I’m pretty pleased with this recipe. I really like Argentinian empanada pastry and as we are heading towards canapé and finger food season, I thought it’s a great pastry to showcase the game season’s best.

I have used the hare haunches for this recipe, and by cooking them in duck fat this keeps the meat moist and succulent (roasting the meat is too harsh and will dry it out too much). The pumpkin then adds a welcome natural sweetness to the hare.

The amaretti biscuits can be made up to a week in advance and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, then, on the day of serving, simply sandwich them together with the freshly prepared almond cream. The sandwiched biscuits are best served on the day they are assembled.

I am in love with making rough puff pastry! It’s a pretty straightforward recipe and I find it remarkably satisfying to make. Once you have made your own, I guarantee that you will never buy puff pastry again. I make the recipe in larger batches and freeze it in 250g blocks, as these are perfect to whip out if you fancy making these palmiers, or perhaps a pie or tart or something. There are so many recipes that can be made using this rough puff pastry.

It is made by using equal quantities of flour, butter and cream cheese and the beauty is that you can make the quantity according to the amount of ingredients you have, e.g. if you only have 80g cream cheese, then you adapt the rest of the ingredients accordingly. The secrets to success are that your butter must be cold, make sure you don’t overwork the dough, and if a few larger flakes of butter are still visible when rolling your layers, then it’s actually a good thing as this helps the flaky layers to form during baking.

For these palmiers, I have used a mature strong Cheddar cheese and a Corsican semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese (that is encased and aged in herbs from the island). The reason for this latter choice is that I had some leftover from a function and it provides an interesting taste. You can use any cheese you like, but the harder and stronger the cheese, the better results you will get (but avoid using soft creamy cheeses for making these palmiers).

But, enough of smoked venison Scotch eggs, our vegetarian diners have voiced their desire and need for a Scotch egg of their own, and for that reason our version of a Puy lentil Scotch egg is now regularly made by request.

They are very tasty, but when making them, take extra time and care as the mixture is a little bit soft, so make sure you chill the mixture according to the recipe, otherwise it might all end in tears.

If you fancy a fishy version of a Scotch egg instead, do refer to my cookbook (The British Larder A Cookbook for All Seasons) on page 163, for delicious Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs, or page 148 for the fantastic and fun Crispy Quack Eggs (duck meat wrapped around quail’s eggs). Such fun!

Most chefs might cringe at the thought of a cheese foam as they think it’s passé; but then I’m so pleased food is subjective and it works for me. It’s a technique developed in my cooking era, something not from the Larousse and a technique I think that will last for a while and will make it’s mark on the culinary map.

I have chosen to use Montgomery cheddar for this cheesy foam as it’s strong, packs a punch and a very little goes a long way. The crispy bacon adds a meaty smoky saltiness to this delicious canapé the only thing missing is a glass of bubbly! Salute!

At the pub, we cook the duck legs in a water bath for 8 hours, but at home it’s best to roast the duck legs in the oven, then flake the meat and add a freshly ground aromatic five spice blend to flavour the meat.

The radish mayonnaise is also a true delight. Making homemade mayonnaise is always special – you can adapt, adjust and play, make up your own flavours and have bundles of fun in the process too.

The polenta gives these muffins a slightly crunchy and light texture. Sometimes I change the flavours and use ingredients that are in the fridge like chopped semi-dried tomatoes and goat’s cheese or Kalamata olives and feta cheese, for a tasty change.

I am a great believer that cooks should use their own initiative to adjust recipes and experiment with different flavours, so I would often encourage you to do the same. However, with this particular recipe, I have made the classic mistake of trying to add too many alternative ingredients, resulting in muffins that are either too greasy or too heavy. So feel free to experiment, but do remember that less is often more. It’s easy to over-complicate flavours and it can ruin your dish completely. Bear in mind that if you use a different cheese to mine, then use one with a similar texture, otherwise it might make the muffins too wet if the cheese becomes too runny when melted.

The combination of semi-dried tomatoes and cheese, along with some English mustard powder and chopped spring onions and chives, is for me at least, one fine combination. If you are opting to use sun-dried tomatoes instead, then I recommend that you hydrate them first in boiling water to moisten them and to release the flavour within (make sure you drain and pat them dry before use).

These delicious scones are ideal for breakfast, brunch or as a snack, or served as an accompaniment with soup.