Dinner party

This is not an easy dish to master, but it is spectacular; sticky, crispy, plum sauce-glazed skin, succulent duck meat and green onion pancakes make a meal to impress any guest with.

Tender slices of duck, sweet orange and fennel go together beautifully in this elegant dish.

Bring a little bit of Belgium to your kitchen with this classic dish. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up that delicious broth, and be generous with the finger bowls!

The unique and aromatic flavour of makrut lime leaves is more well known in Asian style curries, but used here in these sweet lime syrup cakes, it is really quite amazing.

Rich and creamy mushroom gravy makes a gorgeous topping for a perfectly cooked t-bone steak.

Soft, succulent and saucy, these individual self-saucing pear and caramel puddings are a fabulous winter dessert.

Lift these tasty beef samosas to the next level with this fresh peach and raisin chutney.

Your mouth will be watering in anticipation by the time you serve up this divine slow-roasted lamb shoulder, thanks to the good smells that will fill the house as it cooks.

You can use feta cheese in place of goat’s cheese. Make pastry cases a week ahead; store in an airtight container. Prepare asparagus and tomatoes 8 hours ahead for asparagus mixture; cover, refrigerate separately. Assemble tarts just before serving. Note

Baked until crisp in a bubbling cheese sauce, these moreish witlof make an excellent starter or light lunch.

Drizzled in a sweet vanilla syrup and topped with fresh mint, these colourful citrus and yoghurt pots make a pretty dessert.

A spectacular dessert to produce at the end of a very special meal, prosecco and raspberry jellies sprinkled with gold leaf are perfectly pretty.

There's no need to ever serve a boring side, these oregano potatoes will spice up any spread.

Salt the skin side of the salmon and cook that side first, turning only once. That will guarantee you a lovely crispy skin. You could use tuna instead of salmon, if you like.

We used dutch cream potatoes and yellow-fin tuna in this recipe. Note

You can use any firm white fish fillets in this recipe. Note

Radicchio originated in Italy and is a member of the chicory family. The leaves are dark burgundy in colour and have a strong bitter flavour which makes radicchio a worthy partner to the blue cheese in this dish.

We used two pear varieties, corella and beurre bosc as well as ladyfinger bananas, which are shorter and sweeter than the better-known Cavendish variety. Either type of banana can be used. Note

Try this mouth-watering cheat's ravioli made with wonton wrappers.

Nougat ice-cream is swirled with Turkish delight, pistachios and cranberries then drizzled in a raspberry sauce in this divine dessert.

Celeriac may not be the prettiest of vegies, but this knobbly brown tuber is quite delicious. It has a white flesh with a subtle celery flavour and, when mashed, has the creaminess of potato - making it an ideal accompaniment to tender meats.

This spiced walnut cake with a brandy syrup is rich with the fragrance of cloves, cinnamon and orange.

Rich, fiery sambal oelek lends heat to this delicious dish of snapper with a spicy tomato sauce.

Celebrate summer with this classic cocktail with a tropical twist.

Interestingly enough, due to its shape, a tagine actually cooks by steaming, just like your microwave oven. Serve the tagine with steamed couscous with plumped raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander tossed into it.

These gorgeous miniature berry and rhubarb pies are perfect for a morning or afternoon treat, or a decadent dessert with vanilla ice-cream.

Embrace the colder weather with this beautiful pork, apple and prune casserole topped with fresh sage.

Make sure your prosciutto is really thinly sliced for this divine snapper recipe, to ensure it cooks crisply.

There is a place for store bought pastry and custard, but sometimes a sweet dish just deserves the homemade versions. This is one of those dishes.

This wonderfully flavoursome cheese and herb stuffing puts a delicious twist on your usual roast dinner. Serve it hot from the oven, sliced thinly with potatoes and our homemade gravy.

As delicious as these lemon coconut macarons will be once finished, for a better flavour and a more chewy texture seal them in a container and refrigerate them overnight. It is a most cruel exercise in self restraint, but worth it.

Some flavours make a natural marriage, and pear and chocolate is one of those gorgeous pairings. These whole poached pears with chocolate cream are simple, elegant and delicious.

In Japan, sukiyaki is traditionally shared at the table from the pan in which it was cooked, making it a great dish for a fun dinner party. Diners use their chopsticks to dip the piping hot ingredients into their individual bowls of egg.

Wrapping these little chickens in proscuitto helps keep them moist while roasting, as well as infusing the meat with their flavour.

This warming and fragrant French style onion and fennel soup is absolutely amazing topped with melted cheddar cheese souffles. This is gourmet soup at it's finest.

Gorgonzola is a creamy, blue cheese from Italy; if unavailable, use blue Castello. Note

Roasted garlic is a delicious accompaniment to roasted or grilled meat, or squeezed from the skin and spread on croutes. To ensure a tender roast, remember to stand the meat before serving.

Vitello tonnato, veal with tuna sauce, is a classic Italian antipasto dish, usually served cold. It’s also commonly served in summer as a light meal. Note

Soup can be frozen. Rouille (a French sauce meaning `rust’ because of its reddish colour) can be made a day ahea Note

With a judiciously herbed crumb crust, tender lamb, this dish is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party but won't take you hours to make.

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure, your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructions before using. Note

Perfect for a dinner party, these colourful crumbles are delicious topped with a scoop of melting ice-cream.

Ahh, biscotti. It's really a biscuit for grown ups. We've given it a little facelift here, and added some coffee flavour and toasted hazelnuts; hide from the kids and enjoy with your afternoon cuppa.

Mille-feuille, pronounced meal-fwee, translates as “thousand leaves”, and refers to puff pasty used in multi-layered sweet or savoury dishes. We’ve adapted the classic dessert version here by layering fillo pastry with almonds and honey.

The literal translation of "pot on the fire" refers to the way this old standard was originally cooked, in a huge cast-iron pot directly in the fireplace. Any combination of vegetables and meat can be used, and the French versions are as numerous as there are regions of the country.

The sticky sweetness of these apples is a perfect accompaniment to luscious rich pork belly.

If you fancy doing something a little bit different with potatoes, this tapas-style dish of roasted thyme potatoes with spicy sauce is just what you're looking for.

This salad takes the classic flavours of Provence and combines them to make an elegant and flavoursome starter that is still quite light. All the components can be made in advance and simply assembled when you are ready to serve.

Grilled vegetables and crispy-skinned salmon are made even more delicious with a zesty, spiced chermoula sauce.

Delight your guests at your next dinner party with these easy, sophisticated cocktails.

We've used salmon for this recipe, but tarragon compliments seafood beautifully. You could use tuna, flathead, ling, trout or any firm fleshed fish.

This is a quick and easy rendition of a traditional Sicilian involtini, slow-cooked meat rolls filled with vegetables served in a rich tomato sauce.

Succulent chicken breasts stuffed with ricotta and basil make a wonderful dinner party dish. Using a piping bag to fill the pockets with stuffing will make it easier.

The simple, clean flavours of this seared snapper with ginger and soy are uplifting.

Bring Paris into your kitchen with this classic French bistro version of steak and chips (pommes frites): a tender piece of beef, grilled to perfection, served with freshly made skinny fries, twice cooked to crispy goodness.

Topped with fresh chilli and spring onion, these spicy beef and eggplant cups make a tasty starter or light meal.

Try these tender, flaky salmon fillets drizzled with golden lemon butter for a deliciously satisfying meal. Perfect with creamy mashed potatoes.

Wow your dinner guests with these vibrant and delicious blackberry soufflés.

Bombes can be made and frozen a week in advance. You can make one large bombe by freezing the mixture in a 2-litre (8-cup) pudding steamer. We used Grand Marnier, but you can use your favourite citrus liqueur. Note

You can use fresh plums when in season. Note

When it comes to canapés, smoked salmon and dill is always a crowd pleaser.

The dark blue pigment of blueberries is full of antioxidants, which have been shown to lower cholesterol. They are sometimes referred to as “brain berries” because they may help with brain function. Note

There are many parts to this dish, so it pays to get yourself fully organised before you begin. Despite the work involved, coconut panna cotta with mango and wafers is worth the effort.

We've given a grapefruit flavour to the classic lemon meringue pie here, but you could experiment with any citrus fruit, or a combination of.

A simple and yet splendid meal to serve up to guests at a dinner party. A bowl of aioli on the table will help finish the meal beautifully.

Plump, juicy and fragrant with sesame oil, these sea scallops make a delightful starter for a special dinner.

Wrapping the fish in banana leaves guarantees a beautifully moist and tender result. Plus, it looks impressive while saving on the washing up!

Sometimes the simplest recipes are truly the best, you'll delight your guests when you serve up these salmon fillets with green curry on a bed of steamed rice.

We used small (lunch-box size) Pink Lady apples and Corella pears in this recipe. Note

You can use brown sugar instead of the palm sugar. Green tea soba noodles are flavoured with powdered green tea and are available from Asian food stores and in the Asian food section of most large supermarkets. Use plain dried soba noodles, if you like. Note

This light, fragrant dish is simply delicious sprinkled with micro cress and served with a loaf of warm crusty bread.

Goulash is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with a variety of spices, and invariably with paprika. It has always been a popular meal in Central Europe. We've teamed it with parsley dumplings here, to make it extra hearty.

Chimichurri salsa with t-bone steak

You can substitute scotch whiskey for the rye whiskey. Note

We all know that everybody likes parfait but with chunks of chocolate, nougat and a caramel sauce this is one parfait you'll be sure to love.

With layers of crisp pastry, blueberry sauce and orange cream cheese, this is one mouth-watering dessert.