“Now more than ever, I personally believe that our kitchen table is the most important space in the home. Here we can debate, deliberate, nourish and enjoy. And no table is complete without a glass of wine. Cheers!”

Buy the best, cook the best and serve the best without compromise, as I have expressed many times. I can never say it enough. Last week I visited the students at Queen Margaret university to give a talk and answer questions - I also cooked them a meal (see above). The subject was ‘soil to end consumer’: who can achieve this, and how? Of course looking after the soil carefully and properly will help the supply of healthy food. Look after the soil and it will look after you. 

I am great believer that the simplest food is the best and getting the full flavour of an ingredient is more enjoyable than having my palate confused by too many flavours in my mouth. Always look out for the best ingredients and keep it simple. This recipe has been a classic at l’escargot blanc for the last 7 years, using our home-made black pudding. Recently we have needed to buy in the black pudding because we lost our supplier of fresh blood. (I will happily supply my black pudding recipe to anyone who contacts me.) The further north the better for scallops, and I find the ones from Orkney are very good indeed. But in general, any scallops will do, as long as they are bought in the shell so you know they’re fresh. Anyone can grow winter purslane or borage on their balcony or back garden, but mustard leaves will do the job just as well.

On Sunday 3 November we were so pleased to welcome friends from the Federation of Scottish Chefs for dinner, with patron Albert Roux.

Last night we invited all the Scottish winners of the Slow Food in the UK Awards to our wine bar to celebrate ‘good, clean and fair food’. We were of course thrilled to win in the Best Restaurant category!

I have been in Scotland since 1995, serving crème brulée ever since. The only thing that has changed in our recipe is the eggs: we have been using duck eggs now for a decade. I find them richer and healthier to work with.

Confit is the classic, earthy food eaten by generations of French families around the table. This recipe is so simple and can be made ahead and preserved. This is the traditional way of preparing food, cooking it, preserving it and serving it.

The secret of a good Bourguignon is very simple. The longer it takes, the better it tastes! You can even break up the cooking time to enhance the flavours. Cook it for an hour, cool it down, then cook again the following day. It’s even better that way, just like my grandmother used to make it. The beauty of any dish like this is that you can cook it well ahead of serving it, meaning you can sit down with your friends or family to enjoy without stressing about having to cook on the big day.

This dish is simplicity at its best, and full of flavour. The taste of Armagnac with dried Agen prunes and vanilla is exquisite. When ready, they can be eaten on their own, but they also will go very well in a game or rabbit casserole. They’re also a delight in a clafoutis. Remember, the longer you keep them the better - and that’s a year minimum!

Mussels are little beauties - so tasty and so easy to cook. It will make the youngest and the oldest happy anytime. This recipe is very basic and so simple, it can be cooked as below, or you can let your imagination flow and add a dash of double cream, a sprinkle of curry powder, a mix of chopped, fresh herbs, some pine nuts with bacon, some diced fresh tomatoes and basil, smoked haddock bits and potatoes. All will provide a great meal. The options are endless and the choice is yours. One bit of advice though, is that the mussels should be very fresh, well-cleaned and of a good provenance. Then you’re  guaranteed success every time.