezing and spooning). I made it with my daughter's pre-school recently. Apart from handling the hot sugar syrup, the class of three- and four-year-olds had great fun making, and drinking, this.

Makes 500ml base cordial, which is diluted 1:3 with water to make 2 litres lemonade

150g caster sugar
300ml water
3 unwaxed lemons
To serve: water (still or fizzy) and ice

Put the sugar and water together in a pan and bring to the boil.

Peel, grate or zest the lemons into a bowl (avoiding the pith). Pour the just boiled syrup over the zest and leave to cool.

Add the juice of the lemons.

Strain and store in a sealed bottle in the fridge. This will keep for two weeks, but is most fragrant within the first couple of days.

Dilute as required with water or fizzy water to taste. About 1:3 is ideal.

Find more of Claire Thomson's recipes for kids at 5oclockapron.com

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Penne with tuna and cherry tomatoes recipe | Angela Hartnett

Child's play: Angela Hartnett's penne with tuna and cherry tomatoes. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

This is a super simple dish that is ideal for children, and can be served hot or cold. You can sneak vegetables into it and cucumber works well in summer. If you prefer, you can replace the tuna with chicken.

(Serves 2-3)
250g penne pasta
Handful of basil leaves
200g cherry tomatoes
Pinch of salt
Olive oil
200g tuna flakes
Parmesan, to serve

Add the pasta to a pan of salted boiling water and cook to al dente, as per packet instructions.

Meanwhile, get your helper to tear the basil leaves and, with supervision, halve the cherry tomatoes. Mix the tomatoes and basil with a little salt, and a dash of olive oil. Combine with the tuna flakes, mix well, check seasoning and leave to one side.

Drain the cooked pasta, mix with the tomato and serve with grated parmesan.

‧ Angela Hartnett is chef patron at Murano restaurant and consults at the Whitechapel Gallery and Dining Room, London. Twitter.com/angelahartnett

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Tin-can ice-cream recipe for kids

Georgia and Mathilde make tin-can ice-cream. Photograph: Felix Clay

We used a stainless-steel storage tin and an old biscuit tin to make this. We also chose the hottest day of the year to test the recipe – and ran out of ice. We didn't stir the mix well enough, so when we split it, the second batch ended up with all the sugar. The girls – Mathilde, 9, and Georgia, 10 – were bored after five minutes of "churning", leaving muggins to kick two tins around the garden. Despite this, the result wasn't bad at all. "That's amazing," was Georgia's verdict. "It actually tastes of ice-cream."

Makes 500ml

250ml double cream
250ml single cream
4tbsp caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
Ice cubes – lots
250g rock salt (other types won't work)
You also need: one empty can with a lid (to hold at least 2.5 litres) and two medium zip-lock bags

Pour the creams into a jug, add the sugar and vanilla, and stir well. Pour into a zip-lock bag, zip it shut, then put it inside the second bag (in case one tears in the churning).

Put a thick layer of ice in the base of the tin, sprinkle over a third of the salt and lay the cream bag on top. Pack?ice?around it and sprinkle over half the remaining salt. Fill to the top with ice, sprinkle on the rest of the salt and put on the lid (secure it with tape).

You need to move the can around for?25 minutes, to churn: roll it down a hill, along a footpath or kick it very gently. Take off the lid, carefully remove the bag, and ta–dah! Creamy ice-cream.

An edited extract from The Kids Only Cookbook by Sue Quinn (Quadrille, ￡12.99).

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