‘A guide through all the options we know… One these should be just the trick you need this Christmas’

A Sicilian specialty made with chickpea flour. I’ve made my variety using lemon-scented basil flowers from Casanova and Daughters of Covent Garden.

Caponata is a Sicilian specialty. I’ve adapted the recipe to include basil flowers scented with cinnamon.

A lovely memory of a Seven Dials gem.

This may seem a little over-the-top for a dinner party – but you will certainly make an impression!

This may seem a little ‘left field’ or a crazy culinary ruse – but in fact it is grounded very objectively into our family’s Thanksgiving story…

Gorgonzola has quite specific likes – I’ve tried to find good partners for both the dolce and picante.

Gorgonzola has quite specific likes – I’ve tried to find good partners for both the dolce and the piccante.

This is a spin on Escoffier’s white asparagus with sauce maltaise. The two are often served as an accompaniment for a white fish such as turbot. Here the fish is plaice rolled around asparagus and a maltaise mousse and served as a canape.

Well, what do you know, here’s a taste combination from out of the blue! Asparagus and dolci Gorgonzola. Add grilled polenta and well-paired wine and you will be in Italian food heaven.

This is a classic Japanese way with soba and tempura. Strickly speaking the asparagus tempura is kaki-age, made like a tempura fritter rather than individual spears coated in tempura. But such academic details seem trivial when it comes to tempura – any tempura is amazing – especially asparagus!

The exact constituent parts of an authentic Niçoise salad is a matter of contentious debate. There must be as many points of view as there are cooks. So I am throwing my hat into the ring and offer up Niçoise with asparagus!!

Like sesame sauce, miso ends up in sauces and dressing for many classic Japanese salads. Here I’ve combined miso with asparagus to make a rather exotic salad – wasabi on the side adds piquancy and a touch of jeopardy to the dish.

It’s a Japanese way to mix sesame sauces in with food – I suspect the reason is because the sauce is so good it can’t help being slipped into all sorts of dishes. Here, I’ve married the sauce with asparagus and tuna. In some respects, it reminds me of the filling of a tuna fish and asparagus sandwhich filling, so good, you want start eating it before it gets anywhere near a slice of bread…

Asparagus and nuts have an affinity – I’ve used hazelnuts and seen recipes with pistachios, so sesame should – and does – marry well. Avocado and tofu work well together, and asparagus eats well with avocado. This recipe brings all these flavour combination together in a Japanese style dish.