Skye Gyngell's Carrots with honey, lemon zest and thyme

Skye Gyngell is head chef at Petersham Nurseries cafe in Surrey. Born in Australia, she has worked in Paris, London and Sydney. She has written two award-winning cookbooks, A Year in My Kitchen and My Favourite Ingredients.

Carrots tend to be a little dull simply boiled, but honey and butter give them a deep caramel flavour, and thyme lends fragrance. This recipe is taken from My Favourite Ingredients.

Serves 4

medium carrots 8

honey 1½ tbsp

unsalted butter 50g

sprigs of thyme 6

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon ½ grated zest and juice

curly parsley, finely chopped, to sprinkle (optional)

Peel the carrots and cut them into chunky slices on the diagonal. Place in a saucepan and pour on enough cold water to just cover. Add the honey, butter, thyme and a generous pinch of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the carrots are almost tender.

Now, turn the heat up to boil the liquid rapidly until reduced down to a shiny, sweet glaze – there should be 1–2 tbsp of intensely flavoured cooking liquor coating the carrots – nothing more. Add the lemon juice and check the seasoning. You'll need a turn of the pepper mill and a pinch or two of salt, but no more.

Before serving, sprinkle over the lemon zest. A scattering of very finely chopped curly parsley would not go amiss either.

Giorgio Locatelli's Turkey meatballs in sweet and sour sauce

Giorgio Locatelli came to Britain in 1986 to work at the Savoy, followed by a stint in Paris. Back in London, he was head chef at Olivio before opening Zaffareno in 1995, where he won a Michelin star. He now runs Locanda Locatelli with his wife Plaxy.

Serves 4

stale country-style bread 50g

milk 2 tbsp

cooked turkey 300g, minced or very finely chopped

boiled potatoes 200g, mashed

Parmesan, freshly grated 50g

small eggs 2, beaten

clove of garlic 1, crushed

parsley 25g, chopped

grated zest of small lemon 1

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

breadcrumbs 100g

sunflower oil 100ml

For the sauce:

olive oil 200ml

juniper berries 2

bay leaves 2

white onions 2, thinly sliced

white wine vinegar 100ml

sultanas 50g, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained

Cut the crusts from the bread and soak the bread in the milk. Meanwhile, put the turkey in a bowl with the potatoes and mix well. Add the Parmesan, eggs, garlic, parsley and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and stir well until the mixture comes together. Squeeze out the soaked bread, add to the mixture and stir well. Shape the mixture into 12 small balls with your hands and flatten into mini burgers. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, put the olive oil in a pan with the juniper berries and bay leaves and heat gently. Add the onions and cook for about 20 minutes, until very tender. Add the white wine vinegar and sultanas and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Coat the meatballs in the breadcrumbs. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan, add the meatballs and fry gently for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and place on a baking tray. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and leave to infuse for an hour before serving.

Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray's Zuppealle vongole (clam soup)

Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray opened the River Café in Hammersmith, London, in 1987, and it rapidly became one of the most influential restaurants in the UK, with a stream of brilliant chefs emerging from its kitchens. The Italian menu changes twice daily and is inspired by Ruth and Rose's passion for Italy, and their experiences of living and cooking there. They wrote many books together, including their latest, The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook, which includes this recipe. Sadly, Rose Gray died in early 2010.

Every Friday the fish sellers from Grosseto come to the hill town of Montalcino. They sell from a hole in the walls of the town, but step inside and there is an abundance of glistening fresh fish – squid, sea bass, swordfish. You have to get there early for by 10 o'clock it is all gone. We bought clams and cooked them this way; the toast absorbs the delicious broth.

Serves 6

small clams 2kg, washed

extra-virgin olive oil

cloves of garlic 3, peeled and finely chopped

dried red chillies 2, crumbled

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp

dry white wine, such as Vermentino a bottle

sourdough bread 12 small slices

Check over the clams and discard any that are not closed. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan large enough to hold the clams. Add all the garlic and chillies and half the parsley and cook for a few minutes. Add the wine, bring to the boil, cook for a minute, then add the clams. Stir well, to coat the clams with the wine. Cover the saucepan and cook the clams over a fairly high heat until they open, which will take 2 or 3 minutes. Discard any that remain closed.

Toast or grill the bread until brown, then prop up the pieces around the sides of a warmed oval dish. With a slotted spoon, remove the clams to the dish. Reduce the wine in the pan for a few minutes more, then pour over the clams. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley and drizzle with plenty of olive oil.

Claude Bosi's Scallop carpaccio with black radish and truffle

Claude Bosi is chef-patron of Hibiscus, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant he runs with his wife, Claire. Born in Lyon, he trained in France and has worked in great restaurants such as Raymond Point Carré and Michel Rostang in Paris, and La Pyramide in Vienna. He originally opened Hibiscus in Ludlow in 2000, and moved it to London in 2007.

Serves 4

large scallops, cleaned and roe removed 8

almond oil

black radish, sliced thinly 1

lemon 1

chopped parsley, thyme and tarragon

truffle dressing 2 tbsp

fresh black truffle, to serve

For the truffle dressing:

truffle juice 100ml

sherry vinegar 1 tsp

grapeseed oil 150ml

Slice each scallop into 8–10 slices. Put a few drops of almond oil on the base of a plate and glaze it using a brush to coat (this makes arranging the scallops and radish less tricky!).

To make the truffle dressing, place the truffle juice in a pan and reduce over a low heat. Once reduced, add the sherry vinegar to the pan. Next, gently whisk in the grapeseed oil. You can buy truffle juice online – its intensity can vary, so it's best to be guided by your own personal taste.

Arrange the scallops and radish slices evenly by overlapping them on the plate – 2 slices of scallop, 1 slice of radish; 2 slices of scallop, 1 slice of radish, and so on – following the shape of the plate, until all the pieces of scallop and radish have been used.

Grate lemon zest over the top and sprinkle over the chopped parsley, thyme and tarragon. Dot the truffle dressing around the plate. Serve with some grated fresh truffle.

Sam and Sam Clark's Moro jewelled pumpkin rice

Samuel and Samantha Clark shared a desire to explore the flavours of the south Mediterranean and opened the brilliant Moro in London's Clerkenwell in 1997. Their first book, The Moro Cookbook, was published in 2001 to wide acclaim, followed by Casa Moro and Moro East. This recipe is taken from Moro East.

Serves 4–6

butternut squash 500g, peeled and deseeded (the flesh of a 750g squash), cut into 1 cm dice

fine sea salt 1 tsp

olive oil 2 tbsp

saffron a big pinch, about 50 strands

unsalted butter 100g

cinnamon stick 6cm piece

allspice berries 4 crushed

onions 1 large or 2 medium, thinly sliced across the grain

dried barberries (or currants) 15g

shelled unsalted pistachios 50g

ground cardamom ½ tsp

basmati rice 300g, soaked in tepid, salted water for 1 hour

vegetable stock 450ml (or 450ml boiling water mixed with 2 tsp vegetable bouillon)

For the crispy onions:

large Spanish onion 1, very evenly sliced

vegetable oil for frying

First, make the crispy onions. Heat 8-10mm depth of vegetable oil in a wide saucepan over a high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add a 1cm layer of the shaved onions and reduce the heat to medium. Fry, stirring often, until they are an even golden colour. Drain and spread out on kitchen paper to cool, then repeat the process (you may need to top up the oil) until you have used all the onion.

Preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Toss the diced butternut squash with half of the salt and the olive oil. Spread it in a single layer in a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes until tender. Mix the saffron with 3 tbsp boiling water and add 25g of the butter. Set aside. Heat the remaining butter in a medium saucepan with the cinnamon and allspice until it foams, then add the onion and ½ tsp of salt. Fry over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and starting to colour. Add the barberries, pistachios and cardamom and cook for 10 minutes more.

Now drain the rice and add to the pan, stirring for a minute or two to coat, then pour in the stock. Taste for seasoning, then add the roast squash. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper and a tight-fitting lid and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a final 5 minutes. Remove the lid and paper and drizzle with the buttery saffron water. Replace the lid and leave to rest, off the heat, for 5–10 minutes.

Serve with a scattering of crispy onions and some yoghurt seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper.

Joël Robuchon's Purée de pommes de terre (mashed potato)

French chef Joël Robuchon was named chef of the century by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and has won no less than 25 Michelin stars. He has restaurants in Taipei, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Macau, Monaco, New York, Paris, Tokyo and London. He has chaired the committee for Larousse Gastronomique. This is one of his most famous dishes.

Serves 6

potatoes, preferably rattes or BF15, scrubbed but unpeeled 1kg

coarse salt

whole milk 250ml

butter 250g, diced and kept well-chilled until use

salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a saucepan with 2 litres of cold water and 1 tbsp coarse salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until a knife slips in the potatoes easily and cleanly, about 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and peel them. Put them through a potato ricer (or a food mill fitted with its finest disc) into a large saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and dry the potato flesh out a bit by turning it vigorously with a spatula for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse a small saucepan and pour out the excess water but don't wipe it dry. Add the milk and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat under the potatoes to low and incorporate the well-chilled butter bit by bit, stirring it in energetically for a smooth, creamy finish. Pour in the very hot milk in a thin stream, still over a low heat, still stirring briskly. Keep stirring until all the milk is absorbed. Turn off the heat and taste for salt and pepper. For an even lighter, finer purée, put the mixture through a very fine sieve before serving.

Raymond Blanc's Coq au vin

Raymond Blanc, who is from the Comté region in France, is a self-taught chef. His hotel, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, where he also has a cookery school, has had two Michelin stars for 25 years. He is often on TV, his most recent series being Kitchen Secrets. His latest book is A Taste of My Life.

Serves 4

For marinating the chicken:

full-bodied red wine 1 litre

chicken, free-range and organic 1.5kg, cut into 12 – including the backbone

medium carrot 1, peeled and sliced into 1.5cm pieces

celery ½ a stick, sliced into 1cm pieces

medium white onion 1, peeled and cut into 8 segments, with the root on

whole black peppercorns 1 tsp

bouquet garni (parsley stalks, 4 bay leaves, 6 sprigs of thyme) 1

For braising the chicken:

clarified butter for frying 2 tbsp

plain flour 2 tbsp, sprinkled on to a baking tray and toasted in a preheated oven at 200C/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes until pale brown

To finish:

clarified butter for frying 1 tbsp

smoked streaky bacon 200g, rind removed, diced into 3cm x 1cm pieces

button mushrooms 400g

sea salt and black pepper

flat-leaf parsley chopped 1 tbsp

Boil the wine and reduce by one third. Leave to cool. Mix the chicken, carrot, celery, onion, peppercorns and bouquet garni together and leave to marinate for 12–24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 100C/gas ¼. Place a colander over a bowl and drain the marinade for 1 hour. Separate the chicken, vegetables and herbs, and pat dry.

In a casserole dish on a high heat, colour the chicken in the clarified butter for 5–7 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken on to a plate and put to one side. Add the vegetables to the same pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon out the fat, add the flour, stir for a few seconds and add the wine from the marinade little by little, whisking continuously to incorporate the flour.

Lastly add the chicken and bouquet garni. The sauce should be smooth and coat the back of a spoon. Bring to the boil, skim, cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Taste the sauce. Do not add any salt as you will be adding the bacon later.

Add the butter to a non-stick pan and cook the bacon for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the bacon and mushrooms into the coq au vin and sprinkle with parsley.

Anjum Anand's North Indian lamb curry

Anjum Anand has worked in New York, LA, New Delhi and London. She champions a lighter version of Indian food and has written four books. This recipe is taken from Indian Food Made Easy.

This is a typical dish from Punjab and we have been making it at home for as long as I can remember. The whole spices bring a wonderful depth to the flavour, but if you don't have any, don't worry – it is delicious regardless. Eat with roti or pilaff rice or in a hot, buttered baguette.

Serves 6–8

fresh ginger 25g, peeled

garlic 30g (10 large cloves), peeled

vegetable oil 3 tbsp

black and green cardamom pods 2 each

bay leaf 1

large onion 1, peeled and finely chopped

small lamb cubes, with the bone in 800g

green chillies (optional) 1-2

turmeric powder ½ tsp

coriander powder 1 tbsp

garam masala 1 tsp

salt, to taste

medium tomatoes 4, puréed

water 500ml

coriander leaves and stalks a good handful, chopped

Make a paste of the ginger and garlic, adding a little water to help if you are using a blender.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the cardamom pods and bay leaf and stir for 10 seconds before adding the onion. Fry for about 8 minutes until nicely browned. Add the lamb and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic paste, spices and salt. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the pan is dry.

Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, and simmer until the masala has cooked through, around 10-15 minutes. The oil will come out of the masala and there should be no harshness to the flavour. Add the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, covered, for 35-45 minutes until the lamb is tender. Stir occasionally and make sure there is always water in the pan. When cooked, stir in the coriander and serve.

Philip Howard's mum Lynne's mincemeat tart

Philip Howard is head chef and co-owner of two-Michelin-starred, modern French restaurant The Square in the West End of London, which he set up with Nigel Platts-Martin in 1991. He is also co-owner of the award-winning Ledbury in Notting Hill, and opened Kitchen W8 in Kensington in 2009.

For the topping:

butter 125g

sugar 100g

vegetable oil (not olive) 2 tbsp

egg 1

almond essence 1 tsp

flour 250g

a pinch of salt

baking powder 2 tsp

shortcrust pastry approx 400g

boozy, homemade mincemeat for the filling

whole almonds, to decorate

To make the topping, cream the butter, sugar and oil, then add the egg and almond essence. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and process until it gathers into a ball. Put in the fridge to harden for a few hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Line a loose-bottomed tart tin with the shortcrust pastry, fill generously with mincemeat (leaving room for the topping), then grate (using the coarse side of a grater) a layer of topping over the mincemeat. Press down lightly with a fork and make sure there are no gaps around the edges. Decorate the top with whole almonds. Cook for about half an hour till slightly risen and browned. Serve warm.