Transfer to a large white dish, season lightly with salt and plenty of pepper, and sprinkle with the chopped egg. GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESANI have come to the conclusion that eggs are asparagus’s best companion: try them with buttery scrambled eggs or eggs baked en cocotte with cream and tarragon, or use asparagus spears as “soldiers” for soft-boiled or poached eggs. Add the cream, nutmeg, pepper and spinach to the sauce, mix in thoroughly, check for seasoning and heat through for a few minutes.Lift the skin from the ham, and slice thickly onto a hot platter. Serve the creamed spinach in a handsome bowl, and perhaps with buttered new potatoes.21. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon, and cook for about 15 mins. Meanwhile, briefly blanch the spinach in salted boiling water, drain, refresh in very cold running water, squeeze out with your hands till completely dry, then finely chop it. You may think that it is very thick, but it needs body to hold the chopped spinach in suspension Do not cover the sauce.

Make a roux, and gently cook the butter and flour together for a minute or two Strain the milk into the roux, and whisk until smooth On the lowest heat, set the sauce to cook. The meat is ready when tender enough to be pierced through with a skewer. Keep warm in this cooking water.Heat together the milk, cloves, onion and a little salt. Simmer for a few minutes, cover, and allow the flavours to mingle off the heat for about 30 mins In another pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour.

Discard the water, and rinse the ham under cold running water. Put the ham back into the pan, just cover with cold water, then add the vegetables, herbs and peppercorns Bring to a simmer, and gently cook for about 11/2 hours. Serves 6900g piece of boneless gammon or shoulder2 carrots, peeled & diced2 onions, peeled & chopped2 sticks celery, chopped2 bay leaves3-4 sprigs thyme12 peppercorns275ml milk2 cloves1 small onion, peeled & choppedMaldon sea salt50g butter50g plain flour75ml single creamfreshly grated nutmegpepper1.5kg washed spinachPut the ham in a large pan and cover with cold water Bring just to the boil, and drain into a colander. GAMMON & SPINACHAfter roast chicken cooked with butter, this dish of ham and creamed spinach runs a very close second as one of my favourite things to eat. I think the lamb is best sliced thinly here, rather than in great doorsteps.20. Pile into a serving dish, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge to firm up.To serve, tuck bunches of watercress around the lamb before sending it to table with the aubergine and creamed goat’s cheese. Spoon into a bowl, and cool to room temperature.Force the goat’s cheese through the finest blade of a mouli-legumes, or a sieve, into a bowl.

Add the yogurt, soured cream or creme fraiche, salt (if needed) and Tabasco, and beat well together. Tip into the onion-and-tomato mulch, and carefully stir in, with the parsley Check for seasoning. Rinse the aubergine in plenty of water, and pat thoroughly dry in a clean tea towel. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stick frying pan till very hot, and briskly fry the aubergine till lightly browned. Place on a serving platter, and pour any resultant juices around the meat.