This week’s recipe is a perfect starter to serve when entertaining guests. All elements can be prepared well ahead of time so that only the plating up remains for when your guests arrive. Preparing ahead relieves so much of the stress when hosting a dinner party. It means that you have the time to enjoy the evening just as much as your visitors. I have not included salt in any of the elements apart from the hake. The hake is salted but then it is rinsed and poached in milk so

We are heading into the best time of year for wood pigeon. These plump birds are available at game dealers, farmers’ markets and even some supermarkets. Wood pigeons spend the summer grazing on corn and cereal crops so by late August they should have a nutty and sweet flavour. This week I am sharing my recipe for Perthshire wood pigeon, cherry gel, liver parfait and toasted hazelnuts. Cherries are to pigeon what orange is to duck. The sweetness of the fruit marries perfectly

Chocolate recipes always go down a treat. This week I am sharing my recipe for the chocolate bars that we serve as petit fours at the restaurant. These bars contain three squares, the outer squares are filled with salted caramel and the middle one contains passion fruit curd. Once you have mastered the art of tempering chocolate then you can get creative and try an assortment of fillings. Chocolate bar moulds are available from some kitchenware shops and also online. Again on

This week I am sharing a recipe which celebrates another key ingredient from Scotland’s larder . . . lamb. The lamb from Scotland is in my opinion some of the best in the world. It is renowned for its high quality. This is due to a range of factors such as its breed, the way in which it is reared and its grazing environment. This recipe offers some delicious accompaniments for lamb which transforms it into the perfect summer roast. As with so many of my dishes, feel free to p