Chicken with sherry vinegar and orange

serves 4

garlic - 3 cloves, peeled and crushed

ground paprika - 2 tsp

thyme leaves - 1 heaped tsp

olive oil - 5 tbs

chicken breasts, skin left on - 4

sherry vinegar - 3 tbs

1 large orange, cut in half then into thin slices, skin left on

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

chicken stock, home-made or fresh ready-made - 200ml

juice of a lemon

cold butter, cut into cubes - 50g

chopped flat-leaf parsley - 2 tbs

Using a pestle and mortar mash the garlic to a paste with a little salt, then stir in the paprika, thyme, half a teaspoon of pepper and 3 tablespoons of the oil.

Rub this paste over the chicken breasts and set them aside in a china or glass dish, covered with clingfilm for a couple of hours (or overnight if that is more practical for you). If push comes to shove you can get away with half an hour.

Heat the remaining oil in a casserole or saute pan and add the chicken pieces, cooking them over a medium to high heat until golden all over. Remove the chicken with a draining spoon and add the onion to the pan. Stir well and cook till soft and translucent - about 5-10 minutes.

Pour the sherry vinegar into the pan, scraping up any tasty bits on the bottom of the pan and stirring them in. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to the boil and add the orange slices and the lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan and leave to simmer gently until thoroughly cooked - this will take 20-25 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and place them in a warm serving dish. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil, then stir in the butter and parsley. Taste for seasoning, you may need a little more salt. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Baked gnocchi with spinach and gorgonzola

serves 2

ready-made vacuum-packed gnocchi - 500g

spinach leaves - 200g

creamy gorgonzola - 250g

double cream - 200ml

a little grated parmesan or pecorino

Set the oven at 200 c/gas 6. Bring a deep pan of water to the boil, then salt it generously. Drop the gnocchi into the water and leave until they float to the surface. A matter of a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, wash the spinach and remove the stalks. With the leaves still dripping wet, put them into a thick-based pan set over a moderate heat and cover with a lid. The leaves will cook in their own steam in a few seconds. They are ready when they are completely wilted and bright emerald green. Remove them from the pan and let them cool briefly before wringing the leaves dry.

Now tear up a little and put them, in lumps if that is how they are, into a shallow gratin or baking dish. It should be large enough for the gnocchi to fit comfortably, snugly, in one layer. Cut the cheese into pieces and tuck it among the spinach, then scatter over the gnocchi.

Season with salt and black pepper, pour the cream over the lot - it won't quite cover everything, just sort of lap at the edges - then grate over a little parmesan. Just enough so that you can see it. Bake until golden and bubbling - about 30-35 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Quick cassoulet

serves 4

plump spicy sausages - 4

1 duck breast or thigh, cut into thick slices

olive oil - a tbs

smoked bacon with plenty of fat - 225g cut into large dice

1 large onion, roughly chopped

garlic - 4 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

tomato purée - 1tsp

red wine - 55ml

chopped tomatoes - 400g can

haricot or butter beans, drained 2 x 425g cans

1 bay leaf

grain mustard - 2 tbs

coarse breadcrumbs - 50g

In a heavy, flameproof casserole, cook the sausages and duck in the olive oil until their fat runs and the sausages and duck are golden on all sides. Scoop out the meat and set aside. Add the bacon pieces to the pan and cook in the remaining fat until golden, then add the onion and garlic.

Cook for 5 or 6 minutes until they have softened slightly then stir in the tomato purée. Cook for another minute or so then pour in the red wine.

Simmer for a minute then stir in the tomatoes, the cooked sausages and the duck. Bring to the boil, stir in the beans, bay leaf, mustard and a seasoning of salt and pepper and then cook over a medium heat at a good simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Scatter over the breadcrumbs and place under a hot grill, a good few inches from the heat, until golden. Serve very hot.

A winter dish of potatoes, onions and melted cheese

enough for 4 with greens on the side

baking potatoes - 1 kg

olive oil

1 large onion

gruyère or other firm cheese - 150g

grated parmesan - 1 small handful

greens (kale, spinach or dark green cabbage)- 4 large handfuls

Bring a large pan of water to the boil while you peel the potatoes - I am not someone who peels vegetables unless absolutely necessary, but I think you should for this - then cut them as you would for boiling. Salt the water and let the potatoes simmer for 15-20 minutes, till just tender enough to take the point of a knife.

As the potatoes are cooking, peel the onion, cut it in half and then into thick slices. Warm the olive oil in a deep casserole over a moderate heat, add the onion and let it soften and colour lightly, stirring it from time to time so that it does not brown. Set the oven at 180 c.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and cut through each one (I do this while they are still in the pan) so that they are roughly bite sized. Tip them into the onion pan - if they crumble a bit that is all to the good - then toss them with the gruyère or cheddar, crumbled or cut into small pieces. Grind over some salt and black pepper, then scatter with the grated parmesan.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the cheese is melted and the potatoes and onions are golden. You can steam or boil the greens while this is happening, a few minutes before you expect the potatoes to be ready.