Feeling inspired by MasterChef's Ottolenghi's creations? Try your hand at these easy to make croquettes that'll make you the true master of the house.

"The first time I made this, it was, to be frank, really just out of amused interest. I’d heard, and read, about this culinary tradition from the Deep South, but I wasn’t expecting it, in all honesty, to be good. The truth is it’s magnificent, and makes converts of anyone who eats it. But, if you think about it, it’s not surprising it should work: the sweet, spiky drink just infuses it with a spirit of barbecue. I have to force myself to cook ham any other way now; though often I don’t bother with the glaze but just leave it for longer in the bubbling Coke instead. But just one thing before we start: don’t even consider using Diet Coke; it’s full-fat or nothing." – Nigella Lawson. This is an edited extract from The Really Quite Good British Cookbook, edited by William Sitwell (Echo Publishing, $49.99).

Clafoutis is one of the great classics of French family cuisine. This dessert often features on our menus, both at Belmond Le Manoir and at Brasserie Blanc. It is very easy to prepare and I would go so far as to say it is foolproof. Other stone- fruits, such as peaches, plums and apricots, or indeed figs, work just as well. Recipe extract from The Really Quite Good British Cookbook, edited by William Sitwell, cover design by Sir Peter Blake (Echo Publishing, $49.99).

This comes from a tiny fishing village called Gerakas, 40 minutes’ north of Monemvasia in the Peloponnese. The drive is spectacular, and Gerakas itself is the Greek fishing village by which all others must be judged. This was designed to use the tiny shrimps in the inlet on which Gerakas lies. I particularly enjoy the subtle flavours of dill and ouzo.

This recipe for roast rib of beef, which comes from my first book, Celebrate, is the ultimate Sunday lunch dish. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is a quintessential British combination, well known from the middle of the 18th century when the French started referring to the English as “les rosbifs”. Rib of beef is one of the tastiest cuts as it’s cooked on the bone, which also makes for a flavoursome gravy. Ask the butcher to trim the bones for a neat finish. I like to cheat a little and use shop-bought fresh or frozen Yorkshire puddings. Remember to remove the meat from the fridge half an hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Recipe extract from The Really Quite Good British Cookbook, edited by William Sitwell, cover design by Sir Peter Blake (Echo Publishing, $49.99).