7 recipes to cook in November

Simon Rogan’s delicious venison roast looks like homely plate of food, but typical of the two Michelin-starred chef, there’s plenty of technical elements under the hood. Simon roasts his venison haunch in hay, then uses the trimmings to make a rich, caramelised venison sauce. Alongside large chunks of roast celeriac and a spiced, braised red cabbage, this satisfying recipe is perfect for November.

Robin Gill’s majestic canapé makes the most of two luxury winter ingredients – Jerusalem artichoke and truffle. Robin Gill infuses a rich, creamy Brie de Meaux with fresh winter truffle and truffle oil, then sandwiches slices of it in between thick, crunchy Jerusalem artichoke crisps. Finish with fresh grated truffle, a drizzle of honey and a dusting of mushroom powder (you can buy it if you don’t want to make your own) and there you have it – a seriously impressive dinner party showstopper.

Hake, grapefruit, radicchio, salsify – this perfectly balanced recipe from Pascal Aussignac is November on a plate. Sharp citrus is a classic accompaniment to bitter radicchio leaves, and Pascal adds depth with the sweet, aniseed hit of fennel and some sliced kumquat on the side. With batons of butter-basted salsify and a lovely piece of pan-roasted hake (complete with crispy skin), this is a memorable main that’s sure to win you brownie points.

Mallards are still plentiful in November, and wild duck – though difficult to find sometimes – has a delicious gamey flavour that’s well worth the effort it can take to find it. Paul Welburn’s stunning recipe is an incredible display of technique and precision – a lot of work goes into this recipe, but the result is incredible. Paul expertly breaks down his mallards, using the trimmings and bones for sauce, before confiting the legs whilst roasting the crowns. The roast duck is finished with a honey glaze and served alongside seasonal turnips, cavolo nero and mashed potato.

If Simon Rogan’s homely haunch roast doesn’t quite do it before you, perhaps Adam Byatt’s sophisticated warm salad of venison loin will. It looks fantastic, but it’s really simple to put together – Adam pan-roasts his loin with butter and thyme and serves it with lightly blanched sprout tops, freshly shaved truffle and slices of raw chestnut. As we get deeper into November, you can switch things up a bit, serving the venison with Tenderstem broccoli and hazelnuts instead.

You’re bound to find yourself with a fruit bowl full of apples at some point this winter – more apples than you’re capable of eating yourself. Steven Hawkes’ apple cake is the perfect way of dealing with a glut – not only do you end up with a delicious cake, it’s also relatively healthy, as Steven uses sunflower oil and yoghurt rather than butter. Peel and dice your apples, mix your wet ingredients, add your dry ingredients and bake! Easy peasy.

Graham Hornigold’s clementine tart is the definition of a showstopper. Graham starts with a classic French sweet pastry, blind-baking his tart shell before filling with a set clementine egg custard and garnishing the top with caramelised macadamia nuts, charred clementine segments and Italian meringue. If that sounds complicated, don’t fret – Graham’s recipe is foolproof, and he has loads of incredibly useful tips that will turn you into a pastry-making pro.