Dishy dinners without the fuss

Dinner in my home doesn't follow a formula. It's usually made up of three or four shared dishes that complement and contrast with each other, with no obvious hero. These recipes are some of my current favourites.

Curly endive, soft-boiled egg, pancetta and Jerusalem artichoke salad

This salad is based on the classic marriage of egg and bacon, with the endive adding a fresh and bitter complement to the rich, earthy and salty flavours.

8 eschalots

Extra virgin olive oil

4 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed

Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

4 free-range eggs at room temperature

1 large densely packed head of curly endive (frisee), mainly pale yellow soft leaves, trimmed and coarse leaves removed

3 slices sourdough bread

3 cloves garlic, 1 whole, 2 sliced

200g pancetta or smoked bacon, rind removed and cut into lardons

50ml sherry vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.

2. Rub the papery skin off the eschalots (but don't peel them), oil them and place in a roasting tray. Oil and season the Jerusalem artichokes, wrap them together in foil and place in the same roasting tray. Roast the eschalots until soft, about 25 minutes, then remove them. Keep roasting the artichokes until cooked, 30-40 minutes in total.

3. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6½ minutes, refresh in cold water and peel.

4. Cool slightly, then skin and thoroughly chop the cooked eschalots (they'll become almost rough paste) and place on the bottom of your serving plate; season. Tear the endive and lay over the top.

5. Slice the Jerusalem artichoke into one-centimetre slices and tuck into the endive.

6. Toast the slices of bread and rub them with the whole garlic clove, drizzle with oil, cut into fingers and place on the side of the plate.

7. Break the eggs open with your hands and lay on the endive.

8. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and fry the bacon lardons without oil for about five minutes or until brown and crisp. Add a splash of oil if necessary and the sliced garlic and cook until golden. Take off the heat, then add the sherry vinegar, season and spoon over the salad.

Drink Wooded chardonnay

Serves 4

Chickpeas with mushroom and red-wine vinaigrette

This is a delicious and intense side that is great with grilled meat or roast chicken or to add a robust note to a vegetarian feast.

250g dried chickpeas

6 large Swiss brown mushrooms, stalks trimmed

100ml extra-virgin olive oil

Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

300ml red wine, nothing special, but certainly drinkable

1 large clove garlic, finely grated

50ml sherry vinegar

3 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 bunch tarragon, picked

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover generously with boiling water. Leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.

3. Drain the chickpeas and simmer in a medium saucepan (starting in cold water) for 45-60 minutes or until quite soft.

4. While the chickpeas cook, place the mushrooms, gill side up, on a baking tray, drizzle with some of the oil, season and roast for 20 minutes or until dark and well cooked. Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, along with any juices in the tray.

5. Reduce the red wine in a small saucepan to about 50-60ml (if you take it too far, add a little more wine and reduce again).

6. To a large bowl, add the garlic, season, then add the sherry vinegar, mustard and remaining oil. Mix then tip in the mushroom puree, the red-wine reduction and most of the tarragon. Mix well.

8. Drain the chickpeas and toss through the dressing while still warm. Check the seasoning, garnish with the remaining tarragon leaves and serve.

Drink Pinot noir

Serves 4-6 as a side

Falafels with broad beans, tahini yoghurt and mint

The fresh broad beans add a lightness to these classic chickpea fritters. This is a delicious dish as it is, or you can add any or all of the following: pita bread, tabouli, hummus, fattoush, pickles, radishes and cucumber.

Falafel

150g dried chickpeas

150g double-podded broad beans, plus a handful of tiny ones left whole to garnish

1/2 red onion, finely grated

1 large clove garlic, finely grated

2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tbsp salt flakes

Sunflower, rice-bran or similar oil for deep-frying

To serve

150g plain yoghurt

2 heaped tsp tahini

Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 handful mint leaves

1 lemon

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover generously with boiling water. Leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

2. Drain the soaked chickpeas and blitz in a food processor. Add all the other falafel ingredients and blitz until you have a rough paste.

3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or saucepan to 165C. If the oil is too hot, the falafels will brown too quickly and not cook through; if the oil is too cool, the falafels will become oil logged.

4. Shape the falafel mix into tablespoon-sized quenelles and fry for about four minutes in batches or until well browned. Drain on kitchen paper.

5. To serve, mix the yoghurt and tahini together, season with salt and pepper and spread on a serving plate. Dress the remaining broad beans in a little oil, season with salt and pepper and toss through the mint leaves.

6. Arrange the falafels on the yoghurt mix, scatter over the broad beans and mint and serve with lemon wedges.

Drink Mint tea or cold lager

Makes About 20 falafels